Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Valentine's Day Video
This is another little something my hubby surprised me with on Valentine's Day.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Best Valentine's Day Ever!
Yesterday, 2 days before Valentine's Day, my wonderful husband surprised me with an amazing Valentine's gift. This is one of the best gifts he's ever given me- both for the gift itself, and the time and effort he put into getting it.
He got me..............
A PREGNANCY PILLOW! And I love it so so much! We talked about buying one in the States when we were there for Christmas and bringing it back but it would be too expensive and too much of a pain. Then I would just leave it here when we left Korea so it wasn't worth it. We tried looking for one here but there just really weren't any good ones available. I guess he decided I really needed one so he was about to buy it on Amazon and have it sent to our friend's address on the military base. This is the pillow: http://www.amazon.com/Todays-Mom-Comfort-Pregnancy-Pillow/dp/B001A0M3LI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1329014573&sr=8-6. He actually placed the order then the very next day one of our coworkers (Taylor had already asked for her help finding one in Korea) said a friend of hers found someone selling a pillow that had never been used. And guess what.....it was the exact same one he was going to buy on Amazon. See- God is looking out for us even in the small stuff.
The only catch was that he had to go outside of Seoul to a city called Bundang to pick it up. He tricked me and told me he was going for a really long bike ride. He got dressed in his bike clothes and later I found out he just took his bike to another floor of our apartment building to make it look like he took the bike and he changed into regular clothes once he got to the subway. It took him an hour and a half to get there with subway and bus transfers, then an hour and a half back. And on top of that, he had to walk through Seoul carrying the pillow! I took a picture of him when he came back:
Isn't he amazing? Taylor is such a selfless man. This baby is lucky to have a father like that. Ever since I've known him...even back to when we were just friends in college, he has always gone out of his way to help people when they ask for it. I've seen him take people to the airport- acquaintances, not even good friends, run all sorts of errands for people who ask for his help, go above and beyond his job description at work, and many other things. He's always willing to help even when it means sacrificing time or sleep. I'm admittedly too selfish to do many of the things he does for others but that's just one reason why he's so wonderful.
And the result of his effort? A happy mamma!
He got me..............
A PREGNANCY PILLOW! And I love it so so much! We talked about buying one in the States when we were there for Christmas and bringing it back but it would be too expensive and too much of a pain. Then I would just leave it here when we left Korea so it wasn't worth it. We tried looking for one here but there just really weren't any good ones available. I guess he decided I really needed one so he was about to buy it on Amazon and have it sent to our friend's address on the military base. This is the pillow: http://www.amazon.com/Todays-Mom-Comfort-Pregnancy-Pillow/dp/B001A0M3LI/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1329014573&sr=8-6. He actually placed the order then the very next day one of our coworkers (Taylor had already asked for her help finding one in Korea) said a friend of hers found someone selling a pillow that had never been used. And guess what.....it was the exact same one he was going to buy on Amazon. See- God is looking out for us even in the small stuff.
The only catch was that he had to go outside of Seoul to a city called Bundang to pick it up. He tricked me and told me he was going for a really long bike ride. He got dressed in his bike clothes and later I found out he just took his bike to another floor of our apartment building to make it look like he took the bike and he changed into regular clothes once he got to the subway. It took him an hour and a half to get there with subway and bus transfers, then an hour and a half back. And on top of that, he had to walk through Seoul carrying the pillow! I took a picture of him when he came back:
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| Don't mind the shirtless look :) |
And the result of his effort? A happy mamma!
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| I was so excited to try the pillow out last night! |
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| pretending to sleep |
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| Come on, honey..there's still room for you! |
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| So happy...creepily happy even! |
Monday, February 6, 2012
God is so loving and so faithful
Last night I went to bed reflecting on God's amazing love. This morning I woke up with the same thoughts. God is so so good.
Yesterday I had the worst pain I've ever felt in my right shoulder, arm, and neck. It was excruciating. I somehow hurt myself yesterday. The pain started around noon and lasted all day. We went to church that afternoon but I was in so much pain that I was ready to leave church. I even shed a few tears. I got Tylenol from a friend and took that but it had no effect. I prayed for God to touch my shoulder but it still hurt. When I got home from church I took another Tylenol and rubbed Biofreeze all over my arm and shoulder which brought a little relief but the pain was still very present. Right before bed, as I was whimpering and rolling around in pain, Taylor said "Let's pray again." This time he prayed for my shoulder and the pain left. I sat up, moved my arm around in every direction and it didn't hurt. The pain was gone. Praise the Lord!
Moments like that remind me of God's simple goodness. Experiencing the healing touch of God draws me back to Him and makes me just want to adore Him. Growing up I had a much different view of God. It was partially due to the way I was raised in the home and in the church. Most people- Christians or not- have an incorrect view of God. You see- I viewed God more as a judge. I had to do good to get his approval; to not get in trouble; to stay on his good side. But if I messed up- whether it was sin, not reading the Bible or praying enough, or whatever made me feel condemned, I felt like God was mad at me. That he didn't accept me anymore and I had to work my way back into his love and favor. That is not the nature of God. I have learned this about Him the last few years.
