Away From the Blog....and Connecting with Life!

I am so thankful that we have our blog...(what did people do 20 years ago?:) I love that it allows our family far away a chance to see frequent pics of our kiddos and that we can share what is going on in our lives. But, I have to say that my little hiatus from the blogging world has been quite refreshing!

I found that my time blogging (and other computer time-consumers) was taking time that I could use to do other things. I wasn't feeling refreshed after my time online...instead I felt quite tired! I decided to stay off of the computer more and it was a great decision for me. It was amazing how much more time I spent connecting with Derek and my children. I regularly began cleaning my house and taking care of other responsibilities in my home. I sat quietly and read and studied. I prayed. I spent time with friends. I wrote notes to people. I showered (yes...hate to admit that I would stay online sometimes and miss my chance to shower in the morning...nice!). Basically, I lived my real life, which is fulfilling and wonderful. And I realized that I can get the same amount of things done online in a very short amount of time if I focus and set a limit for myself...it has been so refreshing to make the choice to get off of the computer and do something else that brings me life! So, I apologize for the lack of pics recently, but it was good for my soul!

I promised an update of Timothy's birthday and it seems a little silly now because it was a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful day with tons of our friends and family. We loved every second of it! I can't believe my baby is one! The party was a sun theme because we think his personality is like the sun...he has a very "bright" personality...cheesey I know! I made his cake and we grilled burgers and hot dogs. We borrowed a fun water slide from a friend and had some other pools for the kids to play in, although it ended up being quite cool. Before TK dove into his first cake, we did a Korean ceremony celebrating him turning one. It was very different from Emily's, as we actually traveled to VA to celebrate her "Dohl." But, Timothy's Korean Great-Grandmother sent him a beautiful, traditional outfit to wear called a Hanbok (Dohlbok actually for the first birthday) and we did a traditional ceremony that Derek explains in a video that I posted previously (it's below). He also received such fun and generous gifts that we had to open later because the bday boy was pooped. He was in bed by 8! All in all, it was such a fun party! I just can't believe it is all over!

We are doing well here! Derek is working hard and I am still so thankful to be at home with Timothy and Emily! I am trying to stick with 3 days of dedicated learning time with Emily that lasts no more than an hour each time. She really loves the one-on-one time and amazes me with how much she knows. She is really getting into trying to "read" and is doing well with 3 letter words. I try not to make the time too heavy though because I don't want her to get overwhelmed or frustrated with the process...she is only 3.5. I have to keep that in mind! We talk about so much all day long. Most of all, Derek and I have been so amazed and encouraged by her conversations about God! She wants to know so much about God, asking questions, wanting to pray, connecting biblical truths to daily situations...it has blown our minds watching her grow in this way! We are so grateful for the pull that we already see in her heart, spirit, and mind taking place!

Timothy is a crazy man! And by far the most loveable little critter ever! He hugs constantly and wants to give kisses to everyone. He has the best laugh and smile! He is truly a joy to our family! He can also be quite the stinker, especially at mealtimes. I have felt myself frequently desiring to be anywhere but in my kitchen during mealtime prep....a nutso time of day!!! At his last visit, he was 21 lbs. 10oz. and was almost 30 inches long. He had a huge growth spurt over the last couple of months, but still has very little hair. What has come in looks like it will be curly...that should be interesting!:) And, as usual, the same report with TK is that his strength is ridiculous and just makes us laugh. His newest 2 feats were that he climbed onto a bar at the playgound and flung his legs over the lower bar and hung there for a few seconds. A friend was with me that witnessed this and both of our mouths just dropped open. Then last week, he began pushing Emily in a little play stroller, on the carpet, until he runs into something and can go no further! Derek got that on video and I will have to post it later...hilarious! Overall, the kid is healthy and doing great!

As a family, we are taking some really healthy steps to connect deeply with each other on a daily basis and to love each other well! Through a myriad of things, Derek and I have been pursuing the Lord and each other and we are seeing the fruit of it all. Life still gets tough and our kids still disobey:), but we are living well through it and staying focused and connected through it all. I am grateful for a husband that loves the Lord more than anything else and that leads his family well. I feel cherished and that is priceless!

And here is a link to Derek's web album that I accidentally uploaded a bunch of recent pics to (instead of mine that is linked to this blog). I think there are 4 or 5 new albums!...I got a little behind!:) http://picasaweb.google.com/derekkramer

Happy Sunday to you all!

together with the girls (and Caleb) during the Baker's short visit!

Benji and Rebekah enjoying their new Snuggie!

Our Community Group at our first meeting for the new year...it was a fun night catching up and we are so looking forward to all this year holds!

This is how we found Em after CG. After the sitter left, she hung downstairs for a bit and then went up on her own. When we went into her room, this is what we found...she cracks us up!