A Fall Project

Monday, October 20, 2008

We try to do little projects throughout the week--Abby likes to do crafty things. So, on the way back from church, we picked up some leaves. I'm sure I got this idea from one of the 1 million blogs I read! I will try to link the one I found it from (if I ever figure it out!), but we painted the leaves & then put it on paper. We made some cards too--woohoo, went wild & crazy. Daddy helped out; it was a fun family project. Bekah wanted to paint, but she'll have to wait! Mommy isn't that brave!! :)





Bloggy love,

Abigayle Ballerina

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Abby has been checking out Angelina Ballerina DVDs from the library since we arrived in Korea. So, it was with great delight she attended her very first dance class last Saturday. We have been practicing first position and skipping...Mommy needs to go next time so she knows what we need to practice. Otherwise, Daddy will be Daddy Ballerina--wait, maybe I SHOULD let him go! That would be some fun video footage for the blog!
Special thanks to Aunt Heather who saved the day...we received the priority envelope just in time for the first class! Thank you SO MUCH--you have one SUPER happy niece. :)

Bloggy love,

Early Halloween :)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Daddy got out the Fall decorations and he found the costumes! Oh the excitement! We are borrowing our cousins' Mich & JJ's lamb costumes. GG Jane made the Lamb Chop costume & now it's Abby's turn to wear it! Here's a fun Lamb Chop clip, if you're interested! Bekah has a smaller lamb costume & will look very cute too--she just hasn't put her's on & thrown herself onto the floor making sick sheep noises! :) It's just a matter of time...


Bloggy love,

No One's Birthday Party

Video time! Here is Abby at yet another fun tea party birthday with her friends!




Bloggy love,
Abby & gang! :)

Our 1st Trip to Everland

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

We finally made it! Our first real Korean adventure as a family...the girls & I have gone a few places without Daddy, but we've been looking forward to making some family memories here! We have been excited to go to Everland, so thanks to Columbus Day, we were able to take a little day trip. The girls were GREAT! No naps to speak of, but it turned out okay. We went ahead & got SMART passes, so we're planning on going back & having more fun! Here are some fun pics of the day...

Daddy & the girls heading to the ticket booth!
A view of the beautiful flowers & the big ferris wheel. Abby wanted to go on the ferris wheel all day...we finally did & she cried. She said, "I'm ready to go fast now!! I don't like this. I want to go fast!!" Oh my, have we created a monster?! :)

Posing in the monkey area...


I accidentally picked up a Japense map, so we were a little confused on what was what. Mommy sent Daddy & Abby on a water ride thinking it was the safari trip! Ooops. It turned out okay in the end. I went to look for a place to feed Bekah & stumbled onto a cool baby area...I also found the locks here to rent so that we could lock the stroller. Bonus!


We were waiting for Daddy to get off of his roller coaster. EVERY time a new group of people got off, they talked to Abby & wanted their pictures taken! What do they do with the pics?? They were very friendly & cute with the girls...they practiced their English & Abby practiced her Korean!

For some reason, they made me get on the horse with her???
Train ride...
Daddy looking manly on the tiny elephant ride! :)

Abby on the roller coaster with Mommy...in the front! She LOVED this & told me that she "screamed her head off!" Abby rode this ride 3 times!
I have no idea what the dog's name is, but she had pink ears, so Abby wanted to see her! :)
It was a super fun day & Abby asks to go back EVERY day! We'll have to go back soon! Come see us & we'll take you for some Everland fun too! :)

Bloggy love,

Air Show Fun

Monday, October 13, 2008

Well, this weekend we had an air show...they opened it up to the public for the first time since 2001. I wanted to avoid it like the plague, but I have a fun-loving 3-year-old that sure likes airplanes. Daddy & Abby left Bekah (who was napping) & I at the house--I thought I had dodged the bullet. Nope. I called to see what they were up to when Bekah woke up. They wanted us to walk over & have some lunch with them. We headed over and just about the time we got there, the planes really started flying. Lovely. It's not that I don't like airplanes (I was active duty Air Force, people), I just don't like the 2 little ones experiencing all the LOUDNESS of it. I don't have cool ear protection like some of the other moms here; I could, but good grief, that would mean I'd have to figure that out ahead of time! Heck, I don't even have crappy ear protection...who knows where the 900+ pairs of ear plugs we have are. Anyway, Bekah fell asleep in the baby carrier & Abby liked it all. Go figure. The best part of the air show was all the Koreans taking Abby's picture in the wagon--they thought it was so cool! :) Here are some pictures of the fun...

