Thanksgiving weekend

Our Thanksgiving weekend has come to it's end. We have had such a nice time being all together. We stayed home most of the past 4 days. Thanksgiving dinner with the Squadron was fun. Madi just got the new movie Santa Paws and tonight we all enjoyed watching it together. Over the last 4 days most of my time was spent making this small hexagon quilt. I love these fabrics...I believe it's Figgy Pudding by Basic Grey. I got it last year and never used it until now. I think I am one of those hexagon finatics. I LOVE making them. I love hand quilting.

Our Thanksgiving tablerunner. I saw this on a blog last year and started this tradition too. We each write what we are thankful for that year. This will be one of those things that gets better with time!

The Air Force allowed us to only ship 3,000 pounds of our household goods here to Korea. Since we brought beds, toys, kitchen items and a few pieces of furniture my holiday decorations didn't make it on the ship here. I did bring a Christmas tree and ornaments but as far as anything else...that's it. So instead of moping too much about not being able to decorate the kids and I decided we can make some of our own. Friday night we made cinnamon applesauce ornaments.

Ben and Madi had so much fun...they are begging to make more. I might just let them...look how good Madi's came out.

And Ben's. Of course...a football ornament.

Madi was serious about getting her letter in the mail early. We are always talking about the mail here...things take a bit longer than usual.

What a beautiful surprise Saturday morning...snowflakes. They look beautiful from way up here on the 17th floor!

It's Thanksgiving already here in Korea.

Ben got the award for being on the Principle's Honor Roll. He got all A's.

Knowing we are going to be moving to Northern California and the Giants are the World Champs he now sports a Buster Posey jersey...something other than a Georgia team, wow.

It's 0800 Thanksgiving morning here in Korea. This morning Steve is going to go play football with the Weather Squadron. And for Thanksgiving dinner all the weather people and their families are gathering at the squadron to celebrate and eat together. Last night when Steve walked in the door from work Madi and I were breaking the bread for our homemade stuffing. Steve joined in.

Korea: After N. Korea attacked S. Korea on Tuesday things got tense. Thankfully nothing has escalated since. Of course the S. Korean army and our military are on edge. We live 45 miles from the N. Korean border, so of course I was worried. When we moved here our family was issued gas masks we keep here at home as a precaution. But yesterday life went on as usual. All the military folks fall under Genral Order #1 this long holiday weekend...NO ALCOHOL. Everyone needs to be very alert. We don't drink anyway but for some this has changed their holiday plans.

We are going to miss having Thanksgiving with Steve's family this year. Every year we were stationed in Georgia we would eat and enjoy the day with his family. We got use to that. I am thankful to at least be together with Steve and the kids.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving treats

2010 Thanksgiving cards. Look at the adorable fork charms I found at the Dongdaemun market.

Small gifts to give our friends here in Korea. They are little pumpkin scrubbers for dishes. To use after the big day in the kitchen.

We have a Thanksgiving feast at school tomorrow. We are contributing yummy chocolate Pilgrim hats.

You don't want this recipe.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Korea: Cookin' NANTA Preview

I went to see Nanta. Nanta is like a broadway show. The best way to describe it is it's Stomp meets kitchen. It was neat to watch the talented people perform. I went with friends but I would like to take my family because I think they would be in awe at the show.

me me me...

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I have been so busy with my kids sports, parties, a farwell for one of the weather wives, making Thanksgiving treats and cards, finishing up Christmas cards that I needed to do something for ME. So I made myself this cute half eaten gingerbread man. He will be hanging in my kitchen this coming season. click here for the directions...it was very easy. It's felt, ric rac, buttons and thread.

We went to Osan Air Base again. Look at my new shiny black quilted Chanel. It was love at first sight!

A Veteran's Day to remember!

WOW! It was Veteran's Day, the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War and the begining of the G20 Summit here in Seoul, Korea. Steve had a front row seat for President Obama's speech and got to shake his hand. Kelley, our Commandar's wife...she just moved here 5 days after we did...newlyweds. Now she may organize our Bunco games, plan dinners and loves to bake but she also has White House connections. She was working in the White House up until her move here to Korea and becoming one of the wives. So she is the one who got all our husbands these great seats on the front row.

Steve took this picture during the speech.

The kids and I went with our neighbors to see the motorcade. So cool!

When all the excitement ended and the President of the United States drove off, we walked home.

G20 Summit, the President and Veteran's Day...

