Say Cheese!

I LOVE cheese. This trait did not skip a generation, as evident by these pictures. Tonight I decided to try a new recipe for enchiladas. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/09/simple-perfect-enchiladas/ After a friend had commented about my lasagna post, I decided to try some other meals from the creator of the lasagna recipe. Apparently, I stumbled upon a hidden gem. Thanks to Sarah for telling me how great PW is! Based on all of the sampling I did while making it, I think the recipe will turn out great! Anyway, I sat the kids down at the kitchen table to paint while I poured myself a glass of the finest red wine in the house, started some tunes, and got to cooking. After assembling the enchiladas and pouring the rest of the sauce on top, I needed to grate some more cheese. Since my food processor is in storage, I sat down at the kitchen table with my cheese grater, a huge brick of Tillamook, and my kids. In the amount of time that it took me to sprinkle (okay, dump, who am I fooling I already said I love cheese), the cheese over the top and put the dish in the oven, my sweet bottomless pit did a number on the cheese. Kaity told me that Ryan snuck some cheese, but I thought that he snagged some shavings. Nope, he grabbed the brick! Like any good mom with a story, I ran for the camera and then told him to stop. Of course since I took a picture of Ryan, Kaitlyn wanted me to take a picture of her. And it was only fair since Ryan had so many bites. The damage was already done. What's a few more germs on the brick of cheese?

Here's the recipe if you don't want to follow the link, or really, just in case it disappears. The commentary isn't mine, just the Pioneer Woman and her humor. Enjoy! The smell and sound of enchiladas is filling our home and my husband should be walking through the door any minute, so I am off! P.S. Have I mentioned lately how I love that my husband is home for dinner much more often these days!

Simple. Perfect. Enchiladas!

Sep. 15, 2008

Okay, people. Let’s get down to business here. Let’s make enchiladas!

Did you know that in addition to having an imaginary black grandpa, I actually had a real, live Mexican great uncle? It’s true! And so what if it was only by marriage, and so what if I have absolutely no interesting ethnicity in my bloodstream? See, my dad’s dad, who died before I was born, rest his soul, had a sister named Fleda Mae, rest her soul, and Fleda Mae was married to a Mexican man named Luchan, rest his soul. I remember both Fleda Mae and Luchan fondly, but besides their friendly, loving nature and the fact that they lived in Bakersfield, California, I don’t remember too much about them. I do remember Fleda Mae’s high pitched and very sweet voice. And I definitelyremember Luchan’s enchiladas.

My mom has made these enchiladas for decades, after Luchan showed her the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one can come to the enchilada except through him. Once my mother became a believer, she passed that belief onto me and my other siblings, and I feel I have been commissioned to pass the love on to you.

So c’mon—let’s get rrrready to rrrrrrumble!

Before we begin, let me explain that there are three separate components to these enchiladas: THE SAUCE. THE MEAT. And THE REST. So I’ll split up the Cast of Characters accordingly.

For the sauce, you’ll need canned Mexican red sauce (or enchilada sauce), low sodium chicken broth, canola oil, flour, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Let me repeat: this is for THE SAUCE.

Let’s get the sauce going first. Okay? Okay. Throw 1 tablespoon canola oil into a medium saucepan, followed by 1 tablespoon flour. Whisk it together over medium-low heat.

Keep whisking as it cooks, and continue cooking for about 2 or 3 minutes. This is the base for the sauce. Luchan said so!

Pour in the red sauce (note that some canned Mexican sauce is quite PICOSO [look it up] so you’ll want to do your homework if you’re sensitive to flames shooting from your eyeballs) and chicken broth and stir the mix together.

Add 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Yeah. I mean the powdery stuff. Also add 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Give the sauce a good stir, and let it simmer on really low heat while you mess around with the other stuff.

Now. let’s make THE MEAT!

For the meat, you’ll need…well, MEAT. Ground beef, onion, canned diced green chilies, and salt. Not cilantro. It sneaked into the photo. Sorry. Happens.

Begin by dicing the onion. Are you tired of my showing you how to dice an onion? Because I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. I’m all about breaking things down here on The Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Throw the onions into a large skillet with a tablespoon or so of canola oil. Saute over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Then brown the hamburger. Once it’s brown, dump in two cans of green chilies. (Oh, and you can drain the fat off the hamburger before adding the chilies if you feel like being a health nut or a responsible citizen.)

Go ahead and add a little salt to the meat. Now turn off the heat and tell the meat to cool its heels for awhile.

Next component: THE REST.

For THE REST, you’ll need corn tortillas, chopped black olives, sliced green onions, and freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese. I say “freshly grated” because although I have nothing whatsoever against convenience foods—I think I’ve established that here, ad nauseam—I find that grating cheddar cheese from a block results in a yummier, melty-er cheesy goodness. You’ll just have to trust me on this one.

Plus, it’s cheaper that way! Love, Mrs. Frugal.

Yeah, right.

Anyway, in a small skillet over medium heat, fry individual corn tortillas just until soft.

You don’t want them to get crispy at all—just soft and a little blistered, about 30 seconds per side. Place tortillas on a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm while you finish them all up.

Now, back to THE SAUCE:

Right at the end, throw in 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Give it a stir.

Now it’s time to ASSEMBLE the enchiladas.

One by one, using tongs, dip each tortilla into the warm sauce. (Sometimes the tortillas are such that they’ll fall apart if you leave them in the sauce too long. Just gauge the tortillas as you go and you’ll be fine.)

“Gauge the tortillas as you go…” That’s a really weird phrase.

Lay the sauce-coated tortillas flat, then spoon on some of the meat mixture and a some of the chopped black olives.

Note: if you hate black olives, don’t be deterred by its presence in this dish. You’ll hardly know they’re there—they’ll just add a tangy saltiness and texture that’ll really take the enchiladas over the top. Please. Please don’t be afraid.

Next, add a spoonful of green onions…

And plenty of grated cheddar.

Next, roll up the tortilla and place it seam down in a baking dish.

