See ya, Malibu

Our last day came quicker than we expected. We knew the day would eventually come and we always said that it was going to be very difficult to leave. We spent the week packing, having dinner with neighbors, golfing, and still floating on the news of the twins. On our last day, we packed the remainder of our things and planned to walk along the beach to have dinner at Paradise Cove. Around 5:30 p.m., we did just that. We started our walk and slowly took in the beach and all its sounds, smells, and beauty. We would take several steps and then turn around to take it all in again at every angle. All the while, marveling at how fortunate and blessed we were to have lived there. There have been so many great memories. Too many to name but they will stay with us forever.

As we walked, we looked back on our years and talked about how we both knew that this chapter was ending but that another one was beginning. God could not make it more clear to us that we are to go! He must have known that it would take a lot for us to do so :)

Being that it was during the week and in the off season, the restaurant had the fewest amount of people we'd ever seen. We sat at a window table and enjoyed a delicious meal and splurged on a scrumptious dessert. As we strolled back, the sun began its decent and gave way to a crescent-shaped moon. It was the perfect ending.

The sadness of leaving the Bu was overshadowed by our excitement for what is to come. Many new experiences await us. We won't have the beach but we'll have the mountains, the clear nights, stars as far as the eye can see, snow- capped mountains, golf courses galore, a new house, new memories, and of course, our girls. There is no comparison and there are no regrets, just an enormous amount of gratitude. Our prayers have been answered. It was time and we were ready. We'll be back to visit, especially in the summer months. We're looking forward to the day when we can bring our girls back to the beach. They'll one day be able to see where our story began. For now, we won't say goodbye just yet. We'll just say, "See ya, Malibu."

Introducing...

Faith Do Eun & Grace Do Hee

Born March 22, 2006 in Gwangju, South Korea

Do Eun means Big Wave Blessing & Do Hee means Big Wave Girl.

They're sure to make a big splash in our world!

Surprise!

The phone rang Sunday morning as we were just about to leave for church. I answered the phone (which I normally don't do) and to my surprise, it was the director of the Korea program at our adoption agency. She asked me if I was sitting down. I knew right then that this was going to be big news! She then told me that they have a healthy set of TWIN girls for us to consider! As you can imagine, I got chills all over and things sounded a little fuzzy to me from that point on.

In my daze, I managed to tell her that we were just on our way to church. I said that we would discuss it and pray about it. Most of all, just try to absorb this somewhat shocking news. She said that once we talked about it, she could email us more information on the girls, if we wanted to see it. Of course, I said to email it right then. When I got off the phone, Morgan knew exactly who was on the other line. Of course, he thought we had just received a referral for one child. I told him the news and we were excited, shocked, and confused all at the same time. We sat at the computer and went back and forth about whether we should open this email now or wait until after we came back from church. Well, we couldn't wait! We read pages and pages of information and then finally came to their pictures. They are so cute! They look healthy and well taken care of. They were born on March 22, 2006 in Gwangju, South Korea. Currently, they are being cared for in a foster home in Seoul.

Needless to say, we left for church with our heads spinning! Two babies?? We slowly began to digest the news and things became a bit more clear. As soon as we got away from ourselves, our own plans, and our initial fears, we began to see the blessing that God had in store for us. Everything was starting to make sense. The new home, buying it a bit earlier than we expected to, and all of the details just working out perfectly. To top it off, we have a big baby room in our new home. Morgan has said all along that we could have several kids in there! From the beginning of this journey we have been praying for God's will and trusting that He would bless us with the perfect child for us. We just had no idea that He had a double blessing in mind! It's not really surprising though; God is just that way. He is full of surprises and always better than you could have ever dreamed for yourself. We are overwhelmed with gratitude.

It was our last Sunday at our beloved church before we move this week. We shared the news with our friends and they were surprised, excited and even shed tears of joy with us. We are so thankful for our church family. They have come alongside us on this journey. They have been wonderful supporters, encouragers, and prayer warriors. Our dear friend, Ann even mentioned that she had never seen Morgan so happy. He was glowing and bursting with joy. It was as if he couldn't contain himself. I would have to agree. He was floating on a cloud immersed in gratitude and blessing. It was as if his two baby girls were just born that day. I am so fortunate to have a husband who leads by example with such a big and generous heart :)

We are stepping out in faith and trusting that God will take care of all the details and that these two precious girls were meant for us. I was thinking yesterday how strange it is that life always changes in a single, unexpected moment.
Well, here we go!

Pictures and more info to come soon!

Packin' up

These past couple of weeks have been very busy. We've been making trips back and forth to our new home, hiring painters and contractors of all sorts, shopping for new furniture, and making lots of decisions. Needless to say, it's been stressful yet exciting at the same time. I guess moving is just that way. This week, I've finally started to pack. Packing is not just packing though. It's cleaning, throwing out, making piles for donation, wrapping, then packing! Since we'll be doing the final walk-thru of our home this weekend, it only gives us 5 days left to pack!

Morgan has been busy with work, meeting with clients, and just getting everything in order and set-up for our move. That leaves me to do most of the packing during the day. All in all, everything just keeps falling into place and things are working out beautifully.

