wonderful sunday...

finished off with dinner at on the border.  this is where we are sitting at the moment....yes, i am at the table with paul typing this blog entry.  i love my new wee laptop.....makes me happy and i can do all sorts of things on the go now since it is small and lightweight.  

ceramics was good today.  got to bring home my two coffee mugs and three elephants.  i worked on glazing my coffee dripper, coffee spoon, and small round dish.  so fun!  i did not start any new projects since i will be not going for a few weeks with the christmas break coming up.  it was good to go and be creative.  

need to be creative more often.......should plan a crafting night at my house......so fun!  i also want to begin reading the artist's way again...........on the to do list for sure.....

saturdays are awesome!!!

this morning i woke up earlier than usual to make brunch for my hubby, paul. i had the grand idea yesterday at the store and thought he would appreciate my efforts. he totally did. i got up and made, from scratch, banana pancakes. it was so fun! i even went all the way to the effort of the presentation on the plate. i sliced up fresh banana, sprinkled them with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and paul's had three whole pecans on top. he loved it. i also made fruit smoothies with mangoes and strawberries with some orange juice, yogurt, and some sprite. they were yummy and paul really liked those too. i poured them in wine glasses for presentation. i also made coffee which sounds simple, but we never make it at home.

he really loved the brunch and thoroughly enjoyed every bite and spoonful. he is worth it. gosh, saturdays are the best.

now i am going to make some cowboy cookies as leslie and i have treats this week for the elementary school. we are once again having a texas themed treat day. since the weather has been quite cold we are making cowboy stew and chili with other odds and ends to go with. should be fun! i had two little friends come over to help me make cookies today, alexandra and max jefferd. it was fun and i think they had a good time.

paul and i took a nap after they went home and then went out for some dinner even though it was soooo cold. it was quite windy today which makes it feel even colder. brrrr!!! we went to jenny's cafe in hongdae which has become one of our favorite spots. the best food in seoul. we had caesar salad, a bowl of spinach soup (amazing!!!), and then gorgonzola manzo penne. so yum! after we stopped at the coffee bean for some warm up coffee before making our way home. now we will probably watch some episodes of the office........our usual at home activity.

we love saturdays!!!

the friday after thanksgiving....

there is no black friday here in korea. paul and i slept in until noon-ish and then went out to lunch at an indian place in sinchon near the house. paul went to work in a coffee shop while i went shopping at Emart with tim and joann. we had a grand time and it was fun! then joann and i did some crafting at her place---she is crocheting wee christmas stockings to make earrings with and making some paper origami boxes to make advent calendars while i was crocheting java jackets. fun, fun, fun! i also got my korean craving fix by ordering dolsot bibimbap for dinner from the korean take out place. it was so yummy! i also had some mandu buns. yum! then joann and i went back to crafting and chatting. exciting day in the life o' me! no massive crazy shopping here in korea which is good!!!!

happy thanksgiving!!!

paul and i had a great day! we went to the electronics market to shop for a new laptop for me. the one we use for the tv is dying slowly, but surely and so we decided to look for a new one for me. paul has been researching and reading online all about the ones he had in mind. i told him the things i was concerned about, and he thought of all the technical needs. we did it....we bought a new laptop. so fun! we got a 12" hp tablet pc which is a small laptop whose screen rotates around to fold down. i can write directly on the screen with the stylus. it is sooooo cool. now paul just has to transfer all the stuff from the laptop i currently use and also load up all the software too. he has it all laid out in his head which is good b/c i would have no idea. hee hee.....he is the best!!!

after we bought the new computer, we headed for lunch at the COEX mall. we had a snack when we arrived and then stood in line for tickets to the new bond movie. once we had our tickets, we did some meandering in the mall. we looked for a sleeve for the new computer, shopped for leather shoes for paul, and i got to walk around the english section of the big bookstore--bandi & luni's. i had fun! it was the best. when paul found me i had four books in my hands and he said, "do you want to buy all of those?" i told him that i was collecting and browsing to then find a seat on the floor to look at the books i chose. he had gone off searching for a spot for dinner while i soaked up the bookstore. i just had not found a spot to sit yet and was still walking around taking in all the books. i know i am a dork. i did end up with two new books to add to my reading. one of the books i got was on the clearance shelf.....score!!! only 3,000. the other was 17,000 which is normal for english books in korea. completely nuts!

we ate dinner at the intercontinental hotel in one of their restaurants called the grand kitchen. they had a dinner buffet which we both enjoyed. paul stuffed himself with a wide array of meats. we both did have some turkey in honor of the american holiday.

after dinner, we went to the movie. good stuff! if you have not see the new bond movie, you should. lots of action and it is bond.

we made our way home and we are both pooped. long day of shopping, walking, meandering, and hanging out. we both enjoyed the day of just spending time to hang out with each other.

happy thanksgiving to all!!!

homesick....

i am realizing that the longer i am away from home and friends that i am able to disconnect the emotions. i know that may sound weird or stange, but it is the truth. we had a great time hanging out with matt and cameron in thailand. it was awesome to see them, catch up, break bread, and chill. i would not change it for the world. since our return to seoul i find that i miss friends and family. i am little homesick. i got to hang out with peeps from home and that tears at my heart.