Now just repeat that process with all tortillas until everything’s gone:

Dip tortilla in sauce, then add meat, then add olives, then add green onions…

Then add cheese. Never, EVER forget the cheese. Luchan wouldn’t be happy.

Once you get them all into a baking dish (this one’s on the small side, so I had to use a second to fit in all the enchiladas I made), pour THE SAUCE over the top.

If you like a lot of sauce, and I do, really lay it on thick. If you like things a little less over the top, well, take it easy.

Just don’t tell Luchan if you do. He liked to lay it on thick.

And of course, we must top it all off with plenty of freshly grated cheddar cheese.

Plenty, I say…PLENTY!

Now just bake it in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are bubbly and your appetite has shot through your roof, leaving an unsightly hole.

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle a bunch of chopped cilantro on top. I can’t tell you the difference this cilantro makes in the flavor and beauty of the dish.

Also, give the enchiladas a sprinkle of green onions. That gives it a nice flavor pop, too.

“Flavor pop…” Good one, Ree. Good one.

Mmmm. Goodness gracious sakes alive, I can’t tell you how good this smells. It smells like tiny, sparkly enchilada fairies have waved their magic wands in my kitchen.

I usually serve ‘em up two at a time. They’re a little on the rich side.

And you know what? It takes about a second for forks to start digging in.

Oh! Don’t forget the sour cream, especially if you use the canned Mexican red sauce I used. Muy, muy picoso.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Mine is. And this is a problem. Because I made the enchiladas in this photo several days ago. And they’re now gone. They were gone within ten minutes.

I think I shall now have a good, cleansing cry.

Simple, Perfect Enchiladas!

3"x5" Cards | 4"x6" Cards | Full Page | Print

Prep Time: 1 Hour30 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
• _____
• FOR THE MEAT:
• 1-½ pound Ground Beef
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• _____
• FOR THE TORTILLAS:
• 10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
• ½ cups Canola Oil
• _____
• TO ASSEMBLE:
• 3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ½ cups Chopped Black Olives
• 1 cup Chopped Green Onions
• ½ cups Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Step #1 – The Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat
Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas
Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

More Snow

There is something purely magical about snow. The way it seems to float when it just starts to fall. How thick and heavy it can be. How light and soft it can be. How with the right wind it can seem to be moving on a horizontal plane. The way a gentle wind can send a flake back towards the cloud it came from. The way it covers the ground like a soft blanket. I love how it sticks to the bare branches of trees that are hoping one day soon they will start anew. I am so happy my kids are getting to experience winter. Real winter. And that I am too. I know, most of you are done, done, done with the snow, and while I long for warm sunshine, warmer temps, cool breezes, and the gorgeous colors and new life that come with spring, I can't help but enjoy the last little bit of winter while it is here. Maybe it's me just trying to find the happiness, peace and beauty of the present instead of wishing it away, or maybe it's because I've never lived north of the Mason Dixon line, but there is a smile on my face as I watch the snow fall from the heavens and cover the earth once again while my children play. From the warmth of my home, of course. It really is the simple things in life.

Making the discovery.

Ryan showing the snow to Kaitlyn.

About an hour after it started falling.

Never did I think there would be a day where my kids would be able to identify natural snow falling from the sky, nor did I think we would experience snow from a bird's vantage point. We were dancing around the house this afternoon and Ryan ran to the window with one clear as day word. SNOW! The kids stood in front of one of our many floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows and watched from 18 stories off the ground as the snow fell. Now that I am homeschooling, without curriculum, I am constantly looking for teaching moments. Especially those that align themselves with the Sunshine State Standards for education. I LOVE when learning is child led and Kaitlyn was asking all the right questions about snow and I was able to teach her all about precipitation, the seasons, and why snow is snow and not rain if it is all water. Sure, she may have already known a lot of that and was trying to be silly, but I could tell she was enjoying the "lesson."

So while I too am ready for spring, I am so thankful for the quiet moments just appreciating some of the things we take for granted until they are gone. The mesmerizing beauty of the falling snow that never fails to stop me in my tracks, just to watch it do its thing and to thank God for the simple gifts he grants us.

The snow was starting to cover the ground. I love the awe in Kaity's voice.

We've Got Contact!

Well, a contact number anyway. We FINALLY made a decision about a phone. We decided to stick with Skype because it was the cheapest and easiest option and we will see how it works out for us. We chose a Tampa based number since it is our home of record, so if you live in the bay area the calls are free (or maybe 25 cents if you are across the bridge, but it's been a while since I've called Tampa from the 'Burg)! Luck you! If you are outside of the bay area, call us and we'll call you back. We splurged for unlimited calling to the States for an extra $2.50 a month! We are still waiting on a phone, but are looking into a wifi phone. We have decided on the one we want, but now are waiting to find out how the company ships, Parcel Post or Priority. This has been one of the biggest challenges living out here is ordering things online. Not everyone ships to APO addresses, and of those who do, most ship Parcel Post, taking 2 months instead of 5 days. But, again, I digress. Back to our contact info.

Our new address is

Major William Maclin

PCS 3 Box 1276

APO, AP 96266

and our much awaited phone number is................................

813-699-5549

our Korean cell phone numbers are.......

on the ROK

010-2893-5525 (Kim)

010-4998-4312 (Bill)

off the ROK

82-10-2893-5525 (Kim)

82-10-4998-4312 (Bill)

While we still don't have a bunch of time to just hang out in front of the computer (somehow that is always when the kids act up) at least we will know if you called and can call you back. Once we get the phone, the computer doesn't have to be on (we all know what a black hole it can be) and we can walk around the house (or take it with us to wherever has wi-fi service) and chat then. Or you can call and let us know you want to video call and we can log on. And I know that if I really want to call and talk to someone who isn't online, at least I have that option. Hope to chat with you soon!

Stylin' & Profilin'

Since we moved to Osan, we have only had one car to share. I am thankful we had that one car, and while we were on base or just outside the gate it wasn't a huge inconvenience. Well, since we moved into our apartment a few weeks ago, I won't lie, it's been a pain in the rump! Either I have had to take Bill after the kids wake up and stay on base or run back and forth to pick him up, or the poor guy has had to take a taxi (which doesn't start running until 6), or I have had to stay at home cooped up with the kids in the apartment and very few toys. No fun! Anyway, those days are over!

