We made it!

It's been over a week since we arrived back in Hunstville, Alabama! We flew out of Korea on Thursday Jan 22, at 6pm, and arrived in Huntsville on Thursday Jan 22, at 8pm! Only two hours of travel! Haha! Wouldn't that have been nice! Total travel time was actually 25 hours, but that doesn't include the hours of "awake time" we had since Caden decided to wake up at 4:45 am the day we left (which would have put us just over 30 hours of travel time, before arriving in Huntsville).

God saw some flaws in our planning and we truly think he knew Caden needed to wake us up early that day. It actually worked out quite well. Caden slept the entire 2 hour bus ride to the airport and we actually had to wake him up when we arrived!

At the airport we faced our next big challenge: getting all of our 7 suitcases, 6 carry on's, a stroller, a pack and play, and a car seat from the bus to the gate all while toting a toddler. God, again, provided for us! There was a bellman (or whatever you call them) waiting at the exact spot the bus unloaded us and he took care of it ALL!

The rest of the trip I will share in little "snippets" with the pictures below:

We arrived at the airport about 2.5 hours before our flight opened. We planned it this way hoping we would be the first in line to get our tickets when the flight opened and maybe get a bulkhead seat. So, for lunch we picnicked with some McDonald's on the benches by the Delta counter.

Our luggage... We had a lot of luggage (as you can see). Many of you are probably thinking we paid a pretty penny to get all these bags on the plane, but actually Delta allows 10 bag up to 100 lbs each (that's 1,000 pounds total!) for military members traveling on orders. Nice!

We decided to check our stroller under the plane and use a handy little strap to convert our rolling carry-on suitcase into a stroller by attaching the car seat! The best $12 we ever spent!

Once through security we found our gate and next to it was a play area for kids. This was just one of about 30 of these play areas situated throughout the airport. Korea is just so kid/baby friendly! The play areas were all very clean. Caden played here until John's tummy told him it was time for a snack...

We had some ice cream for a snack... and it was here that we think we lost Caden's little teddy bear that I bought for him when I was pregnant. It is so hard on a mommy to lose something with sentimental value... We realized the bear was missing as we were boarding the plane and I got permission to go run through the airport frantically searching for it, but returned empty handed...

At gate 113 (our gate) Caden spotted the little walk way things that are like flat escalators... he has an obsession with escalators lately so he spent the remaining 30 minutes or so before we boarded the plane riding on these. John rigged up the suitcase that he wanted to carry (but was too heavy for him) with some string so Caden thought he was hot stuff pulling his little suitcase around!

On the plane we were fortunate enough to get the bulkhead seats, and ones by the window at that! Caden stayed awake about the first two hours of the flight, and then he was spent! He was so tired that it took nothing more than his blanket and paci and he was out in minutes! He slept for about an hour, then woke up briefly trying to roll over, but found he was strapped in his car seat... so we decided to put a pallet on the floor under his seat and let him sleep there... and he did for 4 more hours! In the picture below you can see the little bulkhead area where he slept.

Here is is watching a video on Daddy's tray table (his wouldn't come up over the seat- one disadvantage of bulkheads).

After a 13.5 hour flight we arrived in Atlanta, quickly transitioned to a new plane to take us to Huntsville and an hour later (Caden slept the entire time) we arrived home!! After exiting the gate in Huntsville, Caden wandered over to the nearest bench in the deserted airport and climbed up... he was ready for sleep!

Here we are greeting my family (it took two trucks to get all our stuff home)...

We're very glad to be back!!

Looking back...

When we moved to Korea I was a new blogger and didn't really post pictures often... so I thought as we get ready to leave Korea, I'd take a look back at the pictures we took when we first arrived!

On our way to the air port bright and early! Somehow all the luggage fit!

The luggage!

And somehow we have MORE comnig home than we did going! Here we only have 6 suitcases, and we're taking 7 on the return flight...

Daddy with all our suitcases.

Saying goodbye to Grandaddy.
Caden was almost 4 months old here. He turned 4 months the first week we were in Korea.



Look at those sleepy eyes! He looks like he's been crying doesn't he! I remember taking this picture. John was getting Charli (our dog) checked at the quarantine place and Caden and I were waiting by the luggage. His whole face shows just how long that flight was! He was an amazing little traveler! He was an angel baby!


Our first trip to the BX here at Osan.... the first hundreds of BX trips!

