sohn family pics

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Happy Birthday, Joshy!

So we didn't really do a traditional dol, but we did dress Josh up in the Korean man-dress. I can't believe how happy this makes Korean grandparents.

On his actual birthday, we took Josh to the county fair. I think he really dug it, except for the loud roosters and huge cow that made him cry.

This woman gets around.

Mini-NC reunion today at the Yoo household. Jen, Sunny, Dave and Sandra, Elizabeth, Emily. Jen also brought her friends Steve and ?Esse? and their two daughters. There are a lot more pics . . . on facebook. Actually, none yet until I get permission from Sandra - as per Betty, there are lots of pervs lurking these days.

summer visits

Here are a couple pics of recent visits by Jen and Mike. Casa de la Paiks is still taking reservations for the rest of the year. :)

I need more friends . . .

on facebook.com. Please join up so that I can put more people on my friend list. Except for you, dave seo.

Our friend, the poker pro

Hey y'all.
Just wanted to let everyone know that our very own Duke alum Peter Rho has been playing poker professionally for the past few years. He was in SoCal for awhile, but recently moved out to Vegas to get closer to the action. He checks in on our blog once in a while and gave me a link to a site that he blogs on once in a while.
So, for all you poker addicts(myself included), here's the link: www.thepokerresource.net
Go to the rounder's blog section and have fun reading. Peter's blogs are under the name PR. He's been playing some big events and rubbing elbows with all the big names. It's just a matter of time until we see him on TV, putting on a gold bracelet. :)

Kailar's Dol

Hey Guys,

I had to get in on the picture parade.

Kailar just turned One on July 8th.

Do you think I could wear his hat to work?

Joe

5-months down!

Hey everyone.....This past Saturday my little Sam passed his 5-month mark, which means
I have now been a mom for 5 whole months. Whew! At times it has seemed to have flown by, especially when I look back on photos like these. But then at other times I feel like time has stopped and it seems like he will be an infant forever. Someone gave us this idea of taking a photo of him on a regular basis next to the same teddy bear to watch his progression........As you can see, Sam is quite little, which I guess I should have expected, since my husband Adam and I a both pretty short, but I have to confess that it's still difficult for me to accept that he lives in the 10% range........is that silly? I don't know..........motherhood has been filled with such "concerns" that I have no control over. Apparently becoming a mom hasn't really started to change me quite yet. :) But other than my occasional (OK, more than "occasional") meltdowns due to his lack of sleeping at night, or the fact hat he refuses the bottle or some other battle, having Sam in our lives has been incredible. When he flashes his smile at me and shows me his dimples I feel my heart melt and be filled with a kind of love that I never knew before. We still look at him disbelief that he is our son, and I hope that feeling never ends. I know we've only tasted a tiny bit of all that is to come, whether it be good or not so good. It continues to be exciting and scary at the same time. In the meantime, I hope all of you continue to post your experiences, even the challenging ones, so that I won't feel like the only parent who isn't Supermom. :) --Stacey

Hot or not?

I can't decide if these are hotter as knee pads or leggings. What do y'all think?

Joyce's sister insists Josh needs these to protect his knees while crawling.

Someone's got to keep the blog going . . .

No more alex pics, for now. The lack of sleep does wonders for the soul.

Just wanted to encourage everyone to give back to our beloved alma mater. I gave my first ever donation to the annual fund this year - 88 cents. One cent for every retard that signed the lacrosse ad. I really can't believe the kind of crap that's tolerated at a supposed institution of higher learning. Here is my transaction:

Dear XXXXX XXX:
On behalf of Duke University we would like to thank you for your contribution. We will apply this towards your card immediately. Upon receiving bank authorization, we will mail an IRS-acceptable receipt to you.
If your employer has a matching gifts program, and this contribution qualifies, please forward your matching gift form to: Fran Altman, Duke University, Alumni & Development Records, Box 90581, Durham, NC 27708.
Please feel free to contact our office by email (gifts2duke@duke.edu), should you have any questions regarding your contribution.
We appreciate your support and loyalty to Duke University!

Sincerely,

The Office of Alumni and Development Records


We strongly suggest you print a copy of this page for your records.
* Please do not use your browsers back button at this time as it may result in duplicate orders.