We went car shopping up in Seoul on Saturday and found a rockin' 2000 Kia Carnival. Yup, I left my fancy MV (that I swore I would NEVER EVER drive, but loved having every time I drove it) at home sitting on a storage lot and moved down more notches than I care to admit. Our original plan was to buy a kimchi (that's what they call a Korean beater around here) for Bill and I would drive our much safer and more reliable 2000 Accord. After trying to get around and take a couple trips with friends, I discovered that if I wanted to go somewhere with a friend and that friend had at least one kid, we would have to caravan and in South Korea traffic that is much easier said than done. I have even more traffic stories than I wrote about after last summer's visit. I'll share them one day when I have a little time and get some pictures to illustrate them.

So, we decided we needed to get an SUV or a van. After doing a little research I found that Korean minivans have nine seats, making them bus lane legal! If you have ever driven (or been completely stopped as the case tends to be) on the interstate here with all the buses and vans zooming past, you know what a bonus this could be. We knew we wanted to try to get a van and we also knew that we didn't want to spend a lot of money for a vehicle we would be selling in two years. So, I lowered my standards and we went shopping. After a bus ride to Seoul and a 45 minute taxi ride through downtown traffic, we met up with a guy named Steve who showed us some vehicles in our price range. We settled on (and are really excited about) an old taupe Kia Carnival with 120,000 (or so) miles on it. She has cloth interior that smells like, well it just smells, but not nearly as bad as one of the cars we looked at smelled. It literally smelled like mildew-y stank feet. Be glad you weren't shopping with us! She is accident free (hard to find here) and has nine seats WITH seat belts and a diesel engine that purrs like and angry lion. One of the middle seats faces backwards too, which the kids will love, or the rear facing infant. She has stained and mismatched floors and mats and a cassette deck. Bonus, she also came with an ashtray full of used cigarettes. Hopefully that will be cleaned up before delivery, but it's funny that even if it isn't I don't really care. Life in Korea is just different. It doesn't matter what you drive or what you wear (well, maybe what you wear when going out) like it does in the states. Cute, impractical shoes are a thing of past as everyone walks everywhere here (the base is a walking base and it is very well laid out), but a good stroller is a must. People don't bat an eye at spending several hundred dollars, or more, on a stroller here where they wouldn't even be able to justify it at home. It's like it's their car and they log the miles to show for it. But I digress. If someone had the audacity to show me this car in the states I would have probably laughed out loud and looked for the hidden camera, sure as sugar that my husband were playing a trick on me, especially with the metal batman decal on the back. Not Saturday, no sir. We hopped in the van, let the kids play around as Bill started the engine and the taupe bat mobile roared to life, and hoped the guy would give us a good deal on it. While it was more than we were planning to spend on the kimchi, it was still within our meager budget. If time is money, just think of all we'll be saving in the bus lane.

Parked in the parking garage of our complex.

Notice how tiny the parking spots are here. Glad those doors slide and I can climb through if needed.

A certified Bat Mobile

The kids were pumped to find the Mickey Mouse window shades actually came with the car! We'll see how long they stay there. ;)

The middle row...check out the mats.

You know the plastic wood grain rocks.

Look closely and you can see the tape deck. And we just threw all those old mixed tapes away!

As a side note...the car was just delivered (I wrote this yesterday) and I am happy to say that they did a pretty good job cleaning it up and there were no cigarette butts or ashes in the tray and I didn't even notice the smell. I am sure that will change once the AC kicks on (Lord I hope that it works, as it is the dead of winter so we didn't even think to check!), but for now I've got wheels!

Making up for lost time

I know you all are shocked that I am actually taking the time to blog. My only excuse for my two and a half month delay is that I am enjoying my family being back together again after a very long year that sped by and trying to get settled in our new home (more about that later) and not wasting time on the computer. I know that first part may not make a lot of sense to many of you, but those of you who have spent a significant amount of time away from your spouse, best friend, and father of your children know exactly what I am talking about! Let me fill you in...

In January of last year Bill moved to Kunsan Air Base in Korea for a year remote. Well, our year is over! Praise God! While there were days that I thought might never end, the year as a whole went by very quickly and I feel very blessed to have been able to spend so much time with our families while we were in Florida for seven of those months. I also feel incredibly blessed that we were able to see him as much as we did. He came home in June, I went out there in July and Bill and I went on a trip to Thailand (I will get the pics up eventually I promise!), and the kids and I got to spend 5 weeks in Kunsan over the holidays. We have many friends whose husbands are serving 365 day tours in places where they aren't able to see their families and that thought has never escaped my mind. I KNOW how lucky we are to have had Bill serve his remote in a place that is tolerant, if not welcoming of families (the people were all welcoming, just not the facilities...I am aware that could be read wrong ;D). Even though this was an unexpected and non-voluntary assignment, we have said from day one that it was a blessing and could have been a lot worse. I want to take this time to tell all of my friends whose husband are gone or are leaving soon, that I am praying for you and know that as a whole the year will go by quickly, but on those days or weeks that seem to last forever, they do eventually end. Usually in a fat glass of wine!

Bill came back to the States in January to spend a couple of weeks visiting with family before another two year assignment in Korea. This time though we get to be with him! He picked us up and took us to spend 4 fantastic days playing as a family on the gorgeous island of Oahu on our way to Korea (more on that later too). Bill is working for the 7th Air Force on a Staff job. He will be very busy in his role, but is excited that he won't only be flying his desk. He got a flying billet and his relationship with his mistress will continue as he begins flying with the Fiends in the next few weeks! I can't tell you how excited he was to get confirmation of his continued relationship with the F-16, as he wasn't sure he would be able to continue to fly anything with wings while stationed at Osan. We are definitely enjoying him being around a bit more. While I am sure there will be some 14 or 15 hour days while we are here, we are looking forward to that not being the norm after nearly nine years of long workdays in the training and operational worlds of the Air Force. Plus, any time we get now is way more than we got the past year, so we are all quite happy!

