tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27158923738177022322024-03-12T20:08:10.132-04:00SINCERELY SHANNONShannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.comBlogger704125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-11150008936579418672023-05-23T16:05:00.002-04:002023-05-23T16:05:39.479-04:00pause for preschool graduation<p> Tommy's last day of preschool was on Thursday. We had a school-wide picnic on Friday and now he and all his little friends will be off to Kindergarten in the Fall. There was so much excitement buzzing around these sweet kids all running wild, playing and yelling like they did every day at school together. The other moms and I stood together and chatted about summertime and new schools and the plans for our "graduates." It's a bit sad that everyone spreads out after preschool ends as we've enjoyed such a great group of kids in his class this year. It's been a really sweet dynamic, zero drama and I hope and pray his school experiences always look like that. But everyone is zoned for different schools here and there and of course we're leaving the town, the state altogether. Another chapter closing. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3288" data-original-width="2466" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivXQvwttYBKdAKI4Wv2Jt4huMEvTftEcHto9TmPfgjgVY2OZeKLzj4K6jv2trp27UjPi4IFQ_WYtSvIj9gmwOcLJBDhr1njxViISHzU30rUBVGLa_zGeLV_33zAbLDKx4fHEh3cHhABO5sjA51ATwiPK7meMstuIhWk0g6GKLFoKdw0uI2mO4L/w300-h400/IMG_2226.HEIC" width="300" /><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6Ojy4pIXCdJnyhrxH6yAZ615FZFdKePh1AyBJaG5-Jc8J4hLyuhGfK9pu2ZmyCqRRDGktzS3Jb0qnRI0ZwLLqzoE5Bcpba71ZsVrKUpLvfdr3_U9VIQSxk20CyJBhN_Tme3cMVFdbdHc3auNx_Cxhk4ysiGh9WgBzcZiIUc9-khCS2dXiy5r/w300-h400/IMG_2254.HEIC" width="300" /></div><p>As a seasoned mover now I recognize the emotions I see swirling around in our home. They have the air of a new adventure. There's bittersweet sadness as we say goodbye to this season, these friends, the familiar. There's some confusion from my boys still not fully grasping the concept of time and distance, of home being an impermanent place that we carry with us. They're also worried some toy in the back of the closet that they haven't touched in months is going to get caught up in my black trash bag pre-move frenzy.</p><p>Thankfully, dependably, though, there is also a budding excitement at something new, something unknown, potential and possibility. <br /><br />Tommy is especially eager as our move is once again intertwined with his birthday. He will be turning six in July and it will be the third birthday of his that will fall in a period of transition for our family. We're planning to have an early birthday party for him at our home in Tennessee before we move so he can celebrate with his friends here. I plan to make it a huge bash and then we'll do something special as a family on his actual birthday once we're settled in our new home.</p><p>Tommy is also very aware that six years old means Kindergarten. So in his mind the move to Ohio is directly linked to this big birthday and starting Kindergarten. It's a lot of major transitions for our guy but he is overwhelmingly excited. And I am playing hype woman about it all! </p><p><i>You'll get to have two birthdays this year! <br />We can have playdates with all your friends before we move! <br />Are you going to jump off the dock at the lake this summer? <br />Cowabunga!<br />I can't wait to meet new friends! Can you?!<br />The Cincinnati Zoo is so cool! <br />You're going to learn to read!<br />We're going to do kindergarten together at home! </i></p><p>Record scratch... wait what? Yes, for a lonnng list of reasons I plan to unpack later we have decided to homeschool the boys for at the least the next two years. I am so excited about our plans, and picking out books and curriculum, but also recognize that it's yet <i>another </i>new thing for my boys to adjust to. I can get really caught up in the hype of getting us ready to do the next exciting thing! Full steam ahead! It's going to be great, I tell myself and the boys and then myself again. I start pulling back here so the pain of leaving is dulled. </p><p>But then preschool graduation comes along. <br />This sweet silly miniaturized version of the big kid equivalent is such a tender reminder to stop, celebrate, and enjoy the right here, right now. </p><p>So last week I watched Tommy sing He's Got the Whole World in His Hands complete with the precious motions. I watched him wait in wiggly giggling queues for his name to be called to walk across the little stage and receive his colorful "diploma." He and his friends gave sideways looks to their emotional and enthusiastic parents and wondered what the word graduation even meant, but they see we're excited so they're excited! We're proud of how they've grown so they're feeling proud too. And I don't want to miss this because I'm already looking down the road to Ohio, to new school arrangements, to our new home.</p><p>I'm thankful that in the midst of so much upheaval and change I have the ultimate privilege and responsibility of walking these little hearts I've been trusted with through new beginnings and endings. I get to mark and record and force us to pause and take the pictures, take stock of the life around us right now, that will soon just be stories on a blog and memories in a photobook.</p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-48276491731956999352023-04-27T18:05:00.004-04:002023-04-27T18:18:19.990-04:00Daisy's birth story<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D-XpUWAz5plplrSslyTUmHNeSvntOSVn3DDllH8XqCWEbamQq9kPLcK39gPYnXP69E4duBomkjTmY3bLPnVGq4wRFp3v7XUaqpSRFOCH7ZrPE8-W9mn6paZN4FkFMXfBOg1m5-W7-MO5sw4m0mMC4BhJ5FNk2Cx1fA4ftxlILd9olBdbTji3/s6882/05DC470E-EC9B-4ABD-A400-E75A454CD307.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4590" data-original-width="6882" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D-XpUWAz5plplrSslyTUmHNeSvntOSVn3DDllH8XqCWEbamQq9kPLcK39gPYnXP69E4duBomkjTmY3bLPnVGq4wRFp3v7XUaqpSRFOCH7ZrPE8-W9mn6paZN4FkFMXfBOg1m5-W7-MO5sw4m0mMC4BhJ5FNk2Cx1fA4ftxlILd9olBdbTji3/w640-h426/05DC470E-EC9B-4ABD-A400-E75A454CD307.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I've recorded the stories of each of my children's births and I love to re-read them and remember those special days. Days that defined and changed me from a woman into a mother of now three little hearts. I also love to read other moms' stories. Before giving birth each time I read as many positive birth experiences as I could to arm and encourage myself. When I learned quite unexpectedly that Daisy would need to be born early I was anxious about the change in plans. I went in search of those birth stories again and was happy to find the gentle, epidural free birth I wanted was still possible even with an induction. I've written down more details than anyone but myself probably wants to know about Daisy's birth (consider this your warning) but I hope to never forget that day and maybe it will encourage another expectant mama. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i> {<a href="http://www.sincerelyshannon.com/2017/08/our-sons-birth-story.html" target="_blank">Tommy's Birth Story</a> | <a href="http://www.sincerelyshannon.com/2019/11/williams-birth-novella.html" target="_blank">Will's Birth Story</a>}</i></b></div></div></div><p></p><p>Flash back to October 2022, I was 36+4 weeks pregnant. My in laws arrived in town to watch the boys for us while T.J. and I went a couple hours up the road for a few nights in Kentucky on the bourbon trail. Yes, I realize a weekend at a bunch of distilleries while mightily pregnant doesn't sound like the most fun but I don't drink bourbon anyway. My plan was to be chauffeur, indulge in good food, and enjoy a kid-free weekend away before baby girl's arrival. We were also going to be reunited with some dear friends we met in South Korea. We all got in to Bardstown late Thursday evening, checked in to our Airbnb, before heading out to dinner. That evening we stayed up late catching up on all the goings on since we'd last been together in the land of morning calm. Before we crashed we set our alarms to get up in time for breakfast and our first tasting of the trip. </p><p>In the middle of the night though, I woke up with intense itching on my hands and feet. It kept me awake for several hours but I chalked it up to being too pregnant, my skin stretched and too dry. It was concentrated solely on my hands and feet and the only relief I found was keeping them wrapped in a cold wash cloth. I woke up early, still itching like some sort of addict but still thinking it was just an annoying late pregnancy symptom coupled with my typically dry skin. I desperately sent T.J. out to the drug store for lotion and googled "itchy hands and feet during third trimester" looking for some relief. I was shocked by the first results. I had literally never heard of <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cholestasis-of-pregnancy/symptoms-causes/syc-20363257" target="_blank"><i>cholestasis</i> </a>but it was the very first thing to pop up, coupled with the words "increased risk for stillbirth after 37weeks." Not something I wanted to read a few just days before I reached 37 weeks myself. </p><p>I decided to text my good friend who is an obgyn knowing she'd give me a no-nonsense answer and assuming she would reassure me this was just annoying but not a serious concern. To my complete surprise she responded saying if I was her patient she'd do bloodwork asap and put me on the induction schedule for the following week. Needless to say, I was stunned and starting to panic but I was also not ready to give up our weekend. T.J. had planned each day down to the last minute, booking tastings and tours months in advance to secure our times, making dinner reservations, doing all the research and here we were on our first full day wondering if we should head home. Long story short, after wasting a couple hours in the local hospital to see if the bloodwork could be done there that day, we made the difficult decision to cut our trip short and head back to my own hospital. The nurse we saw later that evening did little to settle my nerves jokingly saying it's either nothing or its "deadly serious." People kept throwing around scary words like "stillbirth" and telling me to be very intentional about doing kick counts and to come in right away if anything seemed off but otherwise we just had to wait for the lab results. </p><p>When I still had not heard anything by the end of the weekend T.J. popped up to the hospital on Monday and went to the lab himself to inquire. He learned much to his frustration that the specific test I needed can only be done by a handful of labs in the country and my bloodwork hadn't even been sent out yet and likely wouldn't be back before the end of the week. Fuming he stormed up to labor and delivery, demanding better answers and some guidance. It was very heroic even though they wouldn't talk to him without me there. Still he stayed in the reception while he called and put me directly on the phone with a care provider who agreed I should come in the next day for an ultrasound and a non-stress test. My main concern was that at my 36 week appointment, just a few days prior, baby girl was doing well and I didn't want to wait around until she might be in distress. I was already not sleeping well due to the itching, which would wake me up in the middle of the night and then I'd lay there for the next two hours making sure I felt her kick enough. I knew I could not keep that up for long. <br /><br />On Tuesday I went in for the ultrasound and non-stress test which gave me a bit of peace of mind. They also seemed confident the lab-work would be back by Thursday so I was put on the schedule for another NST then as well. Thursday finally arrived and after that NST the midwife sat down with me, held my hand, and let me know that my bile acids were elevated above the normal range and that they wanted to induce me. How did Monday sound? Even though I was expecting this it still stunned me as this was not at all like any of my other pregnancies. She could see me wobble/hesitate and said I could wait until Thursday if I preferred. Since I had my next midwife appointment scheduled for Wednesday anyway I figured it would give me a bit more time to get organized and for my body and baby girl to get ready for birth. I left the appointment feeling relieved to have answers and a plan, but still not entirely settled in my spirit. <br /><br />T.J. was a bit stunned as well but also immediately questioned whether Monday would have been the better, safer option. He also considered his work schedule and knew he could rearrange things to be off more easily. I started to further doubt waiting a whole week after another night of restless sleep and worrying. First thing in the morning I called my midwife back and asked if I could move the induction up to Monday. They agreed and I immediately felt sense of peace. My parents made plans to come to town that weekend and I began reading up and watching youtube birth vlogs on how to have as natural and gentle an induction as possible. </p><p>"Everyone" told me that pitocin contractions are a different beast, that it's impossible to do it without further interventions but I was encouraged by other mamas' stories. I hadn't been checked for dilation at this point but based on my previous pregnancies and this being my third baby I figured I was already at least a little progressed. I hoped they'd be willing to do a membrane sweep to see if that kick-started labor like it did for both Tommy and Will before starting any sort of medical induction. I made sure to tell T.J. that I still intended to do this without an epidural and would need him to encourage me and probably talk me off the ledge during transition when I might be tempted to change my mind. He agreed but maybe a bit skeptically. I suspect he remembered (maybe even more clearly than I do) how irrational and out of my mind and body I was during that stage of Will's birth. But I assured him that I was determined because my experience with Will's unmedicated delivery and subsequent recovery was night and day better than Tommy's. With William I was up and about, no tearing, no pain and feeling like myself almost immediately. I loved the primal experience of feeling my body do what only a woman's body can and was created to do. The sweet suffering, the raw intensity of pain immediately, instantly replaced by a surge of endorphins, release and relief. Pure joy sweeping over me the instant he was out of my body. Barring any more surprises or complications of course, I wanted to do that again. <br /><br />On the morning of Daisy's birthday, I set my alarm for 5 am and called in to the nurse line to confirm where I was on the schedule and what time I needed to arrive. They let me know to come in by 8am and I went back to bed for about an hour but then excitedly woke up to take a shower and curl my hair. It's surreal knowing exactly when you'll go into labor but it does have it's perks. Then we loaded up the car, kissed the boys goodbye and told them we were off to the hospital and would be home with their sister in a couple days (dodging a certain 5 year old's questions about specifically how that would happen).</p><p>We arrived at the hospital and were shown to our room and I met the midwife on the day shift. She sat with me and told me she understood an induction wasn't what I'd hoped for and that she'd do whatever she could to help me have the labor and delivery I wanted, or as she put it I could be as "crunchy as I wanted." She checked me and confirmed I was already 3cm dilated and then did a membrane sweep. She got me hooked up to a contraction monitor and put in a hep lock and then I was left to my own devices. For the next couple of hours we were undisturbed as I walked laps around the room, bounced on the yoga ball and thought bring on the pain! I could see on the monitor that I was having regular "contractions" but they were not painful at all and just felt like the braxton hicks I'd already been experiencing for weeks at that point. T.J. would periodically ask if I was feeling anything, to which I'd respond with a disappointed no. The midwife came back at noon after about 3 hours and brought me a sack lunch which I inhaled knowing the hard work was still ahead of me. She asked if I wanted to keep doing what I was doing or start a low dose of pitocin. It's bizarre hoping for pain but after several hours of what felt like nothing I was ready to get this show on the road. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGd7FI0GGpP-c-oICcP8phQcKC67QwdjXhMoEMyaRDHwUpLjoCeE3NCLbEqtfrrMafVqwj_q3uTZPfqk7HEM0H02XOuLN00gX7h-6KhBQYJF2bOefJPvofD83eNC5wpBSegtm4MUsZjTTrrjf5YV5jTTecQMt3MyrsWQ6PO_eO_74CAgmB-U0/s3088/B6D63C62-92A9-4B30-AAD0-C88ABD8EA80D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGd7FI0GGpP-c-oICcP8phQcKC67QwdjXhMoEMyaRDHwUpLjoCeE3NCLbEqtfrrMafVqwj_q3uTZPfqk7HEM0H02XOuLN00gX7h-6KhBQYJF2bOefJPvofD83eNC5wpBSegtm4MUsZjTTrrjf5YV5jTTecQMt3MyrsWQ6PO_eO_74CAgmB-U0/w480-h640/B6D63C62-92A9-4B30-AAD0-C88ABD8EA80D.jpeg" width="480" /></a><br /><i>(Gown on, hair pulled back, all smiles, ready to go!)</i></div><br />I was hooked up to IV fluids but they were able to find a wireless contraction monitor that stuck directly to my stomach instead of the belt so I had fewer cords to contend with and didn't have to unplug myself every time I needed to use the restroom. Being able to snack and walk around and move as I needed was really important to me and I'm so thankful my midwife and the hospital recognize the importance of these freedoms in birth as I know not all hospitals or providers do, especially for an induction. Now that the pitocin was pumping I was expecting the waves of pain to start picking up but while I continued to register regular contractions about every 3-5 minutes on the monitor, nothing else really changed. The nurse would come in every 30 minutes and up the pitocin drip one unit at a time and then I'd wait for the next contraction to see if this one would have some bite to it. T.J. would look at me expectantly each time and still nothing, no pain, very frustrating. We continued this pattern for several hours, until around 7pm and I knew I was feeling way too comfortable and normal. They asked me if I wanted to be checked again and I was hesitant because I knew I was going to be disappointed but we also wanted to know what the rest of the night would look like. So after the shift change I met the new midwife and she checked me and told me I was at 5cm. Progress but not much in my mind. She offered to break my waters but I knew that would immediately ramp up the pain and since I figured I still had a ways to go I wanted to keep that cushion in tact. We had honestly expected the baby to be here by then and T.J. had planned to go home kiss the boys goodnight and grab a change of clothes after she was born. Since that seemed like a ways off still and we were both getting antsy I sent him home to pick up some dinner for us and grab whatever he wanted for the rest of the night. T.J. left around 8pm and the nurse came in and bumped up the pitocin again.... <br /><br /><p></p><p>Well I guess was all I needed because things shifted almost immediately. With the lights dimmed, and the room quiet I started feeling <i>more.</i> I wanted to make the contractions work for me so I bounced on the yoga ball next to the bed and noticed I needed to lean over the bed to brace myself. I also heard myself start to moan and breathe deeper through them. And then I was vocalizing even louder... but I was still just 5 cm right? I casually texted T.J...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAOwzTXBQ7jzapUlslVpOYVEYJqy8P9xnIsJJxes5LVfb6Qqd3aMHWtAkKUt47bQEd_DU3ct4Cz9ttA0k5J0U1wdddUYFUthIF9BB9TJoFoV21NHvca4DsqzHGXjCtWyhN1dFVP7eRo105zZRV6KZXAPa3aZO0QnOGeTAfBNkBSTp59GbE4Zi/s1242/IMG_30B2C5F206E8-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1242" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDAOwzTXBQ7jzapUlslVpOYVEYJqy8P9xnIsJJxes5LVfb6Qqd3aMHWtAkKUt47bQEd_DU3ct4Cz9ttA0k5J0U1wdddUYFUthIF9BB9TJoFoV21NHvca4DsqzHGXjCtWyhN1dFVP7eRo105zZRV6KZXAPa3aZO0QnOGeTAfBNkBSTp59GbE4Zi/w400-h284/IMG_30B2C5F206E8-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Our house is about 20 minutes away so he hurried back. When he walked in the room I was a very different gal from the one he'd left barely an hour before. I was still standing next to the bed but then would drop into a deep squat and moan loudly through the now more frequent contractions. I asked T.J. to push hard (HARDER!!) on my lower back each time one would start and then brace for the next one. I started to feel a lot of pressure and like I needed to use the restroom so I dragged my IV in there and parked myself on the toilet and closed the door. For some reason this is where I go when labor picks up aka transition though I didn't realize it at the time. It's so hard to describe pain because it's not something you can feel outside of the experience but let's just say it was <i><b>intense</b></i>. I was beginning to feel crawl out-of-my-body frantic and worried that this was the "dreaded" pitocin finally kicking in like I'd been warned about. Could I handle hours more of this bombardment? I immediately began to doubt myself and all the reasons I wanted a natural delivery in the first place. It seemed stupid to put myself through this kind of pain, this freaking sucked. I told T.J. to tell someone, anyone, to get me something, anything. I didn't want to do it anymore. <br /><br />T.J. reminded me that I had told him explicitly that if at any point I asked for an epidural it meant I was close. I. Did. Not. Care. So he got the nurse while I stayed on the toilet with the door closed because now the pressure was <b><i>so strong </i></b>and I still felt like I just really needed to go to the bathroom... Anywho, I heard the nurse come in and ask T.J. how I was doing. He told her I was saying I wanted an epidural but he also impressed on her that this is pretty much exactly what I did during Will's birth, the last time I tried to have our baby on the toilet... The midwife opened the door to talk to me (talk me down). She said they could call anesthesia but gently suggested that maybe they should check me first because it was possible the pressure I was feeling was actually the baby. Kindly she left out the "duh." I, however, was adamant that I just needed to go to the bathroom and then they could check me, just let me go to the bathroom! Even in my haze of pain and pressure and denial I overheard the saner people in the room start to organize and get the room ready for the baby. <br /><br />I finally begrudgingly agreed to come out of the bathroom to be checked but told TJ not to look (like he needed the reminder). When I rage-waddled out there were more people in the room. Along with T.J, my nurse and midwife, there was the baby's nurse, and a med student who was on a labor and delivery rotation and that I had earlier consented could watch. The room had been prepped for baby's imminent arrival and it felt a little strange walking into the bustling room with everyone watching to see what I'd do next. The midwife asked if I could lay down and <i>yeah right</i> <i>absolutely not</i>! So instead I "gracefully" climbed up on the bed and knelt facing out at T.J., wrapping my arms around his neck for support. The midwife sat on her stool behind me and confirmed what she already knew, I was complete and the pressure I was feeling was indeed the baby. This wasn't her first rodeo so she asked for a face shield as my waters still had not ruptured and we were expecting a Hollywood movie style finish. I could push whenever I wanted she said. With the next few contractions I yelled out, with T.J. holding me upright as I gripped his neck. The pushing was almost involuntary, but without an epidural I could feel her moving down each time. Then slowing, holding back, hesitating at that last hurdle until finally pushing beyond the pain I felt her leave my body and join the world. Instant relief, instant joy! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigohk0s6PYYxl5ZvWuJZ3AELNhuhTHjg2jnv9n397CFuq2LetltHXLRfgIYTYKDghMM2SjIz7PjIlXMOMl4wpvZ60OWmHJxTct9ewFVcl1oPkstRYIVzKRE40l9GRUm4mXHmZrD_EqQBCqUxjMElv1_I61jqkn7AalaUx4IhxL08tki5PuwKx/s4032/5A82359E-6CF7-4D18-8250-3ED052A82702.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigohk0s6PYYxl5ZvWuJZ3AELNhuhTHjg2jnv9n397CFuq2LetltHXLRfgIYTYKDghMM2SjIz7PjIlXMOMl4wpvZ60OWmHJxTct9ewFVcl1oPkstRYIVzKRE40l9GRUm4mXHmZrD_EqQBCqUxjMElv1_I61jqkn7AalaUx4IhxL08tki5PuwKx/w480-h640/5A82359E-6CF7-4D18-8250-3ED052A82702.