Johnson Family Journeys

come on over...

2010-10-24T14:22:00.000-05:00

to our new blog...

Johnson Bits

Bloggy love, The Johnson Family

that's not my baby...is it?

2010-10-21T21:48:00.000-05:00

We have some big news at the Johnson house...

Beks is now in a big girl bed!!!

To say she was excited is an understatement!

Just look at this smile...

There are many days that Abby would like for you to believe

she doesn't care much for her little sister --ha!

This picture proves otherwise! :)

We're still working on the finishing touches of their shared room.

It's gonna be so cute!

(You can't see the crib...it's over against the wall!)

Beks has done really well.

Um, most days.

This morning, Abby had to go to the bathroom at 4:20am...

and for some reason, Beks woke up at the exact same time.

Weird.

They did not go back to sleep.

Translation: we all did not go back to sleep.

Why am I still up?

More big sister smiles...

(See the cat, Grandma? We got the box!! Must talk soon!)

Can you tell she is happy to have a roommate?

(Don't ask her...she'll deny, deny, deny!)

Of course this happens to us...

the mommy who was always so sure that Beks would be in her crib until almost 3.

Just like Abby was.

Hmmm...anyone want to remind me that Abby & Beks are mighty different.

My brave, brave 2-year-old girly wanted a big girl bed.

Actually, they wanted bunk beds.

Which they got -- minor detail that they won't be in that formation for quite some time.

If you talk to Beks about it,

be sure to call them bunk beds.

You DON'T want to be corrected.

She is 2, ya know?!

I've missed this blog. I am in the process of designing my own background, pics & format (um, in my free time!), and it's not going very fast. I'll just keep trucking along, so hopefully you'll see the new cuteness before long. Anyway, I couldn't stay away from here any longer!!

Bloggy love,

The Johnson Family

she has bangs...

2010-09-02T09:36:00.002-05:00

And boy, doesn't she look happy about it?! :)

It sure has been awhile, hasn't it? I am going to try & do better--the blog has been so neglected. I definitely want to write about the summer, but there is no time for that now. Too busy organizing. And potty training. And putting a screaming 2 year old down for a nap she doesn't want to take. Fun, fun. We'll (read: Mommy) be updating the look of the blog over the next couple of months, so that will be exciting! Well, for me it will be...

Back to the bangs. Yesterday, I was at the front door talking to some friends who had stopped by the house. Beks comes running up to me and says, "Look, Mommy." I look down & it sure looked like she had her hair in her hand. Yes, you guessed it. In her other hand, there was a pair of Abby's scissors! At first, we couldn't determine where the big chunk of hair had come from. I was in the bathroom a little while later & (of course) Beks came to join me. She was up on the stool & I figured out where she managed to cut her hair...now she has bangs. Quite nice bangs, thank you very much. I told her she had done a nice job, but we need to let the people who go to school to cut hair do their jobs. Maybe there is a future in this?? :)

Alright, back to the organizing!

Bloggy love,

The Johnson Family

today's excitement

2010-07-01T22:44:00.003-05:00

This girl...

ARGH.

I can't tell you how many times a day I hear,

"NO! ME!"

"I DO IT MYSELF!"

It's crazy.

So stubborn & so independent...I guess she's so 2!!

Here is the littlest after falling off the step outside GG's house.

Right onto her head.

This picture doesn't do it justice, but you get the idea!

The day started off with Mommy thinking Beks was with Grandma.

She wasn't.

She was up on the stool in the bathroom.

Supposedly brushing her teeth.

Turns out she did that about 3 times

{I'm sure she wasn't eating the toothpaste}...

then, she put on her makeup, washed her hands,

and apparently put her contacts in.

Oh, wait.

I mean she washed my last pair of contacts down the drain

while washing her hands!!

Ha.

Tonight,

she used half the lotion...

on herself, the floor, her sister, her pjs & probably a few other places we haven't discovered yet.

She's sleeping in the toddler bed for the first time.

And hasn't gotten out.

She is all sorts of contradictions.

This Bekah.

Any bets on if she falls out? :)

welcome to america.

2010-06-29T21:37:00.007-05:00

Oh, wait.

We've been back for 6 days.

I just haven't slept much, you'll have to forgive me.

For those of you that have wondered what I've been filling my day with

{besides LOTS of caffeine!}

here you go...

We have spent approximately 5 hours a day outside {that might be on the low end).

The girls can't get enough of the PARK at Auntie Beth's & Uncle Joe's! :) Every morning, they want to go out before the coffee has even finished brewing. I think not. I {sadly} have no picture of them at the park. I shall rectify this in the morning. I hope.

We were able to sneak a visit into our traditional Chicagoland hot spot...

Build-A-Bear.

Daddy told Abby that she could have TWO bears

this year

for being a good girl on the airplane for Mommy.

Hmmm...

he can be a real softy for his girlies! :)

Can I just state that I'm ever so excited that they come out with new pink bears every year?

At least for the last 3 years.

We have them all.

Abby decided to hold off on her 2nd Build-A-Bear...

she has such control.

There is a new bear coming out on Friday that she MUST have.

It reminds me of sherbet.

It isn't pink.

SHOCKING!!

HA.

This is so Beks.

Let me just lay down on the ground now.

Someone will push that bear.

In that stroller I HAD to have...

And here are Abby & Bek's nanny {aka Michele!}

Strapped in for safety!

Our walk back from downtown...

we love Glen Ellyn! :)

{look at all the happy green trees & blue sky peeking through all you people in Korea--it's still here!}

{I'm going to save the story of our trip back to the states for another night...I'm tired & I want to do it justice. In that exciting post, I'll also include the lovely story of what has transpired since arriving back in the good ol' USA.}

Bloggy love,

a request

2010-06-16T09:24:00.002-05:00

Abby rarely asks me to sew things for her.

So, when she did, I jumped on it.

{well, that means I made it before she forgot she wanted it!}

Here it is...A's new baby carrier {it's a mini mei tai, for those that aren't familiar with baby wearing!}

Can you tell she is afraid of my flash.

The new camera has a few drawbacks! :)

Modeling the back...

I have to tell you...it turned out so cute. She helped me walk the dog with her beloved Gertrude in it! So funny. Now, I need to make Beks one--she saw it & wants to be like sissy. Goodness. I bet Bunny Bunny will love being carried around in it!

Off to finish my secret project for tonight! Getting ready to move is almost as good for completing projects as nesting while prego. Um, without the 70lb weight gain.

Bloggy love,

so proud

2010-06-14T08:49:00.007-05:00

She did it!

14 days. {because Mommy is slow, this was over 2 weeks ago!}

No more finger sucking...

it was as hard on Mommy as it was for Abby.

It just seemed like the last baby thing she did...and it was cute.

Her little hook 'em horns are a thing of the past.

But,

she's 5 now.

It was time.

She had a chart & was working for her American Girl goodies!

Traditional Abby picture...

Celebration dinner at Chili's!

No surprise there! :)

This cake was gone in under 5 minutes...I'll have to time it next time.

We are going to pick out her American Girl reward in Chicago.

~~Mommy~~ Abby can't wait!

A little tea party.

A little shopping.

Should be a very special day for her!

Bloggy love,

i may shed a tear...

