I'm Here! I'm Here!

Yikes! Looks like I've been slacking on my blogging lately! Shame on me! Kami and I have been a little busy the last few weeks, well, traveling the world! Last week we traveled from S. Korea with a super short stop in Seattle and visited my sister and her family. Then we were off to Tampa, FL to stay with another sister and family. This weekend, we all took a trip back west to Rexburg, ID to visit my niece at BYU-I and go through the Temple Open House (which was so cool! I've got pictures of us outside the temple, but I've got to pester my brother-in-law for his camera so I can post them for you all to see). We also were able to surprise my parents and brother with mine and Kami's presense when we went out to dinner with them in Salt Lake City.

So today, we're back in Tampa and enjoying the sunshine, catching up on laundry and just chillin' out! I'll try to post more while I'm here now that our long trips are over with until we head back to Korea and I'm *almost* over my jet-lag. Although, one side affect of jet-lag that I'm quite enjoying is having Kami actually "sleep in"! Alright, Kami's demanding my attention, so I'd better get going! I just wanted you all to know that I'm here! Ta-tah!

Youth Conference

So, if you're wondering why I've been MIA the last couple weeks, these pictures should tell you why. I went up to Seoul last week with the Young Women in our Branch for Youth Conference. It was awesome! The theme was "Putting on the Whole Armour of God". They had different workshops that were so neat to listen to, and we made blankets to take to a local orphanage. One of the days, half of the kids (we combined our Youth Conference with one of the Korean Stakes) went to the Orphanage, while the other half went to a home for mentally disabled adults and helped them package chopsticks to sell. The spirit was just so wonderful and so powerful there! I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go!

Christmas & More!

Oh my! So, I'm a little late posting the Christmas photos. Sorry! It was a crazy Christmas (Hahaha, in more ways that one!). Anyway.....here's some of Kami Christmas morning and then a couple days after with some of the gifts she recieved this year.

Super soft blankets are all the rage over here. We didn't get this for her, some good friends of our got it for her before they left for the Christmas holiday! Thanks Rich & Bernie!

We think Kami think's she actually is Dora the Explorer. This is Kami in her 'Dance to the Rescue' dress with her best friend, Boots! Quick! We've got to win one big wish to wish Swiper free from the bottle! (Do I have to admit how may times I've watched that episode?!)

This came a couple days after christmas when we finally got around to getting out to a Korean store, but Kami loves giving her "baba" strolls around the house and taking good care of her by feeding her, giving her lots of kissies and covering her up with a blanket. What a good Mama!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone! We love you and we miss you!

Our Nativity

Okay. Like I said. We're a little sparse on our Christmas Decor this year and I've been a little bummed that we don't have a nativity. So. What did I do about that? We made our own nativity, of course! I though it'd be cool to make one that Kami can have fun with, too. So, this morning she and I colored the pictures, and while she took her nap, I laminated them and cut them all out! Voila! Our Nativity!

Wisemen Seek Him Still

In our seven plus years of marriage, I can only remember putting up a Christmas tree maybe twice. So, this year I was super excited to get a tree up! The only drawback, of course is that we didn't bring any Christmas decorations with us to Korea! We didn't even bring them to Oklahoma, since we were only going to be there a year. So, our Christmas decor has been a little sparse this year. When we went to the BX to buy our new ornaments, Drew found some purple ornaments that he liked, but I wasn't crazy about a purple tree....until I saw the lime green ornaments! Who needs the traditional red and green tree anyway, right? As you scroll down, you'll also see that the bottom part of our tree is dedicated to our sweet little daughter who loves to play with the ornaments, too! She's got a few Dora ornaments that she takes off to play with, and I made some purple yarn angels that she likes to take off, too!
Besides the Dora ornaments and the yarn angels, the only other unique ornament on the tree is this one:

I got this ornament at a gift exchange last week at our Officers' Spouses' Club activity. This uber talented and amazing woman hand painted this ornament and I am totally in love with it!

Christmas Advent

What is Kami working so intently on?



Our Christmas Advent Calendar, of course!
Last week I started looking for some fun Christmas crafts to do with Kami, and I found this super cute idea of coloring one page of the Christmas Story starting from December 1st until Christmas. So, every night before Kami goes to bed, we gather in the living room and Kami colors her page for the day, afterwhich either Drew of myself read the scripture under the picture; then hang it on one of our sliding glass doors.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Kami and I made cookies last week to take over to some friends house for dinner. I, of course taught her the art of licking the beaters! And Drew, of couse, caught us both on camera!

What A Pig!

I found the coolest piggy bank a couple weeks ago at a little store just down the street. So, Kami's new thing is finding money to put in her bank. Sometimes her dad even gets into his "green fees" jar to let her have some fun with her piggy. At the end of the video, you'll see what she's learned at "school". It's so cute when she does it, it's hard to say "no"....but we're learning!

Is That What You Think It Is?