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlezF0JAZPzoUX9o493c5wkvhq8q12Bx4FEn0YLBrg9RCqAi2jpVDlgCY4wXeNEKn5soJsef1Fe98gotXLPTk1m_pWFF8sRnDKkrDnzbKenUYJQzXjb9wnBlTtZgrRq6qkidhdkE4Uiwj9rP6FuEH-K9PukoApcx1aIo-TPbRLFqqGYRnDpRt_/s4032/39AC0D2C-F57B-4539-963F-BECEA84F4DCE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlezF0JAZPzoUX9o493c5wkvhq8q12Bx4FEn0YLBrg9RCqAi2jpVDlgCY4wXeNEKn5soJsef1Fe98gotXLPTk1m_pWFF8sRnDKkrDnzbKenUYJQzXjb9wnBlTtZgrRq6qkidhdkE4Uiwj9rP6FuEH-K9PukoApcx1aIo-TPbRLFqqGYRnDpRt_/w480-h640/39AC0D2C-F57B-4539-963F-BECEA84F4DCE.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcme1moLR_IdpiWoWZB5lgI1YBcSFMCHFLPefnlWVz5Iz9HE-7BK8oIX_X6fGDRgjXOWUoYkhnD5ihUK0-PW2T7_PpKxk66T8UABRv3ICQFZNcgncEa7jaGbgeViEECTlbnBzyDkxPP_zVL3znZKPye9m8UBH5v0j9gTQficrQP_5K3IziM-f4/s4032/IMG_6725.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2782" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcme1moLR_IdpiWoWZB5lgI1YBcSFMCHFLPefnlWVz5Iz9HE-7BK8oIX_X6fGDRgjXOWUoYkhnD5ihUK0-PW2T7_PpKxk66T8UABRv3ICQFZNcgncEa7jaGbgeViEECTlbnBzyDkxPP_zVL3znZKPye9m8UBH5v0j9gTQficrQP_5K3IziM-f4/w442-h640/IMG_6725.png" width="442" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since I was upright and backwards the midwife caught her behind me and then had to awkwardly pass her back through my legs, into my arms and help me lie down, finally. I had a daughter! She was born at 9:55 pm so our slow day of waiting and wondering when this would ever happen, had a very fast and exciting finish. Within 2 hours I went from 5cm to babe in arms. T.J. had no desire to cut the cord at any of our children's births and this time was no different except the midwife asked if I would like to do it myself. Heck yes! I was feeling like Wonder Woman.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3O6SHxgIHnG7eGztZKWJNojbbpncA2hIMhKGp4aKA1fIJ14wi4jPgUtqyPfxi7-1OoKLt4pOKfe0EvGMzM0QBzcYv4s7AqrIlGYzQsx1AeNiZ0Fo0GYfM2GnN4FVGMWWZuvhn959c4-D6weYLbTM2ypyHRdvLwnAE5j0IWBRkMmY0h7q2nmY/s4032/84AC2D62-77B9-4FB6-A046-49AF6A5FAD59.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3O6SHxgIHnG7eGztZKWJNojbbpncA2hIMhKGp4aKA1fIJ14wi4jPgUtqyPfxi7-1OoKLt4pOKfe0EvGMzM0QBzcYv4s7AqrIlGYzQsx1AeNiZ0Fo0GYfM2GnN4FVGMWWZuvhn959c4-D6weYLbTM2ypyHRdvLwnAE5j0IWBRkMmY0h7q2nmY/w480-h640/84AC2D62-77B9-4FB6-A046-49AF6A5FAD59.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqJjLPfFB4ItLEXra1J732pfV3p3HVjPjUoz4azKhMRQ6pSMfQa5Th92JPJ-zf9ExljpPTEvWbUmHNII1gEfYMMaBEatEoo_fg0Izw4-HJ8hhV3gF4L_yj-usPTzA3buRrVjOV03Y4LFXsTd5tuBj1CbIJbd2xWGK7iSkitCropL1SZAslkX_/s4032/A5E10E52-814F-4A6E-B756-C08C6912A263.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFqJjLPfFB4ItLEXra1J732pfV3p3HVjPjUoz4azKhMRQ6pSMfQa5Th92JPJ-zf9ExljpPTEvWbUmHNII1gEfYMMaBEatEoo_fg0Izw4-HJ8hhV3gF4L_yj-usPTzA3buRrVjOV03Y4LFXsTd5tuBj1CbIJbd2xWGK7iSkitCropL1SZAslkX_/w480-h640/A5E10E52-814F-4A6E-B756-C08C6912A263.jpeg" width="480" /></a><br /><i>(She still makes this pouty lip, so basically she's gonna get whatever she wants. Forever and ever amen.) </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwTGyGNpaQkqrdCOZIK2vRSts6K395TKxwKFLQUbB8dpMzqdQNAlh30P0I1a8XAmoXV9t1Ej4gqyhfmEPvQIdTwosvsvlEzRUIwy2jXO4U0x8ooZlU2NsZh-O5f0MgrJ2bNq0bai_S67ab3ylsYTMAThSto7ca0xKa1Vm6QGeqf8yEM3EuHhd/s3088/F4715AD1-F47D-40C2-86DD-BDBDC7279AE6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwTGyGNpaQkqrdCOZIK2vRSts6K395TKxwKFLQUbB8dpMzqdQNAlh30P0I1a8XAmoXV9t1Ej4gqyhfmEPvQIdTwosvsvlEzRUIwy2jXO4U0x8ooZlU2NsZh-O5f0MgrJ2bNq0bai_S67ab3ylsYTMAThSto7ca0xKa1Vm6QGeqf8yEM3EuHhd/w480-h640/F4715AD1-F47D-40C2-86DD-BDBDC7279AE6.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnpwMDonklaBJtzOJ91SwC9bAFmNeb3KaLz4dSlVhpBHqqeP3Y7_o3ipxuyKryuAqWtAwrii3iIqbyLz-W_p35f9Plux-i9ZwxuTT6S4CGkSEZRcl4QrOJ4q3_UtNUpGd-wfh7uv-Mu4L68lS-HlP4VNz8eomt5eJ5FkyyV4oZ6lyVi0w_qh2/s4032/3CA8312D-A8C7-467B-9E0D-1ACE11CDD330.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnpwMDonklaBJtzOJ91SwC9bAFmNeb3KaLz4dSlVhpBHqqeP3Y7_o3ipxuyKryuAqWtAwrii3iIqbyLz-W_p35f9Plux-i9ZwxuTT6S4CGkSEZRcl4QrOJ4q3_UtNUpGd-wfh7uv-Mu4L68lS-HlP4VNz8eomt5eJ5FkyyV4oZ6lyVi0w_qh2/w480-h640/3CA8312D-A8C7-467B-9E0D-1ACE11CDD330.jpeg" width="480" /></a><br /><i>(She still looks at her daddy like this. Seeing him hold each of our babies is forever a melt my heart core memory. I did not know how badly he needed a baby girl until right then.)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-og6vBTdOxi0YB55M03XZhmqucUNQwsG3NlZr-p8naX--kMBYh6IpSqtY5aO4mzwPciHifilEQALanAvVTLxdIWwcTcxceeT0yQlAO7gv3aVxgC_iG_ebPL_zFXgs8J9i4-12sO-WM_xBg8BoPSwELEJ6CCTh213byWtMwvu215ROzxLzQEK/s3844/4788D325-1D89-4ECB-B036-2C83B6532555.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3844" data-original-width="2883" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-og6vBTdOxi0YB55M03XZhmqucUNQwsG3NlZr-p8naX--kMBYh6IpSqtY5aO4mzwPciHifilEQALanAvVTLxdIWwcTcxceeT0yQlAO7gv3aVxgC_iG_ebPL_zFXgs8J9i4-12sO-WM_xBg8BoPSwELEJ6CCTh213byWtMwvu215ROzxLzQEK/w480-h640/4788D325-1D89-4ECB-B036-2C83B6532555.jpeg" width="480" /></a><br /><i>Daisy Elizabeth</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>8lbs, 20.5 inches</i><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />After some skin to skin, she was weighed and measured (still a big girl like her brothers even at 38weeks) and we were soon walking down the hall to our recovery room for the night. After a glorious shower I felt like a new woman. I had no tearing or pain (except for every time the nurse came to push on my uterus to make it contract down) and as third time parents we were kind of like can we just go home now, please? But Tennessee requires a newborn screening at 24 hours after birth. Since she decided to wait until 9:55pm you can bet at 10pm the next night and not a minute too soon we were hustling out of the hospital, loading the car and bringing our girl home. Then in what feels like the blink of an eye our sweet Daisy girl is somehow six months old. Why do six months in the womb drag but these past months with her in our home have just flown! I will forever look at her and marvel at what we made! No matter how it happens I will always think birth is simply, positively miraculous. What a gift and a privilege to carry her inside my body, feel her grow and move and kick, and then get to do the hard, messy, beautiful work of bringing her into our lives. I absolutely cannot imagine our family without her and I can't wait to know her for the rest of my life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKNRNhLKWPQjoBZAcYfvF5ZJs9X0hwtvqcKDh1lFoNx0F7OLGSvZckCPcK340fhXzDBdD-blpdgNTKETKPUMSC9SBYYub7AGJDophS3fT9ts8ydAWlTmxsjS1zwsx6QjRuukcaKVnlqnPXsB95Go1hYYzoyNqTPOaPieCkQaURMO7P34iyDyQ/s3166/IMG_2090.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3166" data-original-width="2374" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKNRNhLKWPQjoBZAcYfvF5ZJs9X0hwtvqcKDh1lFoNx0F7OLGSvZckCPcK340fhXzDBdD-blpdgNTKETKPUMSC9SBYYub7AGJDophS3fT9ts8ydAWlTmxsjS1zwsx6QjRuukcaKVnlqnPXsB95Go1hYYzoyNqTPOaPieCkQaURMO7P34iyDyQ/w480-h640/IMG_2090.png" width="480" /></a></div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-79613748218626327692023-04-22T16:24:00.000-04:002023-04-22T16:24:04.191-04:00home lately<p>I started typing this one handed on a rainy afternoon with a sleeping baby girl in my arms and two little boys in the room next to me watching Peter Pan and having their third bowl of apple chips. It's taken a few stop and starts but I'm finally finishing this first new blog post with a baby girl who's a couple months older than when I started, and two big brothers still asking for another snack. I have this desire to write now as we are yet again on the cusp of a lot of big life changes. We're settling in to life as a family of five and there's this stirring in my heart to make a record of this season of big growth, big moves, big dreams. But I also just want to remember the extraordinary ordinary days of mothering lots of littles and homemaking and living out this calling on my life alongside my family. So let's catch up!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVwHHn7jP1pWyv2gEhNY0g4N9gorWW1BjS79F0cLnT4e_47P8rVQ8v--AqTmrLX4tnSeRj_BFZsFaEPKb3u95fF3fUBBw5aTbhgSqocLQt6ggk9FoXfgh7w8KiU-VnAFaStQeiQ4lAwUIhBkZf-YVHfpFU8LUfOVAAxhRrW5Ny0WITWP2QDxi/s6156/AB34CF66-6395-4DCD-A14C-8E718FCC41FF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4106" data-original-width="6156" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVwHHn7jP1pWyv2gEhNY0g4N9gorWW1BjS79F0cLnT4e_47P8rVQ8v--AqTmrLX4tnSeRj_BFZsFaEPKb3u95fF3fUBBw5aTbhgSqocLQt6ggk9FoXfgh7w8KiU-VnAFaStQeiQ4lAwUIhBkZf-YVHfpFU8LUfOVAAxhRrW5Ny0WITWP2QDxi/w640-h426/AB34CF66-6395-4DCD-A14C-8E718FCC41FF.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>Tommy is now 5 years old almost 6, just ask him. He goes to a morning Pre-K program at the same little church school he attended last year. We're beginning the adventure of learning to read and it's so magical. I can't wait for all the new worlds of wonder to open up to him. Since his birthday is so near the cutoff we decided to wait to start Kindergarten until he turns six and every day I am so thankful this is the path we've settled on. He is full of little boy wiggles and infectious energy that has no business being cooped up in a classroom for a huge chunk of every day. He enjoys sleeping in and starting his day slowly reading books snuggled on the couch or absorbed in his latest lego build, not rushing out the door (though that still happens most days, if I can let him sleep I will). He needs to be able to run and play and move his gangly growing body. He needs buckets of sunshine, swinging and climbing and enjoying the newfound freedom of a bicycle without training wheels. He still loves trips to the library for story time, followed by picnic lunches at the playground. He's a whiz kid with puzzles and mazes and an Uno enthusiast. His responsibilities are few, he is free, five is such a fun age! Tommy is also my sensitive soul. He feels things so deeply and is so tuned in to the emotions of those around him, a tone, a raised voice. Nothing escapes him and it's convicting. He is the sweetest friend to his siblings and is always looking for new friends. When I was his age I was terrified of <i>everything</i> but especially of going up to new people and speaking. <i>"I hope I make a friend"</i> he says wherever we go and oh buddy, who would not want to be your friend? He asks me to pray for him to be brave at making friends and I do and then stand back in awe of him, with my heart in my throat as he anxiously, hopefully approaches the playground. <div><p></p><p>Will is now 3 years old. He also goes to the same morning preschool as big brother but just 2 days a week and sometimes not even that if we're just not feeling it and he wants to hang with mom instead. He keeps his BIG emotions right on the surface like all good threenagers. But after an unpredictable whirlwind meltdown about Pirate Booty for instance, he is quick to turn around with a full body hug and a big kiss on the mouth and an <i>"I love you more than bacon!"</i> He is so articulate, his language is truly beyond his years that I often have to stop and remind myself that he is only three and readjust some expectations. He is wild in the best way surprising us with crazy faces and silly dance moves or... you know... a swift headbutt while he shouts <i>"it's buck time!" </i> Red is still his most favorite color but he's eased up a little bit. He used to worry whenever his hands got messy and only hold his food by the teeniest corner. Now he goes marching off in his American flag cowboy boots, plops down in a literal pile of dirt to make mud soup and dig up rocks. The other day at the playground he ate a stick pretty much on a dare so his teenage years should be fun. He's less cautious than Tommy but they both watch each other to judge what is fun, what is scary, what is good what is bad. Their brotherhood is beyond my wildest dreams. What a privilege, an absolute honor to raise these little men. </p><p>Sweet Daisy baby is nearly 6 months old somehow. She is an absolute ray of sunshine in our lives. Any fear I had about the transition from two to three went right out the window when we brought her home. Relatively speaking it's been the easiest. The boys (all three of them) are simply head over heels in love with our girl. They tell her how pretty she is all day long, knock each other down to bring her a toy or fetch a clean diaper for her, and will perform any number of tricks and silly faces and songs to make her giggle. She's a little peanut with the sweetest rosy cheeks and the most precious tiny little tongue that pokes out at you. She's so content even with the loud chaos around her and being constantly on the go shuttling the boys here and there. She is along for the ride and very little ruffles her feathers. We're not sleeping through the night and I wont lie, I'm worn out, but she wakes up happy, goes down happy so it could be worse. I know all too well that these months of little sleep will be over in a flash so I search for the sweet spots in the dark and doze-off in the rocking chair with her nursing in my arms, her little fist tangled in my hair. She loves bath time, and being outside, and her little bunny lovie. She rolls herself into every tricky corner and even right under the couch. She has started to find her (loud) voice and pulls hair and and grabs your face to pull you in. We just eat it up! She is so loved and we are so lucky.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Tru6hjwyyc4izD0c_sROohfMQeUgjpjuWtKsGp3_O6r14oCE4rJ0iLL67vKt984VQUszuCzUIwInFm566Sg0jHEGb3ELKSdu9BioIeLXyv-3YaMmexV1TBVw5LLM3UDALFD5lrdG-zLEOOZ10y3fBUv0uXE4-0t-Q9lIPuKKEoRsRpk5jUqE/s3024/IMG_1994%20copy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Tru6hjwyyc4izD0c_sROohfMQeUgjpjuWtKsGp3_O6r14oCE4rJ0iLL67vKt984VQUszuCzUIwInFm566Sg0jHEGb3ELKSdu9BioIeLXyv-3YaMmexV1TBVw5LLM3UDALFD5lrdG-zLEOOZ10y3fBUv0uXE4-0t-Q9lIPuKKEoRsRpk5jUqE/w640-h640/IMG_1994%20copy.png" width="640" /></a></div>T.J. is basically like a last semester senior with full-on senioritis. His army commitment is almost up save for some paperwork, turning in gear, and out-processing. And after that we're on to the next thing. For T.J. that means a year long fellowship and for our family that means a move to Cincinnati, Ohio. Honestly I've not entirely wrapped my head around it even though the movers came to do a walk through this week and we're in the process of securing a rental house as I type. We know next to nothing about Cincinnati and honestly it was kind of unexpected, Ohio? Huh? But we're excited or at least we're getting there. Leaving Tennessee will be hard as we've found a really sweet community here, a church we love, friends we'll dearly miss. Plus T.J.'s had more control over his schedule and is home early most days and off most weekends and I've gotten really used to that. Going into a fellowship will be an adjustment as he will have less freedom and less time off, more like his residency days. But it's just for a year and then we're done and can start our post-army/ post-training "real life." Right? <p></p><p>Well not quite... but hey this is our real life! It's chaotic and transitory and made up of seemingly fleeting seasons of hard and good. So in the midst of all the swirling whirling moving what am I up to, you wonder? Well, I'm hunkering down, organizing, purging closets and drawers (my favorite part of moving every couple years) and trying to just let go of all the stress about logistics because I know it will work out. It always has so why should this move be any different? I'm also really thinking about intentional rhythms and routines I want to establish for our family that we can take with us wherever we go. But consistency and familiarity can always be found in the laundry waiting to be put away, the snacks demanded around the clock, the books pulled off of shelves and read curled up in laps, the foreheads kissed and little ones tucked back into bed sometimes a couple of times in the same night. With our time in Tennessee ending and our time in Ohio so short, and our next stop even shorter (more on that soon), the only things that matter are the little hearts within the walls of our home. Nurturing them, helping them feel safe and secure, teaching them how to bloom where they're planted. Most importantly showing them what it looks like to trust that the God who created the whole world, who created them and loves them, is our rock and our fortress, the stronghold of our life. No matter where we call home, for however long we're there. </p></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-21537495665460545902022-01-08T08:00:00.002-05:002022-01-08T19:50:14.151-05:00a snow dayYesterday was just one of those good days. Really just a normal day of being home, all of us, together. It wasn't anything too out of the ordinary, except I think snow on the ground tends to add some magic to any day and it just felt like one I'd remember, or want to remember so here I am dusting off the blog, writing it down. T.J. had an important work interview on zoom in the morning (and I do kind of hope Zoom is a distant memory one day) and we needed to be out of his way so ideally out of the house but mother nature had other ideas. Thanks to that beautiful snow we got the day before, Tommy's first day back to school was canceled and the roads were too bad to leave anyway. So instead we set up a makeshift office in our bedroom for T.J., and the boys and I shut ourselves up in the playroom, attempting to stay quiet and kill time. And while it may have been 11 degrees outside this morning, in our house the floor is always, <i>ALWAYS</i> lava. So we built a lava boat out of cushions, jumped from pillow to pillow to couch. We read books, listened to my new favorite song <i>We Don't Talk About Bruno</i> a few dozen times, had apple slices with cinnamon at their little table and chairs. And before we knew it dad was releasing us from our confinement. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaknEU8JlXoBLSH6CCwR2FaLVWIJRT5XkKXnO1gezpEor8BmuMFqyhknZKLjoWcBB72Ee6lK1McpeHhWPib1AFJ8I-7M3PGoNbDkjO6D52Cg7EszjPwSNF5AviOtgCefe9DvllyqvJL19cUOXSGAr0HSpBcBamZDCBCv6xE14lVScytPM36lPb=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaknEU8JlXoBLSH6CCwR2FaLVWIJRT5XkKXnO1gezpEor8BmuMFqyhknZKLjoWcBB72Ee6lK1McpeHhWPib1AFJ8I-7M3PGoNbDkjO6D52Cg7EszjPwSNF5AviOtgCefe9DvllyqvJL19cUOXSGAr0HSpBcBamZDCBCv6xE14lVScytPM36lPb=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKCoFu89UrxW2CzXh2Y4fYhUBj9ZY4QEihzqjFHQir7YVSaBeKoutk2cKSlQ1bi4P0OWjIQhTsZThNLij1dhW86aLIepo-jv4RCLQQB1cenAP0Ljga7KOaY1xE4M_JVto1wCgAPdShWAoDq7AnkLPJvcrSxh4gdZ0mP9oXOSFAY8VKSziZexvc=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKCoFu89UrxW2CzXh2Y4fYhUBj9ZY4QEihzqjFHQir7YVSaBeKoutk2cKSlQ1bi4P0OWjIQhTsZThNLij1dhW86aLIepo-jv4RCLQQB1cenAP0Ljga7KOaY1xE4M_JVto1wCgAPdShWAoDq7AnkLPJvcrSxh4gdZ0mP9oXOSFAY8VKSziZexvc=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijEuHzBfd91Nu1H8rl-pCQVGfwLPiFaklw9lflPRakilRjQ-NjKXSW2VObHxljzMSoBmh-3PVt73pORJdNrHx6vlJ0By6ckpOiz61UnDlITfc4Z4SRl66_CSzHyP0i6w9vADUsN3Xm08N_VX45s9kW5m07BD_8u8H_1ivfQ5j3AzZw4bcGFnKU=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijEuHzBfd91Nu1H8rl-pCQVGfwLPiFaklw9lflPRakilRjQ-NjKXSW2VObHxljzMSoBmh-3PVt73pORJdNrHx6vlJ0By6ckpOiz61UnDlITfc4Z4SRl66_CSzHyP0i6w9vADUsN3Xm08N_VX45s9kW5m07BD_8u8H_1ivfQ5j3AzZw4bcGFnKU=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-HTZdx_puhjtwehAUOmc0G54-msMTLhIqCdF17bHijSioNKqoh5QxUYabHlgqNCiUOBAEVGZ0aiQVQhhKUoa23wAIqkhfJ4rmVzEn7G8j52iQp3e2gGAE0F5w0mPgqD7kI6BJ7eGhTlSrV-3rZ4jMo6uOQrZdvE1FgN41WhWN5S6F8nzYZvk2=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-HTZdx_puhjtwehAUOmc0G54-msMTLhIqCdF17bHijSioNKqoh5QxUYabHlgqNCiUOBAEVGZ0aiQVQhhKUoa23wAIqkhfJ4rmVzEn7G8j52iQp3e2gGAE0F5w0mPgqD7kI6BJ7eGhTlSrV-3rZ4jMo6uOQrZdvE1FgN41WhWN5S6F8nzYZvk2=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div>Tommy absolutely adores the snow, does not understand why it has to melt, and seems to be immune to the cold, he would stay out for hours. Which he did the day before and then he also ventured outside solo that morning as soon as breakfast was over when it was only a balmy 8 degrees to make snow balls while the rest of us watched from the kitchen window. But after lunch we all layered up and stuffed little fingers into mittens, then zipped and tucked we piled out into our backyard. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6dUcGnSP8xk44R5fYmm61XCVKG3lo8peQA_T-kqjzCA8A8Iugv_gYp42DN_t213cZksn862DMdVg1-EHHUVP-ovaOSC7JjtpDzPMpvrymk5YRnKMXXk5sqNUzp2H7DVZOuSgH1Hrmme65ILOSJLQmAR_DVble2d-attYlFx42j32VQ8Z8zfze=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6dUcGnSP8xk44R5fYmm61XCVKG3lo8peQA_T-kqjzCA8A8Iugv_gYp42DN_t213cZksn862DMdVg1-EHHUVP-ovaOSC7JjtpDzPMpvrymk5YRnKMXXk5sqNUzp2H7DVZOuSgH1Hrmme65ILOSJLQmAR_DVble2d-attYlFx42j32VQ8Z8zfze=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_7PBQk-pVsus_e_U2Ssx7JJfcThz9Eyl-g2gSl811pClLy5HEFuxPr7CeHEAx8Pn6aaCKCAbcG9m6cti5Dx4toAUP9iA9psMyA9xGKQ68zt1AtcflRQioiGxsJl0jMeBTmrTXRNFYmuN4ZPTWyVOm_z4OiDhTMfsrsAglVva56EvMprUn7HG2=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_7PBQk-pVsus_e_U2Ssx7JJfcThz9Eyl-g2gSl811pClLy5HEFuxPr7CeHEAx8Pn6aaCKCAbcG9m6cti5Dx4toAUP9iA9psMyA9xGKQ68zt1AtcflRQioiGxsJl0jMeBTmrTXRNFYmuN4ZPTWyVOm_z4OiDhTMfsrsAglVva56EvMprUn7HG2=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizmNxq81z2rOZER84AeL31vvoKKyC9GSAn_IsMro2cfwDbjYkPprNXxqr60mLHC16Y1acWEaoC3amFqNk5Hcdz5mjImjrn5MvWzrfvAITdudMc8d5Zr3ga2zK4OMrpeTDr-TpOcknzBBacbkegxAnSxuCpEE7H78oPu_2yWraeF3b5_LAfwDPe=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizmNxq81z2rOZER84AeL31vvoKKyC9GSAn_IsMro2cfwDbjYkPprNXxqr60mLHC16Y1acWEaoC3amFqNk5Hcdz5mjImjrn5MvWzrfvAITdudMc8d5Zr3ga2zK4OMrpeTDr-TpOcknzBBacbkegxAnSxuCpEE7H78oPu_2yWraeF3b5_LAfwDPe=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div>I remember that feeling as a kid coming in from playing all sweaty and happy with cold pink cheeks and a runny nose. Now I get to watch my wild boys stomp around in the snow and laugh and trip and fall. I got to share my sledding technique, carefully harnessed during the Blizzard of '96, with easily an impressed audience, and I got to have a snowball fight with their daddy. This memory making, playing, hold on tight, don't let go, is beyond worth all the minutes of dressing and undressing. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSbExVEInYqVxapcXuDEFes2zAOhwn_sdlowudRTodfy92WiFD9p9VcIuY74DVwwc1cJinpDONnhfxp2U3peq-7WCEglsoto9kYUO1C8xfHtY-SnKPulF7L5MayrZBGWaCYTDN90ceQEB7N3SucgS_aptei5BQVPKqcp65clURirCs8VsK__Xd=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSbExVEInYqVxapcXuDEFes2zAOhwn_sdlowudRTodfy92WiFD9p9VcIuY74DVwwc1cJinpDONnhfxp2U3peq-7WCEglsoto9kYUO1C8xfHtY-SnKPulF7L5MayrZBGWaCYTDN90ceQEB7N3SucgS_aptei5BQVPKqcp65clURirCs8VsK__Xd=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div>After the boys' non-naps... we watched Encanto for the fourth time this week and then T.J. finally ventured out to pick up chicken from Publix. Meanwhile, there are all manner of boots, snow pants, hats and gloves piled up by both front and back doors and on the floor in three different rooms where they were peeled off in a huff. On top of that the Christmas decorations are in a state of limbo with the ornaments put away in their proper bin but the bin itself is at the bottom of the stairs waiting to be put in the attic and the boys keep begging for the tree to stay just a little longer or maybe forever, pretty please? Twist my arm, I'll oblige for little longer.<br /><br />It's a bit chaotic and not my usual preferred state to operate in but (and maybe T.J. would disagree) I've managed to just let it go at least for the day and just enjoy a proper snow day with my family. </div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-44841270406655717552021-06-30T07:32:00.001-04:002021-06-30T07:32:56.242-04:00preparing for the next goodbye<p>All our stuff got boxed up and crated and sent by air and sea across the globe at the end of May. Since then we've been "glamping" in our apartment with mattresses on the floor, picnic blankets in the living room and the select toys I held back scattered everywhere. Our boys seem particularly loud and wild these days without the rugs and furniture to soften the chaos they create. Every time we Facetime my folks, the "HI NANA! HI PAWPAWs" echo in the empty space and I can sense them looking at me a bit sideways about the way we've chosen to live for nearly 2 months. We try to be out of the house most of the day and with the splash pads and pools and friends to keep us busy it's working out okay... although T.J. and I might have some bad habits of our own to break like snacking in bed at 8pm. It's worth it though if all our planning and hoping works out and our stuff is waiting for us once we finally arrive at our new home. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66mqn93Yn7tn4bMDIt9h2_80wwsWOroXNfZdJihdZoOe3hoszRxVh3DMdz9zZokow8y26G-kmqvY9dXB3YgNJq0NCfns5QFwKDhtSgz43e7iHaCIisfplJZvn0C78tZ3LV51sNsKXaA/s4032/IMG_4308.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66mqn93Yn7tn4bMDIt9h2_80wwsWOroXNfZdJihdZoOe3hoszRxVh3DMdz9zZokow8y26G-kmqvY9dXB3YgNJq0NCfns5QFwKDhtSgz43e7iHaCIisfplJZvn0C78tZ3LV51sNsKXaA/w480-h640/IMG_4308.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenRPjew6JcT1H6VZjdlnzctTBhtSC3JI3uOW4BxlgI1FYfRBhFWYDTVZ6uCFoSOPGbhpioH4L_nFGXkEVM0HmUdI43ULbBh6AcIvx3lXZEfC4LesliROuRjZv1oVXdH_mhGrHUT0nZw/s4032/IMG_5369.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyphenhyphenRPjew6JcT1H6VZjdlnzctTBhtSC3JI3uOW4BxlgI1FYfRBhFWYDTVZ6uCFoSOPGbhpioH4L_nFGXkEVM0HmUdI43ULbBh6AcIvx3lXZEfC4LesliROuRjZv1oVXdH_mhGrHUT0nZw/w480-h640/IMG_5369.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>And where might that be you ask? <br /><br /><b><i>Tennessee! </i></b></p>After a lot of jerking around by the Army they finally settled on a spot for us at Fort Campbell, which is technically in Kentucky but we'll be living just over the border in tender Tennessee. Just a car ride away from our family, a first for us in over seven years. I am so excited. It's a state that I've always claimed as a part of me even though I never lived there myself. My dad grew up there though and we spent countless summers and Christmases in the Smoky Mountains, which I'm so excited to introduce to my boys. It just feels right that I get to add this state to the list of places in my life I've called home. <p></p><p>Will has never been in the U.S. of A before. He walks around in this trucker hat that my father in law sent him from Tractor Supply. It reads <i>Farm Raised</i> across the brim and Will just loves it but it could not be further from the truth for this Seoul born, high rise living, expat baby of ours. I get a little emotional when I picture that "Welcome to the United States of America" sign along with family, fresh air and freedom waiting for us at the airport at the end of what will surely be the longest travel day of my life.... <br /><br />Tommy asks not infrequently where such and such toy or random household item is and I remind him they're on a big boat on their way to his new home. He gets a bit annoyed that we're not going to Nana and Pawpaw's house this very minute but mostly he seems excited although I know he doesn't really fully understand what all this big move entails. When we talk about our new home I'm positive his sweet innocent heart believes that our friends and neighbors here will also be there and oh how I desperately wish that were true. I'm so sad for me and what I have to say goodbye to here but even more sad for him because I know it will be more of a shock once it's settles in that we're not going back, or that his little friends don't live just upstairs, and they won't be down at the playground. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YLQwh4NfEKTwJbh9hSpi-KBOMph4KBshIfRpjdJ4Uz-EvMoSg8z4hClJxqUZUROUA6yQnIWR11JGmduVhIKk8Xt-EypnqnTjO_JRRmkKp0UBbbDrw0JUBaJ4Ulu3VOqyOKo3HxGweA/s420/IMG_5382.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4YLQwh4NfEKTwJbh9hSpi-KBOMph4KBshIfRpjdJ4Uz-EvMoSg8z4hClJxqUZUROUA6yQnIWR11JGmduVhIKk8Xt-EypnqnTjO_JRRmkKp0UBbbDrw0JUBaJ4Ulu3VOqyOKo3HxGweA/s320/IMG_5382.JPG" width="320" /></a>I try to hype up all the new exciting things in store to distract from the hard questions I don't know how to answer for a three year old or even myself. We have a rental house we signed for sight-unseen back in April. It has a yard and a play room. The boys can just walk out the backdoor and play outside, and I'll be able to unload groceries straight from my car into the kitchen. No wagons or elevators required for either of those things and two things I will never take for granted again. Add to that the proximity to grandparents and it's all sounding like a major win! <br /></p><p></p><p>I know he'll make new friends (and so will I, but man I found some good ones here) and quickly because that's who he is but this move feels a lot different than the last one when we left Washington. Will was born here, Tommy's more connected here, heck we're<i> all</i> more connected here. To this strange, wonderful small-town community. It's been the biggest blessing, the most precious absolute best part of our experience in Korea, but it's also what makes it so dang hard to leave. <br /><br />Of course the Army likes to help you in that department- so thoughtful like that. For every wistful moment spent dwelling on what we're leaving behind and wondering what it would have been like to stay just a little longer, the Army likes to give you a nice dose of reality in the way of hoops on top of more hoops to jump through. Heaven forbid we forget that random form that needs to be signed by a random government worker who keeps random unpredictable office hours, competing with two countries' holidays. Plus my car, my very first ever car and one of only two red Jeeps on the entire peninsula, has decided it will be laid to rest here in Korea. Every day something new goes, the AC is out, the key fob batteries are done, the trunk wont open. Every day it makes new strange sounds, death rattles. So by the end of our time my feelings will probably be more like "can we just get the heck out of here already!?" <br /><br />But I know all the boxes will get checked, mostly because I married someone who is the opposite of me in knocking out those annoying painful to-do lists that I excel in procrastinating. Then all that will be left will be The Lasts. Last cafe mornings with girlfriends, last texts to meet at the playground later, last farewell neighborhood party. And then the day will come, though not before several dozen sweaty trips up and down the elevator with all our suitcases, and we'll leave our apartment, our home, for the very last time. </p><p>Even now I still sometimes stop and amaze that it was here, <i>we were here</i>, South Korea, of all places, who'd have thought? And it's amazing how deeply and quickly roots can take hold. But we're yanking them out of the ground again and it's painful but I know we'll bloom and grow in the red clay soil of Tennessee. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2ZQmbGmocOevD-PBUV8r-Hcr7-4SAH_LFlxEB4Jc8miIfrXk2NoswFnbE5BLOCAegrbllB43a0kOr6LSsgec2bY6UY4asPRLoWt1THMr94XJK_P2qcdWJQftivdaNbN-tNZJU7AakQ/s4032/IMG_5335.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2ZQmbGmocOevD-PBUV8r-Hcr7-4SAH_LFlxEB4Jc8miIfrXk2NoswFnbE5BLOCAegrbllB43a0kOr6LSsgec2bY6UY4asPRLoWt1THMr94XJK_P2qcdWJQftivdaNbN-tNZJU7AakQ/w640-h480/IMG_5335.jpg" width="640" /></a></p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-76581605953193292212021-04-12T02:29:00.000-04:002021-04-12T02:29:32.681-04:00Springtime in the Secret Garden<p>Saturday morning the Army casually dropped the news that Seoul was no longer off-limits! It’s been on the USFK restricted list since before Thanksgiving so when we saw the official announcement that as of Sunday 6am the entire peninsula was open to us we quickly booked a hotel room at the Army lodge up in Yongsan for later that evening. Our plan was to head up after naps, have dinner at our hotel and then be ready to head out into the city first thing in the morning. </p><p>From our Seoul To-Do List we decided to check off the Changdeokgung Palace and its secret garden. We had <a href="http://www.sincerelyshannon.com/2019/09/our-weekend-in-seoul.html" target="_blank">previously visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace</a> on our first family weekend in Seoul what now seems like ages ago. It is probably the more recognizable of the palaces in Seoul and we throughly enjoyed seeing the changing of the guard there and exploring that massive royal complex. But after this weekend T.J. and I both agree that Changdeokgung is our favorite. It’s less overwhelming in size, more peaceful, it meanders and winds around, forcing you to duck through open doorways and peek around corners to find a new surprise each time like a surprising green space with a 700 year old juniper tree. Though it's maze-like, there are signs designating a tour-route you can follow if your strong-willed toddlers are game. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbgqn2pv_6zfMs3JSEjrQkuN43PG84YYxFVYYlpsRAsDcRKqOROXHK8mVqHV-CW8bRudnDa_dl1qudCa1JQ_tWPcAdQ9rfvj5N3NNhJaAud7rvaFHZwIEyEKH31vftUl6JCyHcJVkWA/s2048/IMG_3823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbgqn2pv_6zfMs3JSEjrQkuN43PG84YYxFVYYlpsRAsDcRKqOROXHK8mVqHV-CW8bRudnDa_dl1qudCa1JQ_tWPcAdQ9rfvj5N3NNhJaAud7rvaFHZwIEyEKH31vftUl6JCyHcJVkWA/w480-h640/IMG_3823.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdT83x6XKxRwcmSxQc68ILHt0OH6gvftZk_RCSqEXdh7etbV2q3yiC0OjdohnG6i4nH_EwdCXDcjpm2q1mUnUqigIbVXWECQj5TmCju-OG16pHfs3M9TkrR8tDsSh6Fac9wUrdyztRrQ/s2048/IMG_3829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdT83x6XKxRwcmSxQc68ILHt0OH6gvftZk_RCSqEXdh7etbV2q3yiC0OjdohnG6i4nH_EwdCXDcjpm2q1mUnUqigIbVXWECQj5TmCju-OG16pHfs3M9TkrR8tDsSh6Fac9wUrdyztRrQ/w480-h640/IMG_3829.JPG" width="480" /></a><br /><i>(I wonder how many royal babies from dynasties past tumbled off these steps??) </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn45LFu4nIP02Yc0t4YWhxDZcydQbAkq3-J0gcKhodPBBOb92-GG8gh9gW37nMRfc-5d-Eswwre5BBlGVeoWw_DGkLh6ZelEI2583yCc9QqAtoB0EVxCLUUrKSWIr0tdSFcrjVykLTHg/s2048/IMG_3837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn45LFu4nIP02Yc0t4YWhxDZcydQbAkq3-J0gcKhodPBBOb92-GG8gh9gW37nMRfc-5d-Eswwre5BBlGVeoWw_DGkLh6ZelEI2583yCc9QqAtoB0EVxCLUUrKSWIr0tdSFcrjVykLTHg/w480-h640/IMG_3837.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1h_SnCcEfGKuZ1IcaaGwc-4DzLOzqOC05xbZy81gYzQJNuoTKUjHWsTTvcD7GFvZ-OuCqYF5NkKgZLkZUVZn6T0xQiO2ko_3aXiYVoFM66grxipt4GdEAsuV4vcm-Ejmh6b7qPuHrw/s2048/IMG_3840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1h_SnCcEfGKuZ1IcaaGwc-4DzLOzqOC05xbZy81gYzQJNuoTKUjHWsTTvcD7GFvZ-OuCqYF5NkKgZLkZUVZn6T0xQiO2ko_3aXiYVoFM66grxipt4GdEAsuV4vcm-Ejmh6b7qPuHrw/w480-h640/IMG_3840.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJggdO_NeygMUUqdH0borqWN9glILgi10xmMWEhe6qWXUV8MMv4F7vlc3AbxiBgW7ZHk8I-UWyGSxh3m2WqkU4xLEcD-xE4VpwCpveRhDThgwFwrykR7ciyex-CRe7bQ62zunr9Y_Jg/s2048/IMG_3851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJggdO_NeygMUUqdH0borqWN9glILgi10xmMWEhe6qWXUV8MMv4F7vlc3AbxiBgW7ZHk8I-UWyGSxh3m2WqkU4xLEcD-xE4VpwCpveRhDThgwFwrykR7ciyex-CRe7bQ62zunr9Y_Jg/w480-h640/IMG_3851.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-yPQ_O9Rh2tZbQJ2pxr9oTgR2nd0XP-VwSfRgPxvjacvOlIpwmMkXcNf1EIvsp7K5Ba7uMnoiLQGcK4l8-A84Hww_bp67kxhPAyECVdjySHZ8QYd0rb4LB4AhMFMORRtBDBtyzXqog/s2048/IMG_3891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-yPQ_O9Rh2tZbQJ2pxr9oTgR2nd0XP-VwSfRgPxvjacvOlIpwmMkXcNf1EIvsp7K5Ba7uMnoiLQGcK4l8-A84Hww_bp67kxhPAyECVdjySHZ8QYd0rb4LB4AhMFMORRtBDBtyzXqog/w480-h640/IMG_3891.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfX1Wth9Omofyzedb8v-wCUDPWokc2j5NLZqn0CnE15Wvr8hX7Di8ESfSBlfzu51jZf_suy_zarPOlRNRlZh1kj0sCWVvMtAnySgzlcZUfQnXxzameE52dGXf5Ra8AgZxOgtQUZyW2w/s2048/IMG_3897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfX1Wth9Omofyzedb8v-wCUDPWokc2j5NLZqn0CnE15Wvr8hX7Di8ESfSBlfzu51jZf_suy_zarPOlRNRlZh1kj0sCWVvMtAnySgzlcZUfQnXxzameE52dGXf5Ra8AgZxOgtQUZyW2w/w480-h640/IMG_3897.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>And then, tucked into the back corner, a walled garden within the walled complex exists like an oasis within the city. It’s called a secret garden (“biwon”) or huwon (“rear garden”) and was reserved exclusively for the use of the king and palace women during the Joseon Dynasty. Today it’s tranquility is preserved by limiting the number of visitors allowed per day. A separate ticket with a reserved entrance time is needed to access the secret garden from with the palace walls. <a href="http://www.cdg.go.kr/eng/cms_for_cdg/contents/c3_1.jsp">We purchased these online</a> ahead of time and were able to show our mobile tickets for entry, which made it much simpler and guaranteed we didn't miss out on the garden. Typically, pre-covid, you have to enter the huwon with a guide. Since covid, they’ve cut back the numbers allowed even more and for now it’s simply self guided, which means we probably missed a lot of its unknown charms. However, with two little wild ones in tow it probably worked out for the best to be able to move at their pace. But even with a sweaty hangry baby and a toddler we were able to appreciate this little unexpected paradise. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6C0ASfZfxa2TiEpAccV9CQLsefKwnI5sHxtItIGUB3tTpNDKOtSLLgkAqHvkyfWxVNKalZR_9jAHl76j7_8mghU2g2D5C63Zn6-C0wtyHZXrnnxBVPpgrNw-rnBfdIcIbezs3YZBEkQ/s2048/IMG_3861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6C0ASfZfxa2TiEpAccV9CQLsefKwnI5sHxtItIGUB3tTpNDKOtSLLgkAqHvkyfWxVNKalZR_9jAHl76j7_8mghU2g2D5C63Zn6-C0wtyHZXrnnxBVPpgrNw-rnBfdIcIbezs3YZBEkQ/w480-h640/IMG_3861.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8QBrjlhXXrWfyfE7PGKZ2AnJCH3WGVP3wXoP_HMwu22cL0CCzMAX0hLznQzEveBLHt3ZC63aUj6kZUeLmDSVFDcxmMQj0oS-TGoP8hkJ5uPZ-g4EdxDiM5RkB4zje7oav5LxTQ_3WQ/s2048/IMG_3869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8QBrjlhXXrWfyfE7PGKZ2AnJCH3WGVP3wXoP_HMwu22cL0CCzMAX0hLznQzEveBLHt3ZC63aUj6kZUeLmDSVFDcxmMQj0oS-TGoP8hkJ5uPZ-g4EdxDiM5RkB4zje7oav5LxTQ_3WQ/w480-h640/IMG_3869.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixpPyfFRg8_onQ0wVr43aMdfA-OHKhF6YAIO0KjaDh6MU78vmeeYbvK5ZdCnGX9JsKQYdl7fLfEVajfhyphenhyphenU44HB91qzLAALapQoETKTD-1tlii5NWWaNzGC-MNBui6F-SrS0Pp2Jc6-g/s2048/IMG_3873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixpPyfFRg8_onQ0wVr43aMdfA-OHKhF6YAIO0KjaDh6MU78vmeeYbvK5ZdCnGX9JsKQYdl7fLfEVajfhyphenhyphenU44HB91qzLAALapQoETKTD-1tlii5NWWaNzGC-MNBui6F-SrS0Pp2Jc6-g/w480-h640/IMG_3873.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTXscKAGRKqNvMkpziKfBkaEmdt8ynRnY6oPAQaEm7SvDwf-KqaikEW31Gj4U3ds2OpUnz-3cCh0YfM79kRPxW5KHR3_xXXAG_fEwCdwVCa9dZWCNtzYi4hebjrK89mlLH37zmVyX4w/s2048/IMG_3880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTXscKAGRKqNvMkpziKfBkaEmdt8ynRnY6oPAQaEm7SvDwf-KqaikEW31Gj4U3ds2OpUnz-3cCh0YfM79kRPxW5KHR3_xXXAG_fEwCdwVCa9dZWCNtzYi4hebjrK89mlLH37zmVyX4w/w480-h640/IMG_3880.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrWNBhIV8rpblq-vRckvqoTHMF8Bo47-WYBcoZkfJwffSCfoInqZwPz3lFwi53K_3SiggSu7G_a-WpXAMR2blegD0Cwk2ZP0mI141bum-auJnytOzw1NjUS8IqyHfUcoGRfjWHb5-QA/s2048/IMG_3888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGrWNBhIV8rpblq-vRckvqoTHMF8Bo47-WYBcoZkfJwffSCfoInqZwPz3lFwi53K_3SiggSu7G_a-WpXAMR2blegD0Cwk2ZP0mI141bum-auJnytOzw1NjUS8IqyHfUcoGRfjWHb5-QA/w480-h640/IMG_3888.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After we found our way out, we wandered around the Bukchon Hanok village which buts right up next to the palace. This hilly neighborhood is known for its traditional and historic hanok architecture. It's full of private homes, guest houses, quaint coffee shops, artists boutiques and little shops with tiled roofs and charm to spare. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kpBfUHyflvdxBe4zJbeRlq_7cXQgzhnnApDOz8YRI14OZ4SqJmB3YCJzRpvZ5EJJoEUij4YkJGQQ9kx49JNBh4qKFWNBtS9kpn-brHkqHCk9J-2iLsHAuc5ZBRgJbJ3oMWwSKSFpow/s2048/IMG_3911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kpBfUHyflvdxBe4zJbeRlq_7cXQgzhnnApDOz8YRI14OZ4SqJmB3YCJzRpvZ5EJJoEUij4YkJGQQ9kx49JNBh4qKFWNBtS9kpn-brHkqHCk9J-2iLsHAuc5ZBRgJbJ3oMWwSKSFpow/w480-h640/IMG_3911.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3o0LtEF0f9lueaaCsZ0APumB6nH01fKDFry6EFv9Vxjuuf8RR_e7yE9DDwi0_sj1Pzs1-3CBHZabvIB6JxmUcsVDwfgW8I1FVR7M-MVyE_XQNTMZIgWO0tNsWILrwNQeTt0qmUiSyA/s2048/IMG_3915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3o0LtEF0f9lueaaCsZ0APumB6nH01fKDFry6EFv9Vxjuuf8RR_e7yE9DDwi0_sj1Pzs1-3CBHZabvIB6JxmUcsVDwfgW8I1FVR7M-MVyE_XQNTMZIgWO0tNsWILrwNQeTt0qmUiSyA/w480-h640/IMG_3915.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We didn't stay too long though before getting back on the metro and making our way over to Itaewon. There we found a table outside at one of our favorite spots and enjoyed lunch outside on this beautiful spring day before heading back to our car and saying goodbye to Seoul again, although hopefully not for 6 months this time. <br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>*If you want to peak inside the walls of Changdeokgung Palace and its Secret Garden <a href="https://youtu.be/T-ueqjD5HAo">check out my vlog here</a>. </i></div><p></p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-15788321582912220942021-03-28T03:56:00.003-04:002021-03-28T20:09:45.657-04:00the end of winter in PyeongchangBefore moving to Korea we heard from a lot of fellow army families that they loved everything about their experience in Korea except for the air quality (this was pre-covid). Coming from the states where I have never once questioned or really even wondered if the air quality was healthy for myself or my kids to be out in, this was hard to understand and appreciate before we moved here. My attitude was well, the entire population of Korea deals with it so I'm sure it can't be all that bad. We have now spent two winters here and I can tell you that it is that bad. The winter months here tend to see the worse levels of air pollution and this winter was especially hard because, thanks to covid, we were restricted from seeking relief from the bad air at our usual indoor escapes like cafes, kids’ play places, the mall. Walking outside for fresh air, spending time outdoors without first checking the AQI monitor... this is a privilege I will never ever take for granted again and the thing I am most excited about for our return to America. <br /><br />Thankfully Spring is blooming and I am so ready to greet it with open arms. Cherry blossoms on every corner, warmer temperatures and cleaner air! It is hands down my favorite season in Korea and it almost makes up for the long dreary months before it. But before we said a fond farewell to winter we squeezed in one last cold weather hurrah at the end of February in Pyeongchang. <br /><br />Pyeongchang is a 3 hour drive north east from where we live and was the host of the 2018 winter Olympics. T.J.'s unit had planned a little overnight retreat at a ski resort there and we decided to extend our stay an extra night since that's a bit further than I like to drive with the kids for just one day. We booked two nights in a "korean/western apartment" type condo at the Yongpyong Resort and set off after lunchtime, always foolishly optimistic that the kids will just nap in the car.... they didn't. <br /><br />After checking in to our room we bundled up and headed out to explore the resort. The second his feet touched the snow Tommy demanded skis and poles and a gondola ride like he didn't just learn all those words five minutes earlier. We compromised and got him a snowball scooper before meeting up with friends for dinner- yummy Korean fried chicken, pizza and beer. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8r-ROiccDwvSJdCGmDGzywCig7DXcnt1WImEhV1kiTo_CjUPGCnVxQSUNMR-XUu-4LIflHa7yo_FC3l32TqiaqSM-h69Wdyd0DTLIMYRWnVXJW1f8u3oYpEI0O2LLRXIyCYKIcZ3ag/s4032/IMG_2766.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8r-ROiccDwvSJdCGmDGzywCig7DXcnt1WImEhV1kiTo_CjUPGCnVxQSUNMR-XUu-4LIflHa7yo_FC3l32TqiaqSM-h69Wdyd0DTLIMYRWnVXJW1f8u3oYpEI0O2LLRXIyCYKIcZ3ag/w480-h640/IMG_2766.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_qTnOOcKRFY0AY0q38IRdcXpnIdzI-BgNkEtaFIZnDTyVLu_Z_eab2vbA0Xiqs-jf98ZgYOLI8Teo1hEFyjy5CHJjplSXChAu_q-GUJWiSBBNHGA4C5pDhKERnZ2c8MFrPQbJnGn0w/s4032/IMG_2764.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_qTnOOcKRFY0AY0q38IRdcXpnIdzI-BgNkEtaFIZnDTyVLu_Z_eab2vbA0Xiqs-jf98ZgYOLI8Teo1hEFyjy5CHJjplSXChAu_q-GUJWiSBBNHGA4C5pDhKERnZ2c8MFrPQbJnGn0w/w480-h640/IMG_2764.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20Y7keEatgAQsCszIcvBYF_fs9r6rbzj5ceEIuIRgIepjHeTeZaSc34OcLpTZcphURNZ_MFaDQ_uNoaMu-1hgk2487k64rF6bzjjl1GHOU_IsYcSlkrO-ik-zIE8YjYvNUlWcwC6giA/s4032/IMG_2632.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20Y7keEatgAQsCszIcvBYF_fs9r6rbzj5ceEIuIRgIepjHeTeZaSc34OcLpTZcphURNZ_MFaDQ_uNoaMu-1hgk2487k64rF6bzjjl1GHOU_IsYcSlkrO-ik-zIE8YjYvNUlWcwC6giA/w480-h640/IMG_2632.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We headed back to our room where we tucked the boys into the bedroom, Tommy in the bed and Will in the pack n play. Then T.J and I unfolded our ondol beds out on the floor of the living room. We always try to book a hotel room with a separate space from the kids so we're not sneaking around or going to bed at 7pm. Normally we get two beds but that’s not always common in Korean hotels, in fact some rooms we looked at had zero western style beds, but this was our first experience with the korean futons. They're basically a suuuper thin mattress or a really thick comforter, which is a fancy way of saying we slept on the floor.... but the boys slept great and that's what counts. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we bundled up again and walked over to a cafe for breakfast then headed over to the sledding hill so Tommy and T.J. could tube. We weren’t sure if Tommy would like this so we just bought a pass for a couple runs so he could feel it out. After his first ride down he came bounding off the tube with a huge smile and immediately hopped back on the lift so we grabbed more tickets. I wrangled Will while dad and big brother went again and again. He did agree to go down once with mom, and apparently I was too slow, but I loved watching his little eyes squeeze tight and his mouth break into the biggest cheese. I’m so glad he’s brave. It took me years to be as brave as he is, as confident as he is in new unfamiliar settings. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After tubing we hopped on the gondola and rode to the summit. It was a leisurely ride and we got a better look at the many slopes and admired the view. Mostly we spent the ride listening to Will say “woOow” and point as we passed other gondola cars, and convincing both boys to sit on their bottoms. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7nPcbBpelyAeBw4URgCNj7VMxZKjb-6fmuNZIqyQKgEXaBawBBVD5GO7QrtnkHCyK0K7H7ToasU4jB9atYr7iS0yVzIagfApZ0i-HM8HUxJggcobKjSuwD9sk9OXTG5NxwevJevhRA/s4032/IMG_2846.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7nPcbBpelyAeBw4URgCNj7VMxZKjb-6fmuNZIqyQKgEXaBawBBVD5GO7QrtnkHCyK0K7H7ToasU4jB9atYr7iS0yVzIagfApZ0i-HM8HUxJggcobKjSuwD9sk9OXTG5NxwevJevhRA/w640-h480/IMG_2846.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOxOiS3lDQCM13e06yblKbNL19-S8WlUMakJZCeLD2tzhQCbcjwi-FPN1DixmAEILqrebHDb9yIcj-YQMTkqGERGPXNar_UIWNi9YILM-vOmG4_lQY_LVmc7a7FAtvVIJPlWIhW08Jw/s4032/IMG_2840.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYOxOiS3lDQCM13e06yblKbNL19-S8WlUMakJZCeLD2tzhQCbcjwi-FPN1DixmAEILqrebHDb9yIcj-YQMTkqGERGPXNar_UIWNi9YILM-vOmG4_lQY_LVmc7a7FAtvVIJPlWIhW08Jw/w640-h480/IMG_2840.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpp7Xz0mUHLOQ2o09zKQZGxeHoEG51jq4O09SNQnGelJA6cGkB9PQzffOl2JnVr5qF8VIln4rA_80lnv-v1C7mXTa5uSpL-VOatVWUK5uMJWuGSmnx9V49XeRcxov5YJ9SnDl005beQ/s4032/IMG_2796.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpp7Xz0mUHLOQ2o09zKQZGxeHoEG51jq4O09SNQnGelJA6cGkB9PQzffOl2JnVr5qF8VIln4rA_80lnv-v1C7mXTa5uSpL-VOatVWUK5uMJWuGSmnx9V49XeRcxov5YJ9SnDl005beQ/w480-h640/IMG_2796.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR8xLiGCJrcLKKtnyvNLq9TleyCfBnzjmux1VTdf8APfQkiuHA4aS4JAlCAhRPY-CHn3vDXrennnYer_YYzrm52GjaXwtCUgCCoT6VOOkr_EFCPEpp9MyrIvwzWRL0ADPixe5897t2Q/s3088/IMG_2817.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxR8xLiGCJrcLKKtnyvNLq9TleyCfBnzjmux1VTdf8APfQkiuHA4aS4JAlCAhRPY-CHn3vDXrennnYer_YYzrm52GjaXwtCUgCCoT6VOOkr_EFCPEpp9MyrIvwzWRL0ADPixe5897t2Q/w480-h640/IMG_2817.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the top we made our way out onto a windy sky walk with panoramic views of the (snow-less) peaks. Then headed inside to warm up and indulge in a yummy lunch of bulgogi, ramen, and katsu pork. Back at the bottom we settled Will down for a nap and the rest of us snuggled together on the floor/bed to watch a movie. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a rest we headed to one of our favorite Korea fixtures, the kids cafe. I mentioned it above but these "cafes" are like a cleaner, prettier, more awesome Discovery Zone- remember those?