2010-06-14T07:34:00.004-05:00

or 2.

or have a good old fashioned cry.

i am leaving the land of fabric.

tragic. {yes, i'm a relatively dramatic person}

but, it is a sad realization...

i will no longer be able to venture into a large warehouse or into a 5-story building to buy fabric from 1,oooW (.80) to 5,000W ($4 something) a yard. minkee is about 7,000W! won't find that in the good ol' usa.

no worries. i have stockpiled.

and i've heard before that walt disney world

is the happiest place on earth.

i think not.

no freaky costumed people here.

koreans following me around with coffee. yes.

do you see the happy?
and more happy...how can you stand it?
truly amazing how much i fit into my little basket.

it. was. heavy. HEAVY.
dongdaemun.

i said good-bye on saturday. boo. hoo.

and the exciting news...charlotte made her first trip to dongdaemun. so happy to visit it my last time with her!

the first trip is always overwhelming. she was able to overcome it & bought a few things!
kellie...she is modeling one of the MANY headbands they have on this floor.

it is crazy. another thing i'll miss--especially with 2 girlies!

RIBBON. hair accessories. ribbon. sewing tools. fabric.

did i mention ribbon?
our fabric shopping crew...brave ladies ventured out in the rain.

the sacrifice. :)

we found a restaurant at dongdaemun this trip. um, it's good we were unaware of this earlier--i would have gotten my energy back & kept on spending money. worked out well on the rainy day.

l-r: kavita, janelle, charlotte, susan & kellie
hey, they had a list of what was on each floor.

we thought you just aimlessly walked around.

get lost.

walk the same area 4 times.

craziness. way too organized.

so, that's it. that's all the fabric.

{okay, so i may make one more trip to happy quilt, but we shall see. shhhh...it'll be our little secret!}

Bloggy love,

Happy Birthday, Aunt Erky!

2010-06-09T07:59:00.003-05:00

Round #2...

We love & miss you!

500th post...

2010-06-07T07:04:00.003-05:00

Wow. I feel like we should do something special for this momentous occasion.

I can't believe I have written 500 blog posts.

Okay, probably not that shocking to you all. This is actually 501.

Here's your special treat for the day.

This makes me laugh. And laugh.

Here are the girls wishing UB a Happy Birthday!

{cha cha cha!}

Did you catch Beks not doing a thing?

And Abby playing 20 questions?

Oh, and the video was too big to send UB...

Thankfully, he & Pawpaw called us today, and the girls got to sing it in person!

Bloggy love,

vacuum baby

2010-06-03T08:06:00.002-05:00

these girls.

beks actually likes this.

she probably just likes the fact that abby is paying attention to her,

but she asks her to do it.

and they laugh. and it makes me laugh.

vacuum baby, vacuum.

bloggy love,

blah.

2010-06-02T07:00:00.003-05:00

I really don't like posting without a picture.

But really.

I don't feel like looking for a cute one right now.

Maybe by the time I get done ranting, I'll be in the mood.

Maybe.

Maybe you would be surprised that I was an English major in college.

Just know that my concentration was in Old English Lit.

So there.

So when I start sentences with "so" and "and"...you should know that I know better.

And I know that I use too many "..." and not correctly most the time.

I'm over it.

ANYWAY...

I made a dinner that no one liked.

Not even me.

But at least I didn't moan & cry the whole time.

{and have to go directly to bed because of it}

I drank my wine, but I didn't cry.

I can't find a place for us to live in D.C.

Yes, I still have until August.

But, I'm over it.

And I'm tired.

And cranky.

My kids will tell you.

That's all for now. Pray for our move & our new home. We really are excited to head back to the good ol' USA. Girls & I {and the hairy mongrel...Indy, not Brad!} will be back in about 3 weeks. I'm sick with leaving, but excited to go. I do like this military life. Not the part where we have to pack up our stuff, but the moving to a new place. I like it. Of course you might need to remind me I said this in 4 months or so. :)

I am now off to listen to JJ Heller. She & Dave make me happy...and make me think about what is really, truly important. Take a listen.

Bloggy love,

and spring#3...

2010-05-30T21:52:00.003-05:00

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 :)

2010-05-30T21:10:00.003-05:00

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...

2010-05-30T20:19:00.003-05:00

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...

2010-05-26T07:13:00.006-05:00

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...

2010-05-20T08:19:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-05-19T06:14:00.010-05:00

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

2010-05-18T07:46:00.004-05:00

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...

2010-05-12T04:57:00.004-05:00

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?

2010-05-10T08:28:00.006-05:00

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,

let's partee

2010-04-28T08:40:00.008-05:00

well, on sunday, we had our big birthday party. {how in the world do we have a 5 year old & a 2 year old??} we are still able to combine birthdays & the girls don't mind. hmmm. not sure how long that will last!!

photographic proof that grandma is in KOREA!

partee goers

food

THE birthday banner...

toot. toot. yes, that's my horn.

it is a darn cute banner! :)

speaking of cute...

we have the 2-year-old girlie...

um, really?!

and the 5-year-old girlie

ella & abby. that pretty much says it all!

what a precious little friendship.

this is funny...

abby has had her own little cake every year.

it has been a # cake up until this year.

well, mommy couldn't find one in enough time to get it to korea.

she assumed this whole princess cake was hers.

she gave ella & athena forks...

they dug in! :)

haha. mommy thought it was hilarious!

you go girl.

it's your cake & you can eat it too!!

the crazy hungry caterpillar

mommy doesn't really have skilz,

but it's still pretty cute!

one of her beautiful gifts!

our little family

where is bekah?

gifts & more gifts!

beating on elmo

that's all folks!

beks with no nap, sugar & lots of sass!

bloggy love,

whew.

2010-04-15T07:26:00.005-05:00

our poor {pathetically updated} blog...

so, here goes. i am not sure where to start or what to tell you. can you tell the mommy is a bit tired? here is what we have been doing: pre-easter party, birthday #1, egg hunt, easter, & birthday #2 {accompanied by the stomach bug}. there's the whew.

we started out the festivities the sunday before easter...egg hunt & delicious lunch with our friends! windy & chilly though. oh well, it was still fun!

who needs those pesky egg holders? just drop them in there. the white sweater is a little boring.

beks.

she picked up one egg, opened it, & ate the candy. repeat. she doesn't like to stockpile & then go through them all at once. not her deal.

neither of my girls will be successful in the large hunts...they are a little too easy going!

abby & athena...good friends!

yum. here's a little seaweed with lunch. oh, and rice! are these girls in korea?

cupcakes. mmmm...

then, we did some cupcake decorating. not one of my better ideas.

{but at least it wasn't at my house! ha! j/k anastassia!}

i told the girls to press the sprinkles into the icing. grace took that very literally! :)

here are her cute little fingerprints!

going to sew. and sleep. sleep is priority tonight. we shall see.

bloggy love,

p.s. grandma gets here in 7 days. can't. wait. woohoo!

little monkey b turns 2

2010-04-05T09:11:00.004-05:00

Winners of the big {HAHAHA} prizes:

everyone!

I will be sending everyone {who voted!}

a little Korean goodie...IF you provide your current mailing address.

Please send it to: thejohnsons01@yahoo.com

For you courthouse ladies, don't bother emailing me.

You will get a lovely box of goodies mailed to the office.

Good times!

Those of you that have actually lived here may choose to pass on this opportunity, that is up to you! :)

Photographing this little wild woman is not easy!

So, without further ado...

Beks in her birthday finery!

