My beautiful Korean home

lHere is a video of my beautiful Korean home. I have enjoyed it very much. We are now at the Dragon Hill. The packers came on Wed. OMGosh!!! We are flooded here in Seoul right now. Another record was set while we have lived in Korea...in the last 3 days it has rained so much, the most in 100 years...as much as they would normally get in one month of rainy season. And this is after it has already been raining for the last month. The Han River has swallowed the roads. My packers were suppose to be there at 0800 but didn't come until 1400 because all the roads were flooded. But, we finished all the packing and finally made it into the Dragon. Before I moved here I was nervous about what the housing might be like...if you are moving to Seoul, Korea housing is not the thing to worry about. This has been the nicest, 5 star housing I have ever lived in. I am going to miss living like the rich and famous!

My Neighbors...

...are the best neighbors in the world. I wish I could pack them up and take them to California. Today Oxana, my Russian neighbor had Liz and I over for a Russian lunch. Oxana is the best cook and I always love her Russian food. She is my first Russian friend and I am her first American friend. During the school year all of us moms meet at the bus stop with our kids. After kissing the kiddos good-bye we walk together to one of our homes for a visit and morning tea...it's so fun! This picture is from today's lunch.

Last week Oxana had us over too. She served the kids a German Kinder fruit tea.

With tea, she served these sweet Russian waffle cookies. I want to learn to make these. They are so good and look how beautiful.

Today we had a few Russian salads. Look at the chicken salad that looked like a sunflower.

The Epyonghansaesong gang. Boy am I going to miss these ladies...they are the best neighbors a girl could ask for!!!!!

My Farewell

Tonight is Steve's going away party. Mine was the other night. What a wonderful night it was. I love these ladies. It has been such a pleasure being one of the 607th Weather Wives! We stick together are a strong group of ladies. Seoul, Korea is AMAZING. It's been the most fun assignment we have had. But, we are here for a serious reason... We are members of the most forward deployed Air Force Squadron there is. We live 35 miles from the most heavily gaurded border in the world. And face the largest artillery in the world. Not only all that but this past year has been one for the record books too. We had the coldest temps in 90 years this past year. We had the worst typhoon hit here in 2 decades. We had a new record set with 20 inches of rain in like a few hours...we had a HUGE flood. And back in November that scare where North Korea actually shot missles into South Korea for the first time since the active war. So we are taking so many memories with us. I have loved every minute.

Okay so my going away. It was at my favorite Italian place here. Who would have thought I would move to Korea and eat the best Italian food of my life. The other wives gave me some gifts and also gave me the most beautiful traditional Korean tea set...in their famous green pottery too. I am so thankful for the treasure.

Luckily, I bet I run into some of these great friends again. It's a small world.

I'm liking bikes...

I have started to panic...it's hard to breath! My packers come in less than two weeks to take all my things. It will most likely take 2 1/2 months for my things to go from Seoul, Korea to Sacramento, California. So I have been hanging out in my craft room alot!!! I have gotten together a few projects I can work on by hand during my move so I really don't go nuts. But boy am I going to miss all my sewing and crafting things while they sail the ocean blue! The other day I made these bike cards.

And check out this cute bike necklace I got at Dongdaemun for $4. I have mentioned before I love Chanel so I also picked up these diamond Chanel earrings for $9. I am going to miss this Korean shopping.

Now Chanel may be my favorite name brand but this Louis Vuitton is my everyday purse. That chocolate brown and letters...I love it.

Last night we went over to the I'Park mall for dinner and ate Jim Dak...MMMM

Jim Dak action shot. :-)

I started cross-stitching trees for a Christmas project. Christmas in July.

Insadong, Korea

I went out on the town with some of my wonderful friends. This time we hit the shopping district of Insadong.

I want this painting so bad! It's the street where I live. But it cost $600.

I did get one of these vases...perfect for the flowers Ben and Madi bring me.

We were starved after all the fun walking around and shopping. So June Young took us to a delish place there in Insadong.

We ate Jim Dak...YUMMY!!!!!!

Seoul Olympic Park

It was in 1988 when Seoul, Korea hosted the Summer Olympics. We live pretty close to these Olympic grounds. Back in 1996 while I was stationed in Tokyo, Japan and Steve was stationed at Osan AB, Korea we planned a trip here to Seoul and came to this stadium then too...so it was a little extra neat for Steve and I. This time around we had our kids with us.

Now who could that be whipping around that track at the Olympic Stadium.... :-) Look at them go!!!!

Go Ben go!

This is inside the Exhibition Hall.

After the Olympic Stadium we were hot, tired, thirsty and hungry. So on our way home we stopped by the food court in the COEX Mall. MMM...Korean chicken on a stick.

Here in Seoul, we can get around on the train/subway really well. But above ground public transportation is another story.... I am getting there. We rode the blue 730 bus all the way over the river to the Olympic Stadium and the COEX.

I prefer the bus over the train because you can see everything! Seoul is so pretty. The streets are lined with trees and they are boasting their Korean pride...look at the flag lined streets...I LOVE that.

4th of July in Korea

What a fun long holiday weekend we had. The base here celebrated the 4th of July on Saturday the 2nd of July. I enjoyed sitting out on a summer night, on one of my own quilts, with my family, in Korea, watching the fireworks show. I made the cutest firecrackers from lifesavers and scaps of patriotic paper I have saved over the years. I found the idea on tipjunkie.

Since we had celebrated the 4th of July by the time the 4th really rolled around some of us Wives used our husbands day off work wisely! All our husbands were happy to watch all the kids, on their day off work so we could really go shopping. We met at 0830 and headed to Osan AB. Here we are right inside the Osan gate holding our bags of Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton. Now this was a 4th Of July I will never forget!!!