- and a lifesaver on bad air days, rainy days, or just an average Tuesday when you've run out of ways to say no to screen time. They are everywhere, all over the country, all different styles, and themes, all fun! You pay an entrance fee per child and a smaller fee for the guardians, pop your shoes in the little lockers and let your wild child loose. Inside there is typically a place for the parents to get a coffee and a little snack, some even have massage chairs for you to enjoy while your toddler literally climbs the walls or plays in the ball pit. (Side note: are there any ball pits left in America? They are everywhere here!) And though we haven't taken advantage of this feature, you can also choose to drop-off your children, which I think is an excellent service to have especially at a ski resort. Anyway... I could go on and on about my love for kids cafes and how much I'm going to miss them when we return to the states... but all that's to say is we hit up the Champion Black Belt kids cafe at the Yongpyong Resort so the boys could burn some energy before heading to dinner. It only backfired a bit when T.J. had to forcibly drag a certain three year old kicking and screaming out of there... but yeah... he slept well that night! <br /><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We woke up to actual snow flurries but didn't linger too long before packing up and getting on the road home. This was like many of our other adventures in Korea where we left feeling like we wish we could come back again knowing we saw only a small fraction of Pyeongchang. But since we only have a limited number of months remaining in Korea we're trying to cross of new places on each excursion we're able to take. As much as we wish we could have gotten to explore and travel off the peninsula and around Asia, I will say that even with two years just in Korea we've barely scratched the surface on all there is to see and do in this beautiful and unexpected country. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><a href="https://youtu.be/TTdxLK4MvHc"><i>*Check out my vlog from our weekend in Pyeongchang here! </i></a></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-73569574471500396892021-02-23T05:00:00.004-05:002021-02-23T05:00:05.040-05:00is this thing on? <p> Hello... um, hi. It's me, Shannon. Dusting off the old blog here. I feel like somehow blogging isn't a thing anymore unless you're an influencer linking to the products for your nighttime skincare routine (which, by the way I do appreciate). But my mom still blogs, still typing away sharing her voice and her wisdom, a picture of her life in the season she's in and I still love to read it. And maybe one day my boys will wish I had written down more for them about what their mom and our little family was up to. And somehow I have an almost 18month old and while it seems impossible that I could ever forget the way he turns and looks at you and sticks his tongue out, or the way he immediately starts clapping and bouncing whenever music comes on, or the way his big brother sings "when you pretend you can be anything" ... I don't want to leave it up to chance. <br /><br />So where am I? How am I? Basically I'm fine, we're fine, everything's fine. Like I said above, Will turned one a few months back and is becoming a toddler despite my best efforts to keep him a baby. I absolutely love this age so much. He's running, climbing, jumping, bouncing, dancing all over the place. But he's also so snuggly, giving big squeezes and pulling book after book off the shelves to read cuddled up in our laps. His sweet little voice is trying new words every day and he loves to growl like a dinosaur and yell like a hooligan. He still nurses, sleeps great, and looks so much like his brother did at this age but with a mop of blonde hair instead of brown.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrckcpC-jIiiOtgMAcVPLNJZHTIzq9grML86NGNd8QLWM3d_YrgElxClplHQpo761ZWK8IGYp5l_hd3rb_8edKWzSEyNRyYDWoECQ53G3R4zc4jIMRRsoVQl4fhdF4fcmKR9773mk3IQ/s4032/IMG_2524.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrckcpC-jIiiOtgMAcVPLNJZHTIzq9grML86NGNd8QLWM3d_YrgElxClplHQpo761ZWK8IGYp5l_hd3rb_8edKWzSEyNRyYDWoECQ53G3R4zc4jIMRRsoVQl4fhdF4fcmKR9773mk3IQ/w480-h640/IMG_2524.HEIC" width="480" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUOZXzpWxI2h0TqdHu8-utVYiLAjrNyUivp_9LUFXUB6_HVbbHMxmbyYj5vtnxd4yqc-Hz-RtgH65DgaUFN1aB_WGaZ8WfmHgwYFg5wbQyyA10ug2MUkWZA8AkkpeZyne-R5AnH40kw/s4032/IMG_2529.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUOZXzpWxI2h0TqdHu8-utVYiLAjrNyUivp_9LUFXUB6_HVbbHMxmbyYj5vtnxd4yqc-Hz-RtgH65DgaUFN1aB_WGaZ8WfmHgwYFg5wbQyyA10ug2MUkWZA8AkkpeZyne-R5AnH40kw/w480-h640/IMG_2529.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyme73KkliRbjY-dbdG255P84tUADttWDvFaiCwMcAGy2wFm6P6HuihdpZwE60rdWTOUjvEVe3wwVs4_ljdurAihBQgc4k3Q6o9_4lnUcR8gJ_iLDTrzgndNGppB4kRWMo6dGeo5FPkQ/s4032/IMG_2533.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyme73KkliRbjY-dbdG255P84tUADttWDvFaiCwMcAGy2wFm6P6HuihdpZwE60rdWTOUjvEVe3wwVs4_ljdurAihBQgc4k3Q6o9_4lnUcR8gJ_iLDTrzgndNGppB4kRWMo6dGeo5FPkQ/w480-h640/IMG_2533.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br />Speaking of his brother... Tommy and him are becoming actual friends. I love watching them really play together and hearing the sounds of them chasing each other around, giggling and falling on top of each other is the loudest most joyful soundtrack in our house. Tommy is going to be four before I know it. He is so smart and nothing gets past him. If he hears a word he doesn't know he drills it down. He also loves to read and read and read with mommy and daddy. He got a bunch of floor puzzles for Christmas this year and likes to do them all by himself and then ask us if we're so proud of him. We are! He asks endless questions, loves to sing loudly, has acquired quite the collection of airplanes, and is always coming up with new and elaborate ways to delay bedtime. One of the things that makes my heart so happy is all the little friends Tommy has made and hearing from their mamas how they all say Tommy is their best friend. I hope he makes and keeps friends easily his whole life long! Our neighborhood is full of little boys his age and he is never without a playmate. I hope we can find that wherever we go next. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwG5d_8o5-_TuSHVmKANk3uiDUHOA5YR_-a0BQdAgOfR0HWD6OaJVqYeRQ_XgtFl4Un-Rvd5XO7AlXX9hX5DXwEe_e1UJhzfM6JXuAcfM33j0bDGhCsWHIuxtWOl_qX7z1BpHfWXOPw/s3426/IMG_2498.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3426" data-original-width="2569" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwG5d_8o5-_TuSHVmKANk3uiDUHOA5YR_-a0BQdAgOfR0HWD6OaJVqYeRQ_XgtFl4Un-Rvd5XO7AlXX9hX5DXwEe_e1UJhzfM6JXuAcfM33j0bDGhCsWHIuxtWOl_qX7z1BpHfWXOPw/w480-h640/IMG_2498.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY53hnvVw6S7gVCmD8Ht2IKmT-ImRnQS_MKFN7UdxLLLAbiOSJSJo3NDf68qkrBPYuA3IeolXkJwqT9VhugO5hhWLOxXLD8pFoqVFeIk6SNGIFei6cV4r47NFw6ws8ewefUqo3b6fwkw/s3150/IMG_2472.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2228" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY53hnvVw6S7gVCmD8Ht2IKmT-ImRnQS_MKFN7UdxLLLAbiOSJSJo3NDf68qkrBPYuA3IeolXkJwqT9VhugO5hhWLOxXLD8pFoqVFeIk6SNGIFei6cV4r47NFw6ws8ewefUqo3b6fwkw/w452-h640/IMG_2472.HEIC" width="452" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBLUfakyqv0c2StIgenEBudcWGuiaV9-jromgBaCdauy9A9zgwasHU05bL-a0w5oWCQeEat8dNTaR2oqcwsDj5iW7zbNPRVjjAXa8UFHO56s8GSfpdZ7wt9xDsjEmfhB8RVBhOLv20g/s4032/IMG_2480.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQBLUfakyqv0c2StIgenEBudcWGuiaV9-jromgBaCdauy9A9zgwasHU05bL-a0w5oWCQeEat8dNTaR2oqcwsDj5iW7zbNPRVjjAXa8UFHO56s8GSfpdZ7wt9xDsjEmfhB8RVBhOLv20g/w480-h640/IMG_2480.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div>The countdown has started for our time left in Korea and Facetime has made the distance between us and our family seem a lot less than the 14 hours and 8,000 miles it actually is. I think everyone experienced a little homesickness this past year, even if you live just around the corner from family, we've all felt that tug of isolation and a longing to just be with our people. I knew I'd miss our family but I think it was made especially hard by that thing were all sick of talking about: covid. Rather than being busy and distracted with exploring Korea and all around Asia, going and doing as many things as we possibly could during our short assignment here, we were stuck in a groundhog's day loop, inside a very small bubble. And I'll admit that I often found myself thinking that if we were back in the states at least we could be with our family. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-7-tNxzDP4rM1tnolGiM2b7R0N6DsHW7XUEKyimXy1w3N1s0qGaEnxS9SCA3_Ef6BkCXcwBEuQYxSjDqmO7NoLJu5qpgaUtrSmLxXDmfgAxxSR423cO0yxJ-VxIZX23kuv2Hs9ZD7A/s4032/IMG_2448.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-7-tNxzDP4rM1tnolGiM2b7R0N6DsHW7XUEKyimXy1w3N1s0qGaEnxS9SCA3_Ef6BkCXcwBEuQYxSjDqmO7NoLJu5qpgaUtrSmLxXDmfgAxxSR423cO0yxJ-VxIZX23kuv2Hs9ZD7A/w480-h640/IMG_2448.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MRhpEA7GHQmvD5zmPkv0GdYVA4DMB3B2YrqZJbNUIbhxdsSsu9TYVzuUrpSVMerYSPJTrXtiBxWXm4MmlQfTthVWLPFq5GRfuOfa6STaWRRV_SfcMC27spiJtHz7ILuTH1Li_Wvk4g/s4032/IMG_2456.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MRhpEA7GHQmvD5zmPkv0GdYVA4DMB3B2YrqZJbNUIbhxdsSsu9TYVzuUrpSVMerYSPJTrXtiBxWXm4MmlQfTthVWLPFq5GRfuOfa6STaWRRV_SfcMC27spiJtHz7ILuTH1Li_Wvk4g/w480-h640/IMG_2456.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p>But things have the illusion of settling down here. Restrictions are being lifted slowly but surely and there is hope for the remaining months we have left in Korea. I know we wont get to do even a fraction of the traveling I had imagined we would, but even now I wouldn't trade our time here. Despite some of the complaining I may have done, I still would have chosen to spend these strange months of social distancing, mask wearing, isolation in Korea. We love this country, the community we've met, all the bizarre and wonderful quirks, the beauty we've seen. We got to- we're still getting to- experience life in a foreign country and explore a corner of the world very few people ever have a chance to see. <br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8OpqiWB_GyN0dphs0KlzVKO0xQzfAqfeZuJms4wjF3nOOZBwmur86vcQIJRhX3BAwNDPSTfvHuKAfvNbOXj5fmR2Fvc9ptiZEwgjQGXCdgAEssu6wo7_dFIPerICFINb1Z3bzzHApA/s3335/IMG_1289.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3335" data-original-width="2501" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8OpqiWB_GyN0dphs0KlzVKO0xQzfAqfeZuJms4wjF3nOOZBwmur86vcQIJRhX3BAwNDPSTfvHuKAfvNbOXj5fmR2Fvc9ptiZEwgjQGXCdgAEssu6wo7_dFIPerICFINb1Z3bzzHApA/w480-h640/IMG_1289.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p><p>We may never travel off the peninsula like we hoped to, but if nothing else, I want to leave here feeling like I did Korea right! We're putting some fun little trips on our calendar and even though traveling with two little ones, especially after spending so much time not going anywhere at all, can be overwhelming we're doing it. We're busting out of our comfort zone... and lets be honest... going anywhere I'm not familiar with the parking situation here is outside of my comfort zone. (Will I be able to fit my jeep into that tiny space? What if the parking garage doesn't accept foreign credit cards? If I park on the street will I get a ticket? Sometimes those questions keep me at home.) <br /><br />Our next duty station is still a bit up in the air and I strongly dislike (trying really hard not to use the word "hate" here...) the uncertainty and the feelings of being totally out of control over our lives. Since we can't do anything concrete just yet I have zillow searches saved for rental homes in several corners of the country, we've paid deposits on 4 preschools in almost as many states, and I've joined facebook spouse's groups for a couple different posts. So whenever we do get the final word I'll be ready. <br /><br />But I'm not going to be one of those people counting down the days until we leave because I know I'm going to be sad to say goodbye to this place we were lucky to call home for a short while. We're on the downhill side of this assignment, though and before I know it... we'll be scheduling movers, selling our cars to a frazzled fresh-off-the-plane family, canceling phone plans and trying to remember where we stuck our U.S. sim cards, going to our favorite restaurants for last meals, saying goodbye to the friends and the playgrounds that made covid-19, HPCON-C measures bearable. Then it will be on to the next adventure! </p>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-71918749867052380182020-07-27T02:58:00.001-04:002020-07-27T02:58:53.441-04:00our three year oldTommy turned two just a few days after we landed in South Korea. We were jet lagged and living out of suitcases in army lodging. We spent the day apartment hunting, all of us in a fog, sweaty and upside down. We were most definitely in survival mode. But Tommy at 2 was the ultimate little traveler, a trooper, a bundle of positive endless energy. Bouncing and running and jumping from one new thing to the next, shouting HI! to every stranger turned instant friend we'd pass. He slid right into our new normal on the other side of the world like it was no big deal trying new foods, making new friends, leading us by the hand as we spent this year exploring new places with enthusiasm, asking "what's that? where we going? what are we going to see?" And over this year I have watched his little baby quirks, silly sayings, gestures, all turn into a full rounded personality of the sweetest little boy. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tnWdqo2J7W6LoblTHuc8EAKL6gCMyia7sqLSTDpRvl8vsELcE2b8qwM4Uv9NIKBBzKlDMMk0FYN4fPk1dHUUh0nWKYvAzYrO63bLuLDfSbEm87rv1t-ZKWoSsWVlTOt0_fZE8vUHVw/s2048/IMG_7532.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tnWdqo2J7W6LoblTHuc8EAKL6gCMyia7sqLSTDpRvl8vsELcE2b8qwM4Uv9NIKBBzKlDMMk0FYN4fPk1dHUUh0nWKYvAzYrO63bLuLDfSbEm87rv1t-ZKWoSsWVlTOt0_fZE8vUHVw/w469-h625/IMG_7532.JPG" width="469" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpKgU4xYBhMVoMQrAgHfH_t40xvtJKG-KNBmehtTkVOGrR3EE6xY-bSypxg8CxwPFaIlgxcVl3y3PBnv3Z17mNw41fB5WYqt8hpyBbKXNHq3XPBDGsAWnVMYtaavHkOX_q-2_1lQxXg/s2048/IMG_7531.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpKgU4xYBhMVoMQrAgHfH_t40xvtJKG-KNBmehtTkVOGrR3EE6xY-bSypxg8CxwPFaIlgxcVl3y3PBnv3Z17mNw41fB5WYqt8hpyBbKXNHq3XPBDGsAWnVMYtaavHkOX_q-2_1lQxXg/w469-h625/IMG_7531.JPG" width="469" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqKFzHgpJ87h0n8DrZ1VgsgAfxalGnge8uAsRtLaYV9uS8GoIKCDpvKmKjxIyQ1_b7wMn0HSf_1dQJv1XZsFj6h_bqroDBMeZwT5yhdkj4cVPBSbG3YsZoMe-F1ZBveT9ZXUY-_j52Q/s2048/IMG_7527.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqKFzHgpJ87h0n8DrZ1VgsgAfxalGnge8uAsRtLaYV9uS8GoIKCDpvKmKjxIyQ1_b7wMn0HSf_1dQJv1XZsFj6h_bqroDBMeZwT5yhdkj4cVPBSbG3YsZoMe-F1ZBveT9ZXUY-_j52Q/w375-h500/IMG_7527.JPG" width="375" /></a></div><div><div>The changes from a newborn to a one year old are so physically obvious that I think I underestimated just how much my son would grow and change from 2 to 3. But this year alone he went from diapers to fully potty trained in Mickey Mouse underwear. He traded a sleepsack and his crib for sprawled out, upside down in a twin bed. He learned to ride a balance bike, take off his own socks and shoes, pull up his pants (mostly... a little hiney is sometimes still visible). He started out the year still calling me "Bobby," milk was "guk" and bananas were "bididis." I have a list of the cutuest Tommy-isms saved on my phone so I never forget the sound of his little voice saying "chin-tow-peas" (chimpanzees). But now he can count to ten, sings along to Jesus Loves Me and says, unprompted, things like "that sounds kinda like a good idea" and "oh, that's interesting" clear as day even if they're not always in the right context. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TOcsHsyHOuFK-EuDsZdjAwA8HnKNnCUlQraFC7G0phG1KWIcmToiWDNNbzp-d_cQ8cKoz7Okof523boatAR7H9wE07ClYcWNYn0Fq9_nD5mk_v79xsytgW6jhyphenhyphenSRil5A0v5aDN85qA/s2048/IMG_7544.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TOcsHsyHOuFK-EuDsZdjAwA8HnKNnCUlQraFC7G0phG1KWIcmToiWDNNbzp-d_cQ8cKoz7Okof523boatAR7H9wE07ClYcWNYn0Fq9_nD5mk_v79xsytgW6jhyphenhyphenSRil5A0v5aDN85qA/w469-h625/IMG_7544.JPG" width="469" /></a></div><div>He spent a good chunk of being two violently resisting hair cuts but finally gave in to looking more and more like his daddy. The playground at our neighborhood, that at first required countless boosts up from dad with a nervous mom hovering right below, now sees him scrambling up and over, unassisted ordering around and encouraging littler kids to go down the slide with him. Saying his prayers at bedtime evolved from just mommy repeating the little "now I lay me down to sleep" rhyme to his sweet little heart listing off everything he wants to thank God for, including every relative plus every toy he played with and piece of food he ate that day. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMrvb_FXQpkrrxoMxPUyxR4cu6SqFFT2xlnK77lnktu0Yeil0LRVY89oqgpP9TjnjEt72YSswhjzEZuHOh9AVo-vGDOgWxsa70KycswabzouxBJxlvSWUDwIOc5IwgkDYACIjzcoShQ/s2048/IMG_7546.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMrvb_FXQpkrrxoMxPUyxR4cu6SqFFT2xlnK77lnktu0Yeil0LRVY89oqgpP9TjnjEt72YSswhjzEZuHOh9AVo-vGDOgWxsa70KycswabzouxBJxlvSWUDwIOc5IwgkDYACIjzcoShQ/w469-h625/IMG_7546.JPG" width="469" /></a></div><div>Luckily even with all the new little boy changes some things remain the same. He still loves Thomas and his train friends and reading books over and over with Mommy and Daddy on the couch. His current favorites are the classic <i>Winnie the Pooh</i> stories, <i>Frog and Toad</i>, <i>Oh the Places You'll Go</i>, <i>Dear Dragon.</i> He still takes a solid afternoon nap (most days- I'm holding strong because we both need that rest time) and sleeps nearly 12 hours at night. Boy has always loved his food and is an adventurous eater- everything from okra to octopus, bibimbap, kimchi, bulgogi. </div><div><br /></div><div>The biggest change to his little world was the promotion to big brother. And even though I say "too rough," "be gentle," "don't grab," "share," more times in a day than I can count, he loves his Baby Wheel. Just as I predicted, watching their relationship grow and seeing them start to actually play together as Will becomes more mobile and sturdier and able to hang is just the best part of life! <br /><br />Tommy just loves all his people, big and fierce. His little gentle spirit is so sensitive and full of empathy. He picks up on what others around him are feeling, if you're sad he'll cry too, if another kid is being a little too intense he'll come back to us for comfort and reassurance. He also throws out spontaneous "I love yous" and "mommy you're so pretty" all day long. And the way he runs yelling "Daddy!! You're here!" when T.J. gets home from work can brighten even the strangest and hardest days of 2020. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqMi1kBBXjNFPMpjCxI84F-Ti9Lmfre4dty45dJdiGxwJO1KynpuaLU-EG2EJwovySl8phWrs3VzCRTApEFJDZaKoNcCHL_iezCswuAvm2BnTcGlRXjET3bxoaapwXuTA3Iq-jh8LDA/s2048/IMG_7553.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqMi1kBBXjNFPMpjCxI84F-Ti9Lmfre4dty45dJdiGxwJO1KynpuaLU-EG2EJwovySl8phWrs3VzCRTApEFJDZaKoNcCHL_iezCswuAvm2BnTcGlRXjET3bxoaapwXuTA3Iq-jh8LDA/w469-h625/IMG_7553.JPG" width="469" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next week my three year old starts school. Just two mornings a week is all this mama's heart can handle but he is so excited and every time we walk by the school he asks if it's open and can he go? How are we here already? Wasn't I only just holding him on my chest skin to skin in that army hospital in Washington? And now he has his own pencil box? We're entering a whole new season of life and opening up the innocent, precious world we've been living in for the past three years. Letting in new friends, new teachers, new risks but also new ways for my darling boy to find and experience all the joy and love in the world and to share his big light in return. I'm both grieving the smoothing out of his baby fat and also cheering on each new thing he seems to just wake up one day knowing. What new wonder will we see tomorrow? Bring it on Three! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRsud4lv-id-A9MWmQW2WFqAxE5oKnaRTNvwuy1T6YXdQPCjn0LCm-wsU21gccL9JVBBL-kacma8pJpXOV188biA1pb53KjlN4lsAiLyUkT7iv41J8o1oIcNaXHftpsJId_8dOp42kQ/s2048/IMG_7555.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRsud4lv-id-A9MWmQW2WFqAxE5oKnaRTNvwuy1T6YXdQPCjn0LCm-wsU21gccL9JVBBL-kacma8pJpXOV188biA1pb53KjlN4lsAiLyUkT7iv41J8o1oIcNaXHftpsJId_8dOp42kQ/w469-h625/IMG_7555.JPG" width="469" /></a><br /><br /></div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-44822660989126570462020-06-08T10:42:00.000-04:002020-06-08T10:42:03.606-04:00Birthday at the BeachAll I wanted to do for my birthday was go to the beach with my boys! South Korea is a peninsula and thus surrounded on three sides by countless beaches. I don't think people outside of Korea really think of Korea as a beach-y place but so far the several beaches we've been to are stunning. There are so many beaches lining the coasts that I want to explore so we just picked one, loaded up the car with all our gear and headed west. The western coast is about an hour and a half away and you can pretty much pull off on any of the road signs pointing you to different beaches, each usually with their own designated parking and restrooms. We ventured to <a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank">Anmyeondo Island</a> and after crossing the bridge which connects it to Taen county (and the Taen National Park which is on my list to check out) we found <a href="http://www.koreatriptips.com/en/location.html?mapX=126.3299686702&mapY=36.5494522116" target="_blank">Anmyeon beach</a>. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CbeqnmxgCQvf2Ts85B_zPsWg0Ov6_4vOpc9U1jOhAljZeP0hHt4ZxSB4N0f8KuzOCQSLdsnJxSnzpfxde-9pcerVzDM0NftD05JM_xajvq4zL_vTq1teDb4VG-MoAPCLCS6yGu-zig/w480-h640/IMG_6273.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div>It's not yet beach season here in Korea, despite the warmer temperatures, but I was still surprised how empty the beach was. Though the small-ish parking lot was nearly full when we arrived the wide, expansive beach appeared nearly deserted save for a couple other families. We followed their example and set up our chairs and tent as far back from the water as we could. We slapped on some sunscreen, nursed the baby, and after a quick tutorial on sandcastles, we headed down to the surf with bucket and shovel in hand. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDTrZ2mL_h9diMO9zHNpiTJuq4sQPbSycUbYfoVovYOyamhe2cTmtxfWnkDSodp819kKVb22TDd5ED6FEtSF2Dbb5hz2VYTkpj6PNp7Fxujkka6nNlU9uDnlBMsqejHWseSAoieXmx9Q/w480-h640/IMG_6260.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WY36UI9sJaqtZCE9IxnyBczbrRnmtHX4GvmlFizYsnkaqKVv2jqxfLhF5rd1p-vgbinDx_blM_Yu5W4pgm3MQUlbpCnwpZHYIuovbrajeWeuxZyDdiTNRT-CkWmi1WIudlTu1ACgMw/w480-h640/IMG_6253.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7InRrOprA3-A6Rda3TH66NsmGiyQPvc3CBP5xpcHh6bKzs47pUb_-Ahd9x7cU3ujxGld-VsWKv_XNIhqUjlJpD4l3q-4duM01dOBZzSB-vZ2tPkYOZzDNS0HuNe_Px0ND56YwVEAbhw/w480-h640/IMG_6258.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSrXCV2U_Xolpzl-XfykQdrmSSbIERwDHfVXx-hh8lpThS85zXdiQPkZkGTWJ_pGw-616T1IUv6WuOvzEbJxuvDzwVHPep6q98iXH2sCrg3y3BVPuXSD5r07QiKzglekh9dFFhJDTQg/w480-h640/1mW4Q0RxRQqMK%252Bt58d2Okw.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2E7evCvmh-YIvbAZWCJtQfn-4Zkk41U2fpgT-ZRw-Ms1DumtYCtXyh3IwJwbxSAJD0AOJWz3LxA1GrPLF3N4AXAwsfjU5XdIrR5NxdOzFnLi0kqgySd16TkXLx2fPgrGRw2sAMMGVQ/w480-h640/IMG_6270.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3C2n3JnB2PRd22XwTCMUWdsLcxJDqa4DN6D613VYZN_3-Lw_0-k821c4qd97vBkTgMQCLRWMMIrlDHx7J12_SsSE-3L3PK8060xQMyEgeD1hUG9b-nv4nZFqDXZ_I_hKx2X5U3tvOg/w480-h640/IMG_6282.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div>The last time we were really at the beach Tommy was just a couple months older than Will is now and it was a lot of sand-eating and sandy diapers. Will was content to hang in the carrier so we managed to mostly avoid that this time around. Tommy is now a full fledged beach lover like his mama and I have a feeling, from the way he conked out on me to the sound of the waves, that Will is going to feel the same. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEObp6lr9E5tNPI-iJt02A8qxN14MOGXeuFDlofDZFNOIcqYweVo-LA1bZaKwo9HwjB2xNacWQTOPTBaxZGzhrY08EBOk4uLSv0Wtzq1Z5A5M7jt79EcAOc3i6jQ7sb_bxAQr08BK52Q/w480-h640/IMG_6318.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhEhW5mgRLgJNTlew1rDZl3WrvqUUjogz64ZYR_V5XoiVJVSRSLtXXILUXPUamm_mexM54P2865nAckfFSkXIbczQP9jybwOOL2m4eqduYvgPDFe2ag3-5Mt4rcUCkN8e9A6AAROZkQ/w480-h640/IMG_6312.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsyLp3MDHY8fQNqvxkCuQAyngNZGgZXf2huisy0LkQAn2qcpREjvu3iVMEbIpc0b0votXhFneywkKcjFVcXD6NXgBq0Nj78mia6W8anVgJLjEehPkcdnpxPyfhRFlLZBo7uJTboL7CQ/w480-h640/IMG_6309.