Ruffles, ribbon, cupcakes, special b-day tiara {thanks, Grandma & Pawpaw!}, and some Korean tights that have fairies on them! Fancy stuff! :)

We had a super day of celebrating!

I'll post more pictures later, but I forgot to do something {imagine that!}, so I must go finish the task!

As for the wiener...I meant winner, I will announcing the exciting news tomorrow! :)

Bloggy love,

things that make us smile

2010-03-30T08:18:00.003-05:00

Pretty simple really...

Sunday {while watching a little basketball}, Daddy & the girlies did some exercising.

Here, they are learning proper form.

I wish Mommy weren't so slow on the video camera...their moves were priceless!

Num Nums.

So, this is why you're supposed to take out the batteries if the kiddo sleeps with the crazy Zhu Zhu pets.

Not that she was sleeping with it...or that it is even hers!! Not sure WHAT she was doing! :) Only Beks.

Abby WARNED her not to play with it. Do you think she learned her lesson?! HA!

{no, mommy didn't have to cut it out}

p.s. We're down to 23 days on our countdown to Grandma Lene & UB...it's so cute; Abby runs over to take off part of the chain every morning. Then, she counts the remaining ones. THEN, she asks me about 400Xs a day if she has taken one off. :) Fun stuff, but it's worth it!! It's no secret...MOMMY IS EXCITED TOO!!

Bloggy love,

voice your opinion.

2010-03-24T00:18:00.006-05:00

Here at JFJ, we want your voice to be heard. {hahaha, not really, but I'm indecisive!}

With the uproar & varied opinions on all that is going on in the world right now, we are giving you the chance to express your opinion. This is a vital decision in our household right now. Vital. {Boy, we need to get out more!}

Which way will you vote?

Number 1:

{photo courtesy of Lil Blue Boo--as is the tutorial}

Number 2:

{okay, if you really want to vote, you need to click on the link--she has the page Copyscaped!}

Choice#2

Don't delay. Voting will be closed on Saturday (Korea time, people). Maybe I'll even find a fun gift to send one of you lucky voters. Or maybe not. I might just be saying that to entice you to vote. But then again, Korea is full of wonderful trinkets I could send you! :)

{If you vote & you want a chance to win the *possible* prize, please leave a comment with your name & email, if I don't know how to contact you!}

Bloggy love,

bubble world. korean adventure #9,243

2010-03-22T09:31:00.001-05:00

Sometimes,

we kidnap Daddy & take him places with us.

So, the girls & I bought tickets to a family show is Seoul called:

Bubble World

We bought a ticket for Daddy too,

and somehow, he managed to get a day off! :)

Yippee.

Off we went on our ITT adventure...

Here is Beks on the bus doing some light reading :)

The theater sign

Our crew outside...contemplating some KFC. Or not.

Daddy & Abby

Athena & Abby

Bunny Bunny even dressed up for this big day!

Mommy & Beks

It was interesting!

{as are many of the things we have done here!}

The girls loved it & some of the bubbles were amazing...if nothing else because of the sheer volume of them!

The interactive portions were fun too.

{Abby asked when we were going to go back & Daddy said, "Never." Ha.}

All & all, the day was a success & even better because we got to spend the day with Daddy.

Oh, and apology #2 to all the people on the bus who had to wait to get back on base b/c of the irresponsible person who left her wallet at home. Wonder who that loser was? :)

Bloggy love,

i want a yard. please.

2010-03-18T08:48:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I ran a 5K.

{Please stop your snickering...and yes, this is Brooke!!}

It started snowing during the run & didn't stop.

Here I am after the run...

{Maybe a little more *support* would be beneficial?! ha. Talk about things hangin' different than they used to! :)}

Here's Indy surveying the snowfall the morning after! :)

He's only 10 flights up. Poor guy.

I can't wait to have a yard for him!

He LOVES the snow & he scratched to get out there.

Here's his cute mug after snacking on some snow...

he was so excited to get out in it.

Even on the balcony.

Don't worry, boy.

Mommy is gonna find you a yard.

With a slide.

And a playground. :)

You can actually go out whenever you want to.

I can't wait.

Bloggy love,

so did it freeze over?

2010-03-18T08:13:00.006-05:00

And I'm not talking about the recent snow we've had!!!

I WON SOMETHING AT OSC.

Sweet goodness...

is it really possible?

I wish I weren't Historian...would have loved to have seen my face & have a picture of that!!

Finally. Almost my last event here, but it happened. It really happened!

I tied with 3 other people for Most Buncos.

And then the roll off.

One lady rolled & I went next...rolled a 6! Woot.

I was already celebrating {could've been the 2 margaritas!}.

Believe it or not, no one else rolled a 6. I literally jumped up and down. Not kidding.

So I got to choose first. Are you joking?

We just went to pick out furniture on Sunday {and ordered 4 pieces!!!}

This was bonus time...so, what did I pick???

Drumroll...

my very own step tansu!!!

Our little Asian entryway...

Shout out to Janelle {who helped me carry it home!}...

THANK YOU!

You are an awesome friend! :)

So, here is a peek at what we ordered over the weekend!

SO excited.

Each piece will be changed up to go with our darker colors, so I'll be sure to post pictures of the actual pieces once they arrive!!

Our bar...well, not really.

It will be darker, different hardware {black iron}, and not painted.

So, similar, but different. Got it?!

Inside of bar...love it.

Love that it is on wheels. It will be beautiful!

Secretary...again, same style, different colors/hardware.

{they had this black one tonight as one of the prizes, but since we had already ordered this one to go in our bedroom, BONUS!}

Crummy, blurry picture!

We'll use it as an end table by the recliner.

Again, not this color...will match the wedding boxes we already have!

Lastly, we loved this the last time we were there.

Nowhere to put it, but I asked again how much it was.

He came off of it $150!! DEAL.

We will find somewhere to put it...it is not a small piece! :)

From the land of new furniture...

Bloggy love,

just our thursday

2010-03-10T23:13:00.004-06:00

Because...

"When I am a mother, my children will always eat at the table."

{Oh, and in an immaculate home with no sewing projects on the floor. And not in front of the TV. And they will be dressed before 10a.m. Man, reality is just so much different!!}

"I do it Mommy!!!!"

Nice.

{See Pawpaw & UB, this is a shout out to the facial hair. Woot.}

And, I've been dreaming of this all day...talked to my grandma this morning.

SO missing our yearly trip to DI!!!

Bloggy love,

castle play

2010-03-10T07:47:00.003-06:00

Grace & Beks...

what are we going to do when we have to leave the Guest Family?

{Let's just pretend it's not going to happen. Or better yet, let's just believe God will let us live by each other after Korea!!} Okay, just look at the cute pictures. I have 4 months left...can't go getting all teary now. :)

{You can see Bek's addiction in the picture, if you look closely! CHAPSTICK. I shudder to think about how much she has eaten. Thankfully, Santa put a lot of Bubble & Bee in her stocking! It's not her fault it tastes SO good! }

Bloggy love,

mommy's big field trip to the city

2010-03-03T06:29:00.005-06:00

Back in January, Mommy had a fun afternoon/night out! It was a CE spouse trip & it was lots of fun! Our commander's wife, Susan, does an awesome job of planning activities for us. The latest one was going to hang out in Seoul to watch the show Nanta, eat dinner & a little exploring! It's so great to be able to do these things...we had a wonderful time & even found a pub to warm up in after dinner! Can't wait for our next night out on the town. I hear karaoke might be in our future!! :)

Didn't have a doughnut, but thought it was a good photo op!

