Meaningful Monday

It is Monday and for the first time in a long time I am thinking that the weekend was way to short.  Really why does it seem like an hour of a week day seems like a whole weekend sometimes?  Anyways the weekend is over and I swear it went way to fast and I didn't get half of what I wanted to done. 

Before starting this week though I just wanted to do a quick "Meaningful Monday" so here are a few things I am thankful for, excited about, or just happy about:

That the stomach virus that I had last week has finally seemed to have fully past. 

That I was able to catch up on some much needed sleep the past few days, I don't know what it is about being sick but it is like you can never catch up on sleep.

That I have made it through 2 weeks of my training and I am about to start on my last one.  I am really starting to look forward to being out there on my own!

For a mom who not only cooks dinner every night but also makes sure that there is leftovers or easy to take food already for me everyday in the fridge for lunch. 

For the start of spring being just around the corner!

Meaningful Monday

I am happy to say that it is Monday again! Why am I happy about Monday? Well for starters because that means that I am off to my second week of work and that means that I made it though my first week of work.  So to start off this Meaningful Monday:

I am thankful that I seem to be finally starting to pick things up at work.  The first day when they just handed me a copy of the catalog and a list of things to try to find in the book I might of started out really cocky and then a few hours later wanted to cry. But things were so much better on Friday and I am so ready to see what today has in store for me.

I am thankful that Ryan and I got to go on a date this past weekend to dinner and a movie. Really we are not dinner and a movie people, because well most movies are not worth the price of the theater.  The Lorax however was great.

I am thankful that even though the weather has not been great lately that at least my family is all safe and we didn't loss our home, and all of our belongings.


I am thankful that I think whatever crud I had last week has seem to have gone away to bug someone else and only left behind a headache.

I am thankful for so much and I could go on and on but I have to get off to work so on that note I hope everyone has a great Monday!

Meaningful Monday

I have not done a Meaningful Monday post in what feels like forever, but really now I haven't done much posting at all.

Today is Monday and I have a lot to be thankful for today.  I have been working on a daily list of things I am thankful for but today the biggest thing I am thankful for is that I finally found a job, a real job, a job that is not in retail where people treat me like I am dumb just because I work at the mall, a job that is full time, a job that I have been praying for and searching for ever since I got back from Korea.  I am sure it will not be easy, or perfect, but I am over the moon and back with excitement! 

I hope everyone has a great start to their week! I am off to start my first week as an adult!

What are you thankful for this today?

Meaningful Monday

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and is ready for the crunch, crazyness, excitement, and joy for Christmas!  I work in retail and this past weekend was not as bad as I remember. I oddly love watching people shop for Christmas when they take the time to put thought into a gift.  I even more so like helping them pick out the perfect gift, decided what message they want engraved on it, and just make it special for them to give and the person to receive.

Today I am wrapping up my "I Am Thankful For" list.  For past list click here and here.

I Am Thankful For
25. That I have my own room where I can go and get away from life sometimes.
26. The amazing food and company this past Thursday and again Sunday.
27. Holiday movies that take me back to my childhood.
28. For Toys for Tots, The Angel Tree, and all the other organizations that help children in under privladged homes get gifts and help me give back.  Ryan and I already picked up some toys that we hope will make a child smile this year.
29. Flu shots so that I don't end up getting really sick, becuase I don't handle sick well.  I am kind of a big baby.
30. Gift giving! I love to give gifts to loved ones!

Those are just a few of the things I am thankful for, I really do need to slow down and take note of all I have.

Happy Monday! Hope you have a great start to your week!

Meaningful Monday

Welcome to another Monday, and the week of Thanksgiving! Last Monday I started my I Am Thankful For list and today I want to add another 7 things I am thankful for to that list.

I Am Thankful For
15. Being home to spend the holiday's with my family this year.
16. To have a nice warm bed to sleep in every night, hot water to shower, and food to eat.
17. To have a family and boyfriend who love and care for me.
18. To have a few true friends who hear me when I talk, trust me to listen when they talk, pray for me, worry about me, and love me for me.
19. For the chances I have been giving in my life and for the ones that I hope are still coming.
20. For books and the fact that they can teach us so much and take us to faraway places.
21. For firefighters, cops, solders, and all those people who take on the dangerous job of protection me and my loved ones.
22. Rainy/snowy days with movies/books, a blanket, tea/wine, and just relaxing.
23. That my parents pushed and encouraged me as a child to go out and try new things.
24. That I always have clean clothes to wear.

What are you thankful for?

Meaningful Monday

I have been seeing all over the place where people are listing things they are thankful for every day in the month of November.  I think this is a great idea, I think it is very important for people to take a step back and look at everything we have. I know it is hard when we don't feel like we have everything we want or think we need because of how things in the economy are going but there is still so much to be thankful for.

With that said I like to use my Meaningful Monday's to list things I am thankful for, love, am looking forward to, or are just special to me but for the next few weeks I will use it to combine all my days of thanks into just one post each week. If some of these are repeats of things I have mentioned in past Meaningful Monday's I am sorry but I am just super thankful for them then!

I Am Thankful For:

1. The gym membership that my family let's me piggy back on so that I can work out and hopefully have a long healthy life.
2. My family for not only being supportive but also supporting me at a time when I cannot support myself.
3. Mom for always cooking, cleaning, and making our home a nice, loving place to grow up in.
4. Dad for always coaching my soccer teams growing up and teaching me the importance of being active and how to be a good winner and a good loser.
5. For my brother Chris who always makes it so that there is never a dull moment in this house.
6. For little Miss. Clair who knows how to cheer me up with I am down just by poking me with her cold wet nose until I pet her and start to smile.
7. To have found a Church that I look forward to going to every week again.
8. To not have any student loans or other debts to pay off.
9. To have maybe not the best job, or even a full time job, but at least a job right now.
10. That all of my 5 senses work and I can enjoy even the littlest things to the fullest.
11. My education and the doors it has opened up.
12. 
    That I have never had any needs that were not meet.
13. For music!
14. All the memories I have with my grandparents growing up and that they were always there to make holiday's, spring breaks, summers, and just life special! 

Ok well that gets us through today, I will add to my list next week. I really cannot wait to spend Thanksgiving with my family this year! It was great in Korea last year but just not the same.

What are you thankful for?

Meaningful Monday

I think I am ready for this week! Why, I don't really know but after a nice weekend of well....not much I am ready to take on a week full of job searches, assessment test, and headaches (which I already have a bad one already for today that I just can't seem to shake, thanks sinuses).


-That I have a family that still sits down to eat dinner together whenever we are all home and talk.

-That the weather lately has been amazing and we were able to have a camp fire night over the weekend. Fingers crossed for a day trip to the mountains this week!

-That my dad is willing to spend his free time helping Ryan and I in any way he can find jobs.

