Happy Birthday, Charles!!

Charles turned 4 on September 3rd. Actually, it was September 2nd, US time, since Korea is a day ahead, but we decided long ago that we wouldn't get into the technicalities. We went to Grand Forks to spend Labor Day weekend with Travis' brother and family. His parents drove over on Saturday. We left on Friday morning. It's about a 6 1/2-7 hour drive. We made a couple stops for some running and playing. All in all the boys (and mom and dad) did fairly well. We were all tired from being sick all week, but were feeling pretty good. We got to GF in the afternoon, and spent a very relaxing weekend visiting with family. The boys played with their cousins, who are 7 and 9, and practically fell into bed each night. We returned on Sunday evening. The return trip didn't go quite as well. Everyone was tired. The boys were crabby, and after our last stop in the Cities, Min decided that 6 hours strapped into a car seat was all he could take. My word!! We still had an hour to go. He cried and screamed for the next 1/2 hour. He did stop intermittently when I broke the law by unbuckling myself and leaning into the back seat to try to comfort him. The boys did their best by attempting a pow-wow which didn't really go over so well.

Charles and Andrew driving around in the Gator. It had belonged to their cousins who have outgrown it. They gave it to Charles for his birthday. He was ecstatic!! They've been driving it ever since.
Henry, Charles, Georgia, and Ella (the girls), in the the Gator in Grand Forks.
Peek-a-boo on the way to Grand Forks.
Charles eating birthday cake in Grand Forks....his favorite, chocolate.
Min on the way home. He'd had enough!!

We celebrated Charles' birthday on Monday. He picked out his own cake, and as is the tradition in our family, a restaurant to eat his birthday supper. Charles' choice....Red Lobster. Yes, we love Red Lobster. But, it was a little humorous that my 4 year old chooses that for his birthday dinner because he loves shrimp but then chooses chicken strips. What if he chooses the Broadstreet for his 6th birthday? I'm going to need to get a new job!!

As always, the boys' birthdays are bittersweet for me. Yes, I'm very happy to have birthdays to celebrate, and that these particular boys happen to be mine. But, their moms' in Korea are never far from my thoughts. The boys' birthdays must be difficult for them as well. I know that every year near the time of my transplant, I begin to relive the days sorrounding that anniversary. Our Korean mothers' must also be doing the same. I imagine they must be feeling sadness as they remember having to place their babies with another family...wondering if they will ever see them again. I wish that we could have contact with them so we could share these important days, and so they could watch their babies grow.