Bean Sprout Aisle

Now that we have been in Korea for almost three years (which is unbelievable to me, by the way), Korea has become much more "normal" to us. It is the way we live every day and our eyes don't see things as new or different as they once did.  I've realized I do a lot less blogging about "Korea" in general because I forget that it isn't so "normal" to many of my readers!  But every now and then Steve and I have what we call a "We-are-living-in-KOREA-moment."  We see something, we smell something, we notice something or something causes us to realize that we aren't in our native culture; we are living abroad.  We smile at each other or to ourselves and say "We live in KOREA!"

I had one of those  moments the other day.  I went with a friend to the Osan Emart (a different store than we typically go to).  Emart is similar to a Super Walmart or Target, it has a grocery and it also has a large variety of other items. We frequently shop at Emart but it is usually the Emart close to us, not the one in Osan (a neighboring city). 

As I was grocery shopping, I looked up and this is what I saw:

That's right, aisle 7 is the "Bean Sprout" Aisle.  An aisle completely dedicated to Bean Sprouts. Now that is not something you would find grocery shopping in the U.S.! 

Sunday Sunshine

 

 

 

 

3 and 3!

 

Can someone please find the "pause" button?

 

 

3 months (L) and 3 years (R)



Another year....

My dad always warned me that time goes by fast and I think I'm starting to finally really experience how the years just fly by.  Another year older, don't feel much the wiser, another baby bigger, and feeling tremendously blessed by my family and friends. Thank you to everyone who made my day super-extra-special. I enjoyed all the notes, cards, calls, gifts and a wonderful day with our little family of four. 

 

For those of you asking, Steve woke up early (!!!) made my coffee, did the dishes, made breakfast...the kids and I enjoyed a sunshine and blue skies morning on the roof,

 

Steve came home a little early and sent me for some reading/alone time to a favorite coffee shop, our family went out for dinner (sidenote: never in a million years would I have thought I would be asking for Korean for my birthday dinner meal! But life is full of  wonderful, unexpected surprises, isn't it?).

And spent time with a dear friend that evening while Steve was at youth group.  A blessed and full day it was!

 

 

Spring

Korea has got to have one of the most beautiful Springs around.  It doesn't last long, mind you, but when it arrives it is a beautiful thing to behold!  In case you missed it, or it has been a while, check out this post ("Springtime in Songtan") It is hard to believe I wrote that TWO years ago already....

 

 

We have been spending as much time outside as we possibly can, enjoying the crisp and sun-shiney, flower filled days.

 

 

And doing the laundry while we're at it!

"Daffodowndilly"

"She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,

She wore her greenest gown,
She turned to the south wind

And curtsied up and down.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor;

'Winter is dead.'"

 

Poem by: A.A. Milne

 

We are currently reading through "The Complete Poems of Pooh" (a gift from Auntie Renee!) - or as Caleb calls it "not poetry but Pooh-etry".  It is one of our shared favorite times of the day.  We recently enjoyed this timely poem and craft, as the weather here in South Korea is shifting from winter to spring and the market is full of daffodils and other beautiful flowers and plants and the trees look about to burst forth in cherry blossoms any day....

Baby Chicks!!

 

Songtan 4/9 Market ~ 1,000W/Chick ~ Pure Joy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Afternoon "Photoshoot"

We tried to be cool and take some cute "professional" looking pictures....I'll just come right out and say we weren't very successful in the "professional picture" department {fail}. But we did get some cute pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Easter!

We hope you had a blessed Easter, wherever you celebrated this year.  We enjoyed a week preparing for this special holiday and reading the story over to Caleb in various translations and Bibles and then we woke up at 5am on Easter Sunday to begin the celebrating and worship of our Risen Savior with dear friends and our SCBC Family! He is Risen!

Jihae and Tyler leading worship

 

Caleb and Sadie, of course

Good MORNING, Spaldings!!

Oh Kiera!

Don't you smile!!

 

Breakfast Buddies, following sunrise service : BACON (and eggs and french toast)!!

 

Baby Friends!

 

Family pic Easter 2013

Pit Stop!

 

Attempted youth room photoshoot between services

 

 

We got up waaayyy too early for this!

 

 

"She's so pretty, mom"

 

 

Smiles!

My big boy!

 

 

 

 

Okay, so we may have had 2 hours to kill between the sunrise service and the regular service...sorry for the picture overload (at least I didn't share ALL of them!).

 

Youth Group!

 

 

TIMMY!!!

 

After Church we all went home and took a good nap....

 

Then off to a special Easter Baptism!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bon Voyage

Caleb packed himself and baby sister up on their "boats" and set sail for "America" this week....

Caleb "Teaching" at Church