-That I have a four year degree from college even though I don't feel like it is helping me right now I know one day it will make the difference.

-That my family seems to have found a new church. I have only been twice but I really enjoyed it yesterday and I haven’t had that feeling about church in a long time.

-That for the past few days I have been making it to the gym every other day and have yet to skip!

-Walgreen's for having 40% off photo books, that will help me scratch off my Alaskan photo book!

There is so much more I have to be thankful for or excited about in my life. I am trying hard to find joy in the little things in life and have been finding it and smiling every time I do.

Meaningful Monday

So it is kind of a rainy, gray, sluggish Monday and I just feel blah so that means that it is the perfect time for a Meaningful Monday.
For starters I am thankful for the support group I have right now around me as I try to figure out life. I always knew it was hard but I never thought it would be like this. Finding a job would help, but in the mean time knowing that my family loves me and is supporting me on the hunt means a lot to me. It really is not a great feeling to be searching for a job, applying like crazy, and just get nothing back but a few "sorry you’re not what we are looking for" letters. It really does start to wear on you and make you just feel like on like a loser, so having a family that loves you is amazing. If I didn’t have my family around me right now I don’t know what I would do, but I know things would be a lot harder than they are.


I am thankful for my part time job at the mall, I never thought I would say that and most days I hate it but at least it gives me something to do, and all those small pay checks add up. I also have some amazing people to work with from past Christmases that I can’t wait to see this year.


Fall! I am sure I have let you all in on my love off fall but I just need to say again how great it is, and it's even better now that the leaves have started changing colors! It really is amazing if you think about how everything was so green in the summer and then fall comes and it's now red, orange, yellow, and brown.

Fall fires with the family! Sometimes it just can't get better than family time, smores, and beer!

Ryan who has put up with my crazy mood swings, my crying, my "I'm a loser and no one wants to give me a job" rants, for changing the oil in my car and for just everything he does. I mean really I have been a stressed mess lately, and well he somehow always ends up being the one around when I have a meltdown.

Mom for cooking amazing food, last week we had squash chili, pork chops, Italian wedding soup, pumpkin bread, and so much more healthy, tasty foods. Yesterday we even had a little Thanksgiving like meal with turkey, mash potatoes, squash, corn, and some kind of amazing pie!

The friends I made in Korea. I never thought I would find friends half way around the world that would make a difference in my life, and I never thought that I would miss them as much as I do. If it were not for Facebook I don't know what I would do. I love being able to just send them a short message, find out how their lives are going, see photos of them in places we use to hangout, and let them in on what all is going on with me. I am also happy that the decision to go or not go back to Korea has finally been made, and as much as I love Korea I do agree that going back for another year is not going to help me find a job in the long run. I really doubt the job situation is going to turn around any time soon. Maybe one day they can come visit me and see America.

For Ryan’s friend Jose who has held all of our stuff in Korea till we figured out if we were going back or not. He spent last Tuesday sorting out everything for us to the point of even going through all my cloths holding them up for me to see and decided if I want them shipped home or not. I won’t lie we left a lot of stuff behind and he had a really small apartment but he never once complained, even when he was sorting out girls clothing in the middle of the night his time. I am also thankful for the great friends Ryan made in Korea and hope that they can stay close.
I am thankful for many different things that are going on right now in my families lives and the chances they are being offered. I am thankful that things with my family are settling down and falling into place. Seeing these change happen give me hope that maybe if I can just wait it out things will fall into place for me too.

I hate how much I complain about life, it could be worse and there are people out there who have it so much worse.  I don't want much, just to find a job, move out, have a place of my own, and start life! I don't want a 50 inch flat screen, I don't want a boat, I don't want a huge house......there is a lot I don't want but for now I just want to be thankful for what I do have and that is a lot.

I hope everyone had a good weekend and has a great week a head of them!

Meaningful Monday

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

I haven't done a Meaningful Monday in well, maybe weeks, no I am almost 100% sure it has been weeks.

Anyways lets get started:

1)I am so amazingly thankful for this great weather we have been having!  I am now in the mood for camping, fires, chili, blankets, books, mountains, cute kids Halloween shows/movies, hiking, pumpkins, apples, pies, Thanksgiving, and well just all things FALL!

2)I also should be thankful that I have been able to get some hours at the mall again to keep me doing something with my time as I look for a job.  I don't love my job or hate my job at the mall it is just a part time job that has great days and has days that well make me want to quite and go home and hide under the covers from all the scary angry people.

3) Ryan has been amazing with helping me out at the store.  Friday I was left with all the freight to do and had customers back to back so he came up to help me unload it all and put it all away.  This weekend the Christmas tree at work also had to go up and the girl I work with...well lets not talk about her this isn't about her.  So Ryan came up Friday to help me get the tree down off where we store it and then came back yesterday to help me put it up, and change out light bulbs at the store.  How did I get so lukcy?

4) Mom for making awesome veggie chili and pumpkin bread yesterday, and well spaghetti squash, and well all kinds of healthy good food all the time. Also we cannot forget all the other amazing stuff she does on a daily basis.

5) I am both thankful for the Reebok Shoe event being over and the fact that I got the chance to work the event.  I wouldn't say it was fun but it wasn't really that bad.  A little hot yes but at the same time I got to organize shoes....I found this to be a challenge. 

6) For the library, but really I think I say that one all the time.  However this time I have a new reason, well two. 1) They now have books for the Kindle. 2) They have Desperate Housewives on DVD and are feeding my addiction to pig outs and cuddling marathons.

7) For dad helping me figure out how to get the photos off my new phone and on to my computer.  Now maybe I can have photos of all the crazy things I see.  We also can't forget that he is letting me live back at home as I look for a job and try to get on my feet. I am so lucky that my family can take me back in and help me out.

8) For life, even though it is hard, confusing, and great all wrapped up into one confusing bubble.

As always I have a lot more to be thankful for, I even made a list but for now these sound good to me.  Oh and I cannot forget the last one and most important one, I am thankful for my family, mom, dad, brother, Ryan, dog, aunt, uncle, grandparents, and friends. They make my life special.  

What are you thankful for?

Meaningful Monday

So my poor blog has not gotten any attention from me lately so I was thinking it was time for a Meaningful Monday.

As always I have a lot to be thankful for even if I don't always take the time to stop and be thankful for it or even worse take it for granted. So let’s see what I can come up with this Monday.

1) Air condition in the crazy hot summers in the south!

2) My amazing family who makes me laugh so much and keeps me on my toes.

3) The fact that I have the ability to travel around and experience all kinds of different places. Have I told you yet how much I love Alaska? Also I better add in the amazing man who goes with me on all these random trips and adventures, and on top of that keeps an eye on me in all of these places.

