~ For the Adventurer in All of Us

While we were in Door County, we decided to go exploring. We set off in search of Cave Point. I had seen beautiful pictures in a magazine and wanted to see it for myself. We found it in the southern part of "The Door" along the Lake Michigan shore. I was not disapponted.

It was stunning.

We climbed down to the shore and discovered why they call it Cave Point. There were caves on the shore and caves in the water.
The rocky shoreline was the perfect place to entertain a bunch of boys.

They climbed.

They explored.

They fished (with their sticks).

And I was fine as long as we were down here.

But when we climbed back up to the top to explore the woods, I hyperventilated anytime anyone went close to the edge.

All I could see was one of my children plummeting to their death. It didn't seem to bother anyone else. Why do mommies have to carry the burden?

The woods were just as fun. They climbed trees and had competitions. Ken promised whoever crossed a fallen tree first without falling off that he would give them the smallest bill in his wallet. (Obviously, he did not consult his wife.) He gave Aidan a ten dollar bill for being the winner. I'm just grateful it wasn't a hundred. (They think he's the coolest dad in the world. Of course, so do I!)

We had a great day. Everyone had so much fun and, when I wasn't having panic attacks, so did I. As we headed to the car, I stopped to read the Park sign right beside our car. Apparently, I had missed it on the way in. It read something like, "No children allowed without supervision. Dangerous conditions exisit." See, mommies know these things! It's a good thing I hadn't seen it at the beginning of the day. We just may have missed our favorite adventure.

If you've never been to Cave Point, next time you are in the area, take the kids - and some valium.

You won't regret it!

~ First Impressions

Maybe it's just me, but one cannot go to Door County and not appreciate all the different doors. It's possible it's just some romantic notion I have about doors being a blank slate on which to write your own invitation to the world - Come on in. You're welcome here. To me, a door is a symbol of possibilities, entryways to the unknown. You never know what waits on the other side. Ok, it could just be that I have a sick obsession for unique and pretty doors. Whatever the case, here are some pretty little doors from "The Door". Enjoy!

~ A Look at Door County

We had a great week in Door County.

We did a little of this...

and a little of that...

and a lot of this...

As a matter of fact, if we weren't doing those things, we were either sleeping (we slept alot) or looking for another adventure. (More on those another day.)

We saw ducks, fish, deer, wild turkeys, mini horses, baby horses, pheasants, and other wildlife.

And when I got a few moments to escape with my camera, I took pictures of some of my favorite Door County spots.

Located in Fish Creek, Wild Tomato is the best pizza on the peninsula - yum!

This church stands guard over the little village of Ephraim as you come over the hill into town. It is a breathtaking picture. Unfortunately, my shot doesn't do it justice.

Wilson's is one of our favorite places to go for ice cream and a favorite of the summer regulars.

The Cana Island Lighthouse - my favorite. It overlooks Lake Michigan and sits offshore on a secluded little island.

Anderson Dock and the famous graffiti wall

Lautenbach's Orchard Country Winery and Market and the Door County Trolley

There was so much to see. My eyes were in heaven.

The countryside was beautiful and so peaceful.

The white birch against the blue sky were stunning.

The orchards were in full bloom.

There were little stone walls all over the place.

This is the famous curvacious road leading to the tip of the peninsula at Gil's Rock.

Could the barns be any more beautiful?

If you've never visited the quaint little villages of "The Door", as the locals call it, nestled between the rocky shores of Green Bay on its west side...

and the beautiful sand beaches of the great Lake Michigan on its east side...

You should difinitely add it to your list of places to visit, or you can come back here everyday this week to see it through my eyes.

It's one of my favorite places!

~ When You Find a Piece of Yourself

It had been twelve years since she had held my son, and now she was coming to meet him. I was a jumble of emotions. What if she didn't remember my son? How would she handle this important moment in his life - this connection to his past? Would she be gentle with his heart? What if she wasn't the one in the photographs he had kept in his room all these years?

We arrived at the restaurant. She wasn't the foster mom in his photos. She was the first to hold him, the first to care for him. He sat quietly next to her. I asked him if he wanted dinner. He said he wasn't hungry. I think he understood the significance of this moment. She noticed his empty plate, and in her own language, expressed concern. I didn't understand her words, but I understood her mother's heart. I explained, through the interpreter, he had been in the car for five hours, and we'd had a late lunch. She smiled.

I gave her the letter I had written. Twelve years of gratefulness poured out. She looked surprised and relieved that the words were in her language. And so she read my heart.

Twelve years ago, we received word that our child was coming to the United States. We were very happy. He was our first child, and we named him Josiah. After we received his picture, it was very hard waiting for him to arrive. I knew my son had been born, but I could not hold him or care for him.

The day his plane came, we were very excited. He was a gift from God. It was a joy to finally hold him and take care of him. When we saw the photographs of him while he was in Korea, it was such a blessing to see that he had been loved and cared for by you and your family. That is very important to me, as his mom, to know that he had a good start in life.

We always felt that it was very important for Josiah to remember the people in the photographs from his birth country. He keeps a frame in his room with those pictures, and we have always referred to you as "Eomma" because he needed a name for the special person who held him and took care of him for his first four months.

We have chosen to teach Josiah to respect all the moms in his life. We have always told him he has three mommies: a birth mommy who carried him, a foster mommy who cared for him when we couldn’t, and a forever mommy who has covenanted to love him for his whole life.

Over these twelve years, we have prayed for you and your family, and we have hoped that one day we would meet. Today, we are so pleased to honor the role you played in Josiah’s life. We are so happy that someone whom he has only known in a photo becomes real to him today. Please accept this small gift as a symbol of our gratefulness for all you have meant to Josiah and to our family.

We will always remember you and cherish these few brief moments when God allowed our paths to cross.

When she finished reading my words, she held the paper to her chest and said, "I will always treasure this."

He was anxious to give her his gift, but he wanted me to explain. I told her it was the same necklace his father gave me when we found out he was coming twelve years ago. We wanted her to have one - to thank her for caring for him, to thank her for being a mother to him, for being a mother to so many children, 139 children in all.

We talked. We asked questions. We took photos. The night ended, and we drove five hours back home. Ten hours in the car for a brief two hour meeting. I was nervous he wouldn't think it had been worth it. She wasn't the one in his photos, and I was afraid he was disappointed. He had been so quiet.

On the way home, he said, "That was interesting. She took care of me." I knew he understood. It wasn't about her remembering him or being the one in the photo. It was about making a connection and saying thank you.

When we finally arrived home, I pulled out the photos from his young life in Korea. Most of them were of his second foster mom and her family. He had his 100th day celebration with her, and she had taken tons of photos. But then I saw them, two little photos.

The face was unmistakeable, and the affection for my son was obvious.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have met this one who so lovingly cared for my son when I couldn't.

Someday, I hope we have the opportunity to buy a third necklace. There will be no words adequate to express my heart.