3 years old today

And as cute and spunky as ever!



Our Elliana Sa-rang whose name means God has answered my prayers and Sa-rang is the Korean word for love. She has blossomed from a teeny tiny little scared baby to a confident (most of the time), hilarious, incredibly smart  little girl. She is sweet, but boy can she be downright naughty too! Typical!




She had fun the other day with Nathan and I going out on a little photo shoot to get a few shots of her in her Hanbok. This is the same hanbok that her foster mother gave her that she is wearing at one year old here. I think it fits a little better now!

This picture totally reminds me of the one above!

Seriously, it is so hard to picture her and try to imagine what she might have looked like on the day she was born 3 years ago today. Born much too early only weighing a few pounds and alive only because of multiple blood transfusions and oxygen support, I am sure she was quite a sight to behold. I have been thinking about her mother again lately and wondering where she is and what she is doing and if she ever had the chance to hold her baby girl in her arms before they whisked her away to another bigger hospital. Did she look into her daughter's face and see beauty and dream about who she would become or did she turn away because it was just too painful?

Does she think about her or wonder if she will ever see her again or has she chosen to shut the door on her past and not think about any of it.

I don't know, and I bet it's all of the above, but I hope and pray that someday the Lord might be gracious enough to allow us to meet. Because I want her to know how incredibly grateful we are for this gift that she carried in her womb and labored for and gave birth to and grieved for. The daughter that she gave LIFE to.

Someday I hope she gets to see this face





Cuz we think it's a pretty cute one!




Even when she's being a stinker!



Happy 3rd birthday to our Elliana! Saengil chukha hamnida!!!


We praise the Lord for this precious little life!



 For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
 My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.


Psalm 139:13-16

She's 10 today...

And how I wish that I could be there to hug her and kiss her and tell her how much she is loved and just make her feel downright SPECIAL because of who God has created her to be. I know Randy does too.

I bet she would love our silly birthday breakfast tradition of getting the special red plate with a donut and a candle on top and she would probably laugh and roll her eyes like all of us do when we try to sing the birthday song together {off-key}.


She would certainly join in on the obligatory embarrassing ridiculously goofy family picture that we always take. {Funny that we never plan for it to turn out this way... yet somehow they ALWAYS do!}

How do I know that she will participate?

Hmmmm....

I don't know her well enough yet to know which she would like better for a birthday dessert...

The yummy ice-cream cake with candy bar and cookie topping?

 Or something a little more pretty and personalized?

I wonder what she would choose when she could pick anything she wanted me to make for dinner and I am sure she wouldn't mind the attention she would get when all of us: mom, dad, brothers, sister, aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandparents came to celebrate with her.



I think she would get a kick out of having a "date" with mommy or daddy like we do sometimes with our kids.  If it were with mommy, we'd probably go shopping or to get our nails done- because I know how much she likes to be girly and have pretty things.

If it were with daddy, I bet they would go out for ice-cream and just be silly together- because I know she can be pretty goofy sometimes and daddy can always make us laugh. :)

Most of all, I pray that this is the LAST birthday that she will ever spend without a family to love on her and make her feel completely precious.

For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

   your works are wonderful, 

   I know that full well. 

 My frame was not hidden from you 

   when I was made in the secret place, 

   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 

Your eyes saw my unformed body; 

   all the days ordained for me were written in your book 

   before one of them came to be."  Psalm 139:13-16

Meul kam le deut {Happy Birthday}

to our beautiful girl! 

***I think we will be making some cupcakes today in her honor! :)

Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet girl!

I can't believe it's been a year already since we came home and were celebrating our baby's first birthday with her. Look at her- she was so little!



She has grown and changed so much this past year, it is truly amazing.


She is a joyful, curious, sometimes stubborn, little firecracker and always finds a way to make us laugh each and every day. She is talking and mimicking us like crazy and somehow thinks that every person she come into contact with needs to listen and respond to her antics! She loves to dance, sing, read books, take care of babies, and get into EVERYTHING! She keeps us all on our toes, and might even have a few of us wrapped around her little finger! She is an amazing little treasure and gift from God and we cannot imagine our life without this sweet bundle of energy.

Happy Happy Birthday Little Miss 2 YEAR OLD!

Birthday Girl

Happy Happy 1st Birthday to our beautiful Elliana Sa-rang!





So silly!






And just in case you were wondering if I ever put clothes on her...


I do.



And they are adorable (thanks to many friends and family!)


But of course she loves just playing in her diaper and gets pretty giddy about it!


Well, the balloons may have helped.



A little.




And just in case you were wondering if she smiles that gorgeous smile everytime I bring out the camera...



She doesn't.



Not even when she's all dressed up in her beautiful Korean hanbok given to her by her foster mother. Nope.


And especially not when her mommy tries putting the headpiece on to "complete the look."


Please please please look at mommy??!! (as I jump up and down acting like a monkey!)
Um No.



Oh well.

I'll take what I can get! Even if it's only the ones with no clothes on!





We prayed that Elliana would be home before her first birthday and God answered that prayer... We have now been home 3 weeks already with our precious daughter! We praise Him for entrusting us with this beautiful gift to raise, love and disciple.

Saengil Chukha Hamnida Elliana! Sarang hae yo!

(Happy Birthday Elliana! I love you!)