4) The public library so that I don't spend a small fortune on reading. Oh and that the actually had some books in I have been wanting to read!

5) My mom who cooks amazing meals and goes on nice long walks with me every day to talk and well the obvious workout. Oh and don’t forget she is also the best shopping buddy.

6) The fact that I am lucky enough to have so much time to spend with my family right now.

7) My dad who is currently trying to help me find a part time job to fill in my time until I go back over to Korea or on to my next adventure.

8) This next one is going to sound really bad but reality TV. I mean really who doesn't have a bad day every now and then and enjoy turning on some crazy show about nutty people whose lives are not yours and for once you don't care.

9) For the Zumba Wii game that made me laugh my butt off for a good 30 minutes earlier.

10) For my sweet puppy Clair who loves me no matter what. 

11) I almost forgot but the fact that I can jump with both fee back into Beth Moore and hopefully learn some more about myself!

I could go on and on and I really need to start keeping a notebook with me and write down these things when they come into my head, because whenever I try to think of them later on I cannot seem to do it.

Oh and I couldn’t forget that I am very thankful that all of my family is safe today as I think back and read about the madness that happened in Norway.

What is Meaningful to you today? I know, I know I swap meaningful and thankful around so much I confuse myself sometimes.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!

Meaningful Monday

On a Tuesday.....but hey what is new I am way behind on all my blogs and I should be catching up on those soon.  Key word should.

Yesterday was spent finishing the drive home from Michigan, where Ryan and I had been spending time with some pretty amazing people and enjoying the nice cool weather (however that is all another blog) and at this pretty cool place:

In case you can't tell that is the Maker's Mark Distillery.

And let me tell you it was totally worth the time spent on the crazy back roads of Kentucky, which are beautiful by the way.  If you ever get the chance to stop in it is a nice stop.  They do all the tours for free, you get to do a tasting, and it is very educational among other things.  I think we laughed most of the time and well sadly most of the photos we took didn't turn out well.  I am starting to think about getting a new camera before we head off to Alaska.  Anyways getting off topic already, this is not looking good.

I also need to fill you in on our trip to the zoo on our way up to Michigan last week, but in short it was great but way too hot.  I guess I should also fill you in on different things from my trip home to see everyone, and yet again in short it was great, and minus a little bit of rain the weather was amazing. Ryan is now trying to figure out how to move us up there.

On of the highlights of my week was that everyday I got to go see this man:

That would be my grandpa Jerry, or to me papa. He has been sick on and off my whole life but has always bounced back. Seeing him like this you think would upset me, however I am very thankful because even though he doesn't speak much these days when you look up into those blue eyes of his you know if he is either happy, sad, or mad with what you have to say. Also when I say I love him I get a wink that as a kid was always one of my favorite things to receive from him. Also when he does speak and he has something important to say he makes it know and you don't question him.



Something else, or well 2 something’s that made seeing papa very special were these people:

Dang it if my camara is not about to get tossed
in the trash can!

Ryan had gone camping with my grandmother and grandfather a few years ago in Florida and really got to know him. It was really great to watch him with him everyday just sitting next to him as I talked to him, or following him down the hall way as he wheeled himself around and wore us both out.
Sadly the other special people I cannot seem to find a photo of but one day my great aunts were nice enough to come up to the home and sit with my aunt Cherri, Ryan and I as we talked to papa. I also got to spend some time with my Uncle Dwayne and my aunt and her room mates adorable puppies.
I also got to see my grandparents on my dad's side and my aunt Julie. They were nice enough to let us stay at their place and then one day took us up to lake Reed one day for lunch. It was nice and quiet and I could of spent all day there just watching the sail boats glide across the water.

 
And well that was my trip in a nutshell. It was great and much needed after not seeing them for a few years. Ryan had such a great time he is now trying to figure out how to get back up there.
So well I guess this was more of a "hey I am still here" and a "hey just to catch you up" kind of thing rather than a Meaningful Monday but what can I was I was extremely grateful every day the past few days for the people in my life, the adventures I get to take part in, and well just life!

I guess now it is time to get back to my life, life it, and love it! 

Hope everyone is having a great week.  I will be back soon to well blog, and hopefully before next Tuesdays. 

P.S. If anyone want to catch up with my little brother in Germany here is the link to the blog that everyone is doing over there.  You should really check it out, I can promise you won't regret it.

http://uscupstateinmagdeburg2011.blogspot.com/

And well if you are just in the German mood you should check out my friend Chastity who is living over there with her husband right now and the military. 

http://thedeutschlandreport.blogspot.com/2011/06/re-connected.html

Meaningful Monday

So for starters I know my Meaningful Monday is 24 hours behind where it normally but that is because I am back State Side for a few weeks jumping around seeing family, going on some trips here and there, and relaxing with my parents.


This Monday I have a lot to say but seeing as how my belly is telling me it is time for breakfast (even though it just got dinner) and my brain is telling me that it is time to get up even though my body is telling me I need to go to bed that well my brain is kind of mushy.

Anyways let’s see what I can do with this blog tonight because the last thing I want to do it just my blog go to the wayside just because I am home and most of (or well the only) ones that read my blog can now see me just about every day. So fingers crossed that I can keep this thing going, and even though I am kind of hoping that life will get a little dull and I can post some photos of the grass growing or my new shoes. I am rambling aren’t I?

Yesterday went well. We had over 24 hours of traveling and where as it could of gone better it also could of gone so much worse in so many different ways. We started our trip out on Saturday with a nice 3 hour bus ride to the airport and then a short shuttle ride to the hotel. We then headed to the airport at 8:30 to catch our 10:30 flight to Japan, then from Japan we went to Detroit, and then Detroit to Charlotte to meet our parents for the short drive home. As always the flights were long, dull, boring, and just enn I hate to fly. Our last flight involved a flat tire and a nice storm that kept us circling the area for about an hour before we could land. However we are home and it is so nice!

Today we headed down to the police department (got to see some very interesting things over there and sadly could of spent the whole day just people waiting down there) to get our fingerprints done and sent them off to the FBI so we can get our new background checks for our new job in Korea. Yes you read that right it does say FBI, and I know it sounds crazy but hey Ryan and I have nothing to worry about so were just upset it takes about 13 weeks to get the paperwork back. We then also got to enjoy some lunch with my parents before I headed home and passed out for a nice nap, you know one of those ones that last a few hours? I now am sadly working on unpacking so that I can turn around and pack tomorrow to head up to MI for a few days with Ryan to see my family.

