Nw USA Vacation

Hi! Here are some pictures from our trip to the Northwest. For anyone on Facebook, this is going to be repetitive, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. 

Here we go! These two did great.

Here's me thinking I'm really amazing because I got him to sleep JUST SITTING on the plane on the way to Japan. But the joke was on us (and everyone else on the flight) because he was the exact opposite on the long flight from Japan to Seattle.

We survived the flight, despite Doren's solid attempts to shatter the airplane windows with his screaming, and arrived safely in Seattle. One of the very first observations I made being back in the US was when Tobin needed to use the bathroom. It was the first time in a long time that I felt anxious about him going into a restroom by himself. That sense of worry about my child around other people in public doesn't come to me in Korea, but it suddenly came rushing back. I feel like he's too old to come into the women's restroom and Marc was dealing with the luggage somewhere else. I let him go in but I didn't like it at all. Its been really nice not feeling that feeling while in Korea. 

The next thing I noticed happened while we were driving to my in-law's house. I was nodding off in the passenger seat when I woke up to really loud sirens behind us. All the cars moved over so quickly and three or four emergency vehicles blew past us. It was impressive! Korean ambulances always have their lights flashing, even if they're just driving around, but will turn the sirens on in an emergency. We've seen ambulances trying to get through traffic and its kind of a mess and doesn't seem to be taken too seriously. I hope we never need an ambulance, period, but definitely not in Korea.

It was a great feeling to be back in the US, but it wasn't as weird and wild as I thought it would be. It was just like seeing a good friend after a long separation and starting up where we left off, like we were never apart.

Yay! We're here! One of the first things we did is head to the beach to fly kites...

...and collect rocks and shells. The best part was seeing the boys running free all over the beach and getting dirty. Its been a while since they ran free, as in not on a playground. It was fabulous.

Feeling the vitamin D soaking into his bald head.

Snuggles with Grandma Carol

Getting to know Papa Joe

Cousin Addisan was so sweet to read to her students...ahem, cousins. We love her!

Tobin and adorable Summer

An added bonus to making this trip was to see Marc's grandma whose health has failed a great deal since the last time we saw her. Marc went to the States back in January and was able to see his Grandpa who died just four days later. Grandma Min died a few days ago, just two weeks after these pictures were taken. She was one special lady and I just loved her.

Family and friends took care of her around the clock in her own home.

I'm so glad Doren got to meet her. I know seeing him brightened her last few days.

We had a nice dinner together until we had to leave because Doren was screaming like a pterodactyl.

Jonah is afraid of dogs but really wants one. It was a big thrill to walk with Lucy.

Posing with the blossoms

More kite-flying and running free

I love that smile

Mexican food!

Playing with Great Uncle Nick

They have so much grass!

At a really good coffee shop in Port Townsend. Mama like.

At our old local playground in Portland

At OMSI in Portland. Toby used to play here as a wee tyke!

This is pretty accurate

Crawling free in the baby section

Our first trip back to Trader Joe's and I'm really THAT excited. Don't get me started on how much I love and miss that store.

With Uncle Aaron. Doren has perfected the stare-down.

omg, Waffle Window. The boys each got a banana, Nutella and whipped cream waffle. I was good and got the veggie one which was still so delicious. But then I also ate half of each of theirs because they couldn't handle it. Pssh

We love breakfast!

Now with more cousins in Portland. We are so lucky to have them!

Officially crawling like a boss

They have a whole backyard playground!

He LOVED the swing!

It was so great to have Easter here

So much fun!

Clowning around

Uncle Justin is so silly!

This may not have been exactly legal, but if anyone pulled us over we could just say we're from Korea and didn't know the rules about seat belts.

Tree climbin'

Ok, below is a picture of dark, leafy greens. I had to take it just so I could stare at it longer. The American grocery store on the Army post does its best, poor thing, but we never have anything like this. There is a little box with a small pile of sad, wilted kale and its definitely not organic. I can count on one hand the number of organic products we have available. And Korean markets aren't much better with the greens. I also saw a large section of an aisle devoted entirely to plant milks. I expected to see the almond, rice and soy varieties, but I am so out of the loop because they also had cashew, seven grain and oat milk! What??! Oat milk? Anyway, my point is, walking around these fabulous grocery stores reminded me how much variety and abundance there is in American stores. I admit I'm a little jealous. I feel like it would be a lot easier to make healthier, more interesting meals if I had all these options! And it would be really nice to have the choice of organic produce.

