Seoul Sisters

Happy Anniversary to us ... that is, we are celebrating one full year of blogging and what better way to commemorate that than to share our Korea photos with you!

We know it's not always easy to sit through a ton of photos so we will share just a few in this post. If these are not enough, you can click here to see a few more of our favorites. (Tip: Viewing it as a slideshow allows you to also read our descriptions underneath each photo.)

Unfortunately, the reason for our trip (a company conference) cannot be included in this post. But there are plenty of other family memories to share.

Since the day we were married, I have always dreamed of introducing David to my birthplace of South Korea. We're so grateful that God has allowed me to do just that ... not only with David but with our 3 daughters as well, who share my Korean heritage! It was a very rich and special family time ... and we are especially grateful that both my parents and brother, Jacob, flew in from California to be with us!

Enjoy the adventures of our Seoul Sisters ...

Annalise's 1st Camping Trip

Though not a photo from our Korea trip, this was one of our first highlights during the month of June. Before some of our teammates left for their visit to the States, David took Verity & Annalise to camp with them in an area just 5 miles from Iran!

An easy layover in Dubai

The girls have really blossomed into easy travelers. Here they are just getting off the plane in the United Arab Emirates. It was a very nice airport - we rushed to the food court to enjoy a Dunkin' Donut and a fruit smoothie (a few stateside treats we had been missing!)

Exploring Deoksugung Palace (Seoul, Korea)

This former home of an Emperor was one of the first places we visited once we landed in Korea.

"Halmoni, how do you button up this hanbok?"

Due to the fact that we live overseas, it is extremely special to have my family as well as my parents & brother in the same room together. I took advantage of this and asked that the 8 of us take a family portrait dressed in hanboks (traditional Korean clothing).

"We found Grandma's books!"

During a visit to a Kyobo Bookstore (think Korean version of Barnes and Noble), we were able to find some of my mother's books on the shelves. She is a prolific author (her 20th book will be published this fall) but unless any of us learn Korean, we will not be able to read most of them! Nevertheless, it was such a thrill to show our girls that their Halmoni's books are being sold in bookstores (and most of them were already sold out!)

Standing on North Korean Soil

An especially memorable and impacting experience for us was our visit to Korea's DMZ, or Panmunjom (Joint Security Area). During our trip, we were able to briefly step onto the North Korean side. Though I admit this is not the most flattering photo of us, it shows the 2-story "Panmungak" building on the North Korean side. Learning more about the Korean War and seeing how families are still divided to this day was a very sobering and sad experience.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Annalise!

During our trip (on June 30th), our sweet Annalise turned 3! We celebrated with a trip to the Samsung Children's Museum and with cake & presents afterwards. This was the closest thing I could find in our local Korean bakery to meet her request of a "pink cake."

...and 2 days later (on July 2nd), I turned 31!

My dad and brother (along with David, Verity & Annalise) called me down to their hotel room where I was surprised by these balloons and birthday gifts to kick-off my birthday morning!


....and a HUGE thank you to Uncle Lee and Aunt Joanne! We honestly could not have enjoyed the type of visit we did without the generosity of my aunt and uncle. They sacrificed so much of their time and resources to make our visit special - treating us to amazing meals and attractions. It was such a blessing to be with them ... and with the rest of our extended family in Korea. Thank you!!!

Thanks for sharing this journey with us ... and again, you can always click here to see a few more photos.