Tonight, dear friends of ours, Jim and Cathy are thoughtfully hosting a going-away party for us. It'll be a great time of relaxation and fun. We are so humbled and blessed to call them friends.

In Remembrance

Five years have passed since the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Like other historical and significant events, I suppose we will always remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we first heard of the attack. I was on a week long business trip; staying at the Embassy Suites in Irvine. It was almost one month before our wedding day and only 4 days before Morgan's younger brother, Roy was to be married. That morning, I was in the bathroom getting ready for a day of meetings when Morgan called. He told me to quickly turn on the TV. A plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center in New York. The scene looked like something out of an action movie. At that point, we didn't realize that it was a terrorist attack or that other planes had been hijacked. I guess we just thought it was some sort of freak accident. To our horror and amazement, as we continued to watch, another plane came crashing into the second tower. We realized then, that this was no accident.

In the days that followed, like most of the world, we were glued to our TV sets. As the information unfolded and the damage assessed, we knew that our country would never be the same.

Almost a year later, I read a book called "Let's Roll" by Lisa Beamer that made such a profound impact on me. Lisa was the wife of Todd Beamer. Todd was one of the courageous passengers aboard United Flight 93. The passengers and crew fought the terrorists onboard and diverted the plane from crashing into the White House or the Capitol. The plane went down in rural Pennsylvania killing everyone onboard. In Lisa's book, I was amazed by her strength, clarity, hope and unwavering faith. It made me question and challenge my own beliefs in a way that I had never before. After reading the book, I came to sort of a "fork in the road." I examined where I was headed and what kind of foundation I had built for myself. Where did my hope lie? Soon afterwards, I chose my path and headed towards my own journey of faith. I believe God used this book in a powerful way to draw me closer to Him and I will forever be grateful for that.

An excerpt from the book...

"I first stepped out of the bus at the crash site in Shanksville on September 17. I looked over at Todd's sister, Michele, and said, "He's not here." Nothing significant of Todd Beamer remained in that field in Pennsylvania. Yet he was more alive than ever at that very moment, enjoying a reality in heaven more incredible that anything we could hope to imagine on earth. He is in the presence of God himself! This heartfelt knowledge changed the devastation of that place into a place of peace, and as difficult as it may be for some to believe, even joy. I knew at that moment, without a doubt, that everything Todd and I believed and lived for was true."

"My life since September 11 includes many human sorrows and challenges, and everyday I must choose how to confront them. I can sink into depression or anger or anxiety, or I can trust that God is working everything for my good. I have chosen to believe God-- to believe he loves me and has a plan for now and for eternity. I don't claim to understand but I choose daily--even moment by moment--to have faith not in what is seen but in what is unseen. The road ahead is uncertain and even scary at times, but I believe that God will provide what's best for me, just when I need it. Even now, in the midst of much sorrow, there is much to be thankful for--a great family, wonderful friends, and a strong community of faith. I try to appreciate my blessings everyday."

Todd Beamer was survived by his wife, his 2 sons, David and Drew, and daughter, Morgan who was born in January of 2002.

A New Season

With Labor Day behind us, there's a slight hint of fall in the air. Another season is quickly approaching. Fall is probably my favorite time of year. Maybe it's because our wedding anniversary is in the month of October and we always vacation during that month? Perhaps I love fall because November brings Morgan's birthday and one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving? These things, combined with the beauty of the leaves changing color and a crisp, cooler air give me plenty of reasons to welcome a new season.

With this new season, a new adventure in our lives will also begin. We will be moving into our new home this fall. We were planning to buy a bigger home once our daughter arrived but life is always full of surprises. Because we didn't expect to move so soon, we were a bit reluctant to make this decision at first. After much prayer and discussion, we felt God's hand leading us to this special blessing. This week, after learning that we moved up to #6 on the wait list, we were again reminded that God knows what's best for us and His timing is ALWAYS perfect.
With our new home, we can now be settled and ready for our baby's arrival.

Change is hard on most people. Usually our fears keep us from making any changes at all.
"If it aint' broken, why fix it, right?" I've always been one to live my life experiencing different opportunities and trying to grow from each of them...
Much to my parents' dismay at times, while growing up :)
Even though some of my choices didn't have the outcome I had hoped for at the time, what I gained in the experience and effort has always been priceless. What I've come to understand is that change is often God's invitation to a blessing. Celebrating that change can be our way of preparing ourselves to receive God's glory. That doesn't always mean that it's easy.
In fact, most often than not, change is the most difficult thing we go through.

It will be difficult to leave our beach pad, friends, church family, and community but God is calling us to a new adventure. It is with excitement and a bit of sadness that we embark on this new journey.

A Time For Everything

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiasties 3:1-8

The Countdown Begins

Great news today!
Our adoption agency told us that we have moved up to #6 on the wait list! Just three weeks ago, we were at #14 so this is a wonderful surprise! I prayed for an influx of referrals and once again, God has answered my prayers. At this rate, we may even get a referral by the end of the year. Hooray!