Seoul City Bus Tour

Last weekend, The Traveling Trio hopped on the Seoul City Bus Tour and started on a day's adventure in Seoul!  We figured this was a good way to get a grasp of the city, how big it is, and what it has to offer.  Plus, there were a few places we wanted to see and they were on the tour!  So...off we went!

Our first stop was Namsan Seoul Tower.  This is one of the attractions that, if you know anything about Seoul, you've heard of.  I hadn't heard of it until we got our assignment here...then, I knew it had to be seen right away.  It was amazing and such an impressive view of Seoul!  For the first time, I had a grasp of REALLY how big Seoul is...and how Yongsan takes up prime real estate right in the smack dab middle of Seoul!!

(Yes, folks, I laid on the ground like a true tourist to get this picture.  I just couldn't resist!)

This was right after we walked up the HUGE hill to get to the tower.  Awesome setting!

Before we went up to the observation tower, they gave each of us a "Love Wishes Coin" to throw in the "Love Wishes Fountain" when we got up the tower.  Apparently, this will help our true love come to us...or something funny like that =)  We got a kick out of it!

Once we got up to the observation tower, I was FLOORED!!  Wow!!  I couldn't believe what I was seeing!  Seoul is HUGE!!  But then again, it's the 2nd largest city in the world!  In this first picture, the red building in the middle is the Dragon Hill Lodge, where we have had the "pleasure" of staying in for a month.  Cody is pointing it out to Jackson.

On every window, they had some of the major places listed for the direction that they were in.  This is the one I found interesting...and a good reminder for me.  Pyongyang, North Korea is somewhere in the distance over those mountains.

We then jaunted to a little viewing area on top...with all of the locks hooked on it.  It was amazing!!  I've never seen so many locks.  I wondered who put them there and what was the reason...a "locket of love!"

 After we stopped at Namsan Tower, we hopped back on the bus and then stopped at the "Blue House" which is the President's house here.  We couldn't go in, but got a good picture from a distance.

Then we walked a bit to view Gyeongbokgung Palace and ALL that entailed...which was a lot.  It's possible we missed a bit of it...as many palace grounds are, it was HUGE!!

The picture below is one of my favorites from this adventure...box jumps on the steps of a palace!  Gotta love it!!

We were there to see the changing of the guards as well.

And then, after all that, we called it quits for the day!  We saw so much!!

Who knows what the next adventure will bring??

Our Life in Korea Has Begun!

YAY!!  Cody has set up the computer in the hotel room so that I can now blog!!  It's taken a while to get it all connected, but here it is!

Time to start journaling our journey here!

Prior to our trip to Korea, we made a stop at Disney World in Orlando.  This was a 6 day adventure in between movers in Alabama.  I will post some pictures in a "rewind" post later.

THIS post is dedicated to our new adventures thus far in Korea!!  We arrived on June 28 and have been staying in a hotel room (The Dragon Hill Lodge) on the Army Post since we arrived.  Yes, folks, if you are counting, we are on day #20 in this spacious hotel room...that has all of a sudden taken on the look of a closet!  We arrived when everyone else did and are awaiting on-post 2 bedroom housing.  Alas, I have confidence that God has a plan for us for a house...whether that be here on post or moving off post.  I'll update you when we know more!

Our first adventure off post was to Itaewon.  It is a street just outside of one of the gates of the post (for those of you that have been to Kadena AB, I would sortof liken it to Gate 2 street...except, in my opinion, it is MUCH longer, wider and more westernized).

There were interesting signs, such as this one (that of course I spotted because it had an action hero on it.  Having a 6 year old, apparently my eyes are trained to find action heroes.).

And then, a Starbucks on what seemed like every 2 blocks...or less!!  At least I know I can get my Peppermint Mocha at Christmas time (well, and there are 2 Starbucks on post too).

It was an interesting and enlightening trip!

Then, Jackson and I ventured to Naemdemun.  (Unfortunately, I do not have but one picture from there and I have not loaded it from my phone to the computer.)  This is a huge Market with TONS of stuff.  A bit overwhelming, but I plan to go back some day.  It was an easy subway ride from the Post.

2 days ago, Jackson and I, along with some new friends, went by subway to a mall that has an aquarium inside of it.  The COEX Mall houses stores as well as an aquarium and the Kimchi Museum (which we opted not to visit on our trip).

Jackson had a lot of fun with his new friend, Rylee.

