Halloween!

Yay! Halloween! I think Halloween has just become so much more fun with Kami around! I get to play dress-up on a real live baby! Some of these pictures are taken at Kami's "school" (she goes to the Child Development Center on base 2 times a week for 3 hours each), some are taken at the party we had with the 'Osan Parent Network' (aka, PlayGroup) and the only one I was able to get with her hat on was taken at home during our very unsuccessful photo shoot!

Kami & her friend from church and playgroup; her name is Liberty...hence her costume!This is Kami's friend Curtis, who we met at playgroup about a month ago. We sometimes get a ride to and from base with Curtis and his mom.

I can just hear Kami saying: "I'm melting! I'm melting!" Or maybe she was just method acting. I dunno. Whatever. She did NOT like to wear her hat!

So, anyway, I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween!

District Relief Society Activity

So, our Relief Society took a fun trip up to Seoul last Saturday for a District RS Activity to watch the Relief Society Broadcast from Salt Lake and to make so me blankets for a local orphanage. I thought I'd post some pictures of our activity and of some of the fantastic women in my branch. We all had a great time, and even had fun afterward getting lost in Seoul for about 3 hours.

This is me, Daniella (our Relief Society President) and Meredith.

Here is a nice profile of me and super sweet Tammy with half of her face out of the picture. But, the woman in the corner with the jean jacket on is one of my uber fantastic YW Counselors, Clarissa.Me and Daniella, again.
And here's a picture of my ultra fun laurel, Kristy (she's the one cutting the blanket), Tami and Jihyun.

Everland

Drew had a four day weekend this past week, so we took one of the days and went with some friends to a decent sized theme park called, Everland. It's about 30-40 minutes from our place, and it was such the perfect day to go! My friend is homeschooling her daughter for the year that they are here, and this past week they were talking about tigers, so, our first stop was the Zoo. I was amazed and the animals that were there and actually out! Nothing's more of a bummer than when you go to a zoo and half the animals are inside. So, while we were ooohhing and aaahhhing over the white tigers, the polar bears and the monkeys; the main attraction of the park was, well, us! This is the time of year that the school kids come for field trips, and this particular day was one of them...and there were a TON of kids! And not many of them are used to seeing American's with a blonde haired, blue eyed baby. The first couple times kids came up to us screaming, trying out their english and taking pictures of Kami was sort of cute. It got old after the about the 10th time that happened to us. But, we had a great time and I had so much fun with our friends! I'd been wanting to do something with those guys and when they invited us to tag along with them, I jumped at the chance! So. Good times in Korea! Enjoy the pictures!

Random Korea

Okay. We were driving home the other day and I had my camera in hand, so I thought you'd all like to see some random pictures of Korea! This one is from a tollway of what you'd typically see when you come to a city. Most of those buildings are apartments. So you see, lots and lots of peole live here!
This is at an intersection not too far from our apartment (in fact, I think those apartments are ones some friends from church live in). Paintings on the walls are seen everywhere and on this corner, there is usually always someone selling something...this time I think that's fruit. A random picture of a guy...not using the sidewalk; probably about to j-walk.
This sign always makes us laugh when we pass it. That's a realtor's office building! Get it? Also notice the cross. There are a ton of christian churches here in Korea, which really surprised me.
Okay! Straight ahead is our apartment buildings! Almost home! One thing about Korea and their driving is they have a philosophy of "me first". For example, we were at this very intersection the other day, probably about this far back, when a car came up behind us, then moved into the right lane and poked the nose of his car in the front of the line to turn left. When the light turned green (which, I'm sure if no other traffic were coming, he would have totally ran the red light, also not uncommon here. Okay, okay, yes! I've done it too! When in Rome, right?) he made his left turn from the right lane, totally cutting the rest of us off. The most interesting thing to me? Nobody cares.
This is a cute little "supermarket" just outside our apartments. It's been a life-saver those days I can't get to the base and I'm missing an ingredent! They also carry the shampoo/soap I like to use on Kami...the BX and commissary do not.
And here we are! Yay! We're home!