Here is the information you submitted: This gift was submitted on 07/01/2007 at 12:33 AM

Order Number: xxxx
First Name: xxxxxx
Last Name: xxxxxx
Address 1: xxxx
City: Chapel Hill
State: NC
Country: us
Postal Code: 27514
E-Mail: xxx@duke.edu
Verify E-Mail: xxx@duke.edu
Home Phone #: xxxxx
Class Year: 1993
Company:
Gift Type: New Gift
My Gift Amount: 0.88
Business Card: No
This Gift is on Behalf of: Mike Pressler
Payment Method: Credit Card
House Staff Annual Fund: Departmental Support Option for House Staff Alumni
Designations: House Staff Annual Fund-Radiation Oncology
Designation Comments: For the sake of our beloved university, get rid of the Group of 88.
Comments: This is my first donation to my beloved alma mater. Until Brodhead and the last faculty member on the group of 88 is gone, it will also be my last.
Bill To: xxxx
Billing Address 1: xxxxx
Billing City: Chapel Hill
Billing State: NC
Billing Postal Code: 27514
Billing Country: us
Billing E-Mail: x
Billing Phone Number: x
Card Type: x
Card Number: x
Expiration Month: x
Expiration Year: x

More Alex pics

Wearing the Yoo name proudly.



Flashing the winning smile for the ladies.



Looking for the kiss now.



He likes his sleep, just like his daddy.

Cruising

Well, I'm glad to see some life on the blog. I was debating whether or not to pull the plug or try to get it going again.

Anyways, Josh will turn one year old at the end of the month. He's totally active and curious, such a boy. Here's a recent pic of him cruising around the neighborhood.

Take care, everyone.

Back in Carolina

We're back in the Triangle, ya'll. Flew in end of June and staying at my parents' while waiting for Dave to take his board exam back in the Midwest and trying to unpack/clean our new home in Chapel Hill. Would love to see any of you in the area once we're settled in. Would also love any suggestions for cable, phone, internet for this area. Is Time Warner the best, or is there a better deal to be found elsewhere?

Also, we visited good ole NCKPC, which surprisingly Dave and Elisabeth both really liked. It was good to see a packed sanctuary, even for a summer Sunday. The college group is still thriving. There is also a growing young adults group - lots of recent grads still working in the area, a few older ones (but not as old as us), a few married couples and families. I was a little heartbroken to see how old everything looked and in need of some elbow grease the physical structure of the church was, but heartened that the spirit of the church seems to be the same. We are going to check out a few other churches - Chapel Hill Bible Church (right across the street from us), Kings Park, Good Shepherd, Blacknall (little sis Debbie's church). Any other suggestions? I'm a little surprised that there isn't a larger community of Korean-American/Asian families and singles our age in the area.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer and that the new moms in particular (Julie, Stacey, Mrs. Simon, Joyce...hope I didn't leave anyone out) are all well.

sandra

Meet Alexander Jung-In Yoo

hello all. here's alex. he came on 7/2 at 7:39 pm by c-section due to breech presentation. big surprise to everyone. 8 pounds. 19.5 inches, and he's got more hair than me now, boo hoo. Both mom and baby are doing great. more pics to come.

Another prayer request

Hey guys,
While you're praying, could you also pray for Joyce? She's been suffering from sciatica since her delivery(10+ months!!). It waxes and wanes, but is always present. She's scared it won't ever go away, and lately it's been flaring up. She's seen multiple neurologists, physical therapists, and chiropractors with little improvement.
Thanks.

A Silent Scandal in America?

I’m sure there may be many that I am yet unaware of—but this is one that I’m still trying to process and maybe you will have some thoughts on it too. There are 9 MILLION Children in America who are uninsured and not getting the medical/dental/mental health care they so desperately need… due not to the neglect of their parents, but to a government that seems hopelessly out of touch with the bureaucratic nightmare of Medicaid and to the general public’s naïve assumption that things that happen in 3rd world countries are not an issue in America, especially when it comes to our children!

I’m currently living in DC with my sister who works for the Children’s Defense Fund (a non profit for children’s advocacy and policy) and 2 nights ago I attended a meeting of faith leaders who were meeting with families from across the country who had suffered so much because their children have been unable to get the medical attention that they need. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of these hardworking parents: a parent who lost a son to an infection in his tooth, something that could have been treated in a routine checkup (it was extremely difficult to secure a dentist to see him—attested by a social worker who also tried to find one for him and by the time they did, the infection had spread to his brain which ultimately killed him) There was another boy who had cancer and couldn’t receive treatment while he waited for his Medicaid to be renewed. His mother had applied for renewal, months before the deadline, but his paperwork had been lost and his tumors grew as he depended on clinical trials for care. By the time a state representative intervened, it was too late and he died from the complications of his cancer.

