Spring Fashion...Korean style

I have mentioned before that the Korean people are quite stylish, but sometimes their style (and especially their color choices for men) are different than ours.  Well, I found such fun examples that I couldn't help sharing them with you.

Another fashion trend here is to dress like your mate, especially if you are newlyweds.  You can only imagine how much fun we have watching couples dressed like this....

and my favorite example...

Anyone have a husband that would like to sign up for this fashion statement?  I would be happy to shop for you.  :o)

Happy Spring Shopping Everyone!!!

Sunday Finest

Show and Tell

For show and tell today, we have this BEAUTIFUL (yes, I'm biased) baby (yes, she's STILL my baby...even if she is getting quite big) girl showing off her FIRST PIGTAILS!!!  And what is that she's holding, you ask?  That would be mommy's new iPod nano that she WON at the spring block party on base today!  Sure am glad I decided we needed to get out for a bit.  I may not have won a billion dollars, but hey, an iPod nano is a start.

The Last Battle

I finally finished it...I read the last book in the Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Last Battle by CS Lewis was one of my favorites of the series.  If you have only read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, you are missing out.  These books are just brilliant in their use of fantasy while portraying Biblical themes.  This one and The Horse and His Boy  (the link is to my review, not a picture of the book) are my favorites.  Anyone else love this series?  Have a favorite?

She's walking!!!

Adeline took her first real steps yesterday.  I know she has a lot of practicing left to do, but we are just SO excited at this "step" in the right direction.  This mama is so proud...

A special thanks to Christie for capturing this video with her camera, and also for providing the backpack which was the item Adeline was interested in at the moment we wanted her to walk.

Matching Coach Purses!!!

Oh my goodness...this is SO exciting!  I already owned the blue purse I'm holding in this picture, so imagine how excited I was when I WON the small one!  My first thought was, oh how cute...it will be a great bag for going out for an evening (just big enough for money, ID, and cell phone).  Then, the revelation hit me that it is the PERFECT size for my baby girl!  She has her first Coach purse and she's only one....come on y'all, there have to be SOME perks to living in Korea.  

Another meme...

Mary at notbefore7 tagged me for this meme.

What was I doing 10 years ago....

It would have been the April of 1998. I was in my junior year of college at Towson University studying occupational therapy, living in an apartment with Sarah and Lauren.

5 things on my to-do list today...

1.  Go through the rest of Adeline's spring/summer clothes and wash them.

2.  File the recipes I have tried lately that are "make again's" and finish my grocery list.

3.  Work on Adeline's scrapbook...it's ALMOST done!!!

4.  Finish the ironing

5.  Catch up on your blogs and leave comments.

5 snacks I enjoy...

1.  Ice Cream

2.  Almost any kind of fruit

3.  String cheese

4.  Pretzels (Snyders Splits are my favorite (can't get them here) or Snaps (can get them here!)).

5.  I also tend to munch on leftovers if there is something I really like (like mashed potatoes...without heating them).

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire...

First I have to say...odds aren't good since I don't play the lottery and I don't know anyone who is going to leave me that kind of cash...but, God can do anything!

1.  Tithe and give lots of extra away to our favorite charities...pray about new charities the Lord would like us to support.

2.  Travel (yeah, I know I'm already doing that quite a bit) and pay for a friend or family member to come along to watch Adeline so Patrick and I can go out a few evenings (any volunteers?).

3.  Fly all of my readers out for a big old blogging party!  Woo Hoo!!!  How do you like me now?

4.  Pay off our house (well, maybe pay off a DIFFERENT slightly larger house), save for Adeline's college fund, and save some for retirement.

5.  Try not to become a totally different person than I am now...I want my kid(s) to know that money belongs to God and doesn't buy happiness.

5 bad habits...

1.  Taking it personally when I am left out of an outing.

2.  Eating when I'm not hungry just because it is there.

3.  Letting the gas tank in the car get lower than it should.

4.  Thinking I can get just one more thing done before I need to leave...I can't...and then...  

5.  I'm late.

5 places I've lived...

1.  Pennsylvania

2.  Maryland (college dorm, college apartment, apartment in Baltimore, townhouse with my husband)

3.   Pakistan (did an internship there for 2 months)

4.  Hong Kong (lived with my cousin and his wife for 1 month)

5.  Korea

5 jobs I've had...

1.  Daycare center worker.

2.  Caregiver in a nursing home.

3.  In college I worked at Sweet Sensations (the frozen yogurt and coffee/cappuccino stand in the student union) and then worked as a nanny for the VP of the University....GREAT job I'll have to post about it sometime.

4.  Occupational Therapist (I worked in a hospital with general rehab and brain injury patients, then acute care, then nursing homes, did about a year in management, and then went back to treating patients while I was pregnant).