I, well, I just lost my train of thought. I guess I will get out what I can as it comes out in a random post mood:

• My little brother turned 21 yesterday.
• It is so nice to be home and get to see my puppy Clair.
• Driving feels so strange and if everyone doesn't keep an eye on me I swear they will find me just standing down at the corner one day waiting for the bus to come.
• Delta really needs to add TV's to the back of their seats (an 11 hour flight gets really dull really fast) and work on getting....let’s just say a peppier flight crew; however their new "Economy Comfort" is so worth the extra price.
• Now that I am home I can use our local library to download e-books for my Kindle meaning that all those "to read/pray they go on sale soon" book are now a can read.
• I am getting a much needed haircut tomorrow before heading to OH with Ryan to spend Wednesday at the Cincinnati Zoo before heading the rest of the way to MI.

Ok and I lost that train of thought again. I had so much more to say but I guess it will have to wait. Next week should be a slower week so I am looking forward to getting things done, spending time with mom, and just life.
Hope everyone had a great Monday and has a good week!

Meaningful Monday

Hello!  I have missed blogging but sometimes life just does not allow it however I want to try to at least keep up with a few of my main and well for this one favorite blogs.  This is a Meaningful Monday but also somewhat if not mostly a weekend recap blog.  I hope everyone had a great weekend and I ready for the week ahead. 

This weekend was both way to short and way to long at the same time, and for once I am not sure if I am happy it is over because then I just have one more weekend till I am home, or if I am sad it is over because I still have so much to do around the apartment and could use a few more hours of sleep.  Either way it is over and I am getting ready to start my last week of teaching at my current job so I guess you would say that that is what I most meaningful this Monday, that my year is almost over and I will be home with my family for a few weeks soon. 

I would have to say that we had a pretty good, successful, strange weekend.  Now I don't know about you but the weekends that leave me left feeling like I have just been through the "Twilight Zone" and asking "What in the world just happened" are some of the best.  The only bad part is it takes you a few days to get everything back to working order if you skimp to much on the sleep and over load your brain with random information.  I know this for a fact because I have already forgotten quite a few things today like that I was cooking chicken for lunch.  Yep wondered back in the kitchen 30 minutes later to find it nice and black and now I know I took it out of the pan but where it went after that I have no clue, same thing with the turkey burgers I was precooking so we could pack up the frying pan.  There is also a coffee, and my sneakers missing somewhere in the apartment.  I guess I should warn you in advance this may be one of the more flighty blog post and if I post it somehow unfinished sorry but that's just how things are going today.

We started off the weekend with dinner at one of our favorite places where you cook the food right on the table in front of you as we planed out the weekend. 

The plan was to get up early Saturday and head to Seoul to meet Jose for a job interview and then wonder around for a few hours before meeting up with everyone else to hunt down the Yongsan Hooters for dinner. 

Then Sunday we had planed to get up early and catch the bus to Seoul to drop the first round of bags off at Jose's apartment, head back to Anseong clean the apartment soon and work on packing everything else up to be moved by one of our friends Thursday night after work.  Now everyone loves a good plan but sadly plans do not always work out the way you hope they would and well that is ok but makes a mess out of the rest of the week. 

Saturday we got up, got ready and tried to head to Seoul early.  After having 2 fully packed out buses pass and an hour wasted we decide to just head over to the bus terminal so we could guaranty ourselves a place on the bus.  We finally got on the 11:00 bus and started the trip.  About 30 minutes later we were at our stop and now had a bus full of 64 people (the seats for maybe 40) and a fun ride to Seoul with AC that more or less didn't work and traffic that seemed to not move at some points.  We arrived at Nambu about 12:30 and jumped on the subway to head over and meet the guys for some Screen Golf before our interview at 4.  Screen Golf with the guys was maybe one of the funniest things I have ever seen and could be a whole blog in itself.  After Screen Golf we headed over to the interview where the first question they asks was "are you two getting married" yea no joke and on the bus ride up I had just asked Ryan what to say if they asked that and he said that they would never ask that....yea so we just kind of laughed and said that at some point yes but really that one question threw me for a loop for the rest of the interview, and well like I said this weekend was a little "twilight zone" like so I really don't remember much after that question.  We left the school about 5:30 and stared the search for the Hooters.  It was a little hard to find but with the help of Jasmine we found it nice and deep in the back of a basement in a shopping center, yea I know what a great location.  Sadly the food was about like it was at home, decent but not great, they didn't have fried pickles, but the servers were cute and kind, however I think the guys have decided not to go back and that is just fine because on a quick trip Sunday we found that they have an On The Border and it is quite amazing.  After dinner we headed home to finish the second Godfather.  We had just watched the first Godfather on Thursday and stared the second one on Friday and let me tell you that all night long I was waking up thinking someone was trying to kill me.  Neither of us had ever seen the Godfather movies and liked them very much.  What about the third one you ask?  Well the guys have informed us that it stinks and we should not even bother because it will ruin everything for us. 

Sunday we got up and started yet again for Seoul only this time with 4 bags.  Yet again all of the buses were full so after an hour of waiting we yet again decided to head over to the bus terminal.  The only problem with this is that when we called Jasmine to ask for her help in calling a van taxi she called us back a few minutes later with the bad news that they don't run on Sunday.  I say they but in our small town it could very well be that there is only one van taxi and he just doesn't work.  So we headed back down to the bus stop and tried to buy tickets again for Seoul in hopes of just waiting it out and getting a bus only to find out that they were no longer selling tickets to Nambu. What? Really?  Um ok...my look told the guy behind the counter that he need to try to explain himself in broken and I mean BROKEN English....it didn't really work and I still don't know what was up with the buses but found out we could take the Express Bus to Seoul and only be one subway stop away from Nambu.  Finally at 11:45 we got on a bus and headed to Seoul and we arrived a little after 1.  We were approached by a man who claimed to be a van taxi driver (really now you say that is just great) only to find out that he was not a taxi driver and had no clue where we were going even after we made Jose try to tell him in Korean.  He got us withing a 10 minute walk from Jose's place but this 10 minute walk involved crossing a traffic circle with about 1000 other people, going up a small hill and then a mountain before arriving.  Once at Jose's he helped us store our stuff and then we headed out to On The Boarder for a much needed Margarita.  I was a little worried because I have had some bad Margarita's here in Korea but this one was amazing and the food even tasted like the food at home if not better.  Once we finished our lunch we jumped on the subway for the short 45 minute ride over to Nambu to catch the bus home and try to finish up what was left of our packing. 

Over all it was a pretty good weekend and I am thankful it is over, yet wish I had more time.

This week I am also thankful that my little brother is finally getting the chance to go to Germany for about 3 weeks with the school and I hope he has an amazing time because getting to see other countries is truly an experience everyone should get.  I think the more we learned about other countries the more we can help improve ours.  I hate when people come to Korea and are so disrespectful of the people rather than stepping back and learning form it. 



 The little brother and I a few years ago at the beach, man how time passes.  He is going to be 21 this June meaning that I am now old! 

Sadly I am very thankful that after this week I will not have to see some of my students.