How He Loves Us! Nothing we can do will make Him love us more or less. Nothing. You are His favorite. He delights in you. He loves you unconditionally. Unconditional love is hard to grasp, because it's almost impossible to find on this earth. But more and more I'm learning that is who God is. His love is so so wonderful.
Please watch this music video by Kari Jobe. I absolutely love this song.
Yesterday I had the worst pain I've ever felt in my right shoulder, arm, and neck. It was excruciating. I somehow hurt myself yesterday. The pain started around noon and lasted all day. We went to church that afternoon but I was in so much pain that I was ready to leave church. I even shed a few tears. I got Tylenol from a friend and took that but it had no effect. I prayed for God to touch my shoulder but it still hurt. When I got home from church I took another Tylenol and rubbed Biofreeze all over my arm and shoulder which brought a little relief but the pain was still very present. Right before bed, as I was whimpering and rolling around in pain, Taylor said "Let's pray again." This time he prayed for my shoulder and the pain left. I sat up, moved my arm around in every direction and it didn't hurt. The pain was gone. Praise the Lord!
Moments like that remind me of God's simple goodness. Experiencing the healing touch of God draws me back to Him and makes me just want to adore Him. Growing up I had a much different view of God. It was partially due to the way I was raised in the home and in the church. Most people- Christians or not- have an incorrect view of God. You see- I viewed God more as a judge. I had to do good to get his approval; to not get in trouble; to stay on his good side. But if I messed up- whether it was sin, not reading the Bible or praying enough, or whatever made me feel condemned, I felt like God was mad at me. That he didn't accept me anymore and I had to work my way back into his love and favor. That is not the nature of God. I have learned this about Him the last few years.
How He Loves Us! Nothing we can do will make Him love us more or less. Nothing. You are His favorite. He delights in you. He loves you unconditionally. Unconditional love is hard to grasp, because it's almost impossible to find on this earth. But more and more I'm learning that is who God is. His love is so so wonderful.
Please watch this music video by Kari Jobe. I absolutely love this song.
Lyrics to "You Are For Me"
VERSE 1
So faithful, so constant
So loving and so true, so powerful in all you do
You fill me, You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to you
CHORUS
I know that you are for me I know that you are for me
I know that you will never, forsake me in my weakness
I know that you have come now
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who you are
VERSE 2
So patient, so gracious
So merciful and true, so wonderful in all you do
You fill me, You see me
You know my every move You love for me to sing to you
So faithful, so constant
So loving and so true, so powerful in all you do
You fill me, You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to you
CHORUS
I know that you are for me I know that you are for me
I know that you will never, forsake me in my weakness
I know that you have come now
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who you are
VERSE 2
So patient, so gracious
So merciful and true, so wonderful in all you do
You fill me, You see me
You know my every move You love for me to sing to you
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Babymoon/Lunar New Year
Last weekend was a big holiday in Asia- even bigger than Christmas! Most know it as the Chinese New Year. Here in Korea they like to call it the Lunar New Year. We had Monday and Tuesday off of work so we decided to plan a trip somewhere. Instead of allocating a portion of our trip budget to transportation, we decided to stay right here in Seoul and spend 2 nights at 2 different hotels.
The first hotel we stayed at was the Sheraton Hotel at D-Cube City Mall. It was recently built so everything was really new. We left for the hotel mid-day on Sunday.
My favorite part of the Sheraton was the bathroom. We only have a shower in our apartment, so I was finally able to take some baths!
The biggest complaint we had with the Sheraton was that we were approached by an employee of the Sheraton while in the pool who didn't speak any English so she had to call someone on her cell phone and hand us the phone in the pool. The person on the phone told us that we must wear swim caps to be in the pool. Everyone in Korea wears swim caps at the public and gym pools- it's a must. But come on, Sheraton is an international brand....they shouldn't expect that of their international customers. Furthermore, nothing was posted on the pool rules about wearing a swim cap. When we transferred to the Hyatt Regency, there were lots of people in the pool without swim caps. Sheraton needs to get that memo.
The next day we left for the Hyatt but we stopped on the way at our favorite breakfast place in Korea- Butterfinger Pancakes.
We also went ice skating on what I think was probably the coldest day of the entire winter so far!
Don't worry- I held onto Taylor the whole time and didn't fall. :)
Overall, we had a great weekend! And that could possibly be our last getaway for awhile.
The first hotel we stayed at was the Sheraton Hotel at D-Cube City Mall. It was recently built so everything was really new. We left for the hotel mid-day on Sunday.
