We're HOME!

Finally, we've moved in and we're slowly settling in.

thanks to our awesome friends - we were able to move everything in one day and even have the kitchen all set up!

It's been a crazy Christmas time - full of stress... I wish I could say that it ended wonderfully, but it just ended. It's a long story - I'm just sooo thankful that God carried me and my family through it and that He is still carrying us day to day.

As much as I can't stand all the family stress - I realize that God was drawing me closer to Him with each and every moment. I was in prayer constantly and still am - whenever there is a quiet moment - I lift up a quick prayer because I need Him.

On another note, I'm on a saving money kick - which is an answered prayer for JA I'm sure - but I've made beef broth for all eternity.... really I have 3 containers of beef broth now in freezer... there's only so much soup I can make... right? I can make a moo gook (a turnip soup), meeyuk gook (seaweed soup), gamja gook (potato soup)... what else can I make with all this broth? anyone want some?

oh well... in my efforts to save money - JA and I will have to get used to eating a lot of soup... it's cheap and it's healthy... well, healthier than frying food all the time.

well, I better stop procrastinating and get my school work done so that I can play tonight!

jka

I'm back!

I'm back on here. I was wondering if I cold hold out and come back exactly a year from my last post but I guess I just have to share...

So a year has gone by and I'm not sure if anyone will read this because I'm sure I no longer have a single soul checking this blog...

Some major changes: we've sold our first home and we've bought a new "townhome"- it's in a great town and we love it but it needs work.

we're rich and oh so poor all at the same time. what a crazy way to be...

currently we're living with the 'rents and it's great in so many ways. Yet no matter how great it is - it'll never be like home... some things just change once you've been out there on your own. I'm so thankful for the love that we've been shown but it's just not the same.

I've realized the importance of space - theirs, his, mine, the baby's... it'll be nice when people have their own space back.

It's nice though because we can all sit around and eat together and the family feels full... that is joy.

what else... today is gpa's bday - I hope he's having a heck of a bday with the Jesus. It comforting to know that he'll finally have a bday where we can celebrate the way he should without being sick here on earth! Miss you.

stressful day at work - too many demands and feeling pushed and flattened out like a pancake. gotta take it one day at a time and I have to stop caring so much. Because no one else cares... or the caring is just not doing the body good.

my health is kinda outta whack too - people keep commenting on the weight that I've lost and now it's a little scary. At first - it was nice to hear but now it's just kinda unnerving. I was supposed to go to a dr's appt but I missed it bc I forgot about it (and it wasn't written on the calendar) - doh! But the dr's office never called to leave a reminder message... so is it still my fault? I guess it is. I guess I should go soon but I'll wait til after the move...

going out tonight - yummy food. =) hopefully it'll be an encouraging time where God will once again show me how BIG He is and how great He is... my little probs are nothing compared to what's going on around the world.

going out tomorrow night too... and then again on Sat morning... I hope that I find rest in all of this... because I'm feeling overwhelmed.

oh well - I better go.. gotta get ready for tonight

opps...
i never mentioned that baby j was born on oct 13.
well there you go.. he's here andwe've been busy.

I guess I could tell you all the details of the birth and his first 5 weeks of life... but what is there to say? the labor process is painful... the healing process is not fun either and baby j is amazing. (despite the fact that he was jaundiced and has cradle cap and baby acne... he's still adorable! hee hee)

the grandparents are wonderful and difficult all at the same time but I am thankful for them...
the new daddy is adjusting fairly well but he's extremely tired...
the new mommy is loving her time at home with baby j but she's back in school again too.. gotta finish the admin degree... why? who knows...

can't believe he's 5 weeks already... he's grown so much and we're so thankful that he's healthy...

well it's 3:34am - and i should try to get some sleep since the boys in the home are sleeping now.

ttyl
jka

bedrest... an interesting thing... what does it really mean? well, I've been on "bedrest" since Thursday... dr called while i was at the Yankee game. Hmmm... well, I admit I'm not the best at following directions but i stayed home all day on friday and today. Saturday I left for only a few hours because we had no power and I left on Sunday because there was just so much going on and I didn't want to miss it.

so... tomorrow, I'm staying home until the ultrasound and dr's appt. We'll see what happens with the baby... will there be enough amniotic fluid? If not... then I can't work. If yes, then it's first day of school on Wed morning. I've been thinking about this possibility quite a bit and I am not sure what I think is best. If I go back to work - that's wonderful - I will have something to do everyday to keep me busy, to earn and income and to get to know my kids for this year. BUT, I will also have to worry about not getting too tired, drinking enough water and the worry of going into labor at school. If I don't go back to work - it will be nice to just rest until the baby's born, have the baby furniture delivered and set up, continue cleaning and preparing for baby. BUT, I'll also worry about resting enough and not making myself too busy at home, not drinking enough water and going crazy about wondering about school. So in the end - there are pros and cons to both situations.. so whatever is best for baby is best for me. God knows me and knows what is best so I will trust in Him for everything with the baby, finances, my classes, and the home.

