Wednesday, May 19, 2010

New, New and New!

As you can tell by the title lots of "new" things are happening!

  • Tyler got me a Nikon D3000 on Saturday! I love my big girl camera. He's the best!

  • My new life guard job starts in just a few days!

  • Tyler also set up an office for me this weekend!

  • And last but not least... I am officially learning sign language! LOVE IT!
Just thought I would let you all know the "new" happenings! Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

DMZ Tour and More...

I have lots to note... So brace yourself for a long entry. But there are pictures :) So that helps :P


On Wednesday Tyler and I, along with a few other couples got the privilege of touring the Demilitarized Zone or DMZ, that separates North and South Korea. I personally loved the tour. This is the area I'm talking about just so you get the idea.



As you can see Seoul is pretty close to this boarder. It only took us and hour via bus to get there. We got to actually step foot inside North Korea! We saw North Korean Soldiers and they, of course, saw us. Not going to fib here, it was a little terrifying! We were told not to make any gestures because they could be misinterpreted... EEEK! They were even taking our pictures! We saw them on top of the white building you see in the background.


So after that lovely experience we went to one of the buildings they use to host talks with North Korea. Our guide pointed out the foot prints all over all the tables and that all the chairs had been pulled out. North Korea does this as a sign of disrespect to the South and America. By the end of this entry you see why people call them, "crazy Koreans." The blue buildings in the fore ground are where this little event took place.

Next stop... Propaganda Village! This small village was built by North Korea's first "President" (or dictator in my opinion) Kim Il Sung as a way of enticing South Korean residents to defect in the 1950's. It was painted bright blue, faced the South and rest's under the worlds largest flag belonging to North Korea. It weighs 600 lbs and takes 45-50 men to lower and take it down. No one has ever lived there and it was built for that purpose alone. Hence the name Propaganda Village. If you click on the image you can really tell the buildings are just empty shells.



The next few quips will really give you a really good idea of what North Korea and it's government are like. For starters..... The boarder has guard towers, obviously. And in between watch towers 3 and 4, there was a large tree obstructing view into North Korea. South Korea and it's allied forces informed North Korean government they were going to remove this tree. While doing so North Korean Soldiers attacked and "axed to death", 2 United Nations Soldiers. The large cement ring around the memorial is the size of the tree trunk that once stood there.


Next is The Bridge of No Return.



This is the branch point where POW's were released after the North and South Korean War, being told they could choose which country they took up residence in..... But whichever country they chose they could "Never Return." On our particular tour we noticed something at the North end of the bridge. Our tour guide looked with binoculars and told us they were 3 dead dogs. He says it happens quite frequently as a sign of disrespect to the South and American forces.

There is also a small farming community inside the DMZ. The farmer and their families are watched over 24/7. We saw a man discing his field and there were 2 South Korean Soldiers watching over him. The families that belong to this specific group, have very strict rules to live under. The have to be in their homes with windows and doors locked every night by midnight and are only allowed to be away from their homes 124 nights per year. Also, the children that grow up under these hazardous conditions are allowed to pick any school of their choice, in South Korea, and it is completely paid for. Farming families also do not pay taxes and are guaranteed to make $82,000 per year.

As a conclusion on this subject... Tyler and I bought some Blueberry wine and whiskey made by North Korean citizens. We plan on keeping the whiskey as a reminder of our time there. Overall it was a great tour. It reminded us all that North Korea is still very hostile and this conflict is still very much alive today.

On a lighter note.... My Dad is doing well. Just sleeping a lot. My sister went to prom last week. I hope I am actually there next year for her Senior prom. Thank goodness she took pictures for her big sister. I just wanted to share. Her boyfriend, who dumped her last year 2 days before prom, decided not to do with her this year..... errrr. I wish she lived in a larger town where there are more boys to choose from. So Shelly went with her best friend Avery and had a blast! I was so glad she went and had a good time WITHOUT her boyfriend :) Here are some pictures of the beautiful ladies.
My sis is the one in yellow...
Aren't they stunning?! Wish I could be home!!! I'm missing out on so many things in her life :( It's hard being away from your best friend.

Well I guess this post has "worn out it's welcome" so to speak. So tonight's big plans involve dinner and Karaoke with friends... Oh my goodness. This is bound to be interesting :P Until next time... Chao!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Where I Stood

I don't know what I've done
Or if I like what I've begun
But something told me to run
And honey you know me it's all or none

There were sounds in my head
Little voices whispering
That I should go and this should end
Oh and I found myself listening

'Cos I dont know who I am, who I am without you
All I know is that I should
And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you
All I know is that I should
'Cos she will love you more than I could
She who dares to stand where I stood

See I thought love was black and white
That it was wrong or it was right
But you ain't leaving without a fight
And I think I am just as torn inside

'Cos I don't know who I am, who I am without you
All I know is that I should
And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you
All I know is that I should
'Cos she will love you more than I could
She who dares to stand where I stood

And I won't be far from where you are if ever you should call
You meant more to me than anyone I ever loved at all
But you taught me how to trust myself and so I say to you
This is what I have to do

'Cos I dont know who I am, who I am without you
All I know is that I should
And I don't know if I could stand another hand upon you
All I know is that I should
'Cos she will love you more than I could
She who dares to stand where I stood
Oh, she who dares to stand where I stood

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Dad Update/Formal Dinner

Well we thought all was going well with my Dad... We were wrong. Saturday morning while my Mom, RN Sandy, was changing my Dad's dressing , she noticed his incision didn't seem right and decided to take him for a trip to the ER. She was right in doing so because his white cell count was up to 18,000 and he had a pretty severe infection. He had to taken in for emergency surgery! He has to have another surgery on Monday morning to do the same type of operation, or "clean sweep" as I call it. These surgery's are to clear out current infection and prevent future ones. He's on the big med's now and is doing better but not feeling better quite yet. They are going to send him home Monday or Tuesday with a PIC line. This will allow him to be on IV antibiotics at home. I feel so sorry for my Dad. He's honestly the toughest guy I know. Please keep him in your prayers.

Okay, let's to move on before I get too worked up. On a happier note...................

Last night was a formal dinner to celebrate Korean and US alliances. It was held at a brand new hotel in Seoul, over looking the Han River. It was breath taking! Over all, I believe, there was 365 people at his event. The attire was Class-A's for the service member's and cocktail or suit and tie for your date. It was open bar, so many people, including ourselves, took part in that! :) After drinks came speeches by the host and higher up's in the Army. Then dinner and entertainment. Dinner was served buffett style and it was delicious! We had 4 different performances ranging from traditional Korean dances for the emporer to beat boxing! It was a great night with great pictures! :) Of course I took pictures, you think I'd forget. Well here you go!










Aren't we just gorgeous! Mom say's to take lots of pictures while your young, you won't regret it. So I do! It was wonderful evening. Tyler said I looked like Jackie Kennedy. Now isn't he sweet!? I also wanted to update you all with some new pics of our baby Missy. We love her so darn much!


Cutest lil' pup ever! I will post again when I have more info on my Dad. Again please keep in your prayers. Thanks all. Buh-bye!