we give thanks

I'm not typically a big fan of the color orange, but there's something about Fall that makes everything look better with a shade of orange to it. I look forward to all things pumpkin, apple, and spicy goodness... Our Fall was a happy blend of fun, relaxing and experiences with our new little family.

Jikjisa Temple bursts with color during Fall... 

Picking Persimmons with Jong Gwan 

A typical grocery shopping trip takes about an hour longer than needed, on account of all the oos and awes this little fella evokes... 

...on the up side, mom usually gets to eat a full meal :) 

I got to continue enjoying my maternity leave which meant James and I spent lots of time enjoying walks in the gorgeous weather and having coffee dates with dad whenever he could get away. 

We knew we wanted James dedicated at our home church in Hobe Sound when we visited for Christmas but our church in Gimcheon was also holding a baptism service and asked if we would like James to be baptized. His friend Isaac was being baptized so we thought it would be a great experience for him. We donned our family tweed and set out for a special service in which we pledged to bring James up to love God, to the best of our ability. (Our Sundays typically involve board games with friends as well) 

He slept through the whole service :) 

You know... that's how we roll 

We love that James can sleep so well in his ergo carrier because it allows us a night out at the movies occasionally :) This was his second movie and he slept like a champ. 

In Korea, a baby's 100 days is celebrated with a party equivalent to a birthday party. I decided that since we were living here, it would be fun to celebrate this for James. I heard two different accounts as to the significance of the 100 days. 

#1 If you believe life begins with conception, 

than 100 days after birth is almost exactly a year... so this is actually a baby's "first birthday" and Koreans count a baby's age as 1 year upon birth because the time in the womb. 

#2 There was a time in Korean history that the babies 

were not living very long after birth and so if a baby made it to 100 days, they were considered "out of the woods" and would most likely survive therefore this milestone was celebrated. 

Regardless of the significance, it was really fun to throw a Korean/American style party. I did my best to label everything in Korean (I only made 1 mistake :) and to serve the correct food typical to a 100 day party. My friend also helped me order a fun poster too :) 

"Happy 100 Days" 

We had his party on a Sunday so I also prepared little gift bags to take to church with us after the party

Enjoying his friend Chae-Yoon who is just a month older than him

Trying on some of his presents :) 

James with his "older brother" Isaac 

In Korean culture, one never addresses an older person without the proper honorific. This includes close friends as well. There is a different term for each relationship. For example, a younger girl would address an older girl as "Oni". A younger boy would address an older girl as "Noona". A younger girl calls an older boy "Opa" and a younger boy calls an older boy "Hyeung". The term translates to "older brother". Age is a huge factor in Korean culture so once the age is established (who is older or younger), the proper honorifics are used. 

Daddy opening James' gifts. 

We are so blessed to have such generous friends! 

Jessica was a coworker for 2 years and we were sad to see her go. She came over one evening to spend a little time with James before the semester was out. 

THANKSGIVING!!! This is my favorite holiday all year long (I think it even passes up Christmas, honestly). I love everything about it and love hosting a party! Due to limited space, my prep always starts days in advance but it is so much fun! This was a particularly fun year because it was James' first thanksgiving. We had a great group of friends (I didn't get everyone's pictures) come celebrate with us and the food was great. We had everything from apple and pumpkin pies to roasted duck and turkey! 

You can pretty much count on there always being games played at any party in our house!

My little Pumpkin

My favorite blessings... 

We truly are so blessed!