5.  Mommy....I thank God for this job every day.

TAG! Now YOU are it...

  disclaimer...I picked each of you because I thought you would like to be picked and would enjoy participating.  If I am wrong, or you don't have time, no pressure...

1.  Krista

2.  Nancy

3.  Amanda

4.  Just Mom (only because I know you've already been tagged, and I think your answers will be hilarious!)

5.  Shara

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was the selection for one of my book clubs this month.  I came to Korea wanting to read more classics, so I was glad this was chosen.  It was a great book (which is probably why it is a classic), that tells a story of racism that rocks a Southern town.  I loved Uncle Tom's Cabin which has a similar subject matter, but at only 281 pages, this novel is much shorter for those SAH moms who are short on time.  This book helps us to see people through the eyes of a child, not because of their color but because of who they are.  

Sarah, This One's for You!

We went there this weekend...not quite as good as in the US.  I almost got the "Chocolate Thunder from Down Under" just for you.  :o)

Sunday Finest

Comin' home!

Well folks, I finally changed our tickets (Adeline and I were originally going to come home May 21, until we realized Patrick wasn't coming home until the very end of July...10 weeks later!).

We are arriving in the good 'ol US of A on July 12 at 7:04 pm (don't you love those times?).  

What dog breed are you?

I saw this over on Mari's blog, and I thought it was fun.

I'm including the description just so you can decide if it matches my personality.

Labrador Retriever
The Caretaker

Your family is what makes you tick, and you never "flea" from an opportunity to hang out with the whole gang. A family picnic complete with hot dogs, deviled eggs and a refreshing swim in the lake is hard for you to stray from. Your sparky temperament and dogged intelligence mean you are not only a blast to hang out with, but great to work with as well. Your close pals appreciate your patience and forgiveness, knowing you'd rather let sleeping dogs lie than dwell on the mishaps of the past. Your dashing good looks may one day lead to a modelling career, if only you can tame the unfortunate clumsiness that sometimes causes you to go flailing from the catwalk. 

FAMOUS LABRADOR RETRIEVERS: Bill Cosby, Jackie Onassis, Dr. Phil, David Beckham

LIKELY PROFESSIONS: Doctor, Sales Executive, Teacher

And this was the description of my husband...

You are a Bulldog!
You may look like the troublemaker of the pack, but it turns out your tough guy mug is worse than its bite. You're really a softie, loyal to your friends and family and A-OK with meeting new pooches, but you prefer to do so with a high-five instead of a paw-shake. Proud of your great sense of humor, you've got a whole litter of jokes you draw from to keep the mood playful and the positive energy alive. A perfect afternoon for you involves a leisurely stroll with a pal, followed by a little downtime in an easy chair with a frosty can of brew and a remote control within easy fetching distance. You shed accusations of being lazy, knowing perfectly well that you're kenneling the energy you might need for... well... something.

Since you asked...

A few of you left comments or sent emails requesting more info about this statement..."

This is the "It's a Small World" ride, that was politically NOT correct on so many levels. Adeline loved it though with all the lights, moving dolls and music playing.

...from this post.

First, let me say that much of the ride was well done.  Here is one of the pictures to illustrate that point.  There was music and singing dolls.  There were lights and moving parts.  It was perfect for small children.

But because what you REALLY want to know is what was NOT politically correct and therefore highly entertaining for the adults, let me share my three favorite examples...unfortunately, I only have a picture of the last one.

1.  Germany was portrayed by a beer garden...yep, giant cans of beer with flowing beer fountains.  Tavern and all.

2.  The USA...you know this must be good...we are represented by a field of football players and some cowboys on a hill.

3.  I just know THIS is what you think of when you think of Africa...
Scary people with bulging eyes and spears standing in palm trees.  That pretty much sums up the culture there right?

Addendum

While I'm at it, let me do an addendum to this post....

Adeline's name is pronounced "Add-uh-line" (with a long "I" as in Caroline) not "Add-uh-lynn".  I guess since my name is Lynn some people assume I used my name to make part of hers...but I didn't.

Why "Rohal Call"?

Funny story flashback....

So, after we had just started dating, Patrick sat me down....

P: "I need to talk to you about something." 

me: (thinking) Ohhhhh no!  What terrible thing from his past is he about to confess to me?  Does he want to break up with me already?  Did I hurt his feelings?

P:  "So I thought if we are going to date, I should make sure you know how to pronounce my last name."

me:  sigh of relief...  "Are you kidding me?  That's it?!?!"

