Kimberly has been writing a fabulous blog on how she's adopted a Korean daughter, her family life and of her business adventures. I contacted Kimberly with the hope that she can share her story with us. Its wonderful to hear her family story. I hope you enjoy it as well.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born in Taegu, South Korea. I was adopted at five weeks of age in 1982 by my parents who
were stationed in Korea with the military at the time. They adopted my sister a month
later at age 16 months. Our family
lived in Korea for two years following our adoption before moving back to the
United States. I have two older
siblings as well that are biological to my parents, a sister and a brother. I am the youngest of the four. We lived in Germany for years while I
was in 1st through 5th grade and traveled around Europe extensively while
there.
Moving back to the states was quite a cultural shock for
me! I now consider myself a San
Antonian (Texas)! I met my husband
Danny in junior high and we dated our junior and senior year of high school
before getting married in the winter of 2003. He played minor league baseball for a few years before
having our son, Braedan in 2005.
We had always wanted to adopt and decided to start the process in
2008. Holt International led us to
our baby girl, whom we were matched with in December of 2008.
In April of 2009, I traveled alone to Korea for the first
time since I was to pick up my daughter. It was highly emotional trip, one that I will always
remember. Though I did not speak
the language and do not know the culture well, for the first time in my life, I
truly felt as though I was lost in the crowd. I have never experienced being amongst people who all looked
like me. I truly love Korea and
wish to someday live there and learn the language.
I arrived back in the United States with my daughter, Zoey,
on April 30, 2009, to the waiting arms of my husband and now four year old
son. Her adoption was finalized in
November of 2009 and she has now been home a little over a year. A family of four suits us well and we
feel as though our family is just as it was meant to be! You can read all about my time in
Korea on my blog: seonmikyung.blogspot.com
How was it growing up as a Korean American girl?
I don't recall waking up every morning thinking, "I'm a
Korean", therefore I'm different, but I do recall times when I thought
that looking like everyone else would somehow be easier. I was very introverted and quiet in
elementary school and would get picked on and made fun of quite often. I recall the only time that I went to recess
after lunch rather than hanging out with my teacher, I got pushed down during a
game of tag and broke my arm!
In addition to being Korean and having eyes that looked
different from most others, I also wore glasses and kids were not as nice as I
had hoped they would be! But I
have a very good family and I believe that those experiences have shaped who I
am today in a positive way. I
recall a particular boy while in the 3rd grade and living on an army base in
Germany, ran after me on my walk home and stole my backpack off my back. He ran behind one of the apartment
buildings we lived in and proceeded to dump the contents of the bag out and
douse them with the nearby water faucet.
After moving back to the states, I became much more
confident and outgoing and more comfortable with myself. Years later, after moving back to
Texas, I was sitting in my cheerleading uniform in a World Geography class on
the first day of my high school freshman year. Many of my good friends were in the class and my teacher was
also my basketball coach. As the
kids in the class went around introducing themselves, I recognized a particular
boy's name as he stated he had also just moved from Germany. It was the same boy who had
bullied me all those years ago and imagine his surprise to see me with an
entire class of my peers and standing in front of him in a cheerleading uniform
of all things! We actually became
friends and he dated one of my girlfriends. :0)
I'm not sure that these events took place because I was
Korean or not...a lot probably had to do with my personality. Of course, there were always the
questions as I am a different race than my family, but I never recall being
adopted being an issue. My race
was something that was an easy target for those were uncomfortable with it,
being called "Eggroll" by a guy in high school. I do remember, of course, that
nickname, but I'm not sure I was really affected by it. In my adulthood, I am very proud to be
a Korean-American and I wouldn't have it any other way. :0)
What is your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memories include our many family
vacations all over the world.
Being a military family, we had the opportunity to visit many, many
beautiful countries around the world!
Before the age of 10, I had visited more places in Europe and Asia then
I had in the United States! We
were always camping, playing games, doing things as a family and visiting many
historic and beautiful places.
Tell us a little bit about being a mommy and having your
own children now.