There is so much going on in Korea, well Seoul right now. We have streams of police busses lining the streets. Not only is our President coming but there are more than 20 heads of state here for the G20. I have never been near anything like this before. We have been inside the White House before. We have been at a base when the President of the United States has been there. But this is different...more than 20 of the most prosperous countries in the world Presidents' are here at the same time. So LOTS of things going on. Today Steve got to attend some event at the Korean War Memorial that is right next to our house.




Tomorrow he gets to celebrate Veterans Day by going to see the President. It was by invitation only and the kids and I were not invited. The rest of us and the other 22 million people of Seoul are on lockdown. With those 20 presidents in town only a few miles from our house there is security every where...and protest. We don't want to get mixed in the middle of any of that. They have even cancelled all school for security reasons.



The other day a parade without any notice just came down the street. I heard the music from inside our house on the 17th floor and grabbed my camera to get this shot. I am not really sure of the purpose of the parade but some said it's prelude for the G20. This G20 is on the same scale as the Olympics.

I love the view from our house but now look how great it is with all the fall colors. This is out our living room window.

This is out our bedroom window. We can see the Seoul Tower up on the hill and see that big grey building on the left that is the Korean War Memoial Steve was at today.

Buchon World and some scones!

A few weeks ago Madi's class went on a field trip to Buchon World. It was a totally cool interactive place. They got to play games of old. These Korean boys were cheering the girls on.

Madi's friends giving her a push. Look at the little korean kids...they are so cute, look at their uniforms. I could help but stare and ooo and ahh all day at them.

An old fashion tetter-totter.

The 3 girls playing on the drums with that guy keeping the beat.

Look at these kiddos and their itty bitty shoes all lined up.

My kids bought kites at Buchon World. See them flying them out on level 2...aka our back yard.

This year I made Jenni's from Nest to Keep Starbucks Pumpkin Scones. Go here to get her recipe. MMM!

E-Mart

The other day Madi and I went shopping at E-Mart together. Madi LOVES all things Korean and loves to go there. It's her favorite store...it's a lot like Walmart or a Target. We walk everywhere and E-Mart is only a 5 minute walk from our house. Our trees here are still putting on a show and the flowers are still blooming too...look in the middle of the road how pretty.




Every time we go to E-Mart some one is always out front doing bike tricks. Korea is the only East Asian country to celebrate Christmas and they are already getting ready. Look on top of E-Mart...there are angles and other Christmas decor...I can't wait...I hear Seoul is very pretty at Christmas.


Of course Madi had to stop and look in the toys. Ha...Easy Bake Oven Korean style...isn't that the cutest!

We also cruised through puzzles and books. Madi squealed when she saw NO DAVID in Korean...she fell in love with that book when she was in Kindergaten. We already emailed this pic to Mrs. Fletcher her Kindergarten teacher back in Georgia to show her.

These are the kids favorite snacks from E-Mart. The cookies in the pink...last March when we were in Orlando and at Epcot,, we knew we would be moving to Korea so in the Asian area of Epcot Ben and Madi had bought these same cookies there. So when they see them here they freak over there favorite cookies from Epcot even though they are really from here.

These are our favorite Korean drinks but these I get at the commissary. Ben loves the apple latte' and the aloe drink and Steve really likes ginsing.

Madi likes playing with play won...korean dollars. She bought it at E-Mart.

This is the food I got for dinner. My friend Somin who is Korean had me over for lunch last week and made this. I knew my family would love it.

I was right...they did. It was so good.

Enjoying November

With Madi home yesterday, we enjoyed together setting out the few Thanksgiving decorations we brought with us to Korea. Remember our thankful tree from last year...I do love it even more this year.

During my last few days in Georgia I found the most wonderful cross-stitch store. 2 or 3 days before flying out Steve's mom had taken Ben and Madi to the movies or to play and I went and spent like 2 hours daydreaming in that cute store. I did buy a few patterns and discovered all these new (new to me) dyed threads. Look at my pumpkin at the colors...it's a dyed orange and so is the brown. This little cross-stitch took hours...it was how I kept enjoying 4 nights a week of soccer and football practices.

Madi is home again today. She is even more stuffy. I feel so sad for her...the tissue stays held up to her nose. Our house smells like my pumpkin spice candle and Vicks.

Enchilada Soup

2 cups chicken broth

2 cans enchilada sauce

1 can chopped green chilies

4 chicken breasts

mix in crock-pot and cook on low 7 to 8 hours

Remove chicken and shred with fork then retun to cooker.

Stir in:

1 can black beans

12 oz frozen corn thawed

Cook on high for another 10 min.

We had this last night for dinner topped with shredded cheddar and served with blue tostitos that Ben and Madi think are funny. It was warm and really good.