We found a great place to live off base and are getting settled out here. Pictures of our place to come soon. This one will be really soon, as we found out our stuff from Florida is on the ROK and our apartment will be decorated in boxes next week, so I need to get crackin' on the pictures! Kaitlyn still isn't in school, but she did start Girl Scouts and soccer this week and is really loving both. We are all making friends and enjoying our time here, but miss our family and friends back in the States. I apologize for not calling, writing back, emailing, facebooking, blogging, et cetera. You all know that we are bad about keeping in touch anyway, but have really been in our own little world half a world away enjoying being (and relearning how to be) a family again. It has been so nice, but has left little time for communication via the computer. Especially with both kids at home all day, every day and me working on school stuff with Kaity during Ryan's nap. We are working on getting a phone and a stateside number (and a semi-consistent routine once we get a second car), so hopefully that will help a little. I swear this is my New Year's Resolution every year, and every year I fail at keeping in touch. Maybe this year will be my year. ;)

Three Little Kittens

This one is a funny one and you have to check out the pictures to see the story unfold right before our oh so clueless mommy eyes (and camera lens). The title of this post popped in my head as I was writing this blog and looking at the pictures, it is oh so fitting.

This afternoon we took the kids out to play in the snow again and they had a blast! They ran around, made snow angels, made snowballs and threw them at each other and us, and dropped snow down this really cool "tunnel" that led to a bit of water (melted snow). Unfortunately, I realized that Ryan had lost his good snow gloves during our outdoor fun (I am sure you can see where this is going). This little kitten had lost his mittens, but he did know where to find them. I asked Ryan where his gloves were and he said, "In there!" pointing to the "tunnel". He had dropped his mittens in the random well thing in the grass where we were playing.

While I was a little bit mad (more that we were out 20 bucks and less at him, because he was, after all, being a two year old boy), it was still pretty funny. When I downloaded the pictures from our camera tonight and started looking through them I starting laughing out loud. The pictures tell the story we totally missed in the fun of being outside in the snow with our kids.

Throwing snow in the well (with both mittens on).

I think this is right after the mitten fell in. There was less than a minute lapse between this picture and the one that precedes it.

Looking a little harder for the mitten.

Still looking for that mitten.

Looking back I think Ryan was telling me he dropped his glove in there. I am not sure he did it on purpose or if it was an accident. I thought he was telling me about putting the snow in there. Naturally my response was enthusiastic (I mean what isn't cool about a little boy dropping snow in a "tunnel"?), which only encouraged him, if it was originally an accident, to ditch the other one as well.

Check out the look on Mia's face! I think she's in shock.

And the look on Ryan's face. The boy was so proud of himself.

Still has the left glove on.

Ryan is missing both mittens now.

Cold little boy. We just discovered this little kid had lost his mittens. He had been playing in the snow for a while and were getting ready to head in for the night. You can see Candace looking in the well. I was behind the camera laughing, but trying to tell my son that what he did wasn't good and we wouldn't be able to get the gloves back. He wasn't so happy to learn that.

Tonight's Snow

Okay, so here is proof that it wasn't my imagination or wishful thinking that I couldn't see the grass anymore. When Bill got home he took me outside to take a look at the freshly fallen snow. It is so light and fluffy, but man do those snowballs compact and get hard. Fortunately we practiced on the wall and not each other. :) Bill goes in a little later tomorrow and we are both so excited to take the kids out and see their expressions!

Our First Day of Snow

Early this afternoon it started snowing in Kunsan! The snow began around noon or so and it is still snowing as I type this at 9:00. It is a soft, calm, peaceful snow and I am captured by its beauty. Every time I take a peek outside, there is another layer and now you can't even see the grass (maybe because it is dark and only the white glow of the snow is visible, but whatever, I still can't see the grass).

We began our day at the base chapel making cookies with friends and then my friend Candace and I took the kids to the BX food court for lunch...again. You would think these kids are sick of Taco Bell chips and cheese dip but they aren't! On our way up to the BX it started to pick up and continued on our walk home. It was fun to see the kids energized by the snow (or maybe it was all the sugar from the cookies and hot chocolate) and so excited to walk home in it.The kiddos decorating cookies

Kaitlyn and Ryan on the walk home from the BX

After a late nap, the kids were running around and playing in the hallway and the moms were visiting when someone happened to look outside and saw that the snow was sticking. Just before dinner I took a half a dozen little ones outside to play in the snow. They loved it. Unfortunately, they were having way to much fun to stand still long enough for me to get any great pictures. Hopefully we will have better luck with great pictures tomorrow when we bundle up the kids in their snowsuits and let them go wild in the fresh blanket of Kunsan's first real snow.Kaitlyn, Ryan, and Lauryn


Kaitlyn showing me how she wrote her name in the snow with a stick.

Ryan "writing" his name in the snow. I guess after the last post, I should be very happy he is using a stick.

Off to switch the laundry over and take one more peek outside before Bill gets home from work and we enjoy a late dinner together. On second thought, since he just walked through the door and asked if I have been outside, maybe we will go together! Talk about timing!

Potty Training Progress?

Shortly after Ryan turned two he was nearly potty trained, not to the point of being able to go by himself, but being able to tell us when he had to go and having us take him or if naked being able to make it by himself. Then he caught a tummy bug two weeks in a row and was afraid to go potty in the potty or in his pants. I also started putting him in Pull-Ups more often so he wouldn't make a mess at the Y or church or wherever we happened to be when he was in other people's care. Big mistake. He totally regressed and continued to go in his Pull-Up or underwear and would just walk around wet. He just didn't care anymore if he was wet. So, not wanting to return to diapers and give him mixed signals, he just wears Pull-Ups all the time now and treats them like diapers. A few times a week he will tell us he needs to do his big business before he goes and will go in the potty, the rest of the time it is in his pants. Same with peeing. If he wants to go in the potty he does, if doesn't want to stop playing or is being lazy he doesn't. I decided about a month before we came out to Korea, to not worry about it, as we would have a few more transitions anyway where he may regress again and we will just tackle it when we get settled in our new home. If he wants to go in the potty, I will take him, if not, I'll eventually just change his pants. Yesterday was a funny day, prompting me to tell this story and ask the question........

