Easter Package

My wonderful mother sent me a delightful Easter package with many yummy treats!

Thanks, mom! Love you!

February Fun Times

February may be the shortest month of the year, but in 2015 it sure is making up for its lack of days by being very eventful! To kick off my February 2015, I received a package from my wonderful mother. It was full of my favorite candies as well as Valentine's Day candies for my students. Here is a video of me opening up the box:

In Korea, kids are preparing for a new school year, starting next month. This means two of my kindergarten kids are graduating and will start elementary school soon! So this week, we did class pictures. It was nothing like the way I remember school pictures ever being done--then again, this is the only Korean school I've worked at so I don't know if it was unusual by Korean standards either. Although it should be noted that "kindergarten" here is actually equivalent to our preschool. Some kids start when they are 3 or even 2 years old and it's not a public school, it's a private business. So technically it's compulsory I guess but I would be surprised to find a Korean child who did not attend Kindergarten for a few years.

Anyway in my schooling, I remember LifeTouch (really, is there any other company that does school pictures--maybe it was just my county) would bring their equipment to the school and set up camp in the gym for the whole day. Then class by class, they would file kids through a queue, snap a quick picture of each one in front of an ugly background, then send the kid on their merry way.

For these pictures, we went to an actual photo studio. We changed into coordinating shirts and took some group pictures. Then the two graduates got some special individual pictures taken in new dresses their parents bought for them in honor of their graduation. The other five kids had nothing to do during this time except run amok and play with all of the props in the studio. The other English teacher and I had a rare chance to just play with the kids, which was fun. I felt like a babysitter haha.

Seo-Young

Gah! She's so cute!

Yu-Seul noticed Seo-Young and I were taking pictures so she joined in

Everyone, meet Ha-Eun. She's a goof

Ra-Hee is so sweet!

Ha-Eun causing mischief!

Ye-Young is one of the girls who is graduating. She is one smart cookie

Taking some selfies with Ye-Young...

...when suddenly...

...Ha-Eun appears out of nowhere

Shout out to my mom, who is a birthday girl today! Well, it isn't her birthday in Colorado quite yet but it is in Korea!

Another shout out to my dad who I get to see in about a week!! Eeeeeee!!! Thanks for the Valentine's Day card!

One last shout out to the country of Thailand. Thanks for existing and for being warm and sunny this time of year. I look forward to experiencing it this month!

Happy February, everyone! If you haven't got around to buying Valentine cards yet, just print this one off and give it to all your friends:

Okay love you all, bye!

...And Presents By the Tree

This morning, I was chatting with my parents on Skype when my mom asked if I had yet received the Christmas package they sent me. I had not, and my mom's carefully calculated estimated delivery date was the day after Christmas. Of course having presents to open Christmas morning is not the most important thing about the holiday, but my little tree has been looking a little sad without presents underneath it! But today, something wonderful happened. My package arrived well before Christmas day! Now I have my presents from home, and my family has my presents from me. Whew. I had confirmed with my mom that the gifts inside my box were wrapped so I opened that sucker right up when I got home and placed the lovingly wrapped gifts under my bright little Christmas tree.

I also received a Christmas card from my dad last week, but I forgot to take a picture and it is on my desk at work (my students like to look at the cards I get from home). It has a beautiful picture of the Savior on it and a sweet note inside to remind me of Christ's sacrifice for me. Thank you, dad :).

Thank you so, so much, dear family <3!

Music I listened to while writing this post: Julia Nunes! I'm a long-time fan. Her voice is so rich and beautiful and I love this rendition of I'll Be Home for Christmas.

My Great-Grandmother's Birthday

Today is my sweet Great-Grandmother Howell's 102nd birthday. Even though I cannot be with my family to celebrate, know that I love you all. Let's celebrate by having a happy day! 

Life is beautiful and precious, always cherish it.

Together on her 100th birthday in Hawthorne, Nevada