and spring#3...

And we finally got to see the cherry blossoms!

Spring was trying to miss us this year, but we managed to find it!

One more time...click here to add your own photos! :)

Bloggy love,

spring photo...#2 :)

Here is a rare moment when Beks decided to sit still...

{with a big ol' handful of popcorn @ Everland!}

Go ahead...share your photos too!

Bloggy love,

Spring Photo...

Here is Abby on the first day riding bikes...

we will someday have a neighborhood again.

With a street we can play on...or at least a driveway.

Please.

But for now...

here we are on the parking garage!

Add your photo to the list & see if you might win... :)

Bloggy love,

so, it's that time again...

let me give you a hint... :)

what time, you ask?

oh, it's my favorite time...

MOVING day.

okay, it's not really my favorite day {that will occur when we get on the airplane to move back to the USA!}

for those of you that don't know how things work...

we will have 2 shipments of our belongings leaving korea.

yesterday, we had our household goods {lovingly referred to HHGs} packed & loaded onto 3 moving trucks.

it is the big shipment.

later, we'll send the remaining goodies.

we shipped the car almost 2 weeks ago.

it will be there before we are.

our belongings are scheduled to be there the day before daddy gets on an airplane.

we are okay with this.

we have loaner furniture.

and less toys.

it makes me want to sell off all our belongings & live in a cute little 1,200 sq ft place.

oh to dream. :)

yes, ma'am. may i help you?

here is abby in the staging area {a.k.a. bek's room, a.k.a. our goods that weren't being packed}

strange array of things we kept.

that's just how we roll.

can you just see us up late playing rockband?

oh, and the sewing machine is still here.

woot.

all the boxes.

they boxed everything. everything.

and they made the boxes.

and reused.

and they were fast.

we started with 4 & by the time they were loading the crates...we had 1o movers!

{3 were fluent english speakers}

our living room!

{oh, they even boxed lucky, the horse--hilarious!}

washington d.c.

here we come.

we have no home yet.

will we?

i am trying to be at peace with this.

really, i am.

most days, i do well.

some days, i obsess! :)

top 5 {hahaha...edit from 6. i must've really been tired!} things about moving in korea:

1. you don't have to make inane conversation {i don't like silence much, so i'm the queen of rambling through uncomfortable silence}...this is actually something i like about getting my hair done here as well! :)

2. i don't worry about every little thing. i don't worry about them stealing my things. i can't understand what they are saying, so they could be completely bashing me, and i don't know it. it's really liberating! and pathetic at the same time. had i lived here any longer, i would have been even more embarrassed to not speak the language!

3. they don't ask for much. we just had drinks for them, but they refused our offer of food. low-maintenance men, that's what i like!

4. they got to our house right at 8:00a.m.--and they packed us and loaded our belongings in a single day. that is unheard of in the USA. no joke.

5. i had lovely friends who helped me with the girls & i-dog. it was wonderful & it was relaxing. to know that they were loved & taken care of! i will miss that. and them.

i'm sure i'm missing something. and if i weren't so tired, i could probably come up with 10. maybe i'll do a part2. :)

off to clean the bathrooms & make my loaner bed.

see you in just about a month you crazy USA peeps. we can't wait!

bloggy love,

Here's Where They Ended Up...

Oh these cute girlies!

They make me so happy...I can't imagine smiling as much as I do without them around!

We canceled the pool tonight

{our normal plan for when Daddy doesn't come home on Thursday nights},

so we went to the park instead.

The BIG park.

It has swings. :)

Anyhow, we got back after American Idol had already started.

They decided on popcorn. With butter. Salt. And LOTS of cheese!

This is how they had positioned themselves.

CUTE!!

Abby worked out a deal.

Jammies were on in record time & she got to watch AI until the end.

She's good. And cute. That goes for the little one too!

Bloggy love,

When it turns cold...

Let's go to explore Seoul.

On a bus trip...

in the rain.

We really do know how to have fun!

We drove over to Yongsan

{the big Army post in Seoul},

so we could park there & take the bus.

Here we are at the carousel...the girlies saw this as the highlight of the day! :)

And the bus...we had to wait in the rain AND wind {with NOT a stitch of proper clothing}.