Is is potty training progress when your nearly two and a half year old son walks into the ladies room at the Officer's Club with his mother and big sister, runs into the stall, locks the door (every two year old needs privacy), pulls down his pants and wet Pull-Up (I see this under the door and am prompting him to allow me in to help him up on the toilet to no avail), and a moment later unlocks the door, runs out of the stall with his pants around his ankles, and says (in his most proud voice), "I all done now!", leaving a puddle of pee on the floor? Hmmmmm?

A White Christmas???

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...........

I know you are thinking that Christmas is still three weeks away, but as we watch the snow fall, I can't help but hear this traditional Christmas melody play in my head and to think that maybe, just maybe, we will have a white "Christmas" tomorrow. Since we aren't going to be together as a family on Christmas day, we decided to have a full up Christmas in the dorms tomorrow. Better earlier than later so our kids have toys to play with in Daddy's room. Tonight is Christmas Eve and we will wake up tomorrow morning and have our family Christmas. A Charlie Brown style tree, our traditional pancake breakfast, presents, and a big Christmas dinner with friends and homemade pumpkin pie. Mmmmm!

So, I can't help but look out and daydream about our special day. Maybe the snow will stick and this Florida girl and her family will have their first white "Christmas." If not, that'll be okay too, it will still be magical because we will all be together to celebrate Christmas as a family.

Major News

Maj. and Mrs. Kelso

Okay, as I read this title I realize you may be thinking that this is some really big and unexpected news. Well, it's probably not what many of you are thinking right now, but really great nonetheless. Yesterday Bill pinned on Major! I know, it sounds old doesn't it? I assure you, we ARE NOT old. We are just as youthful as we were when he took his commissioning oath 9 1/2 years ago. Nevermind those cute kids and the not quite as cute life lines and gray hair. Fortunately men look distinguished when they are gray and women have really great stylists.

The kids ripping off the old rank

Putting the shiny oak leaf on Bill's cover

We had the honor of being part of Bill's pinning on ceremony, where the kids got to rip off Bill's Captain rank to expose his Major rank on the shoulders of his flight suit and I changed out the rank on his cover. The kids probably thought the best part was when they got to give their daddy a good ol' "Atta Boy!" punch on his patches. My favorite part is the increase in his paycheck, which will coincidentally show up about the same time as the credit card statement. Or maybe the shopping trip to Songtan.

The Major Bill "Kelso" Maclin Family

Throwin' snakes Juvat style!

We are having a great time here in Korea as a family, but I will have to tell you about that later. The kids are starting to stir and I really want to take a shower in peace before having to get them up and get us all ready for our big trip to Lotte Mart and a playdate with friends.

Kelso and his crew

Some Favorite Holiday/Fall Recipes

Here are a few of the recipes that always make it to the table on Thanksgiving Day. An all time favorite that gets rave reviews and was renamed by Bill to Sweet Potato Yummy Goodness is my mom's Sweet Potato Casserole.

Another one of our favorite fall recipies is a recipe by Rachael Ray. Don't be turned off by the combination of sausage and pumpkin, it really is very good.

And since we are talking comfort food here, I am going to include Bill's favorite meatloaf recipe. I have a feeling I am going to be making this one in a couple weeks while we are with him.

We hope you enjoy these tasty dishes as much as we do!

Sweet Potato Casserole
Shared by Wendy Vehling (my mom)

Ingredients
3 cups sweet potato, mashed (about 3 large potatoes)
1 cup coconut
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup butter, melted
Scant ½ cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Topping
1/3 cup butter softened
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup brown sugar

Directions
Mix first 9 ingredients (sweet potato through pecans) and put in a greased casserole dish. Combine butter, brown sugar, and pecans and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

Corn Bread Stuffing
Shared by Wendy Vehling (my mom)

Ingredients
½ lb bacon
1 cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped onion
½ cup water
3 cups coarse corn bread crumbs (best if baked in a cast iron skillet)
3 cups fine toast crumbs (7 grain or sourdough)
½ tsp ground sage
1 cup turkey broth
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions
In skillet, cook bacon until crisp reserving ¼ cup drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add celery, onion, and water to skillet and cook until barely tender. Combine all ingredients, including drippings, and toss well. Bake covered in 1 ½ qt casserole dish at 350* for 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings or stuffs and 8 pound turkey.

Corn Casserole
Shared by Jean Padgett (my grandma)

Ingredients
½ cup margarine
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
2 eggs, well beaten
½ cup evaporated milk
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 cans corn, drained
Cinnamon sugar

Directions
Heat margarine and sugar in saucepan. Mix in flour. Add milk, eggs, and baking powder. Mix with corn in baking dish. Bake about 40 minutes at 350* and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.


Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage – Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating
Pumpernickel or whole grain bread , as an accompaniment

Directions

Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion, as an accompaniment, recipe follows.
Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.
Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.
Serve pumpkin sausage pasta with pumpernickel or whole grain bread and Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion.

