Luau Party

One day when dancing to "Under the Sea" we got to talking about what a luau is.  E immediately said she wanted to have a luau birthday party.  We took that idea and made what we thought was a pretty sweet water/luau party on our rooftop.

There is the set up.  We had 3 pools (2 of which had slides into them) and Ben's homemade sprinkler.  I think the kids had a good time...

We attempted to get leis on all the kids for the birthday song and cupcakes.

And we enjoyed some yummy food.

Finally it was time for presents!

E had a blast.  Thanks to all those who helped and made it special for her!

E is Three!!?!!

I know it is so typical to say this but...how is my baby 3??!?  What a fun age for a birthday!

E was surprised with a room full of balloons and a birthday doughnut (her favorite treat).

After that we played at the beach with friends.

At lunch time E was lucky to get to open her presents from Ben's family so they could watch online.  She was spoiled and thrilled with what she got (can't you tell).  She was so excited about opening  her presents she had them all laid out on her mat from early morning.

That evening she was treated to a birthday meal at McDonald's (another favorite).  She then couldn't wait to open more presents from mom and dad and eat her pink cake.

Isn't she looking so old?  What a great day we had.  E can't wait for her upcoming luau party with friends and her gaga and grandpa.

Beach Babes and Summering

We've been spending a fair amount of time at the beach this year.  It is one of the best play places and is just 5 minutes down the road!  E has really enjoyed the water this year and is becoming more confident in it.  She loves to play in the sand and run around.  It is a great way to spend a few hours then come home and have great naps.  E always wears her big pink sunglasses and loves to float around on her tube.  I started calling her beach babe.  One Saturday when dad came with us he got the title of beach babe.  So now I have two beach babes!

I usually don't get many pictures but was able to snap a few one evening while at the beach with dad.

We've done a few other things than the beach...but not much.  E started school two mornings a week so that keeps her busy, which we both love.  We discovered a park nearby with a fountain which is a great alternative to the beach.  If we are outside we must be in the water as it has been too hot and humid!  We also attended the annual Geoje Blue City festival (which we attended last year as well) and watched some traditional Korean dance/song and a magic show.  (Pictures taken by E via camera phone).

When the Boy is Away...The Girls Will Play!

Ben had a training course in Houston last week so E and I took advantage of the time and went to play in Seoul with grandma.  We drove from Yeosu to Seoul and spent a few days playing until Ben returned.  Our Seoul trips are always packed with fun and adventure.  It is nice to have time to spend in the big city but makes us appreciate the benefits of living in a small town.

Our first adventure was to Pororo World.  This indoor theme park for kids is based on Korea's animated children's show.  It was a really cute set up with a train, ball pit, slides, bounce house, toys and several shows.  We watched a magic show, 3D show, and a character sing-a-long.

The next adventure was to the outdoor pool in an area called Yeouido which is an island on the Han river.  The pool was nice and cool on a hot day and just was E needed!

Our third big adventure was to Children's Grand Park.  We were lucky to have grandpa join us this time.  This huge park had several amenities including an amusement park, several playgrounds, a zoo, a water garden, fountains, ponds, gardens and more.  It was quite warm but we really enjoyed the zoo and cooled off at the water garden.  The best part...it was free!  (All except the camel ride.)

E's favorite parts were riding the camel and feeding the goats.

That evening Ben flew into Seoul and met up with us.  We found Taco Bell in Seoul (which wasn't too exciting for Ben who just returned from the states but was THRILLING for me) and took it down to the river for a picnic.  That evening we enjoyed fireworks and a water show off the Banpo Bridge.

The following day we enjoyed church in English then rode the bus home...and easy and quick way where Ben and I could both fall asleep and leave E to watch a show on the IPad!

Yeosu and the World Expo

Yeosu, a small city about 2 hours from us was hosting a World Expo this summer.  I am still not really sure what an Expo is supposed to be but we thought we better check it out after hearing some good reviews.  Unfortunately we picked the worst day to go as it was the beginning of the Korean summer holiday.  It was hot and crowded!  There were several exhibits to see but wait times were anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours.  We managed to see a few of them and well as many international rooms decorated from countries all over the world.  The theme of the Expo was basically 'save the water' so many exhibits focused on that.  We explored through a sunken ship, watched some water shows, saw an 'underwater city' and more.

Fortunately they had fountains for us to cool off in.

Somehow we managed to stay until dark to watch the 'Big O Show' which was a ring of colors, water and fire.  It is quite amazing how Koreans love to pack as many people as possible into one small area!

We had plans to go to the Expo again the following day but opted out of the crowds and enjoyed the water park at our hotel.  A very good decision!

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Several years ago my mom bought some inflatable boats on sale in an attempt to use them at a lake near their home.  I think we gave her such a hard time about how silly that was they never got used.  When they moved to Korea they brought over a boat for us.  The weather was finally decent enough for us to take it out for a ride.  We went to the local beach and explored some of the coastline until E said she wanted to "go back to earth."  Sorry for doubting you mom, it actually was quite fun.

Rainy Season

Korea has a pretty intense rainy season.  It usually rain about every day for a month or so.  This year was no exception!  We actually had some much rain in such a short period we saw a little flooding in some areas.  Certainly noteworthy!