We did go and have a coffee at Starbucks to warm up!! :)

The show we went to see...

Nanta!

{This is what the website says about it: "Nanta is non-verbal performance which is the combination of Korean traditional performance called ‘Samullnori’ and western form of performance. Instead of using various Korean traditional instruments, it uses pans, knives, and pots- objects that you can find in a kitchen- as its instruments."}

I really enjoyed it!

The funniest part was sitting by a group of young Koreans.

They were hilarious & had a great time...I'm pretty sure I laughed as much at them as I did at the performance!

Inside

After the show...

all these places have characters dressed up outside their stores.

Not sure why this is supposed to entice me to buy their makeup???

I DO want to look like a panda though!

The bright lights!

We went to find our restaurant...it had moved!

They have these places all over.

Matching underwear seems to be the thing here.

Weirdly, I can't get Brad interested!! :)

Here's Nami...do you think she is trying to pick out something for Mike's Valentine present?

Dinner. Yes, it was all mine.

Until next time...

Bloggy love,

planning. better start now...

2010-02-26T07:31:00.004-06:00

So, because I am so timely & I spent my Friday night doing all the things I should have (HAHAHA), I better get to the birthday planning. I only have until April...the truth is: I'm really good at planning. Just not so good at completion!

Here is my first idea. Beks is absolutely obsessed with The Very Hungry Caterpillar...so this is perfect!!! Abby still wants a #5 cake (which I need to get on the ball with!!!), and I have other plans formulating. I have ordered pettiskirts for the girls (I did not pay this much...found them on ebay), and plan to make them some other cute b-day clothes. We'll see how that turns out!!

Bloggy love,

this is it!

2010-02-24T06:54:00.002-06:00

Wow...we are at the end of our adventure to Thailand! What a week! I would go back in a heartbeat (Daddy too!). So would the girls! I'm pretty sure the girls would go back with or without us! They were pretty spoiled there (and her initials are: P.i.s.t.i.s.m.a.i!!).

Itinerary:

Old Chiang Mai city and see ruins, re-built Thai village homes, and ride horse carts!

Lunch @ "jungle restaurant"

Explore

Airport @5p.m.

Second most talked about event...

the horse cart.

#1: Elephants, of course!!

The little princesses!

These Thai animals were sure into bananas!

In case you can't read the sign:

Lady Cannot Enter

{but as you can see from the above picture, we can beat the heck out of the noise makers!!}

Pistismai's nephew...he drove us the last couple of days!

You might recognize him from our New Year's photos! :)

He was our go-to guy for fireworks!

So now, I can catch up a little more & get back into my normal updates. I know...you can hardly contain yourselves!

Bloggy love,

thailand: day 6. {we were there for 7 days...if you were wondering}

2010-02-22T05:45:00.008-06:00

Well, we didn't do much on day 6. HAHAHA. Sorry. We did lots each day. It's really quite impressive what 2 kids who nap can handle for 7 days. No naps. That's right. None. I guess I should tell you that we forced Beks to scream herself to sleep in the room for 2 naps, but it was so stressful, I'm not sure I can call them naps. ANYWAY, on to New Year's Eve in Thailand, baby!

Itinerary:

Market shopping...I love me some shopping. Fun, fun shopping. {have I mentioned that I loved shopping in Thailand?}

Hot Springs

Dinner cruise on the Ping River

Light our own fireworks & floating fire laterns

Bring in the new year with our children awake...this wasn't on Kim's original itinerary, but it was what ended up happening. Party girls.

The drop off at the market...

having a driver was awesome!

What is YOUR favorite kind of bug?

I like the bigs ones in the middle the very best!

Their flowers at the market made the flower market here seem expensive!

Where I found all sorts of goodies!

{Should have bought more clothes!}

These markets were amazing!

So much to see...not enough time!

Where Brad got most of his new comfort clothes!

Now, we just have to wait for the warm weather!

Here we are at the hot springs...

Pistismai knowing what to do!

Let's boil some eggs!

They are cooked. Time to cool them off!

Just so you know...

The finished product...Abby is off to find some fish sauce! :)

{It ends up that we didn't get to swim at the hot springs. One side was very busy, so we went to the less busy portion. Unfortunately, the side we visited just had bathtubs you could get into, so Abby didn't like that idea. Instead, she talked Mommy into getting into the COLD outdoor pool at the hotel!}

Tuk tuk ride...woohoo!

We have been to Thailand now!

Our boat!

Beautiful dinner on the water! Loved it!

Abby & her Shirley Temple...

special drink she has had only one other time {Hawaii!}.

Everyone but Daddy!

This girl can put some noodles away!

Another new found love...

Abby & her fish sauce!

I think we were on appetizers here...

Abby enjoying the cruise!

No wonder she made it until midnight!! :)

Beks & her silly faces

One of the more memorable events...

lighting the fire lanterns & watching them float into the sky.

Well, we had to clear the power lines first!

It was truly amazing though;

incredible to see how many of them were in the sky.

Possibly Abby's best question of the trip,

"Mommy, is that how stars are made?"

That's how many of them were in the sky! Amazing.

Some of the funnier videos from Thailand...and they happen to be with the big kids.

Brad & Unc! :)

One more day...stick with me. We're almost there. Off to bed now.

Bloggy love,

more thailand.

2010-02-18T05:49:00.010-06:00

Day 5...the long day.

{Okay, we can call it the exceptionally full day! It doesn't sound quite as negative!}

Itinerary:

The White Temple, Chiang Rai

Visit Longneck Hill Tribe Village

Golden Triangle...where Thailand, Burma, & Laos meet

Longtail Boat across Mekong River to Laos

The White Temple.

It was absolutely incredible! So beautiful.

The creepy hands...I'm sure there is some significance.

Our visit to see the hill tribes!

It is incredible how much they weigh...

we asked some of the girls when they put them on for the first time.

They said it was when they were around 5! Wow.

Better get Abby's on order...birthday in April!

One of the families!

We bought some of their scarves! :)

The girls with their new friend!

Cute little restaurant!

LUNCH!

Well, what's left of it anyway!

Still smiling after all the hours in the car

Abby & Gertrude

Golden Triangle

Longtail Boat

Unc manning the front of the boat!

Burma...it's a casino

Here we are in Laos

The girls loved the crazy boat!

Last picture of the day...

we then made the LONG trip back to Chiang Mai.

We had dinner at 9:30p.m.

In bed by 10:30. Party animals.

Bloggy love,

day#4...thailand continues!

2010-02-16T05:38:00.003-06:00

For those harassing me about my updates (or lack thereof!), here you go...

{you know who you are MOM!!!} :)

Day#4: Itinerary

Breakfast at local restaurat

Wildflower Home

Lunch

Umbrella Factory

Shopping :)

Dinner

Night Safari

Our breakfast crew!

Mommy's favorite meal of the day--breakfast!

We fell in love with this place...The Blue Diamond.

The served Western food & managed to provide options for vegans & those on gluten free diets!

And the coffee was DELICIOUS!

Abby & her entirely too large pancake! :)

Girlies outside the Blue Diamond!

{spoiler alert: we ate here again!}

The Wildflower Home...

this is where Kim spends quite a bit of his time volunteering.

{If you check out their website, you can see him in action!}

Here is a brief bit about what the Wildflower Home provides:

Wildflower Home aims to provide not just a refuge for unwed mothers and abused women but also enable them to rebuild their lives on the back of their trauma.