Spinach Salad with Apple and Red Onion

1 pound triple-washed spinach, de-stemmed
1 small Golden Delicious apple, quartered, cored, and sliced
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons (a couple of splashes) apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grain mustard
1 tablespoon (a good drizzle) honey
Coarse salt and black pepper

Place spinach, apple, and onion in a salad bowl. Place oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a small plastic container and fit lid on container. Shake dressing to combine, 1 minute. Pour dressing over salad, toss, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Yield: 4 servings

Meatloaf - Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or 2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage, basil, or oregano crushed
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef, lamb, or pork
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions

In a medium bowl combine eggs and milk; stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, sage, and pepper. Add ground meat; mix well. Lightly pat mixture into an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees F. Spoon off fat. In a bowl combine ketchup, sugar, and mustard; spread over meat. Bake for 10 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into eight slices.
Makes 8 servings

Trash Day

Ryan's favorite times of the week are Monday and Thursday mornings. This morning I was getting Kaity ready for school and Ryan was playing in his bed when he heard the trash truck. He called to me is a very excited voice "Mommy, trash truck, get me out please!" He heard the trash truck outside his window and as soon as I got him out of his bed he raced to the window to see it.
We were lucky enough to see it again a few minutes later as we were walking out the door to take Kaity to school. I love that the trash guys (I am sure that there is a more politically correct term for them) realize Ryan's love of all trucks and honk for him every morning that they see him. The neighbors probably don't love it so much, since it runs between 7:30 and 7:45, but it brings joy to my little boy's soul and I love how he lights up and talks about how the trash truck honked JUST for him all the way to school and back. And then later on in the day when he sees more trucks.
On this very sad day (the base is holding the memorial service for Captian Nick Giglio, the pilot, husband, and father, who died in the F-16 crash last week), I love how my children bring me joy and can make me smile when all I want to do is cry.

Recipes

As I am preparing for my trip to visit Bill in a month (YIPPEE!!!), I started thinking about some of my favorite recipes and realized that I won't be taking any cookbooks with me, so I should write a few down. What better place than right here on our family blog where you can all enjoy them, and I can look them up from any computer, not just where I save them on my own. Some of them I am typing up and others I am copying and pasting from the internet, so I can find them easily without having to search for them online and get distracted by the black hole that is the internet, inevitably delaying dinner or my trip to the grocery store. I am also going to use this spiffy tagging system that Blogger has so the recipes can all be found in a jiffy. Here are some of my favorite soup recipes and my all time favorite and super easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. MMMMMMM. Kaity had early release today and we are going to bake some yummy bread to send to Daddy (and, of course, to enjoy for ourselves ;D). Happy fall and happy cooking/baking!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Courtesy of Ashley S.

1 onion chopped
1 large carrot shredded
1 large celery stalk chopped
¼ cup butter
½ cup flour
8 cups chicken broth
3 cups prepared wild rice (I use two pouches of
the 90 second chicken and wild rice that
you do in the microwave – fast and easy)
1 cup (+) diced cooked chicken
1 can evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion, carrots, celery and butter in large stock pot until soft. Stir in flour until blended.
Add chicken broth, wild rice, & chicken. Boil and stir until thickened. Reduce heat and stir in 1 can evaporated milk. Season to taste.


Santa Fe Soup
Courtesy of Heather

2 lbs ground beef browned and drained (sometimes I use turkey, or a mixture of turkey and beef)
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
2 cans white corn
1 can diced tomatoes (I use the petite cut)
1 can Rotel (I use mild for the kids and then spice ours up after)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch mix
1 packet taco seasoning
Chili powder, garlic powder, salt to taste

Mix in a pot and cook until boiling. I often throw this in the crockpot if my afternoon is busy and it turns out great. Makes a ton and is super easy and quick to cook.

Freezes well

Optional toppings: sour cream, jack cheese, crunched up tortilla chips or cornbread


Tortellini and Sausage Soup
6 generous servings – courtesy of Colleen

1 pound bulk Italian sausage, or links, but you have to take the wrapping off them
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 cups water
1/2 teas dried basil leaves
1/2 teas dried oregano leaves
1 med zucchini or yellow summer squash, halved and sliced
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed tomato soup
8 oz uncooked dried or frozen cheese (I prefer) or meat-filled tortellini (approx 2 cups)

Grated Parm cheese

Cook and stir sausage and onion in 4 quart Dutch oven until sausage is light brown, drain grease. Stir in remaining ingred except cheese.

Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until veggies and tort are tender, about 20 minutes.

Serve w/cheese.


White Chicken Chili
Courtesy of Heather

1 pound dried Great Northern Beans rinsed
6 cups (or more) chicken broth
2 cloves garlic
2 medium onions finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
20-25 ounces canned white chicken drained
2 cans chopped green chilis

Combine beans, broth, garlic and 1 onion in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer one hour.

Heat olive oil and remaining onion for 5-8 minutes in a skillet. Add remaining spices, cook one more minute. Add to beans, cover and cook for 1-1 ½ hours or until beans are tender and soft. You may need to add more broth during cooking.

Add Chicken and chilis and cook 15 more minutes.

Doubles easily and freezes well.

Additional toppings: sour cream, jack cheese, crunched up tortilla chips, salsa or cornbread.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Courtesy off allrecipes.com

3 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) *** I always use pecans because they are a staple in our home and it always turns out great!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 1 pound size coffee cans, or three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

Also freezes well and makes quite a bit.

P.S. If you see a recipe on my blog that you shared with me and would prefer for me not to share, please just shoot me an e-mail and I will remove it. If not, thanks so much for sharing...if it made it here, it is one of our favorites! :) Thanks!

Pirate's Booty and a Couple Other Treasures

I am sitting at the kitchen table with Kaity while she does her homework and thought I would take a few minutes to blog since she just had me laughing out loud and I usually forget the funny things before I get a chance to blog them. I was getting her a snack and this is how the conversation went down.

Kaity: What are we having for snack?

Mommy: It's a surprise!

Kaity (with excitement as I put a little bowl of goodies in front of her): What is that?!

Mommy: Pirate's Booty (for those of you who don't know, it is an all natural white cheddar puffed corn snack and it's really good).

Kaity: GROSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mommy: Not like a pirate's bum silly. Like a pirate's treasure.

Kaity (in all the silliness of a five year old girl): I don't want to eat a pirate's booty!

Mommy (playing along): Okay, I'll eat your pirate's booty.

Kaity (after eating her Pirate's Booty in record time): That was yummy, can I eat more Pirate's Booty?

This conversation was followed by LOTS of laughter.


Earlier today, on our way to Busch Gardens, Ryan made me giggle too. As we were accelerating onto the interstate he started saying WHEEEEEEEEEE!!! over and over again. He spent a few minutes on his own personal roller coaster (I swear I wasn't even driving that fast). The funniest part is that I was making a phone call (not social, but to a stranger) and she was laughing too. He was so cute and knew it. He can be so full of himself at times!