Being a mommy of two is way more rewarding than I could have
imagined! Two is definitely
different than one and girls are most definitely different than boys! But my kids are really a lot of fun and
it is so neat to watch them interact with each other and see their relationship
grow. I have such a helpful
husband which also helps, and I truly feel that I am blessed to have these two
beautiful kiddos!
How is it being a adoptive mom.
Being an adoptee myself puts a whole new spin on being an
adoptive parent as well.
Especially because we are both adopted from Korea. I obviously don't get near the
questions my parents did, in fact, most people assume that my son is adopted
because he does not really half the half Korean look like you'd expect! I have never really had a negative comment
or experience when speaking with others about adoption. Sometimes people do tend to ask very
personal or strange questions, but I realize that's it's just because many are
really that curious and don't know a thing about adoption, much less internationally. I am proud to not only be adopted, but
to share my experience with others being an adoptive parent.
What are some places you love taking your kids?
We love frequenting the library, the zoo, and of course,
Toys R Us!!
What are your hopes and desires for your children?
I really just hope and pray they are happy, healthy and
successful members of society. I
hope they never forget who they are, where they came from and what their
ultimate goals are in life.
What did you study / major in during your college years -
which school?
I attended University of Texas at San Antonio and studied
nursing.
You're a working mom.. tell us more about
your career and what you've been doing these days.
I absolutely love to create! I love using one idea to spin off another and create
something unique, fun and different!
I am also a realtor, so my days are spent caring for my kids, showing
homes and sewing and crocheting crafts sometime in between!
In the beginning, I was inspired to be relevant in the
adoption community and do what I could to help those agencies that support
adoption. I originally owned a
store that included printed phrases related to adoption on onesies. I donated portions of the proceeds to
the adoption agency we used. I now
co-own a store with my sister, and
hope to one day create items related to adoption as well.
I always feel like there is so much
more I could be doing in the adoption community and because I am not
independently wealthy nor do I run a non-profit, I want to be able to do
anything I can. One cause in
particular that I am extremely passionate about after reading and researching
is single motherhood in Korea and the way it's viewed within the culture. After finding out about home in Korea
called Ae Ran Won, I have decided to donate a portion of the profits in my
store to this wonderful place.
www.aeranwon.com
What kinds of items do you create and sell at Lily Birdz?
While I am creating and coming up with ideas all the time,
we currently offer an array of products!
Anything from hand crocheted hair accessories, to boys neck and bow
ties, to zipper clutches for the mom's, to props for photography. New items are added all the time!
Where can we find your products?
All my products can be found in my Etsy store at www.
lilbirdz.etsy.com
Hair accessories by Lilbirdz.etsy.com
What are some of the perks when working in your field?
The people, the crafts, and their creators! I love watching others generate ideas
and put them into action!
What is your most favorite item that you sell?
Right now, my most favorite item has to my newborn photo
prop sets that include matching leg warmers and hat! My cousin took the photos using his gorgeous new daughter
and they turned out beautifully!
What is your favorite Korean food?
Anything and everything! But a few of my favorites are bulgogi, kalbi, kimchi and
kimbap!
What was the most delicious thing you've ever eaten?
Where was it?
The most delicious thing I have ever eaten has to be the
kimchi when I traveled to Korea! I
used to buy it at my local Korean market, but now I actually make my own and it
is delicious!
What is your favorite Movie? Color? Restaurant?
My favorite has to be anything from the early 90's!! For
whatever reason, She Devil, Death Becomes Her, are some of my most favorite
movies! I must say that I am a
pretty big fan of Sex and the City as well. I love the color red lately! My favorite restaurant is Kiku Garden here in San Antonio. Some of the best Korean food I have
ever had!
What is your favorite Korean Drama (if you know of any).
I am dying to find some time to get into Korean Drama! I have several friends who just can't
get enough and I want nothing more to be a part of it!! In time, :0)
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope to be with my family, living life to the fullest and
still working at achieving my life goals!
If that includes more children, a successful career, etc. then
great! For now, I'm just going
wherever life leads me. :0)
Visit Kimberly's Etsy store at www.
lilbirdz.etsy.com
Thank you for sharing your story with us Kimberly! Please leave a comment for her!
Questions answered by Kimberly Shuck | Questions by Kathy Choi Lee