"Our primary goal is to help single mothers through their crises by providing encouragement and training to help improve their chance of self-sustainability."

We felt blessed to have visited here...

I didn't take pictures of how the children staying there reacted to Abby & Beks.

It was adorable. They were joyful. And laughed more than you can imagine.

Abby was a little freaked out because they surrounded both girls immediately.

Beks started yelling, "MOMMY! MOMMY!"

Then all the kids started yelling, "MOMMY!" while laughing their heads off!

It was so fun. The girls played with them at their small playground for about 20 minutes.

What an experience!

One of the buildings Kim helped them build! Go UNC! :)

This is their kitchen...Thai kitchens are traditionally open air.

Another thing about Thailand I love:

they are all about the outdoors.

Where the girls stay...

two to a room with their kiddos.

It may seem tight, but I would imagine being with someone else provides you with some sense of security.

If you have time,

go to the website & read some of their stories.

Incredibly sad. But, they are rebuilding their lives.

The women all pitch in to help.

They learn skills, and take care of one another.

They will use the animal waste as fuel

An amazing house that they are building...it is made out of mud!

Letting the light in at the mud house...so cool!

Another lunch destination!

Khao Soy. Yum.

We ate mass quantities of this while in Thailand!

{Good news...one of our favorite Thai restaurants right off base has this! And papaya salad.)

Hahahaha.

Need I say anything about this?

HILARIOUS!

{Amanda: doesn't this make Okinawa look tame?!}

Umbrella factory...

They wanted to paint our pants, cell phones, wallets, belts...you name it, they would paint it!

Dinner at another delicious place...

Daddy looking all manly on Pistismai's motorbike!

Fun, fun @ the Night Safari!

Year of the Tiger...

They asked us when we were buying the tickets

if any of us were tigers. Ha.

Mommy J had no idea what they were talking about.

Daddy sure did. AND, he is a tiger. Grrrrrrr... :)

See his cute little free pass?!

Whew. I am slow & this takes a while...mainly uploading the pictures. Argh. So, here's to hoping I get this done soon. You all are missing out on the daily excitement around here! HA.

Bloggy love,

thailand, day 3...elephant day!

2010-02-04T07:10:00.007-06:00

Thanks goodness it was elephant day! Pistismai had to go back to work, and Abby was distraught!

Here is the much talked about...Maesa Elephant Camp! Abby & Beks tell everyone that we got to ride an elephant in Thailand! They have told my parents this about 500 times. It was definitely memorable.

What is this, you might ask?
Our elephant painted it! And guess what, we bought it! Hmmm...Thailand isn't very expensive & how often are you going to get a picture that an elephant painted? The girls (even the big one) thought it was pretty neat.
About 5 minutes into our elephant adventure, Abby freaked out. The elephant came up to have her feed it bananas & got her pants dirty. The NERVE. :) So, from that point on, she was not happy!
Our elephant...Mannoi. Not sure on the spelling, but I am sure on the name. Abby will correct you if you get wrong! :)

The best part of the whole elephant adventure is that Mommy was the one who was nervous on the elephant. She tried to not be afraid, but the seat kept moving while the elephant was walking. Plus, Mannoi seemed to be having an attitude problem. Even though we knew that they were gentle & listened so well, it was still a little disconcerting to be up that high on that big of an animal. So, when Mr. Phanapoi got off to take our picture, Mannoi was not cooperating. That's when I started making the comments about being thrown to our death & being on the news after our children get trampled. Good times. Well, about that time Brad was wondering out loud what the elephant's name was. Our friend Mr. P answers him in perfect English. At that point, I realized he had understood all my comments under my breath & all the freaking out I had been doing. Pardon me while I go crawl under the elephant...
Hey there, that's MY man. :)

Lunch, baby. Mmmmm...

Uncle Kim had added excitement at this restaurant...the girls got to feed the fish & wildlife!

Our lovely table!

It's all much clearer now. Really though, we didn't have anything bad to eat there!

Apparently, while Mommy tried to get Beks to nap, Daddy, Abby & Uncle Kim went to see this...and get some coffee.
More fun while Beks was screaming until she passed out. Fun times.
We went to a traditional Thai dinner show--it was so much fun!
Abby & Beks would not sit down. They danced & danced. The girls got pulled out to dance, and guess who they HAD to have with them? Hmmm...I haven't downloaded that video footage yet. Can't wait.

So, as you can see, we had another grand day in Thailand! Stay tuned for tomorrow...

update bunny, bunny

2010-02-01T07:49:00.007-06:00

this crazy rabbit is going to be the death of me.

today, i had a meeting. we left with bunny.

did bunny come home with us? no.

why am i not smarter than this by now?

we got home {with our super healthy burger king meal!}

and he was nowhere to be found.

did beks nap? no.

did that make mommy happy? no.

did it make mommy eat her words from before? {see below}

i take it back. i love that dirty little bunny.

that bunny makes me happy. so happy. his disgusting dirtiness now makes me giddy.

i went to pick him up...when i returned, bek's delight was adorable.

she then spent the next 2 hours pushing him around in the stroller & talking quietly to him.

i spoke quietly to him on the way home. it wasn't so sweet.

i take it back...i really don't want to lose bunny. ever. again.

just so no one worries...we still have that ~~nasty~~ special rabbit. he's like the dog from spin city. seriously. i know it would bring me some grief to lose him for good, but he's filthy. disgustingly so. beks even tries to throw him in the washing machine herself.

bloggy love,

thailand, day 2

2010-01-27T07:02:00.008-06:00

Okay, I was obviously tired last night...

too much information.

I guess with my memory, it's good to include all the details.

I did spare you the bathroom trips. Which were fun.

Anyhow, let's get on with Day 2!

Visit Doi Suthep Temple (famous & beautiful mountaintop temple--where Brad & I had to rent pants!)

Brad & Unc

Abby had no one pay any attention to her.

HA.

It's a rough life!

Daddy & Abby

Feeding the horse

Lunch at the lake; a fun, "Thia" style outing

Okay, a little old lady comes by with all these crazy looking snacks.

She hands Pistismai some things,

and this is one that she chooses.

Quail eggs. Out of a lady's bag.

Hmmmm...

guess who loved them?

Abby was addicted. We finally had to make her stop eating them.

She had to have fish sauce with it too!

{good thing I found quail eggs at Home Plus last week...I'm a hero!}

In it goes...probably #7! :)

Isn't this the greatest?

We just love eating outside...

and how fun to be in a little hut right on the lake!

Abby's handiwork

Visit Kim's house

Here are their motorbikes!

You have to have one of these in Thailand.

I have to say,

this is the first place I really ever wanted to ride one.

The most hilarious thing about it,

is that whole families ride on them...together.

It was not uncommon to see the dad, mom & 2 kids pass by you.

Or to see dad taking his 3 kids to soccer practice.

Wild.

BUT, I have to say the culture there is different.

They look for the motorbikes & there just wasn't as much angry driving.

I liked it.

What would I do without road rage?

Well, I better not find out now...

it's a necessity in Korea! :)

Cute little house...

Looking out the front doors...

The Thai-style kitchen...open air on both ends

Feeding the fish!

Short city tour...which turned into going for ice cream!

Here is one of our concoctions!

It had some interesting add-ons.

The girls were not impressed! :)

Here is Pistismai's...

let's just say it was SWEET.