Settling in at our off-base apartment. This was the day they delivered the furniture. Look how small Caden is here! He was so little when we came to Korea... both in age and in weight! :) He was a tiny little thing until he reached about 6 months of age.

Playing with his toes in Daddy's Kimchi Car! :)

And I can't forget to post a picture of the queen! She wasn't so thrilled about the move and slept in our suitcases for a few days until she adjusted.

10 things I will NOT miss about Korea

10- The lack of choices. Although it makes life simple and is also on my list of things I love, it's also one of the things I will not miss! I can not wait to have what I need/want/etc at my fingertips, just a short drive to a store away! To have more than a handful of choices when it comes to clothing, stores, places to eat, etc will be so wonderful!



09- The driving. The speed bumps, the lack of order on the road, the traffic on the expressway, the buses and motocyles/scotters that take over the road, the pedestrians, the insanely long traffic signals, the turn signals (I'm so excited to be able to legally take a left turn on green again), the tiny parking spaces, the double parking, the metric speed limit/signs/etc, the absolute lack of road name signs and having to give all directions by landmarks alone, other road signs that I'm supposed to remember from the driving test but don't, only having one gas station on base and remembering to fill up for road trips during it's strange operating hours (off base if much more expensive), and having exits on the Interstate as opposed to just rest stops... and that's just to name a few of the reasons I can't wait to drive in America again!



08- The smells. I admit that when I lived off base, I became more accustomed to the smells and they didn't bother me near as much as they do now. Especially those little larva/bug things! Ugh! Those stink the worst and I've found they are one of the few smells in the world that will induce my gag reflex if I have to smell them for long. I'm also not terribly fond of Kimchi season (which is when we moved to Korea last year, our shared drains in the apartment complex had our house reeking all the time- if you don't remember Kimchi is basically fermented cabbage).



07- AFN. Before I complain let me say that I am also very grateful for AFN! For those who don't know, AFN stands for Armed Forces Network and provides TV shows to service members at installations around the world. It has "contracts" or something of the sort with most all of the major TV shows (Oprah, 60 Minutes, Hannah Montana, American Idol, and the like) as well as a few other channels such as CNN and Fox News. There are about 10-15 different channels on AFN that air these different shows at different times of the day, but it's still not the same as watching TV in America. It will be so wonderful to turn on FoodTV and watch ole' Paula cook something buttery!!! Oh, and I won't miss the AFN commercials. But, then again, those are probably a little better than regular commercials...



06- White Walled Apartment Living! This one applies not just to our time in Korea, but also to all the houses we've lived in since we got married! I can not wait to OWN a home that I can paint!!! Eeeek! And, in the case of living off-base when we first arrived in Korea, I won't (and don't) miss the crazy wallpaper, except for the times it was useful for a good laugh! And not just the walls, but it will be so nice to have a house and not have to worry about my loud little kiddo disturbing the peace in the surrounding apartments!



05- Garbage disposals. Or, should I say the lack there of! I heard one time that it is actually illegal to have a garbage disposal in Korea because the sewer system just can't handle it. I can't wait to have a garbage disposal again! And, because we now have a choice in the matter I told John that we will never again HAVE to live in a house without one! What a wonderful thing!!!



04- The craziness of base-life. No more getting trapped at the gate for 20 minutes while they practice locking down the base. No more getting trapped in the BX. No more having to stop and stand outside in the freezing cold to pay our respects to the National Anthem each day (which is a GOOD thing, just not so much fun when you're somehow managing 5 grocery bags and a screaming toddler and THEN have to stop). Oh, and no more exercises/plane noise/giant voices/etc!!!



03- John's work schedule. He traveled a lot and we'll be glad to hopefully have him home more with a new job!



02- Having a parking lot instead of a driveway. Self-explanatory... I can't wait to not only have a drive way (and a less than 10 foot walk to the door from my car) but to have a garage will be a true luxury!!!



01- The language barrier! No more frustrating conversations that seem to go around in circles as you try to communicate!!! And how wonderful will it be to understand every road sign, store sign, menu description, etc!!!