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| A screen comes down to separate the bathroom for privacy if you want it. |
My favorite part of the Sheraton was the bathroom. We only have a shower in our apartment, so I was finally able to take some baths!
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| View from our room |
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| Screen Golf |
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| In the D-Cube Mall looking down. Shortly after this photo a security guard came rushing over and said "No Photos!" |
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| The outside of the mall |
The Hyatt was definitely a luxury hotel. Everything looked really nice and classy. We stayed on the club floor and even got upgraded, thanks to Taylor's dad's Platinum membership. He and his dad share the same name, so we were able to use the membership and get the extra perks. The club lounge was really nice- hors d'oeuvres, cocktail hour, snacks and drinks all day, and breakfast the next morning.
My husband also treated me to a pregnancy massage at the Hyatt Spa. The massage was really nice...until later that night. I felt completely relaxed for a long time after the masssage, HOWEVER, I broke out in a rash all over my body. I guess my skin didn't like the special rose hip lotion they used which ironically was specially selected for pregnant women. Almost a week later, I still have a few rough patches on my skin leftover from the rash. :(
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| Lobby at the Hyatt |
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| Checking out the spa packages |
Don't worry- I held onto Taylor the whole time and didn't fall. :)
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| Korea has some weird quirks about exercise. Look at #2- Please shower and exercise lightly before entering...what?? |
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| The view from our room at the Hyatt |
Overall, we had a great weekend! And that could possibly be our last getaway for awhile.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Link to Baby Blog
I have added a button that links directly to our baby blog. It's at the top left corner of the blog. Any time you want to check out the baby blog, just click on the picture of the baby shoes.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Naked Run & Snow Festival
Last Sunday, we woke up at 5:30 AM and met up with a runner's club in Seoul called "Seoul Flyers" to make the 2 hour journey to Daegwallyeong.
Daegwallyeong is not far from Pyeongchang, which is where the 2018 Winter Olympics are going to be held.
The reason we made this journey is because Taylor signed up to do a naked run. Not entirely naked but a shirtless 10K race. If you wanted to qualify for a prize (only the top 10 finishers) you could not wear pants, you had to wear shorts. But the runners were allowed to wear hats and gloves.
Taylor was trying to get in the top 3, which got a cash prize, so he decided to strip down to shorts.
It was pretty cold! I wore 2 layers of pants and 3 layers on top. Women who ran in the race were only allowed to wear a sports bra.
I know Taylor could have made that top 3...if they hadn't messed up the distance. He was pacing himself to sprint at the end, starting at the 9 km mark. The problem was that the race was shortened to 8.5 km so by the time he was ready to sprint, he was crossing the finish line. He ended up placing 8th in the individual runners. Not bad, right? There was well over 100 runners total but some of them were on teams, who didn't place in the individual rankings. One of the awards he got- a glass paper weight said "8th". The other award he got- a certificate- said 25th place- so maybe that was overall including all the team runners?
After the race, we walked over to check out some of the ice/snow sculptures. This run was all part of a snow festival that was taking place.
The reason we made this journey is because Taylor signed up to do a naked run. Not entirely naked but a shirtless 10K race. If you wanted to qualify for a prize (only the top 10 finishers) you could not wear pants, you had to wear shorts. But the runners were allowed to wear hats and gloves.
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| Before the race |
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| This guy was all ready to go in his little booty shorts |
Taylor was trying to get in the top 3, which got a cash prize, so he decided to strip down to shorts.
It was pretty cold! I wore 2 layers of pants and 3 layers on top. Women who ran in the race were only allowed to wear a sports bra.
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| The Seoul Flyers were pretty much the only foreigners in the race so of course the media wanted to film and interview them. |
I know Taylor could have made that top 3...if they hadn't messed up the distance. He was pacing himself to sprint at the end, starting at the 9 km mark. The problem was that the race was shortened to 8.5 km so by the time he was ready to sprint, he was crossing the finish line. He ended up placing 8th in the individual runners. Not bad, right? There was well over 100 runners total but some of them were on teams, who didn't place in the individual rankings. One of the awards he got- a glass paper weight said "8th". The other award he got- a certificate- said 25th place- so maybe that was overall including all the team runners?
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| Taylor with Dan, one of the Seoul Flyers. They did not run with their shirts on. |
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| Not sure what Happy 700 means...maybe something to do with the 2018 Olympics? |
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| Taylor getting his 8th place award |
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sad News
Remember Molly? She's the dog that we dog-sat for about 2 weeks. We learned some sad news yesterday. Molly died from a mistake during her spaying surgery. You can read more about it here:
http://sansborders.blogspot.com/2011/12/rip-molly.html
Please pray for Mark and Liz...she was part of their family and they've lost a close companion.
http://sansborders.blogspot.com/2011/12/rip-molly.html
Please pray for Mark and Liz...she was part of their family and they've lost a close companion.
