Letting go of the training wheels

Recently a friend gave us a new bike. It was suppose to be for Ian who has out grown his tricycle but it was bigger than Brett's bike. So the bike became Brett's new bike. His old bike had training wheels on it though he didn't really use them anymore. We thought what a great time for Brett to learn to ride without the extra wheels. But when we took him to the park to try he was too worried about falling over even though I was holding the back of the bike. He begged for training wheels to be put on. After putting the wheels on we realized they were too short and didn't even touch the ground. He desperately wanted to try out his new bike and we headed out to the parking lot where he took off like a bullet and never touched the training wheels to the ground. He was so scared of trying it without the wheels but really they just gave him the "safety" he needed to boost his confidence and take off riding. It made me wonder how many times I've needed some type of training wheels to get my confidence up just to realize I wasn't using the wheels at all.

Death all around

Maybe it's a season but recently there seems to be deaths all around me. It started in our own family with grandmother, but over the summer I knew of 4 others, and just this month 2 more. It has me thinking about the fragility of life. One day a person you know is here and then their not. Right before Joe left for Tanzania this summer I had the thoughts that he was going to die. I started thinking of what life without my spouse would be like. I was devastated. What would I do, where would I live? I think these things are good to think about ahead of time but not get too caught up in them. I kept telling myself to calm down and change the subject in my head. Thankfully nothing happened to Joe on his trip and my worries where just that, and lines added to my face that weren't needed!

Everything takes extra time

I found a set of pillows I really liked at our local mega store but they didn't have enough. Since I have yet to find someone who can speak English at this store and the lady did not understand my charades, I called a Korean friend to help me order more. No problem, maybe took an extra 5 minutes. The sales clerk called my friend back a week later to let her know that the pillows had arrived. When I arrived at the store I could not find the women who would have recognized me and have known I came for the pillows. I stood and waited 5 minutes hoping she would show up. No luck. I looked for anyone who worked in that dept. No luck. I decided to call my friend that had helped me order. She didn't answer....what do I do now? Leave the store without the pillows? No way, I had gone there just to pick them up. I decided I would call another friend, explain the situation and ask them to speak to the door greeter at the store and have him page someone to that dept. Easier said then done. After calling 4 people, trying to explain the situation to one and hearing their confusion as to what in the world I was asking them to do, I decided to head home, pillow-less. Fortunately my friend called back just as I was leaving the store. I went back into the store, handed the confused looking greeter my phone, he paged someone to come with the pillows and I left happy. This little 5 minute errand only took me 45 minutes. Ahh the frustration of communication.
Since we have been back I have been asked, insinuated and told 4 times that I should know more Korean. I agree! Life would be a lot easier. Time to start studying again.

Back in Korea

It has been a busy couple of weeks for us since the boys and I returned. Two days after we arrived back we moved to a new apartment. Moving seems to be the best cure for jet lag because I spent all my time cleaning, sorting and organizing our new place that I just pushed past the exhaustion. I wanted to get it done.

Our new place is great! It is probably 800sq feet and has a 3rd bedroom as compared to our previous 2 bedroom 500 sq ft. When we first arrived back to our old apt I was shocked by how small it felt. I shouldn't have been so surprise since we lived in grandmothers 4,000sq feet house all summer. I am really grateful to have moved to a bigger place. We had asked the university to make the key deposit for us (around $20,000 US dollars) and we offered to pay our rent of $500 and utilities (at our other apt we didn't pay anything). We were pleased and surprised to find out that we are only going to need to pay our utilities. I have been thanking God for answering my prayers! We are in a different neighborhood but still close to places we know. We are now behind the university, about 10 minutes walking for Joe to his office. One of my friends live in our building and has been very helpful.

Now that we have settled in we started our new school routine. I'm tired already! I remember my friends from college and how in their first year of teaching they all seemed incredibly tired. I now understand how they felt. And I only have two children to focus on! I am hoping that setting a new routine and standard will pay off in the end and get easier once the boys get the hang of it. Until then, I am going to bed early.

We sure enjoyed our extended vacation in the US and spending time with so many people. But it's also good to be back in Korea.

What's next?

I am a planner by nature and since we moved to Korea I've been asking the Lord, "What's next?" I wonder where we will go after, back to KC or another city or country? What kind of job Joe will do and what we will be involved in. This summer God reminded me to be content where I am, he'll let me know what's next when we need to know. But I've want to know and because of looking ahead I don't always enjoy the present NOW. So this sememster I want to focus on the present. Enjoying the NOW moments with my family and friends and trying to bathe myself in patience to wait for what the Lord has next. In answer to the question everyone asks "How long are you staying there?" I say, God will let us know. I'm enjoying the NOW.

Where has the time gone?

It's been awhile since I wrote and now here it is mid August and we leave to go back to Korea in just 10 days. It has been so awsome to be here! On our previous trips back we always had a ton of things to do all shoved in 3 weeks so this trip has been different and relaxing.

It has been a summer full of hanging out with all different family members from both sides. My mom visited and we took a trip to WI to see my grandfather, my brother moved back to the KC area, we went to Branson, MO to see Joe's dad, we spent time with Joe's cousins who live here and we got to catch up with our friends. I feel so blessed and fortunate to have been here for the summer. The boys also had a blast at soccer camp, swimming lessons and going to friends houses. We experienced our first round of putt-putt, where we all scored a hole in one, had our first fishing lessons with the boys, who unfortunetly did not catch anything and we've eaten all our favorite foods:)

Whew, where has the time gone!?

There's something to be said for convenience

In Korea we walk everywhere and if needed take a bus or taxi. I like living where everything is convenient, the grocery store, Joe's job, church, friends, and all within 10 minutes of walking. I'm trying to bring my 'convenient' lifestyle here. We are staying at Joe's grandmother's house which is in a good location to walk to the grocery store (though a bit yuppie and higher priced, but no gas = better deal), I joined the YMCA 10 blocks away, which I could walk to but instead drive the 5 minutes. Ian is attending preschool part time and that is only 10 minutes driving. We're trying to stay in our "hood". In 12 days of driving I used less than one tank of gas! Being behind the wheel again is fine, being stuck in traffic, and paying $4 for a gallon of gas, yea..I don't mind living without those.