Why, yes it is! We had our first snowfall the other morning! I can't believe how cold it's gotten here lately! It's like someone turned a switch...one day it was nice and warm, the next...brrrr!


I hope everyone is enjoying their Thanksgiving today! We had a good one yesterday! We went over to one of the LT's houses and had deep-fried turkey! Yum!

Chocolate!

As I gave Kami some chocolate pudding the other day for a snack, I laughed to myself as I thought of a quote that my friend Kathy B. put my circle journal a couple years ago:

"Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate"

Charles M. Shultz

A Scrapbooking Hiatus Does Not Mean a Creative Hiatus

So, even though I may be taking a small break from scrapbooking, I wanted to show you all what I have been doing! I am addicted to covering frames! In fact, I just 7 of these frames to give the Young Women in our Branch at church for Young Women in Excellence.

I picked up these really ugly frames from the 1000 won ($1) store.....

..and made it look like this!

Our theme for YWIE was S.M.I.L.E. (Spiritually Minded is Life Eternal), and as part of our program I read a talk from Sister Dalton from last year's General Young Women Broadcast called, "It Shows in Your Face". In the talk, she reads this poem that I put in each frame for the girls:

You don't have to tell now you live each day; You don't have to tell if you work or play. A tried and true barometer stands in its place - You don't have to tell, it will show in your face. If you live close to God and His infinate grace - You won't have to tell, it will show in your face.

Admiral Yi's Shrine

On Saturday, one of the ROKAF (Republic of Korea Air Force) guys that works in Drew's office invited us and some others from Drew's work to go with him to visit a shrine about an hour's drive from here. The shrine is actually one of the homes of a Admiral Yi. "Who is Admiral Yi," you ask? Good question. After visiting the beautiful grounds and enjoying the sites, I came home and Googled him. Here's what I found: http://www.koreanhero.net/en/NationalHeroOfKorea.htm
Enjoy the reading! And enjoy the pictures! We had lots of fun finally getting out and seeing something other than city. And the colors were just awesome! This place has got to be fantastic in the spring! Also, don't be surprised if you find one of these pictures included in our holiday card, thanks to Warrent Officer Lee! ;^)

(I took this picture especially for my friend, Jennifer E., who thinks there are no Korean people in Korea....only 48,521,000....more Korean people pictures to come, Jennifer!)

Leaf Collecting

Happy Fall! I just love this time of year, don't you?! I truly love the color of the leaves and the crisp, cold air! I love bundling up and just getting cozy. It was so beautiful outside the other day, Kami and I decided to go on a leaf hunt and then do a craft project with our finds. Here's some pictures of our finished product and our adventure!

The Hat

Kami's totally been into hats lately; which is a good thing since it's starting to get pretty cold outside! So, the other day she decided to put the hat on herself. She's nearly gotten the hang of it.

What is she so intently watching, you wonder? Have you not read my past few posts? Look at those zombie eyes! She's a TV addict; or rather more specifically a 'Dora the Explorer' addict!

I Think She Overheard Us

I was talking to my sister, Rachel on the phone the other day and we got to talking about our kids (like we usually do). I'm always asking her advice on stages of development since her daughter is almost exactly one year older than Kami. So, we got in to talking about the 'terrible twos' and tantrums our girls throw. Kami's tantrums have been pretty comical and we have to hold ourselves back from laughing at them. When she doesn't get something she wants (like to watch another episode of 'Dora the Explorer'), she gets a pouty look on her, face stomps her feet really fast and says, "Nonononononononono!" So, when I asked my sister about tantrums a year from now, she burst my bubble and explained how they don't stay so cute and funny.

Well, today I could have sworn that Kami must have heard our phone conversation and decided to give the 'terribles' a try, because as I was fixing my hair in the bathroom this afternoon (yes, afternoon), Kami comes in to the bathroom and climbs up on the toilet (seat closed). After telling her she could be there if she stayed sitting down, she looks at me and stands up. After telling her that she needs to sit down, she gives me the look and yells - oh yes, yells - "NO!" Shock of my life! What to do!?! I think that warrented a couple minutes of cooling off in her crib, don't you?

...and this is where it begins....

One Little Monkey Jumping On The Bed...

Okay, this was just too cute. One of Kami's favorite things to do is jump on our bed and goof around with Drew. So, today just before Drew left for work (he's working nights this week), we let Kami on the bed and Drew got her to be super silly; which means....I actually got pictures of her smiling! I can hardly believe it! I have proof that my daughter smiles! Also. The "outfit". I had just changed Kami's diaper and decided not to put her pants back on her. Well, she found a pile of laundry and brought her (rather, her cousin's that we're borrowing) tights to us while trying to put them on herself. I think these and her halloween tights are my all time favorites. Espcially the back side of these ones!

I'm posting this one especially for my sister and her family who are wondering how Kami get's her mouth to open so big. I didn't realize where she picked it up from until after I took this picture and had a good laugh!