Thin Veil

So, tonight Drew and I were casually laying on our bed, making sure Kami didn't fall off the bed as she jumped, flopped, bounced and giggled; which she loves to do as often as we'll let her. On our bed was one of the Young Women pamphlets that I had been looking at earlier today. I opened the first page where there was a picture of Jesus, and half-kidding, asked Kami, "Who is that?" "Desus!" Did she just say what I think she just said? I turned to another page with a picture of Jesus. "Who's this, Kami?" "Desus!". Okay, so apparently this wasn't a new thing she's been saying. Drew said she was doing the same thing at church the other day. But, still, I was amazed. We've been trying to get Kami to say something resembling her own name and she won't say anything. But, yet, she knows Jesus. I began to wonder; it hasn't been that long ago since Kami left our first home to come to earth; does she remember? Does she know? When she was a newborn, she'd give me a certain look as if she knew something that I didn't (or had forgotten). Until tonight, I hadn't had that feeling don't in a long time. Or maybe I haven't been paying attention. Anyway, it was so sweet to hear her and it really has gotten me thinking, or remembering how personally our Savior knows each and every one of us. He must! He has already made such an impact on my little 15 month old, that she knows his name and she recognized his face!

Background

How cool is this...I think I am now addicted to Real Simple website with all their quotes! They even have a place where you can go to change the background on your computer. This is what mine looks like. In case you can't read it, it says,

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are." Marianne Williamson

I was actually trying to find the October issues thought. I really liked that one too. That one says:

"The Three Rules of Work

1. Out of clutter, find simplicity.

2. From discord, find harmony.

3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

Don't you just love autumn? I think it's quickly becoming one of my favorite seasons. It's the season of change and preparation. Outside the leaves on the trees are changing colors, the grass is beginning to hibernate for the wintertime. The temperature is finally becoming tolerable (depending which side of the equator you live on) from the summer's hot swelteringness (I think I just made up my own word there!). Every morning you get up, open the windows or take a walk and the air is so crisp and so new (unless one of your neighbors is making something very garlicky, and the smell is so powerful it nearly knocks you to the ground....happens a lot here!); and not only that, I think we start to prepare ourselves mentally for the winter months, which can become dark and cold. Anyway. I love it! I love the colors. I love everything about it.

So, I finally found the playgroup on base! Oh my! I'm so glad! I was beginnng to go a little crazy talking to a 1-year-old all day long. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE spending time with Kami. She is my best little buddy ever! But, sometimes, it's just so nice to talk with other moms. Makes me feel a little less lonely over here.

Speaking of my best little buddy...what a little sponge! She's starting to mimic a lot of things I do. For example: the other day I got out the pail and sponge, got down on my hands and knees and started to give my floors a good scrub. Kami, of course, was mostly in my way. Trying to play in the dirty, soapy water or walk on the floor that I had just cleaned (now I understand why you're supposed to do this stuff while their sleeping...on the other hand...what a waste of my 'me' time!). A couple hours later, I was making dinner and Kami had, as she usually does gotten into some bowls that I let her play with. She had also found a clean sponge in one of the drawers. It never occoured to me what she might be doing, until out of the corner of my eye, I catch her down on her hands and knees, dipping the sponge in the bowl and scrubbing the floor! My jaw dropped with amazement. How did she pick up on such coordination???!!! What happened to my baby???!!! Hello! Did I just dream up that itty-bitty newborn baby a year ago? Mindy, Mom, Dad, Susan, Jerome, TJ, Jamie, Dave, Jennifer, Stephanie, Ann, Kathy, Shannon, Ali and anyone else I'm missing? You saw her, right? Sheesh! What happened??

Anyway, totally missing missing all of you! OH! Ali...by the way....Kami got your packages! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! So, this past week we went to the post office and to get our mail and we saw that we had a package. So, we went to the pick up window and got the pakcage. Funny thing is, I'm expecting a package from Amazon.com with a new book for Kami. This package was a pretty decent size and I thought, "what a waste of packaging for a book!" and Drew, of course, was like "what the heck did you order???" To all of our surprise, we opened it up and there is a present to Kami from Ali and Jonathan. We opened it up and it's Dora's Talking Backpack! Holy Huge Grin from Kami! She played with it the entire time home. However, when it was time to get her out of her carseat, she wouldn't let go of Backpack. when I tried to have her put it in the other hand, she must've thought I was taking it away and she nearly bit my arm! What a turkey! Anyway, Thanks again! It's a well-loved, well-played with toy in our house now!