Beautiful Dream - Our Kaelynn Rose

It has officially been 1 year since Miss Kaelynn Rose Soo Jin arrived here in the United States!!!! It was a very long journey to bring her home, a whirlwind trip to Korea, and a difficulkt parting for all involved as we left Korea - but then, she just fit right in. Within days she was laughin and giggling, and it was as if she had always been with us!

I cannot believe that she has been home for a whole year already - the time has flown by. She has changed so much - she has hair! She can walk, run, and climb! She is starting to talk, and we have fallen in love with her more and more each day.

She is our pride and joy - we coudn't have made one better ourselves!!!

Here's to many, many more beautiful, happy, homecoming anniversaries!!!!!

Tonight was Kaelynn's First Halloween with us and first Trick-or-Treat experience. We went to Menlo Park to spend the day with our dear friends (more like family) the Koenig family.

Kaelynn had a WONDERFUL time - despite not getting a very good nap she just loved running through the streets in her ladybug costume - which had been purchased for her by Grammy and even posed for photos in her handmade Totoro costume - that Mommy made!

It took her awhile to get the hang of walking up for trick -or - treating to the doors - but once she figured it out - she RAN to the doors!!!

Kaelynn tried a few different candies - some were hits - like twizzlers, others not so much - like Red Hots!!!!

All in all, we think she had an awesome day - and we can't wait to do it again next year!!

This is just a place holder entry till I can get some pictures uploaded - the site seems to be having issues! But I wanted the site to be available to our friends and family so......

Today, we took Kaelynn to Breakfast With Enzo - a musical show with a local children's singer. He mixes folk music, traditional songs, finger plays, and interactive games into his routine - he is very talented and really gets the children engaged and dancing, singing, and playing along.

He uses a really interesting mix of instruments too - a mouth harp, a banjo, drums, an accordion, and of course more common ones like a keyboard and guitar. His music can be found on I-Tunes if you want to hear some samples. Enzo Garcia is his full name.

That's it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to get the pictures uploaded soon!

We just returned home from Kaelynn's VERY first Comic-Con in San Diego - she was such a trooper!! She rode around like the little princess she is in her stroller - amazed by the geeks that surrounded her!

She loved all of the costumes and characters dressed up and she even got to go to her very own panel - a premiere showing of a new episode of her favorite show - The Backyardigans! She LOVED it!!

Of course the highlight of the trip for her was probably seeing them 25 feet tall and running around Balboa Children's park, but she really did have a pretty good time - although 4 full days of that is an AWFUL lot to ask of an 18 month old!!!

I am reminded on these trips of how truly blessed we are - she is a great traveler - in the car, on a plane, whatever we throw her way she takes it with ease and just smiles and giggles away.

She is such an easy going kid - yet strong willed and opinionated - as it should be - and we are beyond a shadow of a doubt some of the luckiest people in the world to be able to call ourselves her parents!!!

Today we took Kaelynn to one of our favorite places for the very first time - Disneyland!!!! We are on a 4 day vacation at Disney with some family friends - another family also with a daughter going to Disneyland for the first time.

We had a REALLY fin time! The girls had a blast and we are all VERY tired now! Pictures and videos will be added soon.

And I will try to update the journal with a more thorough accounting of what our trip entailed when we are home and caught up on some sleep - we're having LOTS of fun though!!!

Much love to all,

Chandra, Paul, and Kaelynn Rose

Today is our sweet baby girl's first birthday! I can't believe we have already had her home with us for three big celebrations - her first Thanksgiving, her first Christmas, and her 1st birthday today!

We celebrated with a traditional Korean Tol - it is a birthday celebration that is of special significance for Koreans. If you'd like to read more - check out this link....

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/tol/tol.cfm

We have had her Toljabee, and prayers were said privately by mommy this morning. She got to wear the beautiful hanbok that her foster parents gave to us - and she looked SOOOO precious!!

I also wrote her a letter that I will give to her on her 18th birthday - all about her first birthday and how much she means to us, how special she is, and how much we love her!

She will get the American side of her birthday when she wakes up from her afternoon nap - turkey for dinner (which is her favorite food) followed by a homemade carrot cake with cream cheese icing and of course ---- presents!!!

Thank you to all of us that wished us a beautiful day - every day with her is beautiful - but today was certainly extra, extra important and special!