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stuck to the shallow waters which were surprisingly warm and spent a couple hours digging in the sand, splashing in the water, and filling our bucket with shells. Will got to dip his toes in the ocean for the first time in his little life. It's so wild to me that the first ocean he's ever experienced is the East China Sea. I know he probably wont remember any of the years we spend in South Korea but I am still so grateful that we get to have these adventures with our boys and hope it solidifies a love of traveling, being brave, trying new things, and that it opens their eyes to all the wonders of God's creation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIwZUoS5MUd1vrXywalftFFkyFPR07KY9PG8wkKxMNVTSQ9cz3DwcyajeZMtLEitKSqzipY8kpoUwq7ZYtLkFul3tD-gNJ0CMkle3UC_u8ap_6E5gM7UVzI_Q-Wt6KSJ378mtPc75Pw/w480-h640/IMG_6302.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVyUOMEtZzYR6FDl_iwxPr8rbg3r3tJ8zweO_hXrQALhS-FjWFWc4RPY2U7CjO4dQoN1YZZDQ7aLzM-FpPHt5R5zNWeDZFVMhkdv5UAql1x_vpaCwhRdAncOdlK8mPLVqekOPrb8m3Q/w480-h640/IMG_6300.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpd4iMxfKUw4Gu8-S-GWByYS_KTZyRD7TteottrRTNlR2d0JeRL9aiGTx8G7SGROGZf9v-IMy4C0PuLyipWDzSJ7DxgmZ_knWVKON-Wtha38e_WHKCTPylCntW6-ISsQtz8-ZyKxB9w/w480-h640/IMG_6307.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>This is a part of the world I never imagined I'd visit someday let alone call home, yet no matter what ocean I'm looking at, the beach always feels familiar to me, like an old friend I haven't seen in a while. The sound of the waves, the feel of sand, the smell of the saltwater and sunscreen, are all reliably unchanging. And in a world that lately feels very heavy and the news seems like one endless gray cloud, a sunny day at the beach was exactly what I needed.<a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><br /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpSObzHQSpBs6jaEQ-HHD6YSg7RF4L7RyNZ4rVRb9cBwNQiTt14leztYMPs7H-1ruz8mHo7vIPOoMEybbmL8Mw13Xetzt5FwpboYMtyVuDFdw_365yPzlaEOY9D0vNOON9gtZXH5DFQ/w480-h640/IMG_6297.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5B0nFUWR6Xq1YzSywATpugkMT05rHhRb9O929hcwJguOnHmIRJUh2C9bF70bs_w2A7PXmPE_kGDZ4524AxZEsFhakZWr9MtiDbpWpCDVvCzQ-88VDemRW1f33bt93cUX2UQirKmRC2Q/w480-h640/IMG_6294.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zo9mXwM-wJazB1NplSONy12yNV65I5ftEI4tIgJ6-g9-uvuWrHfVsOdFuH2ZmwvvaspOqTqNADzOpy9oLgUW2WxSd4gKIFPNVRB6uGfSSJCeV3wZwpICS3elDAnzSzzzR3rrPvPE8w/w480-h640/IMG_6290.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></div>I imagine if we could read hangul we might have seen the signs and been warned about the roadwork but in the few hours we were at the beach they literally tore up the road we drove in on and turned our hour and a half trip into four!! It was a major buzzkill but oh well, lesson learned: always check the gps return trip estimates before selecting a beach on an island with only one bridge on and off. We made it home just in time to rinse off the sand and have birthday cake for dinner. After that drive, it might take some convincing to get T.J. to make another trip to the beach anytime soon. But despite that blow I am hanging on to the sweet memories made in the sunshine with my little beach babes. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264575" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLo5U8sOotaJmsCOhhLEQKGiy2qfq6rST1UsGMtDyV9NqQZ2yTF-fTbfXZGWEnWBisz6CgeM8MNfGytvwnMhUSUTC9kN7mDetzPfWbSEFWaoprDyPQkqYbtRTso82NIaoeg21S5FXwg/w640-h480/IMG_6286.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ubgHy1svHVI" width="560"></iframe></div></div>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-6091302411303821302020-05-27T03:30:00.003-04:002020-05-27T03:30:37.880-04:00Dragons and tigers and chili peppers, oh my!We set off on another little road trip during the four day weekend, this time to a little lake in the more mountainous area of Cheongyang county. It was about an hour away from where we lived, country roads surrounded on both sides by rice fields and looming green mountains. The whole way there I kept thinking about anyone who found themselves stationed in Korea before the age of GPS. How in the world did they go anywhere, find anything? And that wasn't even all that long ago! I still remember having to go on to mapquest in college and print off directions before setting off anywhere, and before that there were worn spiral bound books of road maps tucked into the back seats of the our family's station wagon. But even with a map I'd be lost in Korea because... umm... yeah I can't read hangul. While most of the road signs around us, on the interstates and in metropolitan areas, have both the hangul characters and the romantization, that is not the case once you head into more rural areas with less foreigners.<br />
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All that to say we are one hundred percent, completely and utterly dependent on our gps directions and thank goodness for technology or we would miss out on some neat places like the <a href="http://www.cheongyang.go.kr/eng/sub02_01_03.do">Cheonjangho Suspension Bridge</a>. Our trusty gps led us blindly to a large parking lot, which was nearly empty since we were visiting on an overcast Monday and had arrived before 11am (Korea in general seems to get moving a little later in the day and stay up later at night- aka the opposite of our life right now).<br />
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The Cheongjangho Suspension Bridge crosses Cheongyang Lake and is the largest suspension bridge in Korea. A smooth easy trail lead us down to the lake, passing just the beginning of the chili peppers- the theme of the day. A quick google search once we got home informed us that the Cheongyang county is known for Cheongyang chili peppers which are like a spicier version of the traditional Korean chili peppers. Hence, chili pepper mascots, all the chili pepper photo ops, and giant chili pepper towers at the start of the bridge. Because why the heck not!<br />
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It was so nice to have the place mostly to ourselves as I've seen pictures of it looking more crowded (I think fall is particularly popular with all the changing colors in the mountains), and even though it's not all that high, the bridge was wobbly enough for my liking.<br />
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At the other end of the bridge you are greeted by a giant dragon in front of you and an equally large tiger to your left. Plus a painted recreation of both for your photo backdrops. Korea is reliable like that. They literally build things that serve no other purpose than to look cute for the 'gram.<br />
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Apparently, though, the dragon and the tiger have significance to this lake beyond looking cool in photos. A translated sign told us the following story:<br />
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<i>"Chonjangho, a small lake below Mt. Chilgab, is known for the legend of the dragon and the tiger. A yellow dragon who was waiting a thousand years to ascend to heaven, saved a child by making a bridge over the water. A tiger, watching this, protected the mountain as a spiritual being. Climbing the mountain over the bridge, you can have luck and a healthy baby through miraculous energy from the dragon and the tiger."</i><br />
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We headed up another path towards a wishing rock but didn't have scrap of paper on us to add our own to the chain of wishes. Then, winding further around the lake was yet another chili pepper. </div>
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Back up by the car park were little souvenir stands and umbrellas and dining tables outside of several little restaurants serving traditional korean foods. We had packed a picnic so we just purchased a bottled water and sat outside to have our lunch before getting back in the car. We had intentions of visiting a nearby temple but both boys promptly fell asleep the second we got back in the car. We'll have to plan another trip back down there soon to see what all we missed.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V6lWwR1nwRw" width="560"></iframe></div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-16392171509202352772020-05-25T18:37:00.000-04:002020-05-27T03:31:00.871-04:00Adventuring Again: Hwaseong FortressWhere oh where to begin. We are all relearning how to socialize in public again. Relearning how to go places and do things and it's a bit awkward. Do we wear the masks do we not? Do we shake hands or bump elbows? Am I standing too close? Do you think they'll be open?<br />
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Now that the Army has given us the green light we are getting back to exploring Korea. While the country as a whole has been open for a little bit now (and in fact never fully locked down like they did back in the States), the Army finally lifted the restrictions for active duty soldiers and their families just in time for Memorial Day weekend. Everyone quickly scrambled to get out and go go go, enjoying our new freedom!<br />
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Thursday night we had dinner. In a restaurant! For the first time in thirteen weeks!! We walked to our favorite local Korean BBQ joint and went all out! We took our time meandering home, stopping for hot donuts and then popping in to the GS25 convenience store near our house to pick up a beer for T.J. and a soju for me. We enjoyed them al fresco on the picnic tables outside the shop, just like the locals, and it felt so dang normal!<br />
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I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the sudden possibilities for a 4 day weekend. Where should we go? Should we stay overnight, take the train, book a hotel? We decided not to go too crazy and just planned a couple of little day adventures instead.<br />
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On Friday we headed to Suwon a city about 45 minutes north of us but still south of Seoul, to explore the <a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264204">Hwaseong Fortress</a>. GPS took us to a parking lot near the <a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264410">Haenggung or "temporary palace."</a> Apparently this palace is where the royal family would retreat in times of war. We didn't venture in this time and instead made our way up a steep set of stairs to the high Western Command Post. From there we had sweeping views of the city laid out before us. The Fortress is a walled structure almost 6km around surrounding the center of Suwon. Over the many years since its construction the city has grown up around the walls, both inside and outside of the gates. Because of that, the gates and walled paths are open 24/7 since businesses, restaurants, cafes, hotels and homes are all just a part of the fortress now.<br />
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We walked around the fortress passing gun towers and sentry posts, all the while keep trying to keep a certain strong-willed toddler from running too far ahead and tumbling head over foot down a hill or off some tower. We crossed over the Hwaseomun gate and carried around the wall a little further before descending the stairs at the Janganmun gate in search of lunch. We'd heard about Suwon's famous "chicken street" but were all still feeling quite full from the BBQ the night before so we settled for something a bit lighter before heading back to the car. Both boys quickly crashed on the ride home.<br />
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<i>(entrance to the palace)</i><br />
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<i>(Western Command Post)</i></div>
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<i>(Hwaseomun Gate)</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i>(Janganmun Gate)</i></span></div>
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<i style="text-align: start;">*A few notes for families considering a visit: Parking was super easy- we got there earlier in the morning and had no problem finding a spot. We paid 10,000KRW (credit card only) for the day. The fortress is NOT stroller friendly. Lots of stairs and uneven steps and cobblestones and steep hills. It was a work out for my husband who ended up carrying our toddler a good bit of the way (carrying was also required for previously mentioned feisty toddler's sudden urge to bolt). </i></div>
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I feel like before this whole COVID mess we were just starting to find our groove. I was no longer pregnant, Will was getting a bit older and we were more comfortable going out with two kids. And then BAM! Hello 13 weeks of going no where but downstairs to our apartment's playground (thank God for that playground and our little community here), or for our weekly adventure to see what was new at the PX. Now stepping out in to the local community or driving further than the mile to base feels exotic and slightly overwhelming, kind of how I felt when we first touched down in Korea. But now that we've had successful first outing back in the real world, outside of our little military family bubble, I'm sure it wont take long to readjust. The running list of places to go and things to see during our time stationed here was temporarily paused but has taken off again. I'm excited to see where we go next and to share more posts and make more little videos of our adventures in Korea! </div>
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-45739395338792800642019-11-26T01:39:00.002-05:002019-11-26T01:39:32.496-05:00William's Birth NovellaFour weeks ago, our second son, William Gordon Melton, joined our family at 9:28pm on October 29th, 2019! He was born at GM Cheil Women’s Hospital in Gwangmyeong, South Korea which will never not amaze me and has pretty much guaranteed him a lifetime of complicated paperwork. Luckily the time difference worked at and he has the same birth <i>date</i> both here and back home on the East coast. It's taken me much longer this time to write down his birth story and while I know most people don't want all these little details, I hope I never forget them!<br />
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I found out I was pregnant just a couple weeks after we found out we’d be moving to South Korea. We figured our family would grow during our time overseas but the timing of this new little boy was a bit of a surprise and not without a few complications. Moving while 26 weeks pregnant in the middle of summer, for starters, is not for the faint of heart... but the biggest challenge was that my due date fell between the closing of the old army base hospital and the opening of the new hospital. This meant I'd be referred off post to a Korean hospital for my prenatal care and delivery. Luckily we knew about this before we arrived so I was able to start researching hospitals ahead of time and most importantly hire myself a doula. I didn't have a doula with Tommy because I felt so comfortable and supported by the midwives I saw throughout that pregnancy. This time I knew it would be essential to my peace of mind, that she would help me navigate language barriers and cultural differences to have the birth I wanted. And lucky for me my doula has become of my closest friends here!<br />
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Once we arrived I quickly got an appointment at the clinic on post where I was seen just once in order to get my referral for the off-post hospital I had chosen based on mostly positive Facebook reviews from other spouses. My doula had told me that Korean hospitals and doctors have a different mindset when it comes to birth and that their practices are more old-school. Episiotomies are more routine, they have higher c-section rates, some hospitals still don't even allow the dad in the delivery room. She said to go in to my appointments prepared to advocate (and maybe even fight) for the birth I wanted.<br />
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I only had three prenatal appointments at the hospital and in general received good care however I was on guard the whole time. I filled out the hospital's birth preferences sheet they provided and it seemed that they would accommodate most of my requests (the option to labor in any position that feels comfortable, husband be allowed in the room at all times, baby to stay with me at all times, skin to skin after birth etc). Because they do ultrasounds at each visit here, they were concerned he was measuring quite big so they changed my due date back from November 2 to October 22 and suggested that we might need to be induced. But because they kept saying at each appointment that he was measuring ahead and just SO big I was pretty much convinced that he would be early anyway. Plus Tommy was born at 39+2.<br />
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A few weeks before my (October) due date my doula attended a birth for another mom at the hospital where I was being seen. She came home from that birth completely shocked by what she'd seen and immediately called me up to let me know her concerns. It seemed to her that the birth preferences the hospital claimed to offer would not be acknowledged or even considered and that once I got to the hospital in labor, the doctors would take over and I would have little to no say in how I labored, delivered, or how my baby and I were cared for after birth.<br />
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At this point I am almost 38 weeks pregnant and feeling panicky and scared. I did not want to go in to my birth combative and defensive, with every decision a battle between me and the doctors. I wanted a low intervention birth and a gentle recovery with my baby boy and I did not want to have this fear and anxiety and risk my mental health for the postpartum period. My doula then asked if I'd be willing to switch to a birth center we had previously visited together but that I had thought too far, almost 2 hours away, to consider. I talked with T.J. but we both quickly decided that the longer drive was worth it for a better experience. Switching to the birth center required changing my insurance and since this was an out of network hospital we'd have to pay out of pocket and then get reimbursed later but at this point the costs were definitely worth it. I then called the english speaking midwife and asked for the soonest appointment and got one for two days later and I immediately felt better about my decision.<br />
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T.J was able to come with me to that appointment and agreed that this new hospital felt like a much more supportive environment. While it is called a birth center it is not like what may come to mind when you think of birth centers in the States. It has full surgical capabilities in the event a c-section is needed but they encourage and are better equipped to support natural/unmedicated births. The labor and delivery rooms felt more like luxury hotel rooms with a full size bed, a bath tub, dim lighting. I would be able to labor anywhere in any position. On top of that we'd be able to do skin to skin and have our baby in the room with us the whole time after the birth. They still agreed that baby boy was measuring large but were much more relaxed about his arrival saying babies come when they're ready.<br />
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So then we waited... I had another appointment a week later where I did a non-stress test during which I had several Braxton Hicks contractions that got their attention. I'd been having these contractions quite regularly and for quite a few months and they weren't painful so I didn't think anything of it but they wanted to do a cervical check to see if I was progressing. It turned out I was already 2cm dilated but not very effaced. Still they told us to go home and pack our bags and they might see us later that weekend. I wish they hadn't said that because the next week and weekend draggggggedd..... I bounced on my ball, walked up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, ate spicy food, did squats, went for long walks and tried literally <i>every</i> old wives tale about inducing labor. Each night my Braxton Hicks would ramp up and I would wonder if this was the night they'd turn into real labor. Bring on the pain I thought! I was ready.<br />
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In the meantime my parents arrived in South Korea, as did a box of Tommy's baby clothes I'd been anxiously waiting on that took forever to ship from the states. It was like our baby boy knew and was waiting for all the pieces to be in place so I wouldn't be worrying about who would watch Tommy or what I would bring him home from the hospital in. Two days after my parents arrived I had my next (and last) prenatal appointment at 12pm and even though I was discouraged that labor hadn't started yet, and was starting to think I'd be pregnant forever, I pretty much determined not to leave that hospital that day without a baby. I did not want to make that drive again. We loaded our hospital bags in the car and left my parents to hold down the fort.<br />
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<i>(my last pictures of just me and my little buddy before he became a big brother)</i></div>
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When we arrived, I had an ultrasound like I did at every appointment and they estimated the baby's size at over 9lbs. The doctor said we should schedule an induction for a couple days later but before I could get too worked up about that the midwife agreed to do a cervical check and a membrane sweep. We went up to the labor and delivery floor where she told me I was 3cm dilated. And after she swept my membranes she brought me a breast pump to use for 30 minutes to see if contractions would pick up. Slowly but surely I started to feel more crampy and the contractions seemed to be coming from my back and wrapping around my stomach which was a sign we were moving in the right direction, even if they weren't painful yet. The midwife agreed that if we left to go home we'd probably be driving back later that night so she had persuaded the doctor to let us stay but she told us to go for a big long walk around the area, grab some food, relax, let the contractions pick up and then to come back in a couple hours.<br />
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We left the hospital around 2:30pm and I was in such a calm but excited mood as T.J. and I walked around, holding hands. It kinda felt like a date and I knew it was a rare few golden hours with just the two of us- even if I was getting some strange looks as I began to have to pause and grimace through the growing contractions. I kept worrying that they would stop but quite quickly I was able to say out loud "I think this is really it!" Then I would need to slow down, squeeze T.J.'s hand harder when the next contraction started before we could carry on our walk. They were definitely getting painful but I was so happy and so excited that I wasn't too bothered yet. Mostly I was just excited that it didn't seem at all like my labor with Tommy (unrelenting back labor with no noticeable pattern to the contractions and no relief from the pain).<br />
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We walked nearly 4 miles around the surrounding city blocks near the hospital, only stopping once to get me a smoothie, and a second time at McDonald's for a large french fry. Around 4pm I texted my midwife to let her know I was feeling regular, painful contractions and she said to give it another hour then come back. I then called my doula and told her we were officially staying and having this baby today so she could start making her way there. </div>
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By 5pm I was starting to get pretty tired from walking around and since I knew I'd need all my energy for the hard part ahead we headed back up to the labor and delivery floor of the hospital where we removed our shoes at the door, met our midwife, and she showed us to the room where our baby boy would be born. T.J. went to get our bags from the car and we made ourselves comfortable. I was so grateful to not have to have another cervical check, nor did they make me get an IV. I was free to move around the room and labor however and wherever I wanted and it was such a more peaceful and empowering environment. Rather than feeling like a patient waiting for the doctor to tell me what to do, I felt like I was in control and I was going to do this!!<br />
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(the view from our room)</div>
