FEATURE CHILD- JONAH

Meet Jonah! 

Jonah is a sweet, little, 19 month old, in need of a loving forever family.  When we met Jonah in March, our hearts melted.  We were enamored with ALL of the little ones we visited with during our time there, but there was something about Jonah that really stuck with us.  His eyes seemed to speak to us.  They seemed so lonely, in a way that made us just want to pick him up and love on him.   He cried very softly when the nanny sat him down, and continued throughout most of the short time we spent with him.  But as soon as the nanny pulled him close to her and his back was touching her chest, he stopped.  The comfort he received from the physical contact was visibly apparent.   Maybe that is why I chose to feature this child first...because he seemed to almost literally be "crying out" for love, the kind only a family can give.

Jonah was born with anal atresia.  He was abandoned when he was just a few days old.  Shortly after being found, he was admitted to the hospital.  There he received surgery to correct his condition.  After a lengthy 9 month stay Jonah was released.  His intestinal health is now good and his nannies report normal bowel movements. While most institutionalized children have physical developmental delays, Jonahs are a little more significant due to being hospitalized for so long.  When we visited in March, Jonah was not bearing much weight on his legs.  Fortunately, he is being cared for by nannies that participate in the Half the Sky foundation and they told us that they are working diligently to help him gain strength in his lower limbs.  They report that he is already showing progress!

We feel that with the right home, Jonah could flourish.  Could your family be the one to offer the love and care that this child needs?  If you would like more information about Jonah, please contact our Waiting Child Specialist, Nicole.  She can be reached by email at info@aacadoption.com  or by phone at 970-775-4683.

20 FANTASTIC YEARS...CELEBRATED WITH ONE FANTASTIC DAY!

AAC's annual picnic was extra special this year, as we celebrated 20 years of doing what we love and believe in...uniting families. 
The day was a grand success and we couldn't be happier with the turn out.  Over 550 were in attendance!  We want to thank everyone who came out and celebrated with us.  It was such a pleasure to see everyone.  We would also like to give a special thanks to all of you who helped to make this event happen, including the volunteers and performers.  And last but not least we want to extend our gratitude to our special guests from Korea, Dr Kim Jin Sook, president of Eastern Social Welfare Society(ESWS); Park Boon Ja and Yang Keum Soon, foster mothers who have been caring for children for many years; and Lee Hwa Sun, social worker for ESWS.

For those of you who were unable to make it, here is a glimpse of the day.......

The day started with a bang. Han Sori Korean Drumming group kicked off the festivities with traditional a Gilnori.

Later Grace Kim performed another type of traditional Korean drumming

Following the drum performances, parents and children were able to try the drums themselves.  The kids loved this hands on experience! 

The students of Christina Yeh Dance Co. were beautiful and graceful.  Everyone enjoyed the traditional Chinese dance performances done by these talented young ladies.  

After the performance, Christina Yeh  offered the children in the audience a chance to give traditional ribbon dancing for a try.  

Longmont Martial Arts acadamy showed us their Taikwondo skills.

Xiao Han Emily Wang from the Confucius Institute of Colorado State University gave an enchanting vocal performance in Chinese.

The caricature artist offered something for the families to take home that would serve as a adorable reminder of this fun filled day.

Face painting was a fan favorite, as always.

Cultural activities, including Korean calligraphy and Chinese paper cutting, were offered by Korean American community and The Confucius Institute of CSU.

The park itself offered a plethora of fun.    

And we can't forget about the food! With 6 stations throughout the park, featuring Chinese, Korean, and American food there was something for everyone.  

Our Bi-Annual Far East Market was available and was a cultural shoppers delight!

The attendance of Dr. Kim Jin Sook, Park Boon Ja,Yang Keum Soon, and Lee Hwa Sun was an honor and everyone enjoyed their company.

Dr. Kim was looking beautiful as always.

She and her husband enjoyed watching the performances and meeting with families.

The foster mothers and social worker were very excited to be visiting....

and even more thrilled to be reuniting with some of the children who they love and cared for.

 We feel honored to have caught this joyous, heartfelt, moment on camera.  These foster mothers make a life long impact on the lives of the children they nurture. And I think each and every AAC family who has adopted from Korea will agree when I say, we are blessed to have them! 

It truly warmed our hearts to see all of you! It was particularly nice to see how much all of the little ones have grown and flourished with the love and care of their forever families, like these sweet faces.....

On Saturday, we didn't just celebrate 20 years of work...we celebrated THIS.............

FAMILY!