Last week Ryan and I were on the way to the Y having a little conversation.

Mommy: You woke up really early this morning buddy.

Ryan: Uh huh, uh huh, kiss Kaity school.

Mommy: You wanted to give Kaity a kiss before she left for school?

Ryan: Uh huh, uh huh, Kaity kiss hand.

Mommy: Kaity kissed your hand?

Ryan (with the sweetest look on his face): Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, Kaity kiss hand RIGHT THERE (pointing at his palm).

Mommy: Kaity kissed your hand, right in your palm...oh...Kaity gave you a kissing hand?

Ryan (in his most excited voice): Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!

Ryan's two big things he does all the time are getting super excited when you understand what he is saying and excitedly saying uh huh, uh huh, uh huh (I think it may end up being a precursor to a stuttering issue, but it is cute now and I am sure he will grow out of it, his brain is just processing faster than he can talk) and when showing us something he forcefully says RIGHT THERE! Like when he spots himself in the mirror he says, "That's me! RIGHT THERE!" or driving down the street he says, "That's Mamo's (his word for Grandma) truck, RIGHT THERE!"

When Kaity got home from school I asked her if she gave her brother a kissing hand and she confirmed it. Turns out, that while I was talking with her teacher, she was saying her goodbyes to Ryan and they gave each other kissing hands. If you are not familiar with the story The Kissing Hand, it is about a little raccoon who is afraid to go school for the first time and wants to stay with his mom. His mom kisses his palm and the warmth of her love flows through him. Whenever he is lonely and misses her he can touch his palm to his face and feel her warmth and comfort through the kissing hand. Then, the little raccoon gives his mom a kissing hand in case she misses him while he is at school. It is a really sweet book and I was SO touched by Kaity's gesture of love towards her brother. It warmed MY heart!

Children are such a blessing and can make you laugh during the most unexpected times. I get so much joy from the little things that they do and thought I would share a few of the cute moments.

My Trip to Korea

After nearly a week of not being able to stay awake long enough to see 8:00, very interrupted night sleep, and very early morning wake ups, the jet lag has finally worn off and I am feeling like a brand new woman! Since I can't clean out the car after our trip to the beach yesterday, I am taking advantage of a typical Florida afternoon thunderstorm to blog for a bit.

My trip out to Korea was fairly uneventful. The trip consisted of a plane ride to Atlanta, another 14+ hour flight from Atlanta to Seoul, a 4 hour bus ride to Gunsan, then a taxi ride to Kunsan. The Lord works in wonderful and unexplained ways and I ran into a good friend's husband in the terminal of the Atlanta airport. He was PCSing to Kunsan where Bill is and was supposed to be on a different flight out of a different city. We were both delighted to have a travel companion and I think it helped both of us to see a familiar face when we were both struggling with an emotionally and physically draining journey. Their family is facing what we went through, and in many ways, are still going through. After a lot of TDY's and a deployment to the desert, they have to be separated yet again, this time for a year. Like Bill, he will miss the holidays with his family, a year of birthdays and anniversaries, his son's first day of kindergarten, and their toddler turning into a little girl (the gender's are switched, but the scenario is the same). His wife is a wonderfully strong woman with a huge heart and kind spirit, a wonderful mother to two sweet kids and a loving and devoted wife. She is facing many of the same struggles that I was and am. She has the huge job of selling a house in a slow market and raising two small children by herself. She will do a great job and gets her strength from the Lord, so please pray for her when you can.

I have a much greater appreciation of what Bill goes through when he leaves. I was a wreck! I have always said that he has a much harder role in this because while we have to go through life without him, he is without us. At least I have the kids to distract me and bring me joy when I miss him. All he has is pictures and internet updates. Now, you have to understand that up until a year ago, I have never left my children overnight. Before this trip I had left them three times, for one night at a time. I spend every day all day with them and I love it. I love being a stay at home (or run around) mom and my children bring me a ton of joy every day. Some days they make me feel like I might loose my mind, but even on those days, they still make me laugh. Needless to say, I really missed them. I cried for 36 hours and locked myself in the airplane bathroom for 30 minutes twice when it got to the point that I felt like I was going to loose it again. Part of it was pure exhaustion since I slept for thirty minutes total on the flight and maybe an hour on the bus, but mostly I just missed them and was probably having a little mommy-guilt about shirking my responsibilities as their mom, even though I knew my husband needed me too. I can't tell you how hard it was to leave them, even though I knew they were in excellent hands. I am thankful for Skype and wouldn't have been able to get through my two and a half weeks away if it weren't for that. Once I saw their sweet little faces on the computer, I was totally fine. Really I think it was because Ryan started laughing as soon as he saw me on the computer next to Daddy and didn't stop until we hung up. A child's laughter is contagious. He thought it was so funny that I was on the computer because I am usually right their next to him. Apparently, I moved into the computer with Bill. You know, where Ryan thinks he lives.

I mentioned before that Korea was way better than I expected it to be. It was actually pretty. Way more mountainous than I expected. There were many things that surprised me. The first thing I noticed on my way into town at night was neon crosses. I saw many more crosses from Christian churches throughout my time there that were not all lit up that first night. Turns out that Korea has a fairly high Christian population, which I love! Of all the Asian nations, the Koreans have the highest Christian poplulation.

The driving also surprised me, first with the fact that their roads are very American, where the rest of Asia has a more European influence. They drive on the right hand side of the road and have traffic cameras. The weird thing is that they don't ever pull anyone over. You see police cars, but you can fly by them and not get pulled over. And stop lights are apparently optional. And it is nothing to be driving 80mph on the main streets in Gunsan. It isn't like this as much in the bigger cities, but if no one else is at a light, people will run it. In Gunsan, you barely slow down to see if anyone is coming. It was crazy! Our first night out I thought we might die! Oh, and regarding the cameras, people take their license plates off or bend them up to avoid having their plates read from the camera. They call it "fencing in." As in, "Hey man, are you going to pull over and fence in before getting on the expressway?" Also, their cars are colorless. Just black, white, and gray for the most part. Bill will have to fill you in on all the weird idiosyncrasies, but it really is the land of the not quite right as the people (Americans) who live there or who have ever lived there will tell you.