the bathroom and the bedroom are done... now they need to be decorated. This is the hard part... designing and arranging, window treatements and all - I have no idea... so we'll seek advice from the many talented women around me for some good design advice.

anyway... i'm going to go and "rest" now... as best as I can...
ttyl
jka

here's the bathroom update...
- the tiles for the floor are going down today
- the door is being painted

tuesday
- the toilet will be installed
- the sink will be installed

I think by wednesday we'll be done.

But by then, another project may begin... painting the bedroom. We'll see how m and ja's trip to Home depot goes today... to see if we can really fix up the bedroom before the baby comes...

the great debate still continues... baby names...
here's the rank order of names for TODAY...

1. Jonathan
2. Zachary
3. Nathaniel
4. Samuel

any thoughts?

thanks for ALL the input and dealing with me - the over analyzing one of names.. =)

today is also the day of the drs... to the lab for a blood test and then off to the OBGYN for a regular 31 week check up and then off to the Diabetes dr to learn more about this craziness and what I really can and cannot eat for the next 9 weeks. ack!

we're off to buy a crib and a dresser too - hopefully we get a good deal and that it looks good in the crowded bedroom.

well, that's all for now... we had a wonderful weekend and a relatively busy week - but it should be exciting and good. =)

ttyl
jka

10 more weeks to go...
can you believe it? baby ahn will be here by then and we still don't have a crib.. yikes! and the bedroom is still not painted... uh oh...

this morning babyahn was all over the place - moving and kicking... I think he was having fun, trying to wake me up. =P But I'm glad he's a morning baby rather than an evening one... he'll be right on schedule with ja and me.

I guess this weekend is the last big trip before babyahn's arrival - the rib fest in new paltz and then the weekend in ithaca with the jungs and the gang...

then one last lazy week of running errands - finally changing my name, ordering transcripts, filing out paperwork, etc...

then school begins again - must set up the classroom, make copies and prepare for the incoming 5th graders... oh what fun! and how strange...

it's weird to think that I'll only be there for a month, or a month and a half and then I'll be gone... into baby world... and I won't be back to reality until Jan 30th. weird.

need to pray that financially we'll make it. between now and then - we need to save and conserve... be smart abbout spending and do our best. but a little part of me worries that it'll be tough.... but God always provides and I've never been stuck... so it'll be ok.

our bathroom is in GREAT shape and I'm so HAPPY with it! It's a beautiful yellow! they will be working on the tiles today and there's a little problem with the toilet... apparently - they removed the toilet and there is a hole in the floor - no piping or metal ring - this is strange or so they say.. and so - they have to figure out how the new toilet will go on... yikes! But for now, we have no toilet, and no bathroom sink. So I will be spending much of my day trying to find free bathrooms... being preggo with no bathroom is quite an experience. =) hee hee

anyway.. gotta do some laundry before we head on up to ithaca...
jkoahn

What do you do when you see a friend who needs more and more of Jesus and yet he/she is not doing anything about it? I wish and I pray that I could refresh their souls for them... that I could pour the Holy Word into their hearts and minds and they would feel His presence, love and care. I guess in reality I wish I could do that to myself sometimes.

But no relationship is like that... I can't just say... "love me" and do nothing in return. All relationships require a two-way action... a give and take.

This morning I was watching the Today's Show and there was a segment about two bachelors traveling across the country to speak to happily married couples who have been together for over 40 years... and it was so sweet and endearing to hear their words of advice... much of it came down to commitment, loving when you don't feel like it, and showing care and more commitment.

It's so true and even more true for our relationships with Jesus - he's ALL commitment - it's done - on the cross - He's not turning around.. yet why are we turning our backs to Him all the time... trying to run away. I feel like we are little people with suspenders on stuck on the cross but running in the wrong direction... and Jesus is just pulling us ever so gently back to Him... some of us need to be smacked back to Him every so often (sorry - strange illustration). Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that we have a faithful father, friend, master and teacher and yet we don't see Him clearly or enough to know that He is ALL that we need.

So all of you out there who aren't feeling refreshed by the Living Water and the Bread of Life... Go! meet with Him and be thirsty no more.. .hunger no more...

Jeremiah 31:3 (New International Version)
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.