Abby posing

Face Painting

Photography by Abby

Now to the food...um, not sure why we have to have cotton candy as big as our head?? Or better yet, why does she have to stick her whole face in it?

A tasty (and oh so healthy) portion of our lunch!



Bloggy love,

Friday's Fab 5

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Okay, for this installment, we are going to cover 5 of our favorite things to eat! I'm sure we will do this one again...as we like to eat. A lot. :) I will include recipes for those of you that are interested. At some point, we will probably have to split this into Brad's favorite, Brooke's favorite and so on. I tend to like comfort food & Brad likes to consider things like candy a food group. Anyhow, here are the 5 for this week!

1. Pecan Pancakes...
...or any flavors of pancakes or waffles for that matter! Pecan waffles are Brad's specialty. That's probably why he loves Waffle House so much.

Recipe:
Bisquick, baby (secret is to use half & half -- insider WH info Brad garnered on a late night trip there)...we add whatever we're in the mood for (except Brad, he ALWAYS has pecans!)

2. Dutch Baby...
...if I were feeling more inquisitive, I would look up why it's called a Dutch Baby. My mom asked me why do we eat the poor Dutch babies--I come from a long line of funny people. :) This recipe is one that Brad's mom makes. It's Abby's new favorite -- we already liked it, so BONUS. She wants it almost every weekend. SO, I get breakfast made for me both weekend mornings now. Brad always does the pancake/waffle tradition on Saturday mornings. So now, I'm spoiled on Sunday too!

Recipe:

3/4 stick of butter
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put butter in a 9X13 casserole dish and melt in oven. Meanwhile, blend the remaining ingredients in a blender. After butter has melted, remove & turn oven down to 400 degrees. Pour blended mixture into the butter and cook until browned on the edges and slightly in the middle. This really grows, so it's fun to watch. It's good that we're easily entertained around here. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar and syrup. Yum.

3. Mac & cheese...
...actually, CHEESE. This is Abby's favorite food. Cheese sticks, blue cheese, feta, cheesy burritos, quesadillas -- really, any type of food that looks like cheese or has cheese melted on it or sprinkled on it. She is a really good eater, so most of the time, this doesn't annoy us much!

4. Napa Cabbage Chicken Salad...
...hands down, our family's favorite meal. It's delicious & simple to make! Brad & I have always loved it -- it was the 1st meal he ever made me (he claims it was the only thing he knew how to make!). We have continued to make it ever since & now Abby LOVES it. She calls it the 'crunchy salad.' The great thing about making it in Korea is that the cabbage is dirt cheap. I can go to the 4-9 Market & get one for $2!! Woohoo. Like I said before, I'm easily excited.

Recipe

1 large Napa Cabbage
1 bunch green onions
2 or 3 chicken breasts
3 packages ramen noodles (break them into pieces)
1/2 cup almond slivers
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Cook chicken (can grill, bake, pan fry, whatever you like!). In a medium to large pan, brown ramen noodles & almonds; add sesame seeds once the noodles and almonds are almost ready to come off the heat. Thinly slice/chop the cabbage and onions. Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Add the following dressing...it's easiest to mix and serve with your clean hands. :)

Dressing:
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar (can use cider vinegar)
splash of soy sauce

5. Texas Sheet Cake = Chocolate

Brad loves chocolate. I like it, but he and my Gram Jane, LOVE it. Abby is a vanilla girl, so she's not really into it. This week, it's Texas Sheet Cake because that's what I have a picture of! This is what we made Brad for his birthday. Chocolate on chocolate...his favorite language!

I have to find the recipe, so I will add it once I find it! :)

Bloggy love,