My first day there we went hiking with a group of guys in Bill's squadron. It was probably the best thing I could do to beat the jet lag. Fresh air and daylight. We saw some pretty cool temples and Buddhas and really enjoyed the time outdoors.

We got home, cleaned up, and headed out to a pizza joint called Valentine's in Gunsan, the town outside of Kunsan. It tasted a lot like Pizza Hut pizza which the guys love when they are feeling a bit homesick and tired of Korean food. After that we headed to a bar called ZZYZX, which is owned by the Honorary Squadron Commander and coins itself an American Rock Bar. Basically it is a bar like most other bars, but they have the computer hooked up to a sound system and the American patron play songs from itunes, dance, play darts, pool, and drinking games. We entertained ourselves with taps and soju, which is the Korean equivalent of hunch punch. Tastes like kool-aid. The club also has a special tradition for new Juvats and I was lucky enough to receive the new guy shot. I had a lot of fun and can't wait to go back for a Sweep or a Meet AJ (Any Juvat - it's what they call the new guy before he gets his call sign at the naming). The Sweep they were supposed to have got cancelled, but we had a great time anyway.

During my week there, I met some great gals who made my time go by way too fast! The wife of the guy next door is a hairdresser with great talent at their last base in Italy and at a salon in Texas, and we would sit around her room while she cut and colored and we drank wine or mimosas (depending on the time of day) and chatted and listened to music. We went shopping at local bakeries, a nearby city with little shops, and Bill and I went to Lotte Mart which is like a combination of an enormous Super Wal-Mart and a mall-like department store. Despite all of the weirdness of it, I really did like it. Maybe it was the honeymoon period, but I also think I am one of those people who can be happy pretty much anywhere. I have so many things to tell you about, but this post is already so long and I have more awesome tales to tell about our trip to Thailand and so little time.

Universal

Best Buddies

On Monday of our Orlando trip, we loaded up the crew and went to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You can see all the pictures by following the picture link on the right of this blogsite. Again, the crowds were light (thank goodness) and the heat and humidity were high, but we were still in family bliss and didn't really care too much. We rode all of the rides we could at Islands of Adventure (the kids LOVE Dr. Seuss land) and then headed over to Universal Studios where we rode Shrek, ET, and the kids played at the Curious George water park while Bill and I rode the Mummy. Don't worry, we didn't leave them there to fend for themselves. Grandma drove over and spent the afternoon with us at the parks and hung out with the kids Monday night so we could ride some coasters and have a date night.

One Fish, Two Fish, Old Fish, New Fish

We did discover an undesirable trait in our son on this great day...he's a thief! As we exited the train ride in Seuss Land, we had to go through the candy store. Our sweet children were holding hands and walking in front of us, and after taking advantage of a photo op, we exited the ride and the store. Much to our dismay, we see a Snickers with Almonds bar in our baby's chubby little hand. He took advantage of the five finger discount! Bill went back to return it and the kids and I took our little grinches to meet the Grinch.

The calm before the crime

As we were heading out of the park, we ran into Curious George. Of all the characters we saw, we would have thought that this sweet, non-threatening monkey whom Ryan loves so much, would at least get a hug or high 5, but again, our sweet monkey would have none of it. Kaity on the other hand was as happy as a lark.

Ryan really wanted to meet Curious George until we got next to him

While we weren't sure what we were going to do for our night out without the kids, we knew we would have fun. Since our first trip to Vegas as a newly married couple, we have wanted to see two shows. Bill wanted to see Blue Man Group and I wanted to see a Cirque de Soleil performance, but as newlyweds with credit card debt from college and a new car payment, we just couldn't justify the expense, especially as we were moving to Del Rio in a month and didn't know if I would be able to get a job. While tickets are still expensive, we decided to look into it anyway, and see if we could swing it. Well, Cirque de Soleil was dark on Monday, but the Blue Man Group was performing. Bonus...they had tickets at a reduced price for military. Extra bonus...student tickets were $30! Well, since Bill is working on his Master's, I called to see if they would accept a printed version of his online transcript. Sure enough, the man of the family was able to score us $85 tickets for $30! Way to go babe!

So, we enjoyed an awesome performance by Blue Man Group (where Bill had a few moments of fame-Bill, you need to blog the story because you tell it better, or e-mail it to me and I will add to it and post it), rode our favorite roller coasters at Islands of Adventure, and enjoyed drinks, dinner, and live music at Margaritaville. We had a lot of fun together and this date night was definitely one for the books. Many, many, many thanks to Grandma for making it possible!

Laughing at ourselves while taking a self portrait after riding the Hulk

Catching Up

Okay, so I thought I would be miserable without the kids in Korea with Bill at work and me stuck in his dorm room wallowing in my self pity. I also thought I would use that time to catch up on the blog, pictures, facebook, and email, read a bunch of books, and lay out by the pool with my eyes closed. For, naturally, I would need a lot of distractions. Boy was I wrong! I had a great time in Korea and met a bunch of really great gals, did no blogging, barely facebooked, didn't read a thing, compose those emails I am behind on, lay out by the pool (the weather and limited hours didn't cooperate), or wallow in self pity, though I did miss the kids. Instead, I ran, hung out with the girls doing girly things, explored Korea with my new friends, drank wine in the evenings and mimosas in the mornings. Thanks ladies for making my week lots of fun and making me want to pack up myself and my kids and move back right away. While I wish we could, it really isn't fair for the kids (Kaity in particular, who is so excited to start school and make new friends) to coop them up for 5 months in a dorm room. Maybe if they were younger. Instead, we will see you in November!

I am so excited to share my trip to Korea and our AWESOME trip to Thailand with everyone, but since I left off in the middle of a series of blogs (which didn't get completed in my time away), I am going to try to not ADD on you all and finish what I started before I start on something new. So, my goal is to finish our Orlando trip in the next couple of days and get started on our time in Asia. I guess you will see how well I progress.