Paving the Runway

This past Tuesday marked 6 whole months since JoonWoo [aka Micah Joon, aka Joonie] changed the Paschal family forever! Some days, the whole situation feels brand new, as we navigate and adjust each day...other days, it feels like we've always been together like this, everything feeling familiar.

Since our last blog entry, Paul and I traveled to Korea and back twice, packed up our home in Michigan, drove out west to Montana, experienced our first season at The Bar W, started the kids in their new schools, and adjusted to life with a toddler - who has come a very LONG way in every sense!

Our visits to Korea are hard to describe; there were a lot of thoughts and feelings tied up in our reasons for being there. It was Paul's first time back since being adopted at 2.5 years old. While we were there, we were able to meet with some biological members of Paul's family which we found through 23 & Me. We also got to spend time with Micah's foster family, getting to know them a bit. These were all highly emotional and meaningful experiences. We are still processing a lot.

Bringing a 15 month old over 5,000 miles to a new country, by people he has just met, who are speaking a language he's barely heard, and to a home he's never seen also brought conflicting feelings. It was heartbreaking to say goodbye to his foster family and to watch this very small person grieve a very big loss. We know he is still grieving at times; this is all part of his story.

Our little boy had the best possible start to life, gifted to him by his foster family. He came into their lives at around 3 weeks old! They have fostered many babies and young children over the years, loving them each as their own while knowing they will eventually be adopted by other families. Their hearts are so big and so open; they know they will "get attached" and they know the babies will leave, but they do this work unselfishly. Because of them, Joonie spent his earliest months being cuddled tight and loved unconditionally.

On custody day, which had all of us absolutely emotionally wrecked, they handed us a flashdrive FILLED with photos and videos dating back to the day Joonie was brought to their home by his social worker. I never expected anything like that! They documented his growth, milestones, and memories with their family. I chose some pictures to share here because we are so inexplicably grateful for them and the one-of-a-kind bond they will always have with our son. The Chois and the Paschals are family now; real family. Someday, I hope we can travel back to Korea and be together again! Please enjoy these insanely cute baby pictures, along with the song, "Paving the Runway," which is just what these beautiful people have done for our boy.