I am very thankful that I am getting the chance to go home and spend some time with family and that I am not having to just jump right into another job over here.

I am thankful that Ryan and I have some very good friends who would get us interviews at their school.  It is nice to know that someone would be willing to do that and has enough faith in us not to screw it up or make them look bad. 

I am thankful for Jasmine and her friend for helping us move the rest of our stuff up to Seoul this weekend.

I am thankful for both Grace and Jasmine for being such great friends to us this year and helping us whenever we need it.

Over all I am thankful that this chapter in my life is over but also very grateful for the opportunity to spend a year teaching at this school and for all the things it taught me about myself, people, kids, teaching, and life.  I will miss many people but hope to still get to see them next year seeing as how Korea is not that big I think visit are possible. Ok I could and probably will write a whole blog on the closing of this chapter in my life but I will save that for later.

I guess for now that is that.  I am thankful for a lot of things, and knowing that I have the love and support of my family to do this another year over here is just amazing.  I miss them a ton and know they miss me but for them to encourage me to go out and see the world is just amazing.  

Hope everyone has a great Monday and if I am not back soon a great week.  

Oh yea and Happy Memorial Day!   

Side note the rice fields are starting to slowly grow and are just too cool.  I will miss my quite "country" walk on the way into school everyday and the peace that it brings me when I walk home after a long day.  You didn't know there was still "country" in Korea?  Yep and it is one of my favorite places too.

Thankful Tuesday

Somehow I am behind this week and it is only Tuesday, but I guess that means I am really not that behind because it has only been one day.  I got up yesterday turned on my computer and then somehow woke up again at 12 and had to rush to get to work, so I told myself I would write my Meaningful Monday when I got home.  Yea as you can see that didn't happen because I pulled what I like to call and Oldie and was in bed at 9.  Thank you Mucus filled Monday!  So after a trip to the doctor and way to much sleep I think I have gotten everything under control so we are going to try to start this week again and hope for a good one!

This past weekend was another good one but way to short.  Ryan finally dragged me into dentist where I got a good report.  Two of my favorite elementary girls came over after school (yea Saturday school) and we headed off to AK Plaza to grab a quick lunch before watching Pirates of The Caribbean 4.  The girls had not seen 1,2 or 3 so we were a little worried they would be lost but this one seemed to have a whole new story line.  They still had a few of the main characters (well only 3, Captain Jack Sparrow, his first mate Gibbs, and Captain Hector Barbossa) but some of the main ones were missing like Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann.  This upset Ryan but really they more or less killed off in the last movie but they also introduced two new characters who I liked quite a bit.  Anyways over all the movie was good.  The girls seemed to think that Ryan and I were going to be entreating them all afternoon long so after siting mindless watching TV for a few hours we finally dragged the girls out to get some chicken at Rumboat and then sent them on their way home.  We then spent the rest of the night watching reruns of In Plain Sight and called it a night.  Sunday we spent the day working on packing and figuring out what school we want to work at next year. 

We are starting to finally run out of food! To you this may not sound like a good thing but for us this is great! We are huge Costco fans meaning we always have a pretty well stocked apartment, but now that we are moving we are trying to make use of everything we can so that we are not wasteful. 

We finally have our airplane tickets in hand to fly home and spend some much needed time with family.  On another note I was just having one of those meltdown I need someone to tell me how to think and what to do moments and my parents were both nice enough to wake up and Skype with me, and as always give me their thoughts but still making me come to my own conclusions.  I hate when they do that but I know they do it for my own good.  My family is amazing!

I feel like I have been really down on Korea lately and that really has nothing to do with life in Korea because life in Korea is great.  For instance yesterday I went to see the doctor for only 3,000 Won (for our purpose lets just say $3) and yes it was a really doctor.  I also got 3 days worth of medicine for less than 20,000 Won.  Note this was all without Korean insurance so yes this country is amazing I am just cranky due to other things! If you have not been to Korea yet you need to come it is life changing...well depending on your life and how open minded you are.  Just ask my parents who got to enjoy a squid Korean pizza on the side of a mountain on a bucket at a Buddhist Temple. 

Wow my brain seems to be stuck on getting out of here for a few months and being back home with family so before I drag this blog out anymore I will just wrap it up by saying that today is already Tuesday meaning there are only 4 more days left this week!

Hope everyone has a good week!  I hope to get better at blogging again but maybe it is better if I just hold off a bit.  My moods have been all over the place happy, sad, excited, stressed, and I may or may not be a nutcase right now.

Meaningful Monday

I won't lie on one hand I was not ready for this week to start at all, but then on the other hand today was the first Monday of my last 3 and I have been waiting so long for this time.  Anyways either way it was Monday and it was time to think of some things that I am thankful for, looking forward to, happy about, or just in the mood to blab about so here we go!

1) I had a great weekend full of new friends, some shopping, great food, Korean culture, some quality time with my kindle on our "back porch", late night movies, spring weather, and what have you.

2) We started the weekend off Friday night with this cute, funny, cry your eyes out movie:

 Ryan's grandmother gave this to me last Christmas and I have put off watching it as long as I could. I was honestly starting to feel like everyone but me had seen this movie, so I decided to give in and bite the bullet.  Two of my favorite people were in the movie.  No, I don't think the acting was great but it was still cute, well until the crying started.  Anyone who knows me knows that:

• I do not handle death well
• I cry at sad movies and I mean CRY not just sniffles
• I have a really soft spot for dogs (more so old ones)
• I start crying was before anything bad even happens just because I know it is coming
• Did I say I don't handle death well? 

So yes this was one of those big crocodile tears moments when poor Ryan is looking at me like I am crazy for watching something that I knew was going to make me cry and then still not being ready for it to happen.  So yes if you are like me you might want to pass on this movie, and maybe even the book. 

3) Saturday we had made plans to meet up with some of Ryan's adult students from City Hall to go watch a traditional Korean dance show, and then over to another performance with tightrope walkers, acrobats, and others.  They were both great!  I have started but as you can see not finished the blogs about those yet but they are coming.  After the shows they took us to eat some Korean style barbecue (they know the way to my heart!) and and then for coffee before saying good bye and heading home.  Ryan's students are all so great because they want to learn English, they want to get to know you and about you, and they have such great stories to tell about life. 

Saturday night we watched this very strange and odd movie:

I somehow got pulled into this movie late Saturday night and could not turn away as I yelled at the TV that Drew Barrymore was a back stabber and how could Sara Gilbert (from the Roseanne show) be so dumb! Anyways this move kept me up till about 1 and then gave me very strange dreams. The movie was, well different. A girl takes home the new girl from school because she is trying to be rebellious and well the new girl seems to be a bad a$$. She puts up quite a fight with her parents to let her stay there, the new girl makes friends with her mom (who is dying) and then later starts to move in on the husband, and even her dog. In the end she gets what is coming to her but yea in the mean time she kills of the mom and makes the daughter look crazy.