It's so gorgeous. I can't even.

Another thing on our bucket list: Chipotle. So easy! So healthy! Check!

At the rental house with my side of the family. Nonny!

Breakfast at the kids' table

Great Uncle Rick

Its always a party with Molls

Cousin Lindy. Its so fascinating to look at her because there is such a strong resemblance to my late Grandma Dori. I love this picture! The ruby lips!

Love this lady

More staring

My sister's cute kiddies

Playing with Auntie Lisa

Cry me a river, Jonah

On our last morning we woke the boys up at 4:30am to head to the airport for what was hand's down our most excruciating travel experience so far. I'm so glad that day is over! The vacation, though, was wonderful. We packed in as many people and experiences as we could in the time we had. It was a nice break from Korea, but it was also nice to get back home. Home is wherever we are!

Spring Break USA

Now that Doren is almost sleeping through the night and taking really good naps during the day, its time to throw a huge wrench in his progress, take an international trip and completely mess him up with a seventeen-hour time difference. Am I right, parents?? In a few days we will be making our first trip back to the States since May/June of 2013! This will be Doren's first flight and first visit to the land of his citizenship. Here we come USA! [I started writing this blog a week ago and since then the little elf has reverted back to waking up three or four times each night, so nevermind. Meh.]

The elf himself

This is by far the longest I've been away from home, as in the USA. I've gotten so used to not being able to read or understand anything out in town here that I think its going to feel very strange and wonderful to finally know what's going on. I can't wait to see familiar places and faces!

One of the benefits of working for a military installation is that they let you fly for free - you just pay a small tax. But, and it can be a very large but, is that you can fly space-available only. You basically put your name on a list, show up really early in the morning and hope you get a seat, and in our case four or five seats. If there are too many people in a higher category than you, you get booted and have to wait until the next flight which is a few DAYS (not hours) later. It's almost impossible to fly space-a in the summer because so many people want to go home or need the planes to move back. So we are using Tobin's spring break (plus some extra time) to see friends and family in the US. The plane takes us as far as Seattle which works out really well because Marc's parents and more friends and family live in that area. So we'll spend some time with his family on the Washington peninsula. Then we'll head down to Portland, where we lived for five years, and see more family and friends including my family who is flying up to see us. Sadly, we won't be going to San Diego but it will be nice not to have to get on another plane and just stay in one region, hopefully relax as much as possible and enjoy being in familiar surroundings.

I keep thinking I need to gather everything we may possibly need on our trip in advance and order things on Amazon to be prepared for our trip and then I remember I'm going to America and I can just walk into any old Target and buy it in person! EEEEEE! I can even try on clothes and shoes if I want to! (Korea doesn't have my size.) Oh the things I will do! The places we will go! The food we will eat!

I feel like I need to apologize in advance to all the people we won't get to see. We have so many friends in the Northwest but there's no way we can see everyone without constantly being on the move, which is not something I want to deal with with the boys. I would really love to see everyone we know, but we just can't do it. I'm sorry, friends. We love you!

As with any trip with kids, my biggest concern is surviving the flight and then dealing with the effects of jet-lag on both ends of the trip. It was tough with two kids (I'm looking at you, Jonah Holt) and now we have three. I feel so bad for these boys (and Marc and I) who are going to be exhausted, yet restless, and probably really crabby for several days after we get there. Its a long flight, long car rides, a different bed every few days, and few, if any, naps for Jonah who still really needs them. Doren is going to be "fun" on the flight. He's loud like a pterodactyl. Its a wonder my eardrums haven't exploded. And he's right at the age when he likes to be put down so he can move around on the floor, but that isn't going to happen on an airplane, pal. I have a feeling I will be worn out before we take off. Help. The flight departs from an Air Force base in Korea, then lands in Japan for refueling and picking up more passengers. Marc, who has already taken this flight, says that during that time everyone on the plane is held in an "awful" room that's too small for the number of people for two to three hours with only a vending machine to feed us. Then from there its about an eight hour flight to Seattle where we will get the rental car and drive another two-ish hours to Marc's parent's house. Help. Waaaaa!! This is going to be rough, but I'm sure well worth the blood tears, sweat tears, and tears. USA or bust!