Grandma & Abby getting warm & learning about Seoul!

Ask her anything...she can give you the scoop on Seoul.

My husband didn't find this touching.

We could have put a lock on here.

With hearts.

And pledged our love at the Seoul Tower.

He's practical.

It made no sense to him...they will cut them off, then what?

But I won't know when they cut them off. I will live in blissful ignorance.

Nope. No lock and no hearts.

I should have made him pose for a picture. What was I thinking?

Another little girl favorite...let's go to the Seoul Tower to get all the fun toys in the plastic balls. Worth the trip!!

The boys sure have a good view from their urinals @ the Seoul Tower!

I really couldn't capture the steep incline.

This is the down view...

{and most the Koreans were able to NOT make comments about my baby being out in the rain. With inappropriate clothing/outerwear}

Looking up...fun climb!

After the bus tour was complete,

we headed to find a restaurant in Itaewon.

In the rain. And the cold.

AND WIND.

Ugly, ugly day.

And find it we did...

Abby proceeded to polish off almost every bit of calamari!

Mmmm...brick oven pizza!!

Pasta, pizza & calamari, oh my!

Thank you, Lord.

It was such a warm place.

So cozy.

And yummy.

Oh, and we were the only ones there!

Back at the Dragon Hill Lodge...a little carousel video footage.

{It's by Mommy, so you might not want to watch if Blair Witch type footage makes you nauseous!}

Bloggy love,

This Week

News this week...

Car gone. Check.

The baby has decided she wants to potty train. Please no. Why does she have to do this before we move? It was supposed to happen after we get back to the states--same timetable as Abby. {hahaha} Well, we have gone through the first package of pull ups. She wants big girl underpants, but Mommy isn't mentally prepared for that!

Dog airplane reservation. Check. Dog staying in Korea due to volcanic ash. Check. :)

{not completely sure what we will be doing...maybe the girls will head back earlier than expected to take Indy back??}

Operation Stop Sucking Fingers started. Check. On day #6...woot. So proud of this girly. What a grown up little gal & she is working hard to get her special prize. 8 days to go...

Bloggy love,

Goodbye facebook...

This time it is for keeps.

Want to know why?

Well, the truth is:

the hubby can cut a mean deal. :)

I was made an offer that I could not refuse.

Really.

To have all the time back that I was wasting on facebook

AND

get a brand spankin' new DSLR camera.

Hmmm...

Goodbye facebook!

So, if you wondered why I'm no longer your friend,

there you have it.

Don't take it personally!

I am moving from Korea to the USA.

I have 4 million sewing projects.

{that for some reason my husband doesn't enjoy looking at on the end of the dining room table--weird, I know!}

I have a lifetime of scrapbooks & supplies.

I have 2 small children.

I have a neglected blog.

I could go on & on.

Good decision. Even better with the icing {camera!} on the cake!

This awesome camera is on its way to me. Woohoo.

It will probably take me 4 years to figure out what to do with it, but it will be all mine!

Thanks to the best hubby in the world.

He knew how much I wanted to let fb go & what would get me to do it!

Bloggy love,

do you miss us yet?

oh, grandma,

do you miss us yet?

do you know how much crying has been going on here in south korea?

{crying & moaning at bedtime--AGAIN!}

that firstborn granddaughter...she kind of likes you.

oh, and your firstborn does too.

the baby likes you too, but #1 doesn't have anyone to play with when you're not here.

so sad. and depressing to have to share your mommy. and play with your little sister!

i'll get right on updating the blog...

here's what we did on ub's & grandma's last day...

DR. FISH! :)

i was really impressed that grandma lene went for it!

so sorry that the fish didn't have time for anyone else's feet!!

yes, mine were that scary apparently!

this is pretty much how we all felt...it takes some getting used to!

here's abby...not experiencing the fish.

been there, done that!

she had no interest!

she did ask, "are they {the fish} really all doctors?" :)

abby had her first real manicure & pedicure.

then,

she proceeded to mess the polish up on her hands AND feet. :)

it was also grandma's first time for a pedicure!

she really enjoyed it.

fun afternoon of pampering! our week was really busy, so it was nice to sit down & be pampered for a couple of hours!

Bloggy love,