The girls really enjoyed her treat!!

Sugar rush, baby!

Back to the hotel for a rest...hahahaha. We skipped this part--if they didn't nap in the car, they didn't nap!

Sunday Walking Street Market--I will go on & on about how I loved this place. Just accept it now. The shopping in Thailand was more fun that I can describe. Could have something to do with Pistismai, but we did pretty well on our own too!

{we also *lost* Bunny Bunny here!}

Noticed I don't have a lot of pictures with Beks today. I'll do better tomorrow!

Bloggy love,

thailand, day 1

2010-01-26T06:01:00.004-06:00

Okay,

Brad thinks I should do this the easy way.

I am going to listen to him for once.

Here goes...

Day 1 (26 Dec 09)

5:15a.m. Wake up!

6:00a.m. Leave for bus station (it is VERY cold & icky weather)

6:25a.m. Depart bus station for airport

8:45a.m. Arrive at airport

10:30a.m. On our way to Bangkok

Great flight (for us!). We were in a bulkhead seat...didn't really want it this time, but we had it & it is nice for extra leg room and space for Beks to act crazy in. No individual TVs, but we survived! Girls slept a tiny bit, but we never expect them to!

2p.m. (Thailand time--approximately 6 hour flight) Arrived in Bangkok to some serious HEAT!

4:45p.m. Arrived in Chiang Mai

We ran around the airport & couldn't find Kim. I had forgotten to write down his phone number, so we just started praying he would find us! We had come in on the international side (which he didn't realize b/c we had flown in from Bangkok). We are warmly welcomed by Kim & Pistismai with beautiful flowers.

5:30p.m. Check in at hotel...Beks & I rode with Pistismai, and all the others rode in the taxi! We couldn't find the hotel, so that was kind of funny, but we eventually did. Much to Kim's dismay, they had put us in the wrong room (it was on the end right by the noisy street). They put us in there for one night & then moved us the next day while we were out sight seeing!

7p.m. Dinner...I'll let you picture how this went. Girls were WOUND up. Surprise, surprise. The restaurant was awesome & our first Thai meal was superb!

After dinner, we walked by a temple & worked off some of the meal on the way back to the hotel. Then we all got ready for bed & gave it our best shot. The room was loud, but we did okay until Abby woke us up at 4:30a.m.!!!!

With Pistismai at dinner...

Abby told me that she loved her our very first night there! :)

She said she was, "like a beautiful & kind princess!"

Brad & I are seriously considering going into business.

This is one of our favorites...transportable restaurant!

This is the rollaway bed they brought Abby!

She refused to get a different one!

Our room & all the extra beds!

Nighty night, Beks! :)

Bloggy love,

and so it goes...

2010-01-17T07:51:00.002-06:00

we have the official word...

our next home will be:

washington d.c.

where is the surprise in this one? :)

back to the good ol' usa we come...

well, in 6 short months!

Bloggy love,

the new robes

2010-01-14T08:06:00.003-06:00

Here I am...

throwing the family a bone!

Abby & Beks are really enjoying their robes from GG Jane.

I am working up to getting some photos up of Thailand,

but I've been baking too much.

Not that I've sampled any of it!

It has been off to work with Daddy each morning.

I get up when his alarm goes off (um, 4am is EARLY) to get the goodies in the oven, and stay up until I get them ready to send off with him.

Then,

I go back to bed.

Indy, has been a total freak, so whether or not I go back to SLEEP depends on how many sounds he decides to bark at.

Nice.

Anyway,

here's what you wanted to see...

Abby likes hers.

She's kind of a flasher though! :)

Beks is all smiles...got a little something on her tooth too!

Beks even put hers on over her clothes!

And with accessories! :)

Enough, Momma!

And it is even good for riding Lucky!

Bloggy love,

because every day is a party

2010-01-08T08:36:00.004-06:00

Yesterday,

we decided to make some snow ice cream.

Hmmmm...maybe we should have made it a little earlier on.

Brad informed me that it didn't taste very fresh.

As for me,

I did not partake.

I am taking the whole no sugar thing seriously people.

I have mini taste testers.

I am not needed. :)

Yes, that is also chocolate fondue.

We had a little left over from Christmas.

Abby is quite the negotiator. :)

Beks would have been happy with just the strawberries...

then, she caught on to her sister's evil plan.

Sugar Addict #1

And...#2

Grace...loving the ice cream!

She did love playing in it--

why not eating it too?!

They ate all the strawberries!

Snow ice cream!

I have no idea what it tasted like.

But,

it made me think of Mary Ellen.

And that,

I liked.

It made me warm & fuzzy. I miss her.

Sure wish she could've met my girlies!

Indy...

clean up crew.

Do I smell chocolate?

And strawberries?

And snow?

One last chocolate shot!

That's all for now!

Will see about getting the Thailand & Christmas pics up this weekend!

Bloggy love,

this girl

2010-01-05T05:42:00.004-06:00

It has been snowing,

so boots have become a big issue at our house.

Beks hates all boots.

But today,

she decided to like her snow boots!

Abby has a new pair from Grandma & a pair of Croc boots we bought her.

Which do you think might win?

Grandma=cool

The funniest part about it all?

THIS is why she won't wear the Croc boots...

"Mommy, I can't wear them because they have scary eyes."

Yes, I am serious.

She will not wear them. Ever.

I have to say, they are a little scary.

What's up with that?

That's my girl.

No scary princess movies for her!

She's always been very sensitive to facial expressions...

Into the box for Beks they go!

Bloggy love,

best. vacation. EVER.

2010-01-04T05:25:00.003-06:00

We're back.

Actually, we made it back to Seoul at 6:35am on Saturday.

You KNOW we had an all-night party.

I can't wait to share our pictures & fun stories!

But tonight,

I am going to fold laundry.

Put it away. {no laughing, Mom!}

And pray my hubby will come home before 11pm & play a couple of songs with me on Rock Band before he passes out from exhaustion.

It's a full life. :)

So, stay tuned.

I have Christmas pictures & Thailand pictures galore!

I loved Thailand.

It was marvelous.

The only thing we should have done differently was to have gone last year.

So we could have gone AGAIN this year.

It is a mistake I will have to live with! :)

Chiang Mai rocks.

The people were wonderful.

The food was outstanding.

Our tour guides were the BEST. {okay, and we're lucky enough to be related!}

Bloggy love,

merry merry

2009-12-24T09:37:00.004-06:00

Christmas!

Yes, it is officially the happy day here in Korea!

We had a fabulous birthday party for Jesus tonight...

it included meat fondue, salad, THE bread, and red velvet cake.

Daddy read from the Bible & told the girlies the story of Christ's birth.

What a GREAT night! :)

We have all the goodies under the tree,

and I'm up *working* on a few last-minute sewing projects!

Here are a few shots that cover our last few days...

Beks & Abby LOVING each other.

THIS has been a long time coming.

They have been playing together & enjoying each other much more over the last few days.

LOVE IT! :)

Abby's first official manicure!

I found Piggy Paint & decided she could have it...

even still sucking her fingers!

For your viewing pleasure...

Abby's PINK tree.

She loves it & HAD to have a STAR for the top!!

Well, Merry Christmas!

We are set to have a good one here in Korea!

Miss all of you back in the states very much...

we're off to Thailand on Saturday, so we'll be back with some stories, I'm sure!