i miss all my family and friends that are in the states or around the world! i wanted to let you know that even though i might stink at keeping up via email or other communication means, you are thought of often! i think about you and wonder what is going on in your neck of the woods. how life is treating you and what you thinking about. :)

had to share that with you all.....
xoxoxo

art position

so there is no news on the art position yet. please continue to pray about this for me and paul. it is currently in a holding pattern until mid-february. there are many factors that must be worked out before they decide. with recruiting it becomes a giant puzzle to work out with teaching couples, housing issues, the unknown state of the economic crisis in america and such. we have 111 GM kids at the elementary school and if GM does not make it through this problem, it might affect our school. since that is 1/4 of the elementary population there is a lot to think about.

i keep reminding myself that God is in control and He is able to make the impossible possible if it is in His will for me to teach art here at SFS. it is working on my heart though to be honest. i want to know now and not sit in limbo for two and a half months, but i guess again i am being reminded that it is not in my timing, but in God's. i am thinking about many points that Tara Leigh spoke about at the faculty retreat in september. one thing she said that stuck with me is that trust is our gift back to God. so i am diligently trying, really.

i had wednesday morning devotion before i went to thailand. the monday before i was awakened before the alarm went off thinking about proverbs 3:5-6 which says, "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." i realized that i needed to trust God to take care of me and He will. another verse came to mind which is jeremiah 29:11, "for i know the plans i have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

with all that going on in my head, i am choosing to trust God with all of this art position stuff. i know that He can make it happen if it is suppose to be. i trust that He knows best because He knows me and my heart. i do ask for your continued prayers.

mmmm......

so the last day in chiang mai was great. we ate, shopped, and hung out with matt and cameron. we had a late night flight to bangkok and then had an overnight to seoul. tiring, but a great weekend. seeing matt and cameron was amazing!

school is going well. the next few weeks will be crazy. this week we have thanksgiving holiday, so we only have three days of school. so nice. we are not going anywhere, but plan to rest and hang out. might have a tv-watching marathon of the office or pushing daisies. who knows? we also want to see the new bond movie which is out in seoul at the moment.

the weather has gotten really chilly. it has been freezing or darn near close this last week. it even snowed a bit on thursday. brrrr.......

tuesday my class has their thanksgiving party with turkey and all the fixins. it should be fun! i look forward to sharing this meal with my kids and talking about being thankful. so cliche-- i know, but we have been thinking about service all this month. it does make a nice tie in.

speaking of service, my kids have been working hard on our craft projects for the holiday bazaar we have each year. my friend joann organizes this deal each year. the money made benefits the TB care center in north korea that SFS supports, the river of grace orphanage here in seoul, and the high school service trip to the philippines. it is great and i love helping out. my kids made accordion books which are really great. i also taught them how to crochet and we made java jackets which are the same at the cardboard deal that the coffee shops put on your cup to protect your fingers. instead of using the cardboard you would use a java jacket. surprisingly, my kids are loving it. it has been so fun to share this with them. i will have to take some pics for you all to see.

after this week there are only two more before the winter/christmas holiday. i cannot believe that it is already here. crazy how the year is sprinting by. it will be crazy at school with all the holiday events we have planned and going to. the time will fly! at the moment, paul and i are planning to go to vietnam and cambodia for the christmas holiday. we are working out the details with our travel agent. we are excited to experience more of southeast asia after loving thailand so much. should be great and not to mention warm!!!

up late, but made a good day.....

we missed breakfast this morning.  paul misset the alarm clock, so we got up at 11:30.  i had veggie spring rolls and a pineapple shake for breakfast by the pool instead.  we decided to lay low and take it easy.  paul and i wandered around the area near our hotel and found a vietnamese restaurant to eat at.  i, again, had some veggoe spring rolls and he had fresh spring rolls and a hot pot.  it was fun and an experience.

then we went back to the area near the night bazaar for massages.  we had aromatherapy oil massages for an hour.  it was good.  then we headed back to the hotel in a tuk-tuk which is a motorcycle with a backseat for two.  it was fun.  

we met matt and cameron and planned our evening.  we went back to the night bazaar to eat and do some shopping.  then we went to the saturday market.  that was different and seemed much more local than the night bazaar.  many more thais.  it was fun.  we made some purchases and wandered the streets before making our way back to the hotel.  we had some late night fruit shakes, chatted, and then turned in.  

again, i must say that i love thailand.  why do you ask?  the shopping of handicraft goodies, the flavors in the food, the lovely thai people, the bustling, small city, the lively vibe this place has......i could go on and on.  oh, i forgot to mention the incredibly cheap massages.

more shopping....

yesterday we went back in to the city center in the evening for some dinner and, of course, more shopping.  we had dinner at this fusion kind of place.  they had thai and western.  i don't know why but i ordered a cheeseburger which was a disappointment.  argh.  i did try a new thai beer though, leo.  it was ok....i think my favorite thai beer so far has been singha, pronounced sing.  it is good and has a nice flavor. 