My first response to all this: What do you mean? What about all those clinics (thinking of many of you whom I know selflessly give your time and energy)? Why doesn’t Medicaid cover it? The sad facts: there aren’t enough clinics and the ones that exist are not always in a location that is accessible to many of these families; no cars and public transportation requires money, plus many of these parents are working 2 jobs or more. In addition, it actually costs a lot of money to run these clinics and funding is hard to come by. Those of you who are in the health profession may have better insight on this. As for Medicaid, the rules vary state by state and to sum it up, it’s a MESS. One of the mothers who had been relocated to Houston after Katrina said that she has been waiting for 16 months to get Medicaid for her son b/c they can’t trace the paperwork from New Orleans. How ridiculous is that?????? O, you mean there is no paperwork after the winds and water blew it away? (forgive my sarcasm) There were 2 pediatricians at that meeting who have been traveling on a bus through the streets of New Orleans to provide healthcare to the children in the area…they said that it’s possible to do this because of generous private donations, but it's not enough and that something has to be done on a national policy level to make a significant difference. They, the families and faith leaders went to Capitol Hill yesterday to testify and try to sway people in congress to implement a plan that envisions a universal healthcare for children so that it’s easier for families to apply, and yet still takes into account family income (If you want more details, let me know and I’ll forward you my sister’s info.).

I’ve traveled to different parts of Mexico and most recently Indonesia and have been involved with Compassion International, so I’m aware that children suffer all over the world. Children are the most cherished and yet the most neglected and abused. My latest question has been, if all children are so precious, why focus on American children to benefit from a universal healthcare plan? The answer that stares me in the face: because we can give it to them. We live in a country whose wealth could wipe out poverty if we wanted. Do we not want it enough?

Sometimes, I get so overwhelmed by the brokenness I see in the world. I wonder how it's possible for the bible to describe God as a God full of joy even within all this mess. My less than profound theological conclusion: Must be one of the many things that make God, God. But I also think it means we have a lot of hope to hold on to, and a lot of hope to give. In moments like this, I wish I had more skills, and more money (OKAY, I often wish this for different, and for more selfish reasons too, hee hee)---In all seriousness, it led me to ask what I can do, to be a voice, which leads me to why I'm sharing all of this with you.

Just look at our NC connection group-- You are such wonderfully smart, funny and warm hearted friends, friends who care and I know don’t or won’t sit idly by with the talents and gifts you have. I know that some of you have been on overseas medical missions, but that family and work make it tough to continue to do that…maybe you and some colleagues could do something locally? (Even if things happen on a government level b/c of better policy implemented by passionate people who care, it’ll take years for it to take effect) Or maybe you’re not in the medical profession at all, but have skills that can help in a myriad of other ways, and best of all, perhaps some of you are working at home, teaching and taking care of your children and home---your choice, you voice, your cares, carry great power---who do you think Oprah thinks about when planning her shows?--- she knows =) I’m just throwing things out there---God gives each of us such unique dreams and visions. Whatever is said, this has got to be an ongoing conversation.

They say that Washington is the seat of power. When my sister first began her job at CDF, one of the first things she was told was that if you really wanted to get anything done here, you can’t care who gets credit for it. I’m starting to see why that is true and I’m trying very hard not to become cynical about it. But I find comfort and strength in prayer as God reminds me that in Christ, we have a God who cares about injustice and the broken--A God who loves deeply and compassionately and shows us the definition of a power that is just, true, even unexpected….. “Who has the believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him, despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity…. who bore our infirmities, carried our diseases…who was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and took upon himself the punishment that makes us whole.” (Isaiah 53)

A Man of the Outdoors

So far, it seems like Josh likes being outdoors. He goes jogging with mommy almost everyday and then we try to take him hiking on the weekends. Thank God he's become more portable lately. We were going stir crazy in the house the past 8 months. :)

We're moving!