Bloggy love,

{p.s. Beks kept saying, "Obama" on a regular basis. I could not figure out why his visit here had such an affect on her. Then, I realized she said it every time we said presents. HA. President, presents...what does she think she is opening tomorrow?! Maybe that's why Santa is freaking her out?} :)

deactivated

2009-12-21T06:05:00.002-06:00

I feel like a robot.

I have now deactivated my facebook account.

Can I just say,

WOOHOO.

While facebook has been great to get back in touch with

& reacquainted with people I haven't spoken to in years...

it has also been a huge time suck.

HUGE.

So yes,

I have a time management problem.

I'm not going to set timers.

Or just do it into the wee hours...

I would rather be creating something that I can see & doing something I truly enjoy.

I love to sew.

And scrapbook.

And play games with my girlies.

Read books.

Exercise.

Read my BIBLE.

{One of my friends commented that her relationship to the Lord might benefit by taking the facebook time & reading her Bible. As Bekah would say, "Amen sister."} :)

I want a piano. And to play again.

I want to learn how to play the guitar.

I have lots of things I'd rather be doing than seeing what someone wants to tell me about every 20 minutes.

You get it, right?

If you don't, I'm sorry.

I wish I had it in me to allot the perfect amount of time to it.

But it sucks me in.

I get tired & it sucks me in too late most nights &

I want to be a good mommy.

Won't you still be my friend?

Bloggy love,

Christmas, Christmas & more Christmas...

2009-12-17T06:29:00.003-06:00

Let me just say,

I love Christmas.

But seriously,

there have been so many things to do in the past week,

I'm exhausted!

{OR, it could be that I stayed up WAY too late last night...

and maybe had a little too much of the drinky drink??}

I won't go into unending detail, but here's a little bit of the past week:

MOPS, baking, more baking, baking & wrapping goodies for 400 gift bags, PWOC Christmas Party Bible verse exchange, squadron Christmas party, and OSC lunch.

So, last night we had the squadron party...

look at the cute goodies our commander & his wife gave the wives.

Isn't it great? :)

LOVE it.

I like that we're the Mongrels here--

so fitting!

Plus, I just like dogs in general, so that's a bonus.

Date night, baby.

Do you see Brad's sexy vest?

This is just too funny to comment on...

there is an enginerd joke here somewhere.

Or some CE joke, but I'm tired.

Brad, SMSgt Nuque, Shirt, & SMSgt Casey...

we have an awesome group here!

Have I mentioned lately that we really enjoy the people here?

Because we do...tremendously! :)

Some form Brad signed for the CE Christmas tree in the O'Club...

Brad & Ricky Bobby! :)

Still don't have a great view of it, but...

Brad wanted an ugly Christmas sweater to wear, but come on,

we live in Korea.

The BX only has so much to choose from &

I hadn't given my mom that job early enough!

SO, he sent me on a mission to find something ugly for him to wear.

Let me just preface this,

{being that I know people who have worn this exact Christmas vest!!}

it's a woman's vest.

There was nothing in the guys' section that was even remotely Christmas themed.

The best part

is that he had a reindeer tie that he could actually match it to.

Sort of.

I won an Ipod Nano.

I gave it away.

Actually,

I made the people who wanted it do a dance off.

Would I ever be in a dance off?

Um, no.

But it's definitely not beneath me to make others do it.

Must come up with some other ideas for this in the future...

any good ones, please leave me a comment! :)

The annual scavenger hunt...

All in all, it was a great night!

The people who worked hard getting it together & doing all the fundraisers were awesome.

Crazy to think it's our last Christmas party here...

Bloggy love,

project 320

2009-12-13T06:49:00.002-06:00

Project 320

This group of wonderful ladies is trying to accomplish something meaningful this Christmas season.

Go ahead...take a look.

Be challenged to donate just $10.

Every little bit helps. A lot.

Here is what their blog has to say:

{you can also click on the groovy button to the left over there!}

We are going to build a well.

You are going to build a well.

(photo courtesy of Jody Landers)

Because we can.

Because you can.

How?

Right now sweet, generous, creative and caring women from all over the country are sewing, knitting, painting, shopping, blogging, praying.

Donating.

Over 100 items.

Handmade and heartfelt happiness.

Starting

December 14th

and ending

December 18th

Project 320

will be holding a virtual raffle.

10 prize bundles.

Each $10 donation to the well

earns one virtual ticket.

You get to choose how many "tickets" to buy

and which prize package you want to win.

On December 21st we will "draw" ten winners.

But most of all,

we will celebrate the victory.

The promise of clean water for a village.

Life.

Are you excited?

You should be!!!!

Because it is going to be awesome.

Grab a button.

Spread the word.

Bloggy love,

because i need more ribbon...

2009-12-11T18:02:00.002-06:00

Okay, go here to check it out!

I love me some ribbon & would love to get this kind of fix!!!

Bloggy love,

note to self

2009-12-10T07:15:00.002-06:00

I'm a little slow.

That pretty much covers it, but you know I'm going to tell you more.

I am not a fast paced kinda gal...

sure, I'm busy, but that's different.

I don't do anything fast.

I procrastinate. Badly.

I also spend too much time on the computer. Imagine that.

So, here are the Thanksgiving outfits I finished 10 minutes before our guests arrived!

Oh, and that was because I hadn't done button holes on this machine before.

{And I waited until the last minute!}

Beks & her candy cane smile :)

Abby posing...it was pretty big on her.

But it twirled!!

Madness...

25 hair clips for our MOPS silent auction.

It brought in like $45 people.

No pictures on the 3 aprons, 1 taggie blanket, 1 taggie chewy...

and I'm not done.

More aprons, cowgirls outfits, skirts, jumpers...

have I told you lately that I love buying fabric in Korea?

Love it.

Have more deliciousness stacked in the laundry room!

Who needs sleep? :)

I do...I have turned into my mother. Off to bed!

{But Mom, I made it until 11!}

Bloggy love,

this child

2009-12-02T07:08:00.002-06:00

While Abby was at Cubbies tonight,

Beks and I did a little grocery shopping.

Indy dog got a new bag of food,

so you can imagine the excitement of my #1 dog feeder!!

We got home and all she could say was,

"Feed Indy. FEED INDY."

So, she helped me put his food in his bowl.

{minus a small amount due to OTHER items he stole throughout the day!!!}

Then I continued to put the groceries away.

It was entirely too quiet.

I asked Beks what she was doing...

she responded by muttering something about Indy's water.

I told her to please stop playing in it,

continuing to organize my refrigerator.

Hmmm...not the smartest move.

So here is what she was doing...

While Indy was eating,

she took food from his food bowl & moved it into his water bowl.

Ick.

She was VERY proud of herself!

Indy tried to make the best of it,

but I thought it a little unkind to make him bob for his food!

This child is going to be some kind of fun!

Bloggy love,

black friday...korean style

2009-11-30T08:09:00.004-06:00

SO...

I decided to go to the midnight market in Seoul on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

The bus was scheduled to leave at 11pm & bring us home sometime around 6am.

What was I thinking?

I was thinking that it would be a cool experience.

That I might find some good Christmas gifts.

It would be fun to have some me time.

This would be the time to do it...a bus dropping me off right where I need to be.

Well, it was a good plan.

It was cold. Well over half the booths/shops were closed.

I can't buy clothing here. Or shoes.

I'm a big mama by Korean standards! :)

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the trip.

The time out with the girls was great!