after dinner we went down the street for some banana roti and chocolate.  it is like a bready dessert that has banana and chocolate cooked inside.  it was yummy.  then the shopping began.....i bought some more thai pants ann shorts.  i love them.  they are like wearing pajamas!!!  i also got a few other trinkets inlcuding a handmade table runner that i want to hang on a door in the apartment.  at the end of the shoppping i also got my favorite treat---sticky rice and mango.  yum and it was only like a dollar.  things are cheap here and i love it.  this place feels so artsy and cool all the time.  all the goodies are authentic and very bohemian.  love it!!!  

we met the boys and made our way back to the hotel.  we rode in a truck that has an open air covered back.  it was a little shady last night as the truck we were sounded like it was going to shut down at any moment.  it was an experience though.  woo hoo!!!  

we slept well and are now onto another day of experiencing chiang mai!!!  i hear thailand a lot.  

day 2....so far.....

paul and i slept in and then ate breakfast downstairs at the hotel buffet.  it was good.  thailand has regular, normal bacon.  yeah!!!  it was fun to have some since korea does not have it.  we ate lunch with matt and cameron at a little thai place near the hotel.  i had red curry and it was yummy.  the best part was the steamed rice that came in the shape of a teddy bear.  yes, teddy bear!  i took a pic for you, katie.  then we went out for massages.........one and a half hours worth for only 17 US dollars.  crazy!  it was amazing and we both enjoyed it very much.  after our massages we went back to the hotel to find matt and cameron who were finishing up their music stuff.  for the next two nights we have moved to another hotel on the other side of the city.  it is near the chiang mai university and a fabulous place.  like a little thai resort tucked back in this wee neighborhood.  our room is amazing and the lady at the desk said we got an upgrade from superior to deluxe.  it is great.  so we are just relaxing and having some down time before we go back out for some dinner, shopping, and whatever else we find.  

have i mentioned that i completely LOVE thailand???  well, in case, i do.  

Chiang Mai---day 1

WOW, WOW, WOW!!! we arrived in chiang mai this afternoon and got a taxi to our hotel. sweet! they upgraded us to a suite b/c the place is full. there is a huge light festival going on today.......we decided to talk a walk down the street and happened upon matt and cameron. could not believe it. it was great....had a coffee and chatted some before returning to the hotel. then we just hung out, did some worship with the group, and then went out on the town.

we ate dinner at this chain like thai place. i had curry and paul had favorite soup like stuff. it has coconut milk and lemongrass. it is good, but a little spicy for me. then we went to the night bazaar. a little overwhelming at first......i did not know where to start. i knew what i was looking for, but it was hard to decide. so many choices.......cameron helped me choose some thai fisherman pants. i got 4 long pair and 1 short for about 15 US bucks. it was incredible. i also got a cool bag that is very bohemiam looking. i love it!

then we walked toward the river for some light festival action. the sky was lit up with lanterns. it was really beautiful. we watched people set them off and also let candles go on the water. it was so pretty. lots of fireworks too. we walked to a coffee shop and sat outside to take in the sights and sounds of chiang mai. lots of people are out for the festival and setting off loads of fireworks. it was nice to spend time with matt and cameron. we had fun catching up and sharing what has been going on in each of our lives for the last year and a half.

now we are back at the hotel and all pretty tired. matt and cameron have to lead worship again tomorrow. i think paul and i are going to dabble in thai massage. it is crazy cheap and they have recommended a place. cannot wait!

i am in love with thailand. it is such a festive and colorful place. the people are beautiful and friendly. we have enjoyed it so much in the little time we have been here so far. it is really incredible. i keep telling paul that i could live here. :)

we are here.....

we arrived in bangkok at 1am local time. we found a hotel to stay in for about 6 hours for some much needed rest. the hotel was nice and a good price. they also shuttled us to and from the airport which is always pleasant. we slept well and had a good breakfast this morning for free on the hotel's outside patio. the weather is great here! breakfast was simple, but good---eggs with toast and a slice of ham. some spam sausages that paul and i avoided.

paul is struggling with a cold/simus stuff. he has the sniffles and sinus headaches. argh. he is a tropper though trying to be pleasant even though he feels bad. we had meds with us that he is taking for relief.

we have been in thailand for that long, but we love it. we hope to come back and spend more time in bangkok since we are only passing through on this trip. it is such a great place. the people are friendly, the scenery is pretty and real, and the food we hope to find is amazing.

we are currently in the airport waiting for our flight to chiang mai. since we are gold fliers with united we get the lounge perks here which is super nice. there is not much in the domestic terminal other than the lounge. we have had some fresh, tropical fruits and espresso since we have been here. paul is trying to get some work done while we wait on his laptop.

i am excited to see matt and cameron and be able to catch up with them in such a beautiful country.

i am taking pictures and will post them when we return home on monday morning. :)

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Paul and I are off to Chiang Mai for a long weekend with Matt and Cameron!!!

Prayer Request needed....

I interviewed for the elementary art position yesterday. It went well and I know that I can do the job well. I am excited about the opportunity. I am hoping that it all works out that I can teach art, but at this point it is out of my hands. Please pray for me and the art position. I won't know anything else for a week.