Halloween candy sticks

Staying ahead of the game like last year. 5 days before flying to Korea I thought of the idea of using candy sticks for our Halloween treats. So the kids and I had fun at Cracker Barrel picking out as many Halloween colored sticks we could. The best thing is they are 10 for a dollarand all I had to do was tie on a ribbon and spooky metal tags. So I got 200 candy sticks for $20...cheaper than buying candy from the store.


Tomorrow night I have Bunko with all the Weather Wives. I wanted to make a new recipe that calls for pumpkin...our commissary has NO pumpkin?!?! Don't they know it's pumpkin time? I also tried to pick up the things I would need to make my caramels...only 1 bottle of Karo left on the shelf?!?! I hope they get a shipment ASAP.

Gettysburg, Hershey, PA and family

I can not believe this was just last month! We have been so many places and then moving to Korea...it all seems like last year. On our way back to Atlanta from Boston and NYC we drove through Pennsylvania to visit a few historical sites. I remember going to Gettysburg when I was about Ben's age and really enjoying it and remembering it.

Ben, President Lincoln and Madi :-)

We enjoyed driving through the battelfields. My parents, where ever we went would always let me shop at the gift stores. So I did the same for Ben and Madi. They picked up a few books on Gettysburg and their own copy of the Gettysburg Address.

Hesyey is another place I remember going as a young girl and loving it...the smell of the town. It was fun to see how they make all those yummies and how many different kinds there really are.

Hershey is such a fun town. Look at the names of the streets and the streetlights.

Ben will tell you the reason he went on that long sightseeing vacation was so he could visit with family...he is such a family person! My dad and Steve spent hours playing pool...and were very patient letting Ben play most of the time.

The pin ball was broken so this time I think foosball was Madi's favorite game.

But Madi's favorite thing to do EVERY DAY was to go on the 4 wheelers!!! Sometimes twice a day...Papa I think is just as much of a kid as Madi and couldn't turn down her request.

There they go.

The kids got in lots of 'cousin time' those last 3 or 4 days before we left Georgia.

Chusok

This is the week of Chusok...Korean Thanksgiving. The other night of that flood was the night before the Chusok holiday...can you imagine that weather the night before our Thanksgiving...all the people out needing to pick up their food for the next day. Everything was closed Wed. including the base so everyone could celebrate Chusok. Since everyone was home with their families it was the one day this year we could really get out and drive. Traffic here is like the 75/85 connector in Atlanta at it's worse but 24/7.



So we spent the day together as a family and drove up the mountain (the one Steve and the Air Force guys run up for PT) to the Seoul Tower. What a view!!!









If you blow up this pic you can see our house or towers. They are at 10 to 11 o'clock when you are looking at this picture. They are yellow with a few gray stipes going horizontal.





In this picture all lot of the tree you see are the base. See the red brick building...it's the Dragon Hill...the hotel on base. My house you can't see here but it would be at 3 o'clock


















We participated in the traditional Korean games they had out.







Some guy helped Ben to a spinning top.








Tuesday Ben had a Chusok feast. Today was Madi's. We are stationed at an Army base so I always tell Ben and Madi they are extra special because they are Air Force kids going to an Army school....Germany they were Air Force at an Army school to. But in this picture...Madi's class has all these little Air Force girls and two of them have dads that work with Steve. So the Air Force sure stick together.

We came home today and had the best view out our living room window...it was so clear. And look at the Army helicopter taking off from base.

Also today we watched the Korean version of the Thunderbirds...very cool and all the kids were jumping and screaming. They were flying overhead at the end of the school day.

BBQ, cookies and ANOTHER flood!

The other day we went to a BBQ up at Steve's work. Steve is in the 607th Weather Squadron. There is also a Korean Army Weather Squadron...the 736th.









The 607th WS invited the 736th to a BBQ. The squadron supplied all the meat and then all of us wives brought the sides and desserts.






After we ate the kids and some of the crazy fun adults started playing hide and go seek. I had not laughed so hard since I don't know when? My kids had a blast!







Here are Madi and her friend Delany. Their dads are both Weather Forcasters and her mom Betty I met through blogging last year and now we are all in Korea...neat huh?







There is Madi....

Now you see her...



And now you don't. She is hauling butt around the building...trying to not get tagged in that game they were playing. But poor Madi had Veronica chasing her. She is one of the faster runners in the Squadron.



I took No Bake cookies to the BBQ and had a few people ask me for my recipe:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 TBSP cocoa
1/4 tspsalt 1/2 cup milk

Boil 1 minute, remove from heat.

Add:
3 cups oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

drop quickly by spoon onto wax paper and let cool



I have now been in Korea for 1 month. Today was our 3rd flood. These pics are taking from our 17th floor. Steve could not drive home from work. He walked....all gates to the base were shut down...the only way in or out was to walk. The base flooded really really bad. We got home from school just as all this started to begin...thank goodness.

This is the road we live on. I was mainly flooded right in front of our buildings. Right where all those cars are stopped...if you turn left there you will be at one of the gates to the base...only like a 5 min. walk from our house. The flood waters by us are gone...it only lasted about 1 1/2 hours....plus we are on the 17th floor...we really can't flood.

Everyday sights here in Korea

Yesterday I walked down on level 2. The 2nd floor of our complex has stores, places to eat, a chocolatier, dry cleaners....and a kids park. There is always a wonderful breeze down on that 2nd level. Anyway someone was drying these peppers and they were so pretty...that bright red just caught my eye.






The peppers belong to these girls, their mom. These little girls just love us. You want to know how to win over a sweet Korean girls heart...share a sleeve of Ritz crackers. :-)

Look they have barbies and were asking Madi to play. One day she took her Poly Pocket stuff out there and they had so much fun. I think it's neat.






Here is our tower...102.
























After school since it was so nice out we went to Family Mart for snack and to sit outside for a bit.








My kids get a kick out of all the different Korean ice cream treats.
















Also on the 2nd level there is this beautiful small bamboo garden. This whole area on the 2nd level is for all 4 towers to share and have a nice place outdoors. Ben and Madi have American and Korean friends they play at the park with, ride their bikes and scooters and play many soccer games with.

Looking up you can see all 4 towers of the Megatrium.

No house keys here...just a keypad.

I will not make these for dinner. But they are neat to see at our nearby store.

I went to wake Madi up for school...look at this. Living in Korea is unique. See those trees out the window...that is the base.

Ben started football practice last night. He is the kid in the middle making his way down the field.

Apple Enchiladas

September always means apples to me. We made this super yummy, sweet desert using this recipe. You can use fresh apples or canned filling.

Ground Zero

This summer when we were in New York City, One World Trade Center Plaza was a place we wanted to visit. I didn't know anyone who died there 10 years ago and that terrible day was 10 years ago but man did I feel something being there. It was strange to be with my husband and two kids. We were happy and together in that exact spot where all that misery was not that long ago.




My kids know all about the terror attacks that took place there. In Georgia every year at school they talked about it and read this book. Before going to see that gaping hole in the city we stopped at St. Paul's Chapel...from the book...The Little Chapel That Stood.





We wanted to see these things but I couldn't stay in there long. Look at all the photos of loved ones.

In this picture you can see what the outside of the church looked like after the towers fell.

And then this is what is looked liked when we were just there. Have you seen all they plan on building where that hole is in the city...won't be a hole too much longer...it will be so nice when all that construction is done.

God Bless America!