Next time, we're going to wait until it's warmer or just go to Dondaemun where they do this crazy all-night shopping, all the time.

As a side note...

I did figure out why Alexis looked familiar.

Turns out, we were in the same squadron at Hurlburt Field, FL.

Good ol' HMXS. Well, it wasn't so good.

But, it was good to realize I wasn't crazy & did know her! :)

The wild all-night party animals...

Kellie, Brooke, Charlotte, Alexis & Christina!

Hmm...so I'm pretty sure I haven't ever seen anything like this in Decatur on the way to Kohl's

Bathroom...delightful!

{insert sarcasm here}

BUT...

Kellie does look pretty excited about the experience! :)

The animal hat guy...wheeling & dealing for the warm kids' hats that are so popular around here!

Christina, Brooke & Kellie posing in front of the bright lights

Let's get a little BLING for our Christmas!

Hair accessories...gotta love 'em!

Yippee...the warm coffee shop.

They served warm water while we were waiting for our drinks!

We made it...6a.m.

Well, it was an experience!

I couldn't remember the last time I stayed up all night.

But then I did.

The trip to Hawaii.

That, I will blog about when I have more stamina!

Bloggy love,

some excitement at osan

2009-11-19T06:44:00.003-06:00

The big arrival...

Here, you can see two really excited 19 month olds.

They were acting crazy because a plane just landed.

Really.

They didn't care who was on the plane.

{I'm just being honest!}

We have an amazing view from our apartment...

with it comes all the noise, but it's more than worth it!

Here is Air Force 1...

you can tell, right?

It's my awesome camera. HA.

Oh well, I could tell. :)

Okay, now do you believe me?

Pretty self explanatory! :)

Dear readers, please write my husband to tell him I need a new camera!!

Okay, there he is!

Welcome to Korea, President Obama.

Great set up CE!

All your hard work in action!!

Another exciting video...

this one includes my colorful commentary, because I just can't stop myself.

It's an illness.

Just be thankful I haven't pulled the footage off of the video camera yet! :)

At least there are 2 really cute girls in it, and they were SO excited to watch the plane & listen to the helicopters take everyone off to Seoul!

Bloggy love,

introduction to the chickens

2009-11-09T06:36:00.003-06:00

Here's a little taste of what is to come...

Come HERE chickens. Chickens!!!

it was innocent enough

2009-11-09T05:48:00.003-06:00

Today I almost killed the fish.

Tragic.

{Well, it would have been tragic to listen to the drama that would have ensued!}

We have to clean Glory's little bowl out once a week.

Well, I went to Hawaii and Daddy B was otherwise occupied.

That bowl was in dire need of a cleaning.

Innocently,

I scooped Glory out with a big slotted spoon & put her in a measuring cup.

I have to say, I did think it might be a little small.

BUT

I also knew that in just a little bit, she'd be back in her real bowl.

{Which is not really that spacious, people)

At that point, we went about our afternoon.

The girls rested while I worked out.

At some point,

I called Daddy B with a question & as I was hanging up,

I noticed that there wasn't a fish in the measuring cup.

Or by it. Or in the sink.

Where did the fish go???

I raced around the counter to take a closer look.

There she was...laying on the cold, hairy & dry ground.

Trying not to freak out,

I picked her {and the large hairball she had thrown herself into} up, and put her back in her bowl. Her tail was even a little crispy.

She started to swim around.

I couldn't believe it.

This can't be normal, but who am I to ever make a big deal about that?!

Normal just isn't our thing...

Bloggy love,

the big sleepover

2009-11-05T02:42:00.002-06:00

This is for Grandma Lene...better late than never! :)

{I'm pretty sure I haven't posted these for you yet!}

Abby & her good buddy Ella decided they could handle a sleepover.

So, we had the whole Davis family over for dinner.

Then, they snuck out as fast as they could.

HAHA.

In all actuality,

Ella came up & asked Janelle when they would be leaving.

She then pointed out that it was dark outside. :)

Let's just stab the mommas in the heart, girls!!

Boy, did we peg them wrong!

The night went exceptionally well!

The girls did talk & get silly, but I'm pretty sure when you're 4 & 5,

that's allowed!

Here they are the morning after...

Cute little things...they're just precious.

Silly faces!

Beks getting in on the big girl action

Look at me...I'm a big girl now!

It was loads of fun & Daddy B cooked up a great breakfast that morning!

Of course, we told Matt & Janelle that we probably got the easy end...

they get to have Abby over next! :)

As my dad said when Brad called him to tell him he was going to propose...

"Good luck with that!" :)

Bloggy love,

colorado wrap up

2009-11-04T18:18:00.004-06:00

Of course we had to eat...

Do you think Beks likes her Red Robin? :)

I'm just thankful she kept her hands off Hunter's white t-shirt (he's to the left of her)

Here she is at Fargo's after filling up on Fargo's!

Abby has loved this clock since she was tiny.

She used to RUN to it every time it went off!!

Such a cutie pie.

Now, she's big enough to be Grandpa Daddy's helper!

It went by fast, but it was lots of fun.

We were happy to see everyone!

I also became {slightly} addicted to Rock Band.

Blisters & everything! :)

Sad, huh?!

Bloggy love,

can i get a cheese?

2009-11-04T02:28:00.003-06:00

Now that's what I'm talking about...

cuties! :)

Video of the cute bonding session...

Bloggy love,

how much cousin fun can we handle?

2009-11-03T02:13:00.004-06:00

It's never enough.

That's Abby's take anyway...

She loves her cousins.

The IL & CO ones.

She knows that all her cousins are AWESOME.

This little twosome is especially cute together...

Daddy & Beks...

see Daddy, she does tolerate you at times.

We have proof. :)

I just {heart} these kinds of photos.

It's like you want to torture yourself.

Let's get all the kids to sit still & smile at the same time.

Rational thought?

I think not.

Avery & Abby swinging!

{Oh, I'm sure Abby was loving every minute.

She & Parker have this special little connection...

they've been that way since she was tiny.

She loves her some cousin Parker!} :)

This is trouble...Gibby getting into the action! :)

Group picture taking...

The Video.

Bloggy love,

Johnson Family Journeys

come on over...

that's not my baby...is it?

she has bangs...

today's excitement

welcome to america.

a request

so proud

i may shed a tear...

Happy Birthday, Aunt Erky!

500th post...

vacuum baby

blah.

and spring#3...

spring photo...#2 :)

Spring Photo...

so, it's that time again...

Here's Where They Ended Up...

When it turns cold...

This Week

Goodbye facebook...

do you miss us yet?

let's partee

whew.

little monkey b turns 2

things that make us smile

voice your opinion.

bubble world. korean adventure #9,243

i want a yard. please.

so did it freeze over?

just our thursday

castle play

mommy's big field trip to the city

planning. better start now...

this is it!

thailand: day 6. {we were there for 7 days...if you were wondering}

more thailand.

day#4...thailand continues!

thailand, day 3...elephant day!

**update** bunny, bunny

thailand, day 2

thailand, day 1

and so it goes...

the new robes

because every day is a party

this girl

best. vacation. EVER.

merry merry

deactivated

Christmas, Christmas & more Christmas...

project 320

because i need more ribbon...

note to self

this child

black friday...korean style

some excitement at osan

introduction to the chickens

it was innocent enough

the big sleepover

colorado wrap up

can i get a cheese?

how much cousin fun can we handle?

update bunny, bunny