4) Sunday was a nice day of browsing through highly over priced American things over at AK Plaza. For our birthday our boss gave us a combined amount of 110,00 Won for our birthdays. Just to make it easy about a 110.00 Dollars in AK dollars. So we set off to try to spend it and sadly still have way to much of it left because well we don't need anything from AK. I think next year we will tell her that Lotte Mart Dollars would be better, because well they do food, drinks, clothing, and well everything. Sunday night we watched yet again another movie; however this one was hilarious but not one to watch with your mom. 

This movie was so funny! When Ryan first showed it to me I thought it was just going to be about some guy bashing women only it turns out that it was really just about how big of an ass he was. If you need a good laugh watch this only be aware of the bad langue and well ok it is an adult movie.
5) After a great weekend I was oddly in the mood for work today. We got up hit the gym, I came home pre cooked the chicken for the dinner, did some thinking for a bit. Life is good right now but I won't lie it is all about to change and that scares the crap out of me. I cannot wait to get home and see my family but at the same time I will be leaving behind friends and having to start all over at a new school and well that kind of stinks. I know, I know I complain/cheer about this topic all the time you get it all ready.
6) Two of my favorite student (Jodie and Esther) are coming over this week to cook lunch and then go see the new Pirates of the Carrabin movie with Ryan and I so I am really looking forward to that. Every time they see me they want to make plans and then every time I see them I want to double/triple check that their mom's know what they will be doing. Things here are so different because kids at like the age of 10 can just go off and do whatever it is they please as long as they are home for dinner.
7) We have not really gotten to spend much time with Grace or Jasmine lately so we are hoping to also catch up with them sometime this week for dinner and drinks.

8) Two years ago today an amazing woman passed away and yet I am doing ok. Not a day goes by that I don't miss my grandmother but at the same time I know she is in such a better place, she feels no pain, she is safe, and she doesn't constantly have to live in the mess we have made of this world. 69 was too young to go and I wish she could of been around for all the things to come in my life but that is just selfish. They always say that "life will go on", "you will be ok", "it get's easier with time" and so on and so forth. I guess all of that is true but at the same time it's not. Life as you know it does not go on, you are ok but you always feel like something little is missing you or well someone, and I don't think it really ever gets any easier, but hey what do I know I am young and I am not "everyone". I don't care what they have to say thought it still sucks and I will always be lucky to have known her but yet always know what it is like to lose someone unfairly and suddenly. Anyways time to make how that was meaningful and happy for this Monday? I guess I am just thankful to have known such a great woman and that every time I look at my mom I see the same strong, caring loving woman in her.

9) We got a cute new boy in kindergarten (this time I am not joking and well the other not so cute one that came on Friday has already quit) who wouldn't do anything in P.E. today unless I did it first.  He also would just stair up at me with the sweetest little look on his face as he waited for me to do whatever it was I was going to do next. 

10) My parents seem to be having a relaxing, much needed week and I hope it stays that way. What is the point of working your butt of every day if you don't get to enjoy a few here and there?


11) My Monday is over and life is good!

Ok well I hope that was not too much of a random blog post for you, half way through it we got called out by a friend who was "depressed" for dinner and drinks down at our barbeque place so the thoughts might be a little scattered.

Meaningful Monday

I don't think I have ever said this before but this past weekend may of felt way too long!  I know right I always complain that I want longer weekends but now when I am counting down the minutes until I am vacation this week.  Anyways here we go with Meaningful Monday.

For starters I probably should say that I am extremely happy that it is now May!  Secondly (and I know it is sad that this is the excitement in my life right now) I got to start and finish this book finally this weekend!

I really wanted to love this book because all of the reviews I read said it was GREAT.  It was good yes and I liked it a lot but I just was a little shocked when I read it and the world didn’t move, my life didn’t change, it was just a book, with just normal words, and nothing too amazing.  This book is an easy beach read and don’t be put off by the reviews that say “sick animal cruelty” because it is really not that bad or that in detailed, so give this book a try.  I look forward to reading others by this author and I am really looking forward to seeing the movie!

Movie on we had a nice quite weekend of thunderstorms and nights out with friends as we had to wish two of our co teacher good bye.

Last week was a pretty uneventful week at school and we only have half a week this week with no middle school classes due to testing this week so this week should also be uneventful.  We are slowly packing things up around here and putting them in storage next week when we get back.  Everything is moving so quickly and I cannot believe that in a few short weeks my year in Korea will be done; however that is for another blog because yes I am extremely happy to be leaving this school and getting to go home and see my family but at the same time I am sad to be leaving and closing this chapter of my life.

Spring has been showing her head more and more around here lately with all of the flowers blooming and all of the tresses turning a nice bright shad of green, and with weather finally in the 70's for most of this week!  Have I ever told you how much I love spring?  I mean come on I can be in the worst mood ever and step outside in to some bright sunny weather and see flowers blooming and hear the birds singing and it is like nothing could ever go wrong!

I have completed my lesson plans for art and bought all of the supplies for the last few weeks I am here so that I am no longer running around trying to think of something and then throw it together. I have also started cleaning out my "office" at work and man oh man does it feel so good!

We found a nice chair to put on our "patio" so Ryan can enjoy a few last cigars this spring before we head home out there and I can curl up with a book to enjoy the sunny days or even some great stormy days.

Wow sadly it is an amazing day outside and I cannot seem to focus on this weeks Meaningful Monday at all.  My brain is in la-la land and it must be in the bathroom because it is clearly not getting any "bars" as I try to place a call to it to please come back and join us in the real world for a few hours.  So I guess I will end this and get back to my day, however not too happily because there is a ton of stuff that has been on my mind that I wanted to get out in this blog today and well because it is still Monday!

I hope everyone is having a great day and had an amazing weekend!

Oh and yes I guess I should say I am thankful that OBL is dead but just because one evil man is dead does not mean that it is the end of the war and all is right again.  I also sadly don't feel like Obama did a dang thing to make it happen and yet it upsets me that he is getting all the credit.  I didn't see him out there fighting the war.  Anyways back to my happy day in la-la land! 

Oh also one of my little girls just told on of boys in kindergarten that, "you are a big baby" in perfect English like it was nothing.  I know I shouldn't of laughed because she just made the boy cry that much harder but sadly the boy was being a big baby and well because he is such a brat no one likes him. 

Fingers crossed I can get through to my brain at some point and try this whole Meaningful Monday blog again...or better yet a Thoughtful Tuesday if not!

Meaningful Monday

 

It is that time again, the time where I often ask myself where did my weekend go and how did I get in this pickle of being behind on everything in life once again? 