Wild Man 18 mo

Mom, Dad... or should I call you Grandaddy and Nonnie now... are you sure you're ready to have this in your home?!? :)

10 Things I Will Miss About Korea

This time next week I will be on my way home. I know that it will be a bittersweet goodbye. To carry on an little blogging tradition I've typed up my lists of the 10 things I will miss the most, and the least about Korea. For today, here is the list of the things I will miss most:


10- The lack of choices. I know you all probably don't believe me! Living here for the first few months is hard because suddenly you don't have choices. There are 5 places to eat in the food court, there is only one food court. There is one place to buy groceries unless you want to shop off-base somewhere. There is one place to buy everything else you need (the BX, or places off-base if you want to venture out). Life here is simple. And although the lack of choices is one of the things I dislike most about being here, it is (at the same time) one of the things I love. You see, EVERYONE else is in the same boat. There is no keeping up with the Jones' here. Life is simple, and sometimes simple is good! I know that God has taught me a lot about the things I can do without through my experiences here in Korea.

09- Driving in Korea. Again, this is one of those love/hate things. The driving here can be nightmareish at times, but there are so many things about it that I also love! I love that there are no rules that can't be broken as long as a camera isn't around! Ha! Not that I'm all about breaking rules, but I confess that there have been times that I have. It was a bit of a thrill the first few times I plowed through a red light when I was in a hurry to get somewhere! And I didn't break the rules all the time, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't secretly love the "option" to disregard the rules! Also, I just love the creativity of the Korean people and have had so many good laughs at the funny things I see out driving around. The same things that annoy me also make me laugh, and they make for good blogging, so I can't really say that I dislike them completely! Which brings me to my next point...

08- The funnies. I will miss knowing that all the funny experience I've encountered here will come to an end. No more "Korenglish" to laugh at. No more strange events to witness and laugh about. No more listening to my husband mess around with the taxi drivers....

07- Walking. Now that I don't have a car and the high temperature is in the 20's, this is a little hard to write about, but in the warmer weather months walking around base is just wonderful! It's such a nice luxury to be able to just kill time by strolling down to the BX, maybe having a little scoop of ice cream, walking over to check the mail, stopping by the playground, etc before heading home for dinner. And thanks to the giant hill in front of our apartment, the walking is good for more than killing time!

06- Picasso Frame Shop. This may be a silly thing to miss, but I just love having stuff to hang on my walls and her frames, and her prices, are fabulous! I know that one of my regrets once I return home will be that I didn't get enough frames made. And, to add to it I will miss a few other stores including Guam Blankets (they don't put the ugly felt on the edges of the blankets), Royal Bag (loving their backpacks), and Finding Movie.


05- The CDC. I waited until Caden was about 13 months old before I started using the CDC. I was very lucky because at the time his room was not full and pretty much any day of the week that I wanted I could get him in. I usually put him in on Mon, Wed, Fri for three hours each day at only $9 per day! Yes, 3 hours for $9! He thrived in that environment and learned so much from the older children in his class. He did art projects, sat at a little miniature table, played on the indoor slide, ate all kinds of foods for lunch (even bulgogi!), etc. It was a great experience for him and I enjoyed those 3 hours each day as well! I spent it at the gym and then with the leftover time I'd run errands, have coffee with a friend, or just spend some quite time by myself. Unfortunately the room filled up in December and getting in has been a rare treat for us, but I am forever thankful for those months we used the CDC as I know that day care outside of the military is much more expensive than the CDC!


04- The adventures and "cool factor." There is just something so cool about saying casually on your facebook status "John just got back from Seoul." I mean, hello!?! How cool is that! Really, how many people can say that!?! This, living in Korea, is an experience that will shape who I am and how I see the world and I must say that God took something I was terrified about (moving to Korea) and turned it in to one of the BEST experiences of my life. Living overseas is challenging, but it is also "cool." And of course, the adventures... oh the adventures. There is so much that we did that I am so grateful for, and so much we never got around to that I will always be sad about.


03- Book Club. I've always had this idea that book clubs were for (no offense to any of you) old people with nothing better to do with their time. I know, I know! Bad stereotype! Book clubs are awesome! I'm so glad I've been enlightened and I will just cry if I don't find a good book club to be a part of back in Alabama! I might just have to start my own if that's the case! I joined the PWOC Book Club about 5 months ago and have read five AMAZING books that I must confess I never would have picked up and read on my own. And what's even more amazing is how discussion can shape/change your thinking! For example, last months book got on my last nerve. I was fascinated by parts of it, but overall was annoyed, but after our discussion I found myself re-reading parts of that book and just devouring the words and loving it to pieces!!