P:  "It is pronounced like "roll"... ya know, "tootsie roll", "roll down a hill", "dinner roll"

me:  (laughing)  "Why don't you correct people when they say it wrong?"  ...mind you, I didn't say it wrong...I think I just avoided saying it....sheer brilliance there.  :o)

P:  "I don't know.  It just doesn't really bother me when they get it wrong."

Fast forward to today...

After several people have asked me recently how to correctly pronounce my last name, I thought this may be post worthy.  It may help you understand why my title is in fact catchy...get it....pronounced "Roll Call"...NOT "row-hall call"

Sunday finest

Happy Birthday My Love....

Sweetie,

Today is the day we celebrate YOU!  This day is a reminder of the day God brought you into this world, and I remember how thankful I am for that blessing.  May you feel loved, respected, and cherished in every way.

I Love You,

Dear Daddy,

Mommy said you are celebrating your 34th birthday today.  That is a REALLY long time!!!  We should do something fun to celebrate like playing chase games, reading books, or eating ice cream.  You are the best daddy of all the daddies, and I love you very much.

aDeLiNe

Happy Birthday!!!

Oh....and, Happy Birthday to you too, Uncle Eric (Patrick's twin brother)!  We love and miss you!

Hinds Feet on High Places

Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

My college roommate, Sarah, lists this book on her sidebar as one of her favorites. She loved this book even in those days (sigh...seems like just yesterday), so I read it a few times before.  However, I just finished it again for a book club, and I loved it even more after living a little longer and experiencing a few more trials that God has used to mold me and draw me closer to Him.  It is an allegory about "Much-Afraid" who follows the Shepherd on a spiritual journey to the high places with her companions, "Sorrow" and "Suffering."  Through the journey, the Shepherd teaches her to overcome her fears, replaces her crippled feet with hind's feet, and gives her a new name.  She is tempted and tortured along the way by her relatives from "The Valley of Humiliation":  "Craven Fear","Self-pity", "Pride", and "Bitterness" to name a few.  I love Hurnard's incorporation of Scripture into the dialogue of the characters (especially Song of Solomon).  I could relate to "Much-Afraid" on each part of her journey.  She had a lot of lessons to learn...and SO DO I!!!  She learns to trust her Savior more and more, even in difficult times.  I highly recommend this book to any Christian who desires to be led by the Good Shepherd to new heights of love, joy, and victory.  

Yummy!!!

Gotta start with the story....

Very soon after we arrived in Korea, a man passed me in the post office and said, "Do you want this? (handing me a magazine) It is addressed to the people that had my mailbox before I got here and I don't cook."

It turns out to be a Kraft magazine. I like to cook/bake, and since my Taste of Home magazines were all sliced and diced with the recipes I wanted to try, I thought I would take a look. OH MY GOODNESS, PEOPLE!!! I am AMAZED by how quick and how good the recipes are that I have tried. You NEED to go here and fill out a profile. The magazine is FREE. It comes 5x per year, seasonally and then a holiday issue. You can get recipes over email, but I clicked the box saying I only wanted the magazine. This week alone, I made the three recipes below, and they are ALL ones I will make again. I love to try new recipes, and at this point, I have collected so many that I ONLY keep the ones that we LOVE. Even if my husband and I like a meal (meaning we will eat the leftovers without them turning to science projects in our fridge), I still say, "make again?" That is what determines if the recipe will make it into my keep box or just enjoyed this time.

Chicken Lo Mein

SO quick and SO easy!  You only need one pan (I cooked and drained the noodles and then drained them and cooked the rest in the same pot).  I used fresh veggies.

Shortcut Chicken Manicotti

Don't have to cook the pasta...don't have to cook the chicken....EASY people...E-A-S-Y

Heidi, this one's for you!

Strawberry Jam Bars

I love anything with cream cheese, and this recipe uses my favorite cereal (I eat it in vanilla yogurt with fruit almost every morning).  This is WAY yummy!

If you make any of them, let me know what you think.

Cruise Video

FINALLY!  Here is the video from our vacation.  Patrick finished it ages ago, but we had a hard time finding a site to host large files.  We finally just split it into three videos.  He did SUCH a great job!  Enjoy your visit to New Zealand/ Australia with us!

A Book Review and a Soapbox

If you are looking for something light and springy, then you came to the wrong blog today.  I'm fired up, and I feel another soapbox coming on (what is happening to me?!?!).  To start, I will give you a glimpse into my latest reading venture.  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert was a book club selection.  To be honest, I didn't expect to like it based on some of the reviews on Amazon, but a friend in the book club told me she was really enjoying it, so I picked it up.  

Basically, the author is living the American dream (great husband, job, home), and then after an "open and exploratory dialogue" with God, she decides to divorce her husband.  "Following (the) divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence." 