Although we had to overreach our budget to do it, we'll be moving into our dream home next month. The new house is a detached, 3BR house in a great neighborhood. It should be big enough to hold us for as long as we need, even if more little ones come along. And did y'all notice the hoop? I was sold before we even stepped inside. :)

And we have to praise God for this b/c so many things had to fall into place to make this possible. We actually sold and bought on the same day! My head's been spinning trying to navigate 2 escrows at once.

We'll still be in Irvine, only 1/2 mile from our current home. So, if any of you are passing through, you're more than welcome to crash with us.

Duke in Review

So I'm sure noone was too surprised that we lost to VCU. The game was a microcosm of the whole season. Flashes of potential marred by turnovers and inconsistency. To be honest, I'm not sure if we over or underachieved. No one on the team really has a complete game. Everyone does 1 or 2 things well, but then has 1 or 2 glaring holes, also. Hopefully, the new recruits will help. Singler sounds very solid, and King and Smith should help.

Another big question I have is would we be better off without Josh McRoberts? I think he'll be a benchwarmer in the NBA, but he might still be a first round pick. I'm thinking Singler can probably do most things Josh does, plus shoot a lot better.

I'm making an early prediction for '07-'08. We'll probably finish 2nd or 3rd in the ACC, earn a 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA and then bow out in the round of 8. At least it would be a big improvement.

Not so fast Lakisha...

I thought Lakisha was the runaway leader for Idol, BUT Chris Richardson was pretty cool. As Eddie Murphy said in "Coming To America", "That boy can sing!"

Addendum - Add Jordin Sparks to the short list.

Make it or bracket!

That's right, folks. Time to fill out your bracket for our annual tournament challenge. Some of you already received an email, but for those who haven't, if you want to join our bracket pool, we'd love to have you join us. Our resident missing person, Kyu, won it last year.

There is no prize, and it's free to play.

Here are directions if you want to join:

1. Log onto the following website: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage or go to www.espn.com and go to the college men's basketball link and look for the Tournament Challenge.
2. If you played last year, just enter your member name and password at the top of the page. If you're new at this or forgot your info from last year, just click onto "sign up here for free". MAKE SURE TO UNCHECK ALL THE BOXES ON STEPS 4, 5, AND 6 SO YOU DON'T GET A BUNCH OF JUNKMAIL!!!

3. Click onto "create entry" and then "create or join a group". In the search box, enter "NC Connection". The password to join is "bracket".

Like last year, please limit your entries to only one. If you want to enter multiple entries to increase your chances to win some prizes for the general challenge, let me know. I'll set up a separate league just for those entries.

Eric

Welcome, Haley Yenah Kim (little girl Simon)

Since Simon has his hands full with his new baby girl, he said I could post this for him. Haley was born on 2/2/07, weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz. She's healthy and looks a lot like daddy. Simon says he always thought he would be more attractive as a girl. I have to agree. :)

Hmmm......

A few observations:
1) Although Billy Packer thought there was no intent, how does one block with an elbow?
2) If Henderson's contact was incidental, he did very little to make any effort to apologize (as one would if the contact really was an accident). He looked quite defiant walking off the court.
3) I understand that may be the Dukies wanted to make a statement. I'm not quite sure why Hansbrough was still in the game - the key starters should have been out of the game by then. Check Coach K's comments - it seems that they may have not liked having the starters still in the game.
4) The Duke-UNC rivalry is a great one with great moments and great games - that Henderson elbow is one of the lowest moments I can remember.

Two weeks down

Hey all: Adam and I welcomed our son, Samuel Jaehyun Lisi on February 14th. Ten days late, he insisted on being born on Valentine's Day (at 11:57pm to be exact). Laboring was tough and ultimately ended in a c-section because he just wouldn't engage and come down. Turns out it head was tilted (asynclitic is the term the doctor used). 6 lbs, 12 oz, and 19 inches long. He eats really well and sleeps well too; can't really say that I am truly sleep deprived yet, which is great, although I am definitely walking around in a sort of fog. The world seems so different now, as Adam and I adjust and pinch ourselves at God's little miracle. At times I feel terrified and overwhelmed at all that is to come, and then other times I feel excited about the unknown. What a crazy feeling. Referring to myself as Samuel's "mom" is completely strange and exhilarating. I'm sure all you parents out there can remember this newborn period; any tidbits of advice? ----Stacey & Adam