02- PWOC/MOPS. These are two organizations that I got involved in soon after arriving in Korea last year. I ended up being on the board/steering team for both and have loved being in that role as well. PWOC stands for Protestant Women of the Chapel and it's a program available at pretty much every chapel on every military base around the world. I was involved in it in Kansas as well. MOPS stands for Mother's of Preschoolers and is a wonderful program with fellowship, a speaker, and then discussion in small groups on topics that matter to Christian Moms. I think the people are what make these groups so fabulous which leads me to the number one thing I will miss about Korea...

01- The people. THE hardest thing about leaving Korea is leaving all the fabulous and amazing people and friends I've met here. And, because we're separating from the military (and because we're Army living on an Air Force base) chances are I won't run in to many of them again. More than any place we've lived before I feel like our tour here in Korea has changed and shaped who I am as a person, as a wife, as a Christian, and as a mom. This is partly due to the fact that I came to Korea a new Mommy, struggling to get by and it was here that I met other Moms to share their struggles, stories, etc with me. I love the community here, and the small town feel. I love that walking down the street or through the store you can't go anywhere without seeing someone who you know and chatting for a few minutes. It will be very hard to say goodbye to this place because of the people. But, I know that in another two years if I came back for a visit, chances are that I wouldn't know a soul here anymore because all of my friends would have also moved on. That makes it a little easier...

And one last thing about the people that I will miss... I will also miss the Korean's and their incredible love of babies! They are (and have been) so amazingly understanding and helpful! I mean, is there a store anywhere in the states where you can pay $2.00 and drop your kid off at an indoor playground for 2 hours while you shop?!? Even today, I locked myself out of the house and as I was downstairs in the lobby trying to fill out a form to have my house unlocked, the man that works the counter took Caden out of my arms and held him for me (and played with him) while I finished what I needed. And he carried Caden for me all the way back up to our apartment. In Korea, if your baby is screaming and making a fuss in public, you'll soon be surrounded by a crowd trying to help anyway they can, where in America you just get snooty looks from people who are annoyed by your child's cries.



John's Notes: John had two items to add the this list that he particularly will miss.

1) Public Transportation. John uses the taxi's, buses, subways, and trains all the time. They are all very easy to use and very inexpensive, too.

2) Custom made clothing. John has gotten several shirts, coats, blazers, suits, etc made here and really loves them all!

Wordless Wednesday: Jammin out at Chili's

Put your feet up.

Caden always props his feet up in the car.... one foot on each chair is how he likes it! He gets mad if one of the seats is too far away for his reach. The only reason he can reach them is because we have his car seat on forward facing recline. He won't be very happy with us when we sit him upright, which we plan to do when we return home.

Princess Leia with a light Saber???

....that's what I thought he looked like walking around with John's ear protector thingys (that's the technical name for them) and his light stick for directing traffic (like they use for air planes and such).... Isn't he cute!?!

Out and about...

Wide awake as we walked the streets of Seoul from Itaewon to Yongsan's BX

And about 5 minutes later....

fast asleep...

Practicing...

In preparation for the plane ride home John and I bought a set of headphones for Caden. We figured the "huge" ones would be the best and easiest to keep on his little noggin... He didn't care for them much at fist, but is slowly getting better. We practice listening to a movie on the computer at least once a day (or in the car if we travel somewhere more than .7 miles away- which is the distance between my house and the BX). In the pictures below you can see that Caden likes to re-adjust the headphones every once in a while... they often end up in strange positions, but he seems happy!

The last week or so...

I'm behind.

I'm behind in everything! But, that comes with the territory of moving in just two weeks and having a little toddler that is increasingly more demanding of my time each day (not because he needs/wants me but because it is necessary for the safety of us all)! So, in an attempt to catch up I thought I'd post a few pictures...

On our way to church, the "cool guys" in their shades

Cutie in his sunglasses... he's so proud of these.

Daddy put Caden's shoes on backward... and we got all the way to the store and had been shopping for a long time before we noticed! :)

Mirror, Mirror

This video is one of my favorites... EVER!

After his bath, Caden asked for a cup of water (a new little thing of his... he loves drinking from a cup the 'big boy way'). So, we sat him on the counter to brush his teeth and hair and gave him a small cup. While he was drinking he started making funny faces in the mirror, like he was checking himself out. It was so funny! I got the camera and he kept it up for a while... enjoy!