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The midwife then wanted me to do some stretches to help make sure the baby was in the best position possible. She had me lay on my side with the fetal monitor belt on and then each time I had a contraction she would gently pull my left leg up and out while T.J. pulled back on my right hip, opening up my pelvis. We did that for about 45 minutes and then I asked if I could get in the tub for a bit as the contractions definitely had more bite to them now. While the bath was filling up I went to the bathroom and lost my mucus plug and I knew things were about to get more real. Getting in the tub felt so good and provided a lot of relief. The lights in the room were dim and we put on my labor playlist and I tried to relax my body during the brief windows between. During a contraction I'd kneel with the faucet running over my back, gripping the side of the tub and T.J.'s hand. I stayed in for at least an hour (though the timeline starts to get fuzzy for me here) as the contractions got more and more intense and closer together. By the time I got out my doula had arrived and I moved to the bed where I knelt on all fours and gripped the headboard and started really having to vocalize through the contractions. I'd breathe in deep through my nose, then groan out through my mouth. My doula would push really hard on my lower back to try to ease some of the pain there.</div>
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I started getting that slightly frantic feeling like you need to move or shift or do literally anything to climb out of your skin and away from the contractions. I felt like a change in position would help and I also felt like I needed to go to the bathroom so I moved to the little restroom in our room, closed the door, and sat on the toilet. In there by myself I'd lean my hands and head against the cool tile wall when the contraction hit and moan and yell and shout trying to keep my sounds lower pitched so my body would stay relaxed despite everything in me wanting to resist and run away from the pain. I only had maybe 30-45 seconds before the next one would come and I noticed myself starting to involuntarily push. But I was wrapped up in my own little world and still thinking I had a long way to go. I still thought I just needed to go to the bathroom. My midwife however came back in to the room and heard the animal sounds I was making and I could hear her telling T.J. and my doula that they needed to get me out of the bathroom because I was indeed pushing. T.J. asked me gently if I wanted to move back to the bed and I said NO, not yet, that I didn't think I could stand and walk. After a few more contractions in the bathroom by myself, T.J. decided he didn't want his son born on the toilet so he came in and physically lifted me to my feet and helped me move the 10 feet to the bed.<br />
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The midwife helped me lay down on my left side and then gave me that peanut ball to put between my knees. T.J. knelt in front of me and I wrapped my arm around his neck and squeezed his shirt (his skin) as hard as I could during each contraction. I have very little memory of what else was going on in the room. I don't remember seeing anyone else except T.J. and I just stayed locked in on him or had my eyes closed tight but I could hear my doula and midwife encouraging me and telling me how close I was. I felt my waters pop, I felt my body take over, and I literally couldn't not have pushed even if I tried. At some point the doctor came in the room as well and apparently was very calm and supportive and helpful but I literally don't remember even seeing him which I guess means his presence wasn't disruptive and he just let me do what I needed to do to get that baby out.<br />
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With Tommy, since I'd had an epidural I was completely dependent on the nurses and midwives to tell me when to push, how to push, how long to push, and how close I was. But this time I was so in tune with my body and I could feel my baby moving down, moving closer, but then moving back up once I stopped pushing. The good thing about that is the slower progress kept me from tearing and in all I only pushed for maybe 30 minutes before I was screaming "I want him out!" and then one last big push gave way to a huge wave of pressure leaving my body and there he was. All of a sudden there was a whole new person in the room and just like that the pain immediately stopped and was (mostly) forgotten.</div>
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They laid him on my chest and rubbed him down as he was a bit blue from having the cord around his neck but he was wailing and showing off his lungs in just a few seconds and all was right in the world. I remember thinking I did it! We did it! And noticing that he looked like his brother except less of a cone head and fatter. Our big boy almost met the Korean doctor's high expectations weighing in at 8lbs 13 ounces.<br />
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We spent that first night in the same room and can I just say all hospitals should have full size beds that your husband can also fit in. We were pretty much left to ourselves, to stare at our new little guy, until the next morning which was so nice especially since fresh hours old babies actually are quite sleepy and like to let their mama's rest. In the morning we were brought a traditional Korean breakfast complete with a big heaping bowl of seaweed soup which luckily I'd been warned about ahead of time. The bulgogi beef was actually quite good even if it's not my usual breakfast of choice. We moved to our recovery room soon after and said farewell to our beloved midwife who was heading on vacation that day. Talk about fortuitous timing! I am so glad baby boy decided to make his appearance before she went out of town. Since she was the only English speaking midwife/ nurse there, the rest of our brief hospital stay involved more hand gestures and pointing at my boobs then back to Will and giving a thumbs up to the other sweet nurses. Dinner was Samgyetang- a traditional Korean soup with an ENTIRE chicken in it and only chopsticks and a spoon to tackle it with. <br />
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T.J. and I just had to laugh at how different this entire experience was from Tommy's birth. The biggest difference though for me was how little pain and discomfort I had this time around. I don't know if it's because I didn't have an epidural, or any tearing, or if maybe my body was just more prepared since it had done this before but I felt amazing and my recovery was so easy! On top of that baby boy nursed right away and has continued to be a champion eater. He is squishy and snuggly and has moved into our family and our hearts like he was always there. We brought Will home to his big brother on Halloween and now here we are, 4 weeks into being a family of 4. And even though a full night's sleep is already a distant memory, it's impossible to imagine life without our two precious and perfect baby boys. </div>
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-21321819459427337002019-10-21T02:32:00.000-04:002020-05-27T03:31:11.745-04:00our new home in South KoreaWe moved in to our Korean apartment nearly 3 months ago and I am finally getting around to doing a home tour! Between unpacking and finding space for everything, then furnishing and decorating, it's taken this long to feel ready to show it off. Luckily my pregnancy nesting stage has helped get it mostly finished up just in time for baby boy and our first visitors!<br />
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We didn't know before we arrived in Korea if we would be living on the Army base or off-post. Housing on post is based on rank, family size and availability and while it would definitely have it's perks and conveniences we were hoping to get approval to live off-post. We wanted to get a fuller experience of life in South Korea and we also suspected that we could get more apartment for our housing allowance off-base. Around day 2 of in-processing we got the go ahead to start our search outside the gates. <br />
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House hunting and working with realtors in Korea was a very different process than back in the States in a lot of ways. First of all, each realtor here has different listings which means we were basically expected and encouraged to meet with several different realtors during our search which felt a little awkward and rude but is just how things are done. I did a little research on the spouses facebook page before we arrived and got a couple ideas for realtors to contact and we ended up seeing properties with two different ones. They were both so nice and showed us similar properties but we found our new home with the second realtor. Our realtor is now also our property manager while we are here. Basically he is the go between for us and the apartment owner. He is who we pay our rent and utilities to and who we contact if we have any problems with our apartment or life in general in Korea that we need help navigating. So far he's helped me translate all our appliances in the new house and I have a feeling I'll be texting him a lot of questions. He and his wife took us out to dinner, our first Korean BBQ, and we had such a great night so I am really looking forward to getting to know their family better during our time in Korea.<br />
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We had a list of things we wanted in our apartment and this one checks <i>mostly </i>all the boxes. I feel like when we stepped into the apartment we kind of forgot to do that really thorough run-down of our list because we were so excited and distracted by how it looked and felt to us. It's just such a cool and different space than the other places we were shown. It wasn't until the day after we decided to sign the lease, as I was going back through pictures, that I realized it didn't have a dishwasher- but no worries our realtor got the landlord to give us a Korean mini dishwasher which I may or may not ever use but it's there.<br />
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Our apartment has 3 (huge) bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, plus a great open kitchen and a large living and dining area. It's actually several hundred more square feet than our house in Washington and it feels really open and spacious which will be essential with a toddler and another baby boy running around. There is an underground parking garage and the best playground that's always bursting with other moms and their littles. It's also really close and convenient for T.J. to commute to the Army base (we are close enough to see helicopters throughout the day and hear revelry at 5pm) and it's in walking distance to tons of cafes and restaurants.<br />
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There are always a few quirks to living overseas and our apartment in South Korea is no exception. They're not necessarily bad things just new challenges to get used to. We've quickly learned to not be surprised when something isn't how we expect it to be. We take so many conveniences for granted living in the U.S. and that's just not how most of the world works.<br />
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Yes I miss having a dishwasher, and sorting the trash is basically a part time job, and I will never understand why the light-switch for the kitchen is not located in the kitchen but rather in the living room.... But even with it's quirks, it was the place that I stepped in to that first week in Korea- still jet lagged, still reeling- and it felt like where my little family would fit. Our retreat, our comfort zone, our safe place to come back to from adventures in the middle of so much unfamiliarity. I love our home!<br />
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<a href="https://youtu.be/IrgGf-YrGDU">And now for the video tour of our new home...</a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IrgGf-YrGDU" width="480"></iframe>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-25111021907470499122019-10-14T04:56:00.001-04:002019-10-14T04:56:40.531-04:00Lanterns and Oktoberfest in South KoreaEverything I do these days I wonder if it will be the last time before baby brother makes his arrival. Will this be my last trip to the grocery store? Our last Sunday in church without a newborn? My last time tucking Tommy in to bed as my only son? So far I've had to make additional trips for more groceries, and another Sunday has come and gone. But I <i>can </i>safely say that we have taken our last vacation as a family of three. The other weekend we journeyed south to explore Namhae Island. Our drive down took us pass stair stepped tea fields, green mountains with tunnels cut through them and eventually brought us to the ocean.<br />
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In case you're curious the Korean word for ocean is "bada" which I only know because of Tommy's "My First Book of Korean Words" which informs me that B is for bada, the sea deep and wide, Korea sticks out and has one on each side. Yeah...we've read it a time or two.<br />
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Anywho... I had heard about Namhae Island because they curiously host an Oktoberfest in a German village on the island. Huh? A German village in South Korea sounded too quirky to miss. Using google translate I managed to find an Airbnb that appeared to meet all our needs. The listing described it as a "pension" with waterfront views, just a quick drive to the German village, and the perfect home-base for exploring the rest of Namhae. Plus it specified a real bed not a floor mat which this very pregnant mama was not about. I wasn't entirely sure what was meant by "pension" but have decided it's like a mix between Bed and Breakfast (without the breakfast), a condo and a hostel.<br />
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We left Friday afternoon and on our way down we stopped in Jinju to check out their annual Lantern Festival along the Namgang River. The festival is in honor of the lantern lighting custom used to warn and prevent a Japanese invasion back in 1592. Giant lantern displays float up and down the river and line the banks. Floating bridges are erected to cross from side to side, there are tons of food stalls and vendors selling kits to make your own lantern wishes.<br />
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Obviously since we arrived in the late afternoon the lanterns weren't lit up yet but the displays were impressive nonetheless. Since we had our stroller with us we weren't able to easily get down to the riverside walkways but we were able to enter the Jinjuseong Fortress set up high overlooking the river and full of its unique scenes and characters. The fortress was open for free during the festival (at least at the time we arrived, not sure if there is a fee to enter the festival once nighttime arrives) and we were happy to discover a lush and peaceful oasis in the middle of this bustling city. The battlements were shaded with trees just beginning to show the hint of fall and lined with lantern archers and soldiers, tigers and other animals, Korean folk scenes and of course Baby Shark characters... </div>
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I would have loved to see it once the sun set but we decided to get out before it got more congested and continue making our way South to Namhae Island. We crossed the bridge onto the island and then fully dependent on our gps made our way to the German village in search of dinner and a gander at what Oktoberfest translates to in South Korea.<br />
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There is a historical reason for the existence of a German town in this least likely location. In the 60's and 70's South Korea sent thousands of workers (mainly nurses and miners) to Germany in exchange for funds. The homes and village were built to honor and reward the workers who returned to home to South Korea. It's a quaint little part of the island with fantastic seaside views. We parked and began winding our way up the hilly streets following the sounds of KPop to where the main Oktoberfest festivities seemed to be taking place. Once there we grabbed a bite to eat from a couple different food stalls and then made our way back down and finally on to our Airbnb.</div>
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Since we arrived after dark we got to take in the full view from our pension's little porch in the morning. Tommy excitedly explored the shared deck which had a converted school bus where at some point during the day you can fix yourself a cup of coffee. (Just not in the morning. For some reason it seems this country prefers to drink its coffee towards the end of day.)<br />
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We then got back in the car and set off on a little scenic coastal drive winding our way around the island until we came to Sangju Silver Sands Beach. Tommy promptly fell flat on his bottom soaking his shorts but happily buried his toys in the sand, splashed in the surf, and kept a close eye on a little crab. We had pretty much the whole beach to ourselves for a good chunk of the morning and enjoyed the sunshine and salty air.</div>
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Since we hadn't really brought the gear for a full beach day we determined to find a good seafood restaurant for lunch near the ocean. Much easier said than done. There were dozens of restaurants tucked along the streets near the beach but none appeared to be open at noon on a Saturday except for one that was full of Korean woman who were apparently having a private luncheon which we discovered after the owner waved us out. This is is maybe one of the strangest parts of living here. Shops and restaurants just do not keep predictable hours, you cannot expect a coffee shop to be open before 9AM or a restaurant to serve lunch at lunchtime. And even if you find a place open one day there's no guarantee it will be open at the same time the next day. Oh well... we are learning to roll with it. </div>
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We drove back towards our Airbnb and pulled in to a parking lot where we could see actual people eating inside the restaurant. Of course this restaurant had zero English which is fine, but also zero pictures to point at so we pointed at another table's spread and after some more gesturing we were brought lunch some sort bulgogi bbq with vegetables that we grilled at the table. We left full and satisfied that we successfully managed to feed ourselves and our toddler, no small feat here. </div>
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Tommy took his afternoon nap and T.J. and I also rested since trying to navigate and communicate and eat in a foreign country is sometimes just plain exhausting. Later in the day we headed back into the German village to explore some more and grab dinner. The village is situated up high overlooking the ports and many of the cafes and restaurants have wide open air patios for enjoying the views like we did. We had an easier time getting dinner than we did lunch that day as I can read German a lot better than I can read Hangul. Plus, T.J. was pleased that Ayinger beer is the same in any language.<br />
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Although the German village and the island's seascapes attract tourists (both Korean and Westerners) I can count the number of foreigners I saw the entire weekend on one hand. The farther we venture from Seoul (and the Army base) the more we stand out and the farther from anything familiar we feel. It can be awkward, uncomfortable, humbling, and daunting but at the same time I am reminded what a privilege it is to see a piece of South Korea and a piece of the world, that I never even knew existed and that few have the chance to experience. Namhae Island, while quirky in its charm, was a fun little getaway for our last adventure without baby brother in tow.<br />
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<i>***<a href="https://youtu.be/suW1LesPbL8">Check out my youtube video for more of our fall weekend adventure! </a></i></div>
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<i>***<a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/37769028?source_impression_id=p3_1571037277_17UOGerZJIDSrc6%2F">Here's a link to our Airbnb</a> which I would highly recommend, though I would also recommend you bring your own bath towels so you're not drying off with the provided hand towels like we were</i>...<i> and if you are new to Airbnb <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/c/shannonm96?currency=USD">sign up using this link</a> and you can get a credit towards your first stay.</i></div>
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-37821165421876347472019-09-25T03:38:00.002-04:002019-09-25T03:38:11.915-04:00and the third trimester slips byOh sweet baby boy. Somehow this pregnancy has slipped by while we were settling in and unpacking boxes and now I'm 34 weeks we are so very close to meeting you! You wiggle and squirm and kick and roll doing your best, I suspect, to make sure we don't forget you're right here with us in the thick of it. You don't have monthly updates, or a picture of your mommy each week next to the appropriate sized fruit like your big brother but I promise your arrival is no less eagerly anticipated. Clothes still need to be washed, freezer meals need to be made, and a hospital bag needs to be packed but even though my to-do list is growing I feel so much more relaxed going in to this birth. I'm not worried about whether I'll know what you need, how to feed you or bathe you, silly little things I fretted over during my first pregnancy. I know that, just like with Tommy, you'll teach me and I will learn how to be your mama. Your cues, your cries, your expressions, will become a part of me like your hiccups and fluttery kicks have been a part of me these past nine months.<br />
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You'll be sleeping in our room for the first little bit of your life but my dream is for you to share a room with your big brother. Setting up this shared brother room when we moved in to our new apartment definitely brought out the water works in this nesting mama. It makes my heart soar to imagine my <b><i>two </i></b>little boys sleeping in there together, chattering as they fall asleep, and probably keeping each other up some nights.<br />
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I try to picture what our days will look like with you alongside and I'm trying not to wonder or worry too much about how I'll manage nap times and leaving the house and instead just picture sweet mornings with you laying beside us on the floor, all herky-jerky like newborns do, as we read books and play with trains and I can just see Tommy piling up his favorite books beside you and telling you the names of all the trains, not quite understanding why you're not bigger so you can play with him. While there won't be the quiet endless days of nursing-napping-nursing and laying in bed cuddling until 11 and binge watching Gilmore Girls (probably more likely to be Thomas and Friends) I have a feeling these newborn days will be just as sweet the second time around.<br />
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Here's where things stand with our little fella #2:<br />
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<b><i>How Far Along:</i></b> nearly 35 weeks<br />
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<b><i>Size of baby boy:</i></b> a head of cabbage. Yep that sounds about right. I definitely have that "smuggling a big ol' cabbage under my shirt" look about me. I simply can't imagine how I will possibly get bigger in the last few weeks.<br />
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<b><i>Weight Gain:</i></b> We don't have a scale in the house and at my appointment at the Korean hospital my weight was in kilograms so it went in one ear and out the other but I'd estimate close to 20lbs since I was up 17lbs around 30 weeks. I'll try to pay better attention at my next appointment.<br />
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<b><i>Gender: </i></b>BOY. And I think we've mostly settled on a name but won't be sharing until he's born. We told Tommy though but I don't think I have to worry about him spilling the beans no matter how much our family may press him.<br />