The book is divided into three sections, based on the three places she visits.  I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed the first section.  I don't agree with her life view AT ALL, but her writing style is witty and fun, and she is a great story teller, so I kept going.  It is not the type of book I would have picked up on my own, and that is the beauty of a book club.  You expand your horizons to discover things you wouldn't necessarily read otherwise.   I was so frustrated with her through the second section where she tries to "connect with God" in an Ashram in India.  There were just WAY too many pages of her meditating and discovering complete bunk that I finally gave up a few chapters before the end of that section.  You need to know that as a general rule, I always finish the book....I can only think of a hand full of books that I haven't finished.  I am of the opinion that if you don't finish it, you don't have the right to criticize it (goes hand-in-hand with my view that you can't complain about the president, or politicians in general, if you don't vote).   I realized I just didn't want to spend any more of my time pouring the lies from that book into my brain.

This New Age view that is so pervasive in our society just makes me ill.  I was just coming down from my soapbox about the book when my friend sent me an email with a link to this video on You Tube.  Take a few minutes to watch it.  They teach that God is in us (which for those who have accepted Christ is true), but they twist this truth to teach that God in you means that God is a feeling in you, and you can know God's will based on what you feel is truth for you.  What is true for you may not be true for someone else and there are many paths to God.  These are LIES, ALL LIES!!!  Oh Father, forgive us, for we know not what we do......

Fellow readers, please join me in praying for our nation, for our elections, and for our churches.  Spread the word that there is danger in these teachings.  May the world come to know the ONE true God.  

Sunday finest

I'm one of "those" people...

I have a confession to make...and I hate it...it's just killing my pride.  One pet peeve I have is when people don't write thank you cards.  I don't mean for every menial occasion, but for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, or when someone goes out of their way to do something special for you, I think a personal note is common courtesy.  Some people send mass produced cards that say, "thank you for coming to my wedding and thank you for the gift."  HORRIBLE!!!  If you can't take the time to write a simple thank you naming the gift the person so carefully thought to purchase for you (or were kind enough to get off your registry so it was something you actually wanted), then you don't deserve their kindness.  I realize it is the 21st century, and I am not so old school that I think you actually have to put ink to paper.  For most occasions, an email acknowledging their kindness will suffice.  But to do NOTHING, is selfish.

Now that I have been on my soapbox and made my position clear......I have become one of *those* people!!!  I really hate to admit this.  I had a list of thank you's to write after Adeline's 1st birthday (yes, I know that was the end of Feb!!!).  The list has been lost in the same vacuum where baby girl socks and pens disappear.  I was trying to get most of them done before we left for vacation.  The list had at least 10 names, and I think I only completed 4.  I can remember at least two more I need to write, but I KNOW there are more of you out there.  If you are one of the wonderful gift givers that I missed, PLEASE know that I am thankful for your thoughtfulness and generosity (not only am I one of "those" people, but I just offered one of those catch-all thank you's that is impersonal and reeks of selfishness...Ugh!).

The other day, one of my best friends Skyped me (you know who you are).  In the course of our conversation, she said, "I just want to make sure you got the package I sent."  OH...um....(I know I composed the thank you in my head...did I REALLY not send a card?).... double Ugh!!!  Of course I remember getting the package.  I thanked her profusely and admitted to my complete embarrassment.  She has known me for a VERY long time and is like a sister to me, so she has seen me make MUCH bigger mistakes and treat her with varying degrees of kindness, yet loves me in spite of myself.  She made me look her in the eyes and told me NOT to send a thank you card.

I composed it today and it will be in the mail tomorrow.....

Everland

On Monday, we went with our friends, Emil & Kristin, their boys (Noah and Eli), and Emil's siblings (Elsa Jenny and Ethan) to Everland.  This is the Korean (almost right) version of Disney.  SO FUN!!!

Playing Cinderella

This was Adeline and Eli for most of the morning.

There was this AMAZING safari ride...that would NEVER fly in the US.  There was nothing between us and the lions, tiger, and bears (oh my) except for the windows on the bus.  The bus driver was throwing treats to the bears, and at one point a bear actually had his face inside the driver's window!

The ball room...there were canons and rifles and nets and lots of places to hold, drop, and shoot BALLS.  We had the hardest time getting the "big" boys to leave...yes that is Emil and Patrick shooting at each other.

This is the "It's a Small World" ride, that was politically NOT correct on so many levels.  Adeline loved it though with all the lights, moving dolls and music playing.

Kristin and Noah as monkeys...

Ice cream break...

Yes, yes we did ride the pedal-it-yourself helicopter ride.

and yes, yes we did turn it into a bumper-copter ride.

They even have a zoo!!!  Kristin and I took the kids to the zoo while the other adults rode the BIG rollercoasters.

Thanks guys, we had a great day!