Well I didn't get around to posting these before Christmas, but here's our night of Christmas cookie decorating, a family tradition.






We had all sorts of creations this year. Dan specialized in Marvel and DC comic characters with the likes of Superman, Wolverine, Batman, The Green Hulk, Iron Man, SpiderMan and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Can you spot them?



Hope your holidays were great!

I was just beginning to get jealous of all the snow that Virginia Beach got when we woke up to a bunch of snow of our own! It was enough snow to have work cancelled for the hubby and for the kids to play in, but not so much to completely shut life down. It was a great snow day!

This year for Christmas my sister put together a 12 days of Christmas from her children to my children. They enjoyed it so much that I think we'll have to make it a tradition. Since we trade years that we give gifts, our boys can put together one for their cousins next year, and keep switching.

Valerie also included a card with a little hint at what the gift would be. On the first day of Christmas, a gift to make your day "M"erry and "M"agical = M&M's!

I took a few pictures of the gifts. Here's the 3rd day of Christmas, a little treat for when you're at the end of your rope. Nerds rope! (they loved this stuff, btw)


The 4th day was something to deck the halls. Little ornaments to paint and add to the tree!

Here's the 6th day, something to make it re'mark'able. CARS markers!

They opened candy bracelets, card games, glow sticks and these fun coloring rolls that I'm sure she made herself.




Thanks Aunt Valerie and Emma and Kyle! We loved our 12 days of Christmas!

So you all know that Dan's neice, Denice lives in South Korea, right? She's lived here for 3 years and is sadly leaving in February. Dan and Denice spent most of their high school years together so they are really good friends as well as being family. She has been teaching English to kindergartners in Bucheon which is south west of Seoul. By public transit it's a good 1 1/2 hours from here. Any time we had gotten together it was in the Seoul area or at church. It was time for us to go visit her stomping grounds.

Here we are eating Dak Galbi, Dan's favorite Korean cuisine.


Most times we eat Korean food we have to have either fed the kids beforehand or find a McD's or BK, and then give them ipods so they'll behave, or behave better than they would without! Sad isn't it?

After a yummy lunch and a tour of her apartment we went to a robot museum!




There were a lot of interactive displays and different robot creations throughout. However we were baffled by this train set. What was its relevance? Not sure. The scale was so off, with cows the size of the houses, roads that led to nowhere, space-y looking contraptions and other odd features. Still, since it was a running train, the kids spent most of their time here.




This game was the funnest part of the museum.



Back at the train...

And after the museum we wandered around a mall near Denice's house and found the food court down stairs. The had an Auntie Anne's pretzel place, and I was super super excited cuz they are one of my favorites! Their cinnamon sugar pretzel...mmmm.... I was a little hesitant to purchase though, because most Korean chains of American chains taste just a little bit different. It smelled so good that I took the chance, and oh, was it heavenly! Too bad it's so far away!


It was super fun to visit Denice, and we're so glad that she has come all the way over to us as many times as she has, now that we know how far it can be! Soon it will be a little too far...

So this is one type of event I was really looking forward to coming to in Korea. You just don't have lantern festivals in the states, ya know? It also was pretty awesome because Dan was in the Jazz Band that played on the opening night of the festival, so we went to hear Dan play and tried our best to see the display. In all honesty, since I was juggling the kids, the crowds and the camera, the best pictures came from Dan before the festival started and before the crowds ensued. It was still a fun night, topped off with a very bright carriage ride with the boys.