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<b><i>Cravings:</i></b> Sandwiches. Unfortunately there is no Publix or Jimmy John's here so I've settled with buying the fixings myself (including lots of pickles and banana peppers please). Also the usual, bbq chips and lemonade, which are my constant pregnancy craving both times!<br />
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<b><i>Symptoms:</i></b> I've had a pretty easy pregnancy so I can't complain... much. But around my bra line and rib cage I am really sooooo sore and achy. It feels like a combination of nerve pain, stretching and just that my torso is quite small and quite out of room. I remember having this a bit during my pregnancy with Tommy but it seems so much more pronounced this time, however as we round the final bend I've accepted that these aches and pains are probably here to stay until the little guy arrives.<br />
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<b><i>Looking forward to:</i></b> You mean aside from the obvious - holding a teeny tiny wrinkly newborn boy in my arms again and smelling the top of his head and kissing his perfect little face?? Watching his daddy hold another son and then getting to introduce him to his big brother?? Not much can top that!<br />
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I go back for my next appointment at the end of the month and they are going to do another ultrasound and getting to see baby boy is always a treat. I had an ultrasound at 32 weeks as well to follow up on baby's kidneys (all perfectly normal) and they noted that baby boy seemed to be measuring ahead which is why they want to peak at him again in case my due date needs adjusting again. If you recall... at my very first appointment they moved my due date back from October 22nd to November 2nd. My guess is he'll come sometime between the two but whenever he decides to come, I'm just hoping that I go in to labor on my own like I did with Tommy.<br />
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Even though I know how this all works and I know more or less what to expect this time around there's still so little control in my hands, a true surrender to my body, my baby, and the Lord's timing. It's amazing and exciting anticipating the day I will wake up and it will be the Big Day, go time. It's like being a kid again waiting for Christmas, without actually knowing when Christmas will come. </div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-21915382092247970342019-09-03T08:52:00.004-04:002020-05-27T03:31:24.841-04:00Our Weekend in Seoul This Labor Day Weekend T.J. was on call at the hospital in Seoul but we decided to take our chances and book a hotel room for all of us to stay up there for a couple nights. We found a suite at the Aloft hotel in the Myeongdong area of the city, which we picked mostly because of it's location and partly because they had on-site parking! Booking a hotel in a city you're still verrry unfamiliar with is a bit of a gamble but this one paid off. It was the perfect home base for us to get out an explore, close to a metro, plus smack dab in the middle of innumerable shops, late night street markets and more restaurants than you could eat at in a lifetime.<br />
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We decided to get a later start with the hopes that Tommy would nap in the car and be rested by the time we arrived at our hotel, ready to go once we got checked in. Needless to say that never works and Tommy didn't nap plus he managed to spill (on purpose) his entire water bottle all over himself so he arrived at the hotel shirtless and not exactly rested. Still, we dropped our bags and then headed out to see Namsan Seoul Tower which was a convenient walk from our hotel. <br />
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We took the inclined elevator up to the cable car and bought our tickets however just before we were about to get in the queue for the cable car, T.J. got a call and after a little back and forth we headed back down the elevator and then he headed to work leaving Tommy and I to figure out a plan B. I'll admit that initially I didn't handle the change in plans all that well as I was <strike>pregnant and hormonal</strike> disappointed and slightly overwhelmed being dropped off in the middle of Seoul on my own. But we rallied and cheered ourselves up with mandu, several yummy things on sticks, and of course a 32cm ice cream cone!<br />
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T.J. had to work for a bit longer in the morning so Tommy and I decided to try our luck again at Seoul Tower and this time we succeeded! Going first thing in the morning also meant that it was much less crowded when we arrived and we were able to get right on the cable car. At the top we were greeted with panoramic views of the city plus a rainbow of colorful love locks lining every available surface.<br />
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I decided not to purchase the lift tickets to take us further to the top of tower and just let Tommy run around the base which had plenty to see plus several cafes where I treated us to a churro before we headed back down. We headed back towards our hotel and picked up lunch to go from Paris Baguette to take back to T.J. Tommy went down for a nap and mom and dad crashed too. Once we were all rested we dithered for a bit on what to do with the rest of the day before deciding to trek over to Gyeongbokung Palace. This had my initial plan for earlier in the day as I wanted us to be able to see the changing of the guard (which takes place at 10am and 2pm) but going later in the afternoon still sounded like a fun idea!<br />
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We found the metro, not the one we thought we were getting on at but still in the right direction, and after buying a new T-money (metro card) for myself since I'd left mine back in the hotel, and a quick line transfer, we came above ground at the palace. Unfortunately our little delays and misreading the details online meant we arrived 10 minutes after the last entrance (it changed on September 1, the day we visited, from 5:30pm to 5:00pm). I had to just laugh and shrug my shoulders at this point since it was very in keeping with the theme of the weekend. We wandered around for a little bit at the main entrance gate and then hopped back on the metro in search of dinner, as yummy food seems to always compensate for the best laid plans.<br />
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We successfully found our destination, Gangnam Myeonok, tucked down a side street and up on the 5th floor, and were shown to a table right away. We ordered galbi jjim (the small size is enough for 2 people to share) and dumplings. Soup and kimchi arrived first followed by our steaming bowl of fall-off-the-bone braised short ribs and we happily tucked in.<br />
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After dinner we wandered around the bustling Myeongdong roads which fill up with even more people and vendors the later it gets. It's such a fun scene and I definitely need to go back and do some shopping! We grabbed more ice cream and a yummy hotteok (korean donut thing filled with some sort of brown sugar type goodness) and Tommy charmed every little girl he passed.<br />
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The next day we were determined to see Gyeongbokgung Palace! We grabbed a quick (but delicious) breakfast at an adorable cafe. That is one of my favorite things about South Korea so far- the sheer number of delicious and unique cafes with different styles, themes, creative and beautiful desserts and drinks! They may turn me into a "coffee drinker" yet! <br />
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Filled up on pastry, we hustled to the metro, this time knowing exactly what we needed to do. Of course that didn't stop me from accidentally getting on the metro as the doors were closing leaving T.J. and Tommy waiting on the platform for the next train. Oops. We reconnected at our destination and arrived at the perfect time to see the changing of the guard which takes place twice a day at 10am and 2pm inside the Ganghwamun gate. We bought entrance tickets (only ₩3,000 each) and got a good spot to watch. </div>
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The palace is MASSIVE which was sort of unexpected since it's smack dab in the middle of this bustling mega city. It's surrounded by modern towers but in the distance you can also see beautiful soaring mountains. We seriously underestimated how much time we'd need to properly take in all the palace grounds. I definitely plan to go back and set aside more time to explore and also try to hop on one of the free English tours. Even in our quick breeze through, it was impressive to take in. </div>
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I've realized that I made a small mistake when planning this little weekend and forgot to check my expectations before we headed out. I had this picture perfect plan in my head of what we'd try to do each day- a list of 1-2 big things to check off each day, plus some recommendations for restaurants to check out and foods to not miss. Of course, I should know by now, married to someone with an unpredictable job, with a two year, navigating a foreign city, not to get too attached to any plans.... I just need to let the weekends unfold as they need to and enjoy every sweet moment wrapped up in the unexpected ones. Plans or no plans it was a fun weekend exploring more of this city that I'm quickly falling in love with!<br />
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<i>**If you want to see more of our weekend in Seoul check out <a href="https://youtu.be/pwRZnfo-B5U">my youtube video here</a>!</i>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-26955742171927877512019-08-23T10:46:00.002-04:002020-05-27T03:31:24.848-04:00Gakwonsa TempleOn Friday we decided to break out of our bubble and drive further than the distance from our apartment to the army base. Driving in South Korea so far has been exactly like I was <strike>warned</strike> told it would be. Let's just use the word "interesting" and leave it at that. But even though the public transportation system is excellent sometimes, especially with a toddler, having your own car and being on your own timetable is easier than figuring out buses, trains, and taxis. We plugged in our destination to Waze and headed out onto the open road feeling pretty confident we could manage a short 30 minute ride. Well that 30 minutes turned into about an hour with three unexpected trips through tolls and several u-turns but we finally reached Gakwonsa Temple.<br />
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This buddhist temple is tucked into the green hills outside Cheonan and was such a pretty escape. We pulled up to a nearly empty parking lot and took in our first look at the stunning temple grounds. Gakwonsa is an active temple which means it's not simply a tourist destination but the actual home of monks and a place of worship, and meditation for buddhist practitioners. It also means that it is open early to visitors (4am-6pm are the hours I could find online), which we appreciated because so far we've noticed that many places in South Korea tend to open later in the day and we prefer to get up and go so we can get back before nap time.<br />
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This temple was enshrined in 1977 to pray for the reunification of South and North Korea. We know little to none about Buddhism so we hesitantly approached the first structure, not wanting to disturb anyone or be disrespectful of their sacred space. Of course, with Tommy, quiet respect is not exactly a concept he understands and he's definitely not temple ready. Visitors are welcome to enter the temples as long as they remove their shoes. In the main temple you could see two large golden Buddhas that were stunning and would have been interesting to see closer up but we satisfied ourselves with peering in from a distance instead since there were people gathered to meditate, chant and pray, not just snoop around and snap photos.<br />
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We then climbed up another set of stairs and the trees opened up to reveal a large space centered around a huge bronze buddha. It used to be the largest in South Korea and, though it is now the third largest, it's still striking. Tommy pointed and exclaimed "big people!!" when he saw the statue before quickly running on to see the colorful paper lanterns strung up around the base.<br />
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All of the signs and descriptions at the temple were in hangul but with a little help from google translate, it is my understanding that the buddha's open palms displayed in this statue symbolize that all are are welcome here and his long ear lobes are meant to show that he is listening to to the world. </div>
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Had it been less muggy and had there been less mosquitos we might have explored some of the wooded trails that lead higher into the hills. We decided instead to add this to our list of places to return to when family visits in the fall and the leaves are changing, or in the spring when the flowers are blossoming. I've also heard it's especially beautiful all done up for buddha's birthday sometime in May. While we probably need to read up on the history of buddhism to better understand all the symbolism and practices we noticed, I consider our first experience at a buddhist temple a peaceful morning away from the hustle and bustle. </div>
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**Check out my youtube video from our morning at Gakwonsa temple <a href="https://youtu.be/laL387TwT7E"><b><i>here</i></b></a>. </div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-81135536341262477752019-08-03T09:05:00.001-04:002020-05-27T03:31:24.851-04:00First Trip to Seoul and the Gwangjang MarketI think maybe I had gotten a bit too comfortable in my life back in the States because when T.J. said "let's go up to Seoul tomorrow," I was daunted. I'd like to blame it all on Tommy and say all my hesitations were because we have a toddler along for the ride but... honestly I think somewhere in my growing up I've lost a bit of the adventurous spirit that I'd found and cultivated back in high school, my first experience living overseas as an expat. All the unknowns, the unfamiliar transportation system, the language barrier, the crowds, I was nervous.<br />
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We've been in South Korea a little over a week but we haven't had much time to venture off the Army base. Still we decided not to be too ambitious with our plans. We picked just one thing off our extensive Seoul bucket list to attempt on our first foray into the city. The night before we booked our train tickets online, we loaded won on to our shiny new metro cards, and we planned out our route. It required a quick taxi ride to the train station, a 45 minute ride to Yongsan station, transferring to the metro and going a further 6 stops to Jongno 5(o)-ga, the closest station to Gwangjang Market.<br />
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<a href="http://english.visitseoul.net/shopping/Gwangjang-Market_/287">Gwangjang Market</a> is one of the oldest traditional markets in Seoul and is known for its countless vendors exclaiming for you to buy their kimchi or grab a seat at their stall for a bite to eat- and that's just the food vendors- we didn't even venture upstairs to see all the silk and textile stalls or where they can make custom Hanbok. It's like the Pikes Place market on steroids x 1000000. And did I mention it was also ten million degrees...?? Literally on the train ride up we got one of those iPhone "emergency alert" notices. Of course ours showed up in hangul characters but a quick screen shot uploaded to Google translate declared it was an extreme heat advisory. I thought maybe we'd be those dumb tourists going to this crowded, un-airconditioned market in the dead heat of summer when the locals know to stay away but it was packed with Korean nationals, students, families, people on their lunch break, all shopping or settling down for a quick meal.<br />
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We got to the market a little bit before we were ready for lunch, which gave us time to wander around cluelessly taking in all the sights and smells. It's a bit disorienting and overwhelming navigating the narrow halls and weaving between the stalls (especially when you're on the verge of a heat stroke and wrangling a 2 year old who wants to run ahead). First we grabbed our wild boy a fresh watermelon juice blended with ice. It was the perfect treat to cool him off and also distract him for a few minutes while we narrowed down what foods we were craving.<br />
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Then we found an empty bench at a <i>bindaettok</i> stall and after only a little pointing we were given a huge plate of the yummy fried mung bean pancakes and some chopsticks and we went to town! It was a huge portion but the three of us cleaned the plate before we moved on to the next item on our menu.<br />
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We crossed the aisle and plopped down at another booth where we were eyeing a few classic dishes we'd been told were must-trys. More gesturing and pointing, do we like spicy or no, okay sure, and not entirely sure what we just ordered we were handed an enormous plate of <i>tteokbokki</i> (spicy soft rice cakes) and gimbap (kind of like a Korean version of sushi), and another plate of <i>japchae</i> (glass noodles). A third plate of steaming <i>mandu</i> (pork and kimchi dumplings) soon followed and T.J. and I both looked at each other and asked: is this what we ordered and did we mean to order this much, and will we have enough won?? Luckily we were able to bag up what we couldn't finish and incredibly only spent ₩23 (barely $20) the entire time we were at the market.<br />
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We wandered around a bit longer and located the now famous food stall that sells hand-cut noodles featured on the Netflix documentary series "Street Food." We made plans to come back and try it when the weather was cooler, although the heat didn't seem to stop anyone else from ordering big bowls of soup.<br />
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We had booked our return train tickets for a little later in the afternoon, not knowing how long we'd need or how adventurous we might be feeling. I had heard of the <a href="https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=897540">Cheonggyecheon Stream</a> just outside one of the market gates so we made our way there and gravitated towards the first shade we could find. I think in other circumstances it would have been the perfect place to walk off our lunch and I definitely want to try to go back in the fall when it's all stung up for the national Korean Lantern festival but we had hit our limit with the heat for the day and knew it was time to start making our way home.<br />
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Nap time was not totally sacrificed in the name of adventure and Tommy went right to sleep once we got back to our hotel and T.J. and I also crashed on the couch after cool showers. Even though we were hot and sweaty messes I feel so proud and excited about our first trip to Seoul, that we managed it without getting lost and without any major meltdowns (on the part of Tommy or myself). I feel more confident about getting out on my own, going to new restaurants, new grocery stores, finding new places that will slowly start to feel like ours.<br /><br />I think I needed this first excursion, just like I needed this big move across the world to remind me that I'm brave and that I can do hard things! We're all slowly coming out of that thick fog you're wrapped in when you land in a foreign country and I think we're doing pretty good over here.<br />
<br /><i>**And if you want to see a bit more of our day at Gwangjang Market check out <b><a href="https://youtu.be/f485bKNr330">my youtube video here</a>!</b></i>Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-34161221982473008872019-07-26T17:51:00.002-04:002019-07-26T17:51:15.268-04:00to my terribly wonderful two year oldTommy you are two years old and life with you is anything but terrible. How has it been two years since you can into my life and made me a mother? How can so much life, and so many sweet, precious, irreplaceable memories be squeezed into just two years? We made sure to celebrate big with balloons and Thomas the train and corn on the cob and family (a few of your most favorite things) before leaving town. And even though today will probably be spent house hunting I couldn't let this favorite precious day go by without notice.<br />
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Sweet Tommy you are true joy and you brighten everyone's day with your full-on eyes closed cheesy smile or your enthusiastic "Hi!" and "See ya!" that you shout to everyone. Your first words when you get up in the morning, as your tripping around the crib in your sleepsack, are usually some combination of "ball," "Daddy," or "Hun-we" or, especially lately "suitcase!" You seem to have some sort of word quota you think you need to meet each day, and there are few silent moments in our house that aren't filled with your chatter (usually about balls, or trains, or something to eat, or balls) and I love our little conversations. <br />
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I love how you want to lay on the "pill-wo" with me before bed and then you start listing every single thing or person you saw or did or touched that day. You call me "Bobby," which sounds like Mommy only slightly British and like you have a cold, and it's hard to turn down any of your demands when they start out that adorable. I am not prepared for the day Bobby becomes Mommy.<br />
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You are the most adaptable little guy I know. It makes me so happy to see you so comfortable in yourself, and your place in our family, that you are able to face so many huge changes better than many adults would (even better than your dad and I have at times). In the past two months alone you've left behind your first true home, spent weeks and weeks not sleeping in your own bed, and you've flown across the world like it was no big deal.<br />
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You have a sweet and feisty little spirit. You are so stubbornly independent, running here and there with such purpose like you know exactly where you're going, thank you very much! And when you wipe out or fall and then immediately shout "Okay!" it sometimes tricks me into thinking you're older than you actually are. Of course other times you come running full speed at my legs wanting to be picked up and you lay your head on my shoulder with your thumb in your mouth and I have my baby again. I am so excited to see you become a big brother. I doubt you really understand what it all means but the way you lay on my belly and say over and over "hi baby hi baby hi baby hi baby" makes my heart swell picturing you with your little brother. I hope and pray you two will be best friends for your whole lives.<br />
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You've gotten really proficient at screaming NO! even when no one did, said or asked you anything, but then are (usually) quick to correct to "no tank you." I see such a tender heart in you, especially at meal times when you throw out your hands to either side and shout "Grace!" and then finish with a hands-raised-halelujah-Amen! I hope you always have as much passion and move through your life with as much purpose as you do now. <br />
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These two years are hands down the best years of my life. Not being your mom, not knowing you as only your daddy and I will ever know you, is simply inconceivable. I am so excited for all the adventures we're going to have with you in this next year and watching you settle back in to our new normal here in Korea (or Key-ah as you say). Tommy, you are my little buddy and I love you endlessly.</div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-64150715631635047742019-07-02T08:00:00.000-04:002019-07-02T08:00:12.187-04:00summer breakBack in June, the movers came and packed off all our stuff, our household goods and my car are on a boat on their way around the world, T.J. and I handed over the keys to our first home to the new owners, graduation ceremonies were celebrated, and then we loaded up and said goodbye to Washington. T.J. drove his pick-up truck and our dog the 2,700 miles and Tommy and I flew on ahead of him. We reunited in South Carolina where I now find myself with an actual summer vacation- an entire month and half "off" before we fly to South Korea. With the exception of a busy toddler afoot, it almost feels like those long ago childhood summers that were wide open and fancy free.<br />