They had a Dr. Fish there!  Apparently it's a manicure by fish!!  Jackson decided to briefly try it and laughed as the fish began to nibble on his fingers.

It was a great day out of the hotel...complete with Korean Bulgogi Pizza for lunch!

The Traveling Trio is Back...and Traveling Again!

Well, I guess it's time to reinstate this blog!!  We're on to our next great "Traveling Trio" adventure and thus, lots to write about on the blog.

We are now successfully moved out of our home in Prattville, Alabama.  Aside from meeting the carpet cleaners in the morning, the house is cleaned and all our stuff is gone!  Never mind that some of it was strategically (if you consider placing a tv teetering sideways on the very top of a stack of not so balanced boxes, "strategic" then, we're good) placed in crates to be stored in a non-climate controlled storage unit.  THAT should be in good shape when we return in 2 years!!  Oh, and the fact that I noticed the wrong name being placed on our boxes yesterday might make it exciting to recover our things in the future!!  At least I noticed it...and it was crated, so again, we're good!

Alas...we are on our way!!  We are in a hotel in Prattville tonight, then headed to Atlanta, GA, where our car will be dropped off to begin its' long journey to South Korea.  One more night in a US hotel and, then...we hop on an airplane on Thursday afternoon, for, what I believe will be an EPIC JOURNEY to South Korea!  Folks, the flight is non-stop from Atlanta, GA to Seoul, South Korea...followed by a ride to US Army Garrison, Yongsan, our home for the next two years.

We are anxious and excited about the phase of our lives.  God has something great in store for us!!

I'll keep you posted as I attempt to capture our life overseas again...this time with a 6 year old that will now remember living overseas.

Aaaaaand...I might have to do a rewind when I have a moment.  We surprised Jackson with one last US adventure to Disney World in the middle of the three long weeks of moving.  We had a blast...and completely forgot about moving.  It was great!!  I'll post pictures in another blog...later.

Hello May!

It is May 1...I can't believe it!!  With May comes the realization that we will be leaving soon and moving to a new country.  We have lived in Alabama nearly 11 months...and it's almost over.

When I look back at the year, I love smiling at what a blessing it has been.  We have had our share of challenging moments, sure, but our time here in Alabama has been just what it needed to be, a time for us to come back together as a family and reconnect...most of all focus on God as a family.

Alabama will hold a special place in our hearts...forever.  It is where Jackson came to accept Christ as his Lord and Savior and was baptized by Opa (Cody's dad) in our church here.

Alabama is where Jackson started Kindergarten...and Daddy could be there for the first day of school.

Alabama is where Jackson tried basketball and played in Little League baseball.  Thus, it is where we discovered the seriousness of sports, especially football and baseball, in the South!  (And, where we discovered that, yes, Jackson's sport of choice will most likely be baseball.)

We have traveled to Tuscaloosa to experience the atmosphere surrounding an Alabama Crimson Tide football game, and our son has become an Alabama football fan!

We managed to travel to Atlanta, GA; Gulf Shores, AL; Destin, Pensacola & Navarre, FL; Huntsville, AL; Birmingham, AL; and of course Montgomery, AL.  (We are hoping to add a couple others before we leave, but our time is running short and movers must be scheduled.)

We visited the Pumpkin Patch in Alabama and decorated two Christmas trees again in our home.

In Alabama, we discovered that Jackson loves to write and enjoys creating stories and books!  He was selected and attended a Young Author's Conference here and read his story aloud.

And, with that picture up, it reminds me that here, in Alabama, Jackson lost 4 teeth...that makes 6 adult teeth in his mouth!!

We have celebrated two of our birthdays here and made some great, lifelong friends!

It's funny how a place that you live, that might seem so "normal," can all of a sudden in the blink of an eye be in the past and mean so much.  This place has made me realize that the everyday things of life are BIG BLESSINGS!!  And, when you stop to reflect on them, they mean so very much!

I've learned a lot here...I've learned to function independently of my son (and him of me), which was a challenge for both of us but has been such a wonderful growing experience.  I've also learned to slow down a bit and cherish every minute of life.  Some days, that means we eat dinner out so that I can throw the ball with Cody and Jackson; some days that means that the house doesn't get cleaned for yet another day, and sometimes that means that I spend that extra time reading 5 new books instead of folding the laundry.  I'm learning to be a better wife and mother~this assignment has taught me about the IMPORTANT things in life!

For that, I will always be grateful!