Before I start my Meaningful Monday I guess I should do a short weekend recap, it wasn't a barrel of monkey or anything but it was a good one that I quite enjoyed. 

For starters even thought it was too short and much too fast it was still a great weekend.  We had a quite night on Friday where we enjoyed fajitas and each read for a few hours before bed.  Saturday was a more eventful day as Ryan and I had to head up to Seoul to see Dr. Kim our eye doctor.  We are both still doing great with about 20-15 vision and now do not have to return until September 3th.  We then headed over to Itaewon to get some Mexican at Ponchos.  After Ponchos I wanted to go in to the Hamilton Shopping Center (for what reason I still have no clue) and as always saw the same woman I have bought things from before and as always enjoyed watching her do her sales thing and sadly ended up buying something.  Some how that always happens so now I sadly am swearing off the Hamilton Shopping Center!  Once finished in Itaewon we jumped to Seoul Station to catch the KTX down to Daejeon for our last trip to Costco for the contract. Costco was a quick in and out trip because some how our tickets for 6:30 got messed up and we now had to be on the 6:02 train if we wanted seats (we didn't get there till 5:10) so it was a world wind of madness.  We picked up some more chicken (some days I am shocked we don't lay eggs and cluck with all the chicken we eat), cheese, random other things we needed.  Also picked up some Jelly Bellyies because I thought I LOVED them, then got on the train cracked open my HUGE jar of them only to find out that I only like maybe 20 or so of the crazy 45 flavors that they have.  We got back to the apartment about 8:00 and chatted with my parents before having a few drinks, watching the new Red Riding Hood and crashing out.

 Red Riding Hood was not a bad movie nor was it really a good movie.  I enjoyed it but am happy that I didn't pay to see it in the movie theater.  I mainly wanted to watch it because I love the main character, Amanda Seyfried.  She did a good job it is just the store was kind of the same old same old, however did have a good twist at the end.  It made for some good Saturday night vegging.

We spent Sunday working on packing, and making lesson plans for the next few weeks.  I really missed my family and wish I could of been home to enjoy Easter with them.  We tried to have some what of an Easter dinner.  I made turkey burgers with brown gravy and Ryan made macaroni and cheese.  Yet again I always have to thank mom for always making sure that we have things like gravy and sending us care packages.  As I have said many times I cannot wait to get home to see my family and spend some time with them on the back deck enjoying some summer afternoons, some good home cooking, and just some of the Bartholomew fun.

So lets see outside of the weekend and the good news of my great eye sight what news can I tell you about or what odd things are just making me happy this week?

1) I woke up this morning extremely happy (quite odd for a Monday) and managed to stay, well pretty happy throughout the whole day.  Kids were crazy and our fridge (which is now fully stocked after the weekend) is broken again but yet I am just, I don't know peppy!

2) Our recruiter for next year is working on finding us jobs and is on the same page for waiting us to be signed on for a new job before we leave in June.  Being signed before we leave means we don't have to fill out nearly half as much paper work or file for all kinds of back ground checks and visas like we had to last year.  Not only that but signing before hand would also just make our trip home that much more enjoyable and less stressful. 

3) We are slowly packing up and things seem to be coming together around the apartment.  Moving will be a pain and lord only know what our apartment will be like next year.  I remember how much I hated the one we have lived in the past year but a few bucks for wallpaper, a little dumpster diving (or well donation surfing) and it now is home, and a place I have learned to love. 

4) I have managed to get 3 weeks of art projects together and ready for kindergarten.

5) I finally gave in and downloaded Water For Elephants and cannot wait to read it.  I am just waiting for Ryan to finish the book he is reading on the Kindle (and I am still giddy with joy that he now enjoys reading so I don't mind sharing).

6) This week is the last week in April!  I think time might feel like it is going slower than it did my last month of college. 

7) Last night I got Ryan to eat one of my many Jelly Belly.  I stopped him before he could just put a whole handful in his mouth and made him eat them one at a time.  I won't lie we are both a little bit interested in how in the world they get the flavors so dead on.  I mean I could eat the cappuccino ones and feel like I just drank a cup of coffee.  So how do they do it?  Oh yea and the good part of this is that now I have someone to talk Jelly Belly with.  Also how in the world can some flavors be so yummy and some so nasty, and not just nasty nasty but really NASTY! I also wish instead of writing Jelly Belly on each one that they would put the flavor instead.  I know they give you a chart but really a lot of them look really close in color and what not.  Anyways, moving on from jelly beans.

8) I got to watch Gone With The Wind this weekend.  Thanks to Korea and their love of playing things back to back I got to watch it over 3 different nights and I think I got most of it.

9) One of my students really enjoys both Ryan, I and his homeroom teacher Jasmine so his mom brought all the teachers boxes of tomatoes. Strange I know but I love tomatoes so this was just perfect for me.  I have already eaten one of them and another one has my name on it to go alone with my egg and toast in the morning. 

10) Spring has finally seemed to have sprung.  Flowers are out, the trees are blooming and we can leave the windows open for a few hours everyday.  Now if only we could get the crazy wind to stop that makes walking to work seem like I am walking in molasses.   Anyways here are a few photos of our spring, I cannot wait to find some free daylight hours to wonder around and get some more. 




The trees right out our apartment window.




I think these are weeds but they still made me smile.



I have been watching these bloom slowly over the last week.  I cannot wait till they are fully out.

 11) I am alive, I have a job, I have a family that loves me, and I have a sweet boyfriend who listens to me complain left and right all day long about my life, which really could be a whole lot worse!

I could go on and on because I am in a good and very random mood but I will end this and call it a night.

Hope everyone is having a great week and had a great weekend!

Meaningful Monday

 

Well hello again! I hope everyone had a great weekend and that I am now not the only asking myself how in the world is it already Monday again.  I really do think that this whole week thing should work in revers, I mean who wouldn't want 5 days off and 2 days of work?  I know, I know the world cannot work that way so I am willing to settle for 3 days off and 4 days of work.  Or even better 1 day off, 3 days of work, 1 day off and then 2 days of work, but oh I guess that would kill any kind of weekend trips.  Humm I guess the current set up will do, well at least till I am 65, have saved up some money, can retire comfortable and enjoy life.  Anyways back to the point of this blog.

1) I will start with the fact that good old Senor Fuzzy has finally been adopted! I know, I know I told you about that yesterday but I am still giddy with joy because well I had fallen hard for this little guy and every weekend when he was still there, getting bigger and bigger and getting cuter and cuter it was slowly breaking my heart.  So I am happy to say that he went to a good home and is getting lots of care, and playful time with cute little kids who will love him to pieces.

2) Our fridge is fixed! I have been cooking, cutting up vegetables, and enjoying have cold milk again.

3) I slept away my weekend and now feel totally back up to par and ready for this last month and a half or so of work. 