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<i>Final Ortho Residency Banquet</i></div>
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<i>Hospital Graduation Ceremony</i></div>
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<i>We're gonna miss seeing Mt.Rainier out in our neighborhood!</i></div>
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It's pretty amazing how getting rid of our house, and all the responsibilities that went along with it, really lifted a ton of weight off my shoulders. No floors to clean, no fridge to fill, no grass to cut, no errands to run, no mortgage, no bills. I feel like a kid at home again. On top of that, my massive to-do list that seemingly had no end before we left Washington, has "magically" shrunk (aka the days before we left were pure CHAOS) to just 4 little reminders. We've somehow managed to take care of everything we needed to take care of before our imminent departure. So now we rest, relax, soak up all the family time, and wait to leave on our big grand adventure.</div>
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It has been quite the treat being back in South Carolina for such a long visit, and our families have completely spoiled us- it's going to be an adjustment once we get to Korea and I don't have as many eager hands around to entertain Tommy. T.J. still has to study and take his boards next week, but we've managed to squeeze in a lot of fun together, some porch sitting and boat rides during his study breaks. And we're definitely taking advantage of the surplus of babysitters around for a couple of solid date nights while we still can!<br />
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Tommy has been an absolute trooper, he has amazed me with how well he has adapted to all the changes (let's hope that continues since the changes are only just beginning). He has be-bopped from hotel to pack 'n'play, from one grandparent's house to the other since the beginning of June. I don't know what all he understands or thinks is going on these days. And while I'm sure it's quite confusing for him, he's rolling with it and loving his summertime in the South. <br />
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Swimming in the lake, jumping off the dock, blueberry picking, his sweet little voice saying "shoo bee," fishing with PawPaw, collecting eggs with Papa Tom, checking on all the farm animals, eating lots of watermelon, and of course making sure every relative gets a chance to play ball with him over and over and over again. I love that he gets to give everyone a big hug, squeeze, kiss before heading to bed, and that he's so excited to see them again when he gets up in the morning. And I know just how precious this extended time with their grandson/nephew is for our families. </div>
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So that's what summer looks like for the next few weeks. Lots of sunscreen and puddle jumpers, popsicles and corn on the cob, iced coffee on the screened in porch, staying up late talking with my family, listening to cicadas, and filling up on all the goodness of home <i>here</i> before we set up our new home<i> over there</i>. </div>
Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-17409756073790641112019-05-13T18:00:00.000-04:002019-05-13T18:00:50.186-04:00A Sweet Second Babe is on the Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
15 weeks and it’s about time for my first bump picture and a first blog post for this sweet second babe. This pregnancy has felt, physically, very similar to my first. I never got sick, just a little queasy in the morning before I'd eat, other than that I was just extra extra tired. Pretty much how my first trimester went with Tommy and yet it’s completely different in every other way. I’m less worried about every twinge, I haven’t been anxiously checking my pregnancy app every day, I accidentally ate lunch meat the other week without microwaving it first- and I didn't freak out. And if it wasn’t for my growing belly I'd probably kinda sorta forget (for just a second) that I’m pregnant.</div>
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<i>Maybe it has something to do with a busy toddler and an overseas move already occupying most of my brain space?<br /></i>I feel a bit guilty for not savoring every minute of carrying this new life- because what a privilege and joy- but I also think it’s just how this baby is going to be. He or she is coming into our family in a wild time, multiplying our excitement, and baby is just going to have to be along for the ride and ready to go with the flow. I’m less scared than I thought I would be, wondering how I’ll manage everything with two littles in tow. Leaving the house, mealtimes, bedtimes, all in a corner of the world far away from everyone and everything familiar... I just let the (many) questions come and then I set them down. They’re still there in the back of my mind but I’m trying to keep it light, to not deep-dive into the logistics of it all and dwell, obsess, fret because I know I’ll figure all those things out just like I did with Tommy.<br /><br />Before we knew for sure we were moving to Korea, I had this clear vision in my head. I’m standing in the middle of a crowded street, holding Tommy’s hand and wearing a babe in a sling while all around us is the hustle and bustle of our new foreign home. <i>And I have a huge smile!</i> It's been such a reassuring image to hold in my head as we head off into the unknown. God knows exactly who our family needs and He has chosen us to be our babies’ parents. This little one is meant to be a part of this adventure, in this season! And I CANNOT wait to meet our sweet new baby. </div>
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-----<br />Now I doubt I'll manage to keep up monthly pregnancy updates but I figured this baby at least deserved a solid first attempt.<br /><i style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Size of Baby: </i>An avocado. I feel like I definitely popped A LOT sooner than with Tommy which is fun since I'd prefer to look properly pregnant than like I ate too much for lunch. I've been wearing maternity jeans since around 9 weeks...partly out of necessity partly out of my love for that elastic band.<br />
<br /><b><i>Gender: </i></b>We don't know yet but we find out soon!! Our anatomy scan is the second week of June at which point we'll be living out of suitcases in an empty house and it's at 8 in the morning so I'm not sure what we'll do with Tommy for the appointment..... but I'm so excited to get to stare at our baby moving and grooving for an entire hour! It will be a moment of calm, and time to focus only on this little avocado in the middle of all the chaos.<br /><br />
<b><i>Cravings:</i></b> Salty and spicy food. I'm really thinking this move to South Korea is fortuitous because I could totally go for a bowl of hot spicy hand cut noodles. <br /><br /><b><i>Symptoms: </i></b>Not really. Though I do miss sleeping on my belly and I've already started waking up in the middle of the night to visit the loo.<br />
<br /><b><i>Favorite moment so far:</i></b> I've got Tommy trained so that when I point to my stomach and ask "what's inside Mommy's belly?" he says "baby!" I know he has zero idea what that actually means but I like that the idea has been planted.<br />
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<b><i>Looking forward to:</i></b> Feeling those first flutters and kicks! Hands down that is my absolute favorite part of being pregnant. And this time around I think it will be especially neat when Tommy can feel my belly move. Mostly I can't wait to see if Tommy will have a baby brother or sister. My heart soars when I think about that sweet relationship, the best friend I'm growing for him.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-67356180787436755372019-05-02T16:26:00.003-04:002019-07-07T15:25:40.688-04:00Back with a Bang and a Big AnnouncementIt's been a while and there a several huge things to catch you up on so let's just cut right to the chase.<br />
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We're moving to South Korea! <br />
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But wait... there's more... <br />
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We thought that moving to the literal other side of the world wasn't quite enough excitement for our family so we decided to add a little bit more... a new little baby!!<br />
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Did you get all that? We're moving and growing in a big way. And we are so very excited and overwhelmed and ready for this huge new crazy wild adventure.<br />
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Believe it our not South Korea was our first choice but even still, breaking the news to our family was much harder this time around than when we moved to Washington. And finding out we were expecting Baby #2 soon after we arrive at our new home I'm sure added to their concerns and multiplied how hard the distance will be. They're all so very supportive and planning future visits but definitely wishing South Korea was just a teeny bit closer to South Carolina. We've actually known about the move since the end of January but in true Army fashion there's been a lot of hurry up and wait and wait and wait some more. However, it seems like things are finally picking up speed. We've sold our house, we have physical orders in hand, movers are scheduled, Tommy has an adorable passport picture, the new baby's anatomy scan is booked, so we felt it was time to share the news.<br />
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We move <i>(around)</i> the end of July and Baby #2 is due<i> (around) </i>the end of October. And that's about all we know at this point. It's been a huge exercise in patience and trust. Trust that the Army moves people to South Korea all the time and so surely they know what they're doing (right), and trust that the ever expanding to-do list will be completed, some way some how, by the time we board our one-way flight to South Korea.<br />
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But most importantly I am trusting that the Lord goes before us and prepares our way and He will be with us on that 14 hour flight with our 2 year old, and He will be with us in the Korean hospital when baby brother or sister is born and, He will be with our little family as we travel and explore and grow and settle and put down temporary roots in a new home and are inevitably changed in unimaginable ways.Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-47893451111009490502019-02-04T17:27:00.002-05:002019-02-04T17:27:58.449-05:0018 Months with TommyTommy is now 18 months old. Does that make him officially a toddler or is he still allowed to be my baby? I see pictures of him from this time last year and cannot believe how much he's grown and changed in that short time. He is amazing, he is wonderful, he is my favorite little person in the world. He is wild and loud and rough and rambunctious. He is sweet and snuggly, feisty and funny!<br />
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I thought I’d do a little update like I used to do monthly just to have a record of all the Tommy-isms from this season of life. I know I’ll be so glad I did this whenever Tommy has a sibling and I’m trying to remember what to expect for this fun and hilarious season. Plus I never want to forget how he squeezes his eyes closed tight when he's really happy, or how he twiddles his fingers and raises his fist above his head when he hears itsy bitsy spider.<br />
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<b><i>Weight:</i></b> 26lbs. Of course after the 100zillionth “up” of the day he feels more like 50lbs but for some reason I don’t seem to be getting any stronger lifting all this dead weight, just more achy.<br />
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<b><i>Height: </i></b>32.2 inches (he’s now more than half my height....)<br />
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<b><i>Clothing size:</i></b> 18-24 months, some 2T<br />
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<b><i>Diaper size:</i></b> 5 but only in Pampers Pure. Just a little PSA that not all diaper sizes are the same even in the same brand. I accidentally let myself run out of diapers (again) and had to quickly pick up the only pack available which was Pampers Baby Dry in size 5 and he woke up soaked through! And so I held one up next to the Pampers Pure and the Baby Dry was soooo much smaller even though they claim to be for the same weight range.<br />
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<b><i>Milestones:</i></b> I truly think he understands everything I say. It’s incredible to see him learn and definitely makes me more and more mindful of how I speak in front of him. He follows directions so well (when it pleases him) and he now says quite a few words of his own: Mama, Dada, up, ball, football, touch down, good throw (he is his father's son), all done, sit down, light, hot, please, thank you, Alexa (luckily she doesn’t respond to his particular pronunciation...). He is also getting better and communicating what he wants by pointing and getting very excitable and also sometimes by screaming, He makes lots of adorable animal sounds, my favorite being his loud and exaggerated BAAAAA for sheep.<br />
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His skills with a spoon and fork are also really coming along which means I might get to just feed myself at mealtimes soon. He also has 8 teeth with 4 more big ones trying to work their way through. He can now climb up onto our kitchen chairs and loves to sit there like a big boy. Climbing in general is a favorite past-time and just one of the fun ways he keeps me on my toes.<br />
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<b><i>Eating:</i></b> Our last time nursing was on December 10th and while I had to pump for a little bit longer after that date, we are (both) fully weaned. And while he occasionally still sticks his hand down my shirt it was a very easy transition for him (emphasis on "for him" I'm still not over it). He now gets whole milk in a sippy cup, ideally at breakfast lunch and dinner, though he sometimes takes his time with it casually throughout the day along with water. Now that he has more teeth he pretty much eats what we eat. For breakfast he either has a frozen waffle with peanut butter, or oatmeal, or whatever cereal I’m eating that looks more interesting to him and fruit. For lunch we do a lot of pb&j’s, grilled cheese, yogurt, sliced turkey and cheese, pita with hummus, and of course more fruit. He LOVES fruit and I often catch him trying to tear his way into a clementine with the peel still on. For dinner boy loves his meat so if we’re having chicken or pulled pork, meatballs, you name it, he is all about it! He also loves mac n cheese, cottage cheese, potatoes, beans. I've had a bit of a harder time getting him excited about any vegetables so I also give him pouches with more greens from time to time and hide shredded zucchini and carrots in these chicken meatballs I make pretty much weekly.<br />
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<b><i>Sleeping:</i></b> Tommy is still a great little sleeper. He gets up around 7:30am and then goes down for a 3 hour nap around 12-12:30 and amen and hallelujah for that! He goes down for bed around 7:30pm. Easy peasy. He is still sleeping in his crib and using a sleepsack and he cuddles with his Hudson bear. I was worried that our sleep routine wouldn't be a sweet and snuggly once we stopped nursing but I love our little snuggle time. We read a couple books, sing a couple songs and rock and cuddle while he sucks his thumb.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Favorites: </i>I think his first true favorite that almost goes without saying is his undying love for all the balls. Baseballs, footballs, Hunley's tennis ball, pieces of paper balled up. You name it, he throws it! His favorite books lately are <i>More More More</i> and <i>Are You My Mother, </i>which was an all time favorite of mine when I was a little one so I am happy to read it to him again and again and again and again... He loves to give hugs and cuddles and says "awwwww" every time he leans his head down. He runs full speed, arms flung and throws himself on me or T.J. or Hunley. Two out three appreciate the love, I'll let you guess which one is less than enthused. His favorite toy is the Roomba and now that he's figured out how to turn it on and off himself it has become the background soundtrack of my life and I have to hide it in the garage when he's not looking so Mama doesn't lose her mind. <br />
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He loves grabbing fistfuls of dog food and flinging them about wildly and then immediately sticking his thumb in his mouth. Blech! He is my little helper though and eagerly puts his shoes away on the steps when we come inside from a walk, or he will throw things away in the trash for me while I'm making dinner. Of course he also likes to take things out of the trash hence his nickname "trash panda." He is very interested in other little kids and he happily plays in the church nursery which is thrilling and means I get a little adult time during the week. He thinks Hunley is his best friend.... the feeling is not mutual but Hunley is mostly very patient with him. He loves long walks as long as he has snacks. And he stomps his feet excitedly and runs about when he sees his Daddy getting home from work. He is becoming much more opinionated and dare I say strong-willed. Just when I think he's going to drive me crazy and I'm looking at the clock for bed time, he comes in for a cuddle and melts my heart.<br />
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Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2715892373817702232.post-85784053571465365002019-01-18T17:56:00.002-05:002019-01-19T02:11:19.527-05:00Favorite Books of 2018I set a reading goal of 52 books last year and I was pretty optimistic when I read 9 books in January alone. But alas that was a bit of a fluke and, even though I made a big push during my two kid-free trips to Colorado this year, and pounded out 7 books in December, I finished two books short! I think it had something to do with the fact that Tommy became a little bit more wiggly and distracted during nursing sessions which prevented me from doing any more reading while nursing.<br />
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Regardless, here are some of my very favorite books from this past year that I managed to read in between wrestling my little wild child and sneaking in a few pages at night before my husband passive aggressively pulled a pillow over his head and said "uhhh... so bright..."<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*post contains affiliate links :) </span></i><br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/XctD">Throne of Glass (series)</a> - Sarah J. Maas<br />
If you like fantasy, magic, a badass heroine (or two or three), a world shaking, heart breaking love story... this is for you. The best part is that's it seven books and even then I didn't want it to end.<br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/XcvB">Beartown</a> - Frederik Backman<br />
Dark, sticks with you, gets under your skin, breaks your heart, makes you cry, makes you mad, makes you feel things about being young, about being a mother and a daughter. The extremes we go to, tearing apart our lives, just to break something, just to hurt so we can feel like we're doing something to take away the hurt in our children's lives.<br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/XcwK">Little Fires Everywhere</a> - Celeste Ng<br />
Speaking of mothers and daughters.... oh this was such a complex and devastating story about that most complicated relationship. <i><br /></i><br />
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<i>"To a parent, your child wasn't just a person: your child was a place, a kind of Narnia, a vast eternal place where the present your were living and the past you remembered and the future you longed for all existed at once. It was a place you could take refuge, if you knew how to get in. And each time you left it, each time your child passed out of your sight, you feared you might never be able to return to that place again." </i></div>
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/Xcye">Six of Crows</a> - Leigh Bardugo<br />
A fantastical, magical heist. Oceans Eleven with the same impossible odds and an eclectic crew of capable misfits, but set in a make believe world. <i>"No mourners, no funerals!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/Xcym">Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine</a> - Gail Honeyman<br />
I started this one skeptically and at first thought it was a little weird and not my thing, but because everyone was talking about it, and my mom loved it, I kept reading and it totally softened my heart and was worth all the hype. Eleanor is not annoying, as I initially thought, she is uniquely endearing and unapologetically herself in the face of incredible childhood tragedy. It made my heart hurt for the lonely and also made me think twice about how flippantly we answer "fine" to the question "how are you?"<br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/XcwX">The Shadow of the Wind</a> - Carlos Ruiz Zafon<br />
For book lovers and lovers of book lovers. For anyone who's ever been changed by a really good book. <i><br /></i><br />
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<i><i>"...a book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us...when we read, we do it with all our heart and mind and great readers are becoming more scarce by the day." </i></i></div>
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/Xcw4">Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore</a> - Matthew J. Sullivan<br />
Long live the bookstore!! An unexpected mystery, twisted and connected through hidden clues cut out of the well loved and well worn pages of books.<br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/Xcxd">The Great Alone</a> - Kristin Hannah<br />
What's more dangerous? The unknown wilderness of Alaska or the unknown wilderness inside your own family?<br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/YoBS">A Man Called Ove</a> - Frederick Backmam<br />
Another by this author quickly becoming a favorite of mine. It's totally different from <i>Beartown</i> but equally as wonderful! This title has been out for a bit but I just read it at the end of the year and it was the sweetest feel good way to end the year! Just lifts the spirits and puts a smile on your face!<br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/Xcy8">Educated</a> - Tara Westover<br />
It would be unbelievable if it wasn't a true story. The things children are capable of surviving at the hands of their damaged and damaging parents...<br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/Xczc">My Oxford Year</a> - Julia Whelan<br />
A fun quick read and a sweet little love story set in one of my favorite places in the world. If you liked <i>Me Before You</i>, and especially if you didn't like it because you hated the ending and overall message... this is 100x better.<br />
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<a href="https://shopstyle.it/l/Xcze">Into the Water</a> - Paula Hawkins<br />
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<i>"Some say the women left something of themselves in the water; some say it retains some of their power, for ever since then it has drawn to its shores the unlucky, the desperate, the unhappy, the lost. They come here to swim with their sisters." </i></div>
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I got a kindle for Christmas and I’ve already got a few books checked out from the library on my nightstand. I set the same reading goal for 2019, 52 books, so wish me luck and leave me your best recommendations!Shannonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08454400940146618646noreply@blogger.com3