4) Last week we went out for drinks with friends from work and this weekend they have asked to do it again so I think we will be getting together at our place for some drinking games and maybe tacos! I cannot say it enough but I love some of my co teachers and will be so sad to have to say good bye. 

5) I am in love with these cute and yes maybe a little cheese "wine koozies" as I call them. Do you think that dress makes my wine look fat?  Don't worry I did buy a few that were not dresses. 

6) Ryan shocked the poop out of me earlier this week with a hand bag I have been dragging him to stare at for about 20 minutes at a time every few days.  The lady felt bad for him.  I won't lie I am extreamlly hard core about sniffing this new thing, I know it sounds strange but the smell of lether is amazing!  Don't believe me go in to a lether shoe store and take a big sniff then come back and judge me.

7) I finally had enough of one of my middle school classes and stepped up Friday night to have a meeting with my boss about it!  I had gone to the co teacher of the class a few times now and she would just laugh and brush me off (Kevin hired her because they are friends so I should of known I wouldn't get any help from her) and the class has just been getting worse and worse.  My boss said she would talk to the class but I kind of doubt it, right now she needs all the students we can get.  I teach them on Tuesday and then Ryan will take them for me on Friday.  I have just never been treated so badly by kids, or been totally disregarded like I wasn't even talking.  I could go on and on but hey I am just happy and so thankful that Ryan will take them off my hands Friday!

8) Next Sunday is Easter!  Sadly we have yet to find an English speaking Church, and I wish I could be home to enjoy the Holiday with my family but I will be home in a few short weeks.  Oh wait you are confused about the happy part of this?  Well for starters Easter is just amazing and secondly being in Korea has meant that I have not gotten my hands on any Easter candy, and where as some of my friends may see that as a horrible tragedy I see it as one less thing to fret about at the gym!

9) Ryan officially ordered a Kindle this weekend!  Being the sweet girlfriend that I am I share mine with him every now and then but I told him before we headed off to Alaska this summer he needed to get his own!  I am also so happy that for someone who use to hate reading he now has a joy of reading.

10) Oh we paid off the Alaskan trip! Now to just try contain my excitement and make sure when I pack for my trip home I remember the winter things I will need for Alaska!  Man I do not even want to think about packing to go home.  Am I excited to go home TOTALLY, but packing for two months and leaving things behind in Korea oddly stresses me out for some reason.

11) One of Ryan's friends has offered to store our stuff in their apartment for while we are gone and another one of his friends has offered to let us use his car to get all of our stuff to the other friends apartment so we don't have to take 1000 bus trips.  Korea is strange in the face that they do not have storage units anywhere in this country.

12) I am alive and have amazing friends and family! 

Hope everyone enjoyed their daily dose of random and is having a great Monday!

Yes I know sometimes you may have to re-read some of those and think wait is she happy about that or not, I am in fact happy about all of those, well except leaving our great teaching friends!

Meaningful Monday....

So I am a little late but still wanted to get my Meaningful Monday in even if it is halfway through my Tuesday already so here it goes! 

Let me start with the fact that I was lucky enough to travel to Singapore this past weekend and have fallen in love with the weather, mix of cultures, food, shopping, sights, and the country as a whole.  I mean I am now thinking about dumping my once beloved South Korea to search out a job in Singapore.

Next I must say that the trip to Singapore opened my eyes to exactly how lazy I have been this winter with working out, eating right, and well better yet getting any sun at all!  I just worked on uploading photos from the trip and I have gotten majorly pasty, flabby, and well I need a hair cut or style soon!  I know, I know, I am a beautiful girl, but I don't want to be a "big" beautiful girl so it looks like it is time to kick up those gym workouts even if it kills my TV time or a few of my random blog post here and there.  I miss being healthy, and I miss having photos I am happy to look at later!

Thirdly, I am happy to say that the kindergarten is going on a filed trip tomorrow and well because there are only 8 kids and we have 4 teachers plus a man who seems to do nothing Ryan and I are not needed so we get the morning off!

Fourthly, I am a freak and have already caught up on all of our dirty laundry from the trip!  Sadly caught up just means all the clothes are washed, that does not mean I have put them away.  If you are my mother you know that I am not one to put my clean clothes away but instead find a nice piece of furniture to pile them all on. 

Next I am happy for once in my life that Korea seems to be the capital of cups of noddles, because after one week our fridge is still not fixed making it kind of hard to cook anything, due to the fact that I worry about leaving things out to long to thaw and I am a freak about putting left overs in the fridge and will not eat them other wise. 

I also have the fact that I am now only 2 months shy of being home for a few weeks to be thankful for.  Ryan and I are still looking for jobs and they are out there so we are just having to make some decisions.  I pray to God every day that we will find good jobs and that the kids will not be anything like they were this year, causing me to almost regret my choice to teach. 

I guess I better wrap this up and say that I am very thankful for the opportunities I get in life, even if I sometimes whine and complain about them. 

Oh and last I got some sun this weekend and no longer look like Casper the friendly ghost.

I hope everyone had a great Monday and is having a good Tuesday.  I should be blogging about Singapore this weekend and I will go ahead and warn you now it (maybe they, I might break them down into sights) will be long and jammed full of photos.  I wish some days I had taken a photography class in high school.

P.S. Did I mention that I am now in love with Singapore?  Ok just wanted to make sure everyone knew that!  Poor Ryan is now having to hear about it everyday.

Meaningful Monday

It would be that time again, time to kiss the weekend good bye and say hello to the week ahead.  As always I hate this part of the week yet I am finding that I love this blog. 

This weekend was another lazy one, and one where I force myself to stay away from the pet store so that I didn't have to see poor Senor Fuzzy get all excited to see me and then get all sad again once I left.

Ok anyways on to the happy thoughts for the week:

1) It is finally April!  I don't know about you but the month of March was seeming to drag on and on for what seemed like forever!

2) Spring has been teasing me for the past few weeks getting warm, then getting cold and then being very windy; however today I was happy to see that we have some flowers popping out! 


A closer look.


3) Next weekend we should be in Singapore with two of my favorite girls from school and Ryan!  Oh well and the schools owner, and one other middle school girl. 

4) Thanks to number 3 my work week of teaching in a class room is only 4 days!  I know that lack of 1 day seems crazy to be this excited about but lately our kids have been crazy out of control. 
5) We only have about 2 months left at our job till we are home with my family for a few weeks before starting our next jobs/adventure. 

6)  Google Weather has informed me that it should be sunny and in the high 50's all the way till Thursday this week.

7) I skipped my weekly McDonald's trip this weekend in hopes of really starting to get healthier.  However I don't know what we made for dinner was any healthier (chicken tenders, mashed potatoes with corn, and mac and cheese) but it did help us clean out the freezer and pantry that much more. 

Well I hope everyone has a great Monday!