grateful in june, 2015 pt 3

the third and final installment of my list of gratitudes for the month of june. i am so thankful to look back and see the blessings embedded in everyday... 

grateful in june, 2015 pt 2

this week has surely been a rollercoaster of emotion. it's been full on and i kindof forgot to find gratitude for a couple of days but i am back on track now. it really does matter in amongst the dark and cold and grey. yes, that's it...

grateful in june, 2015 pt 1

as part of my one word for this year: r - i -s- e, i have wanted to explore ways to bring a rise in my attitude. how i feel definitely is affected by the seasons and heading into the winter months, i have really noticed it. so this june, i have wanted to focus on being grateful...

our far north get-away

we love the far north, a place to relax and unwind. this year we were delayed a little bit but it happened to pay off as we had the most epic weather possible! it was so good to get away and relax together, also having mark's parents visit for the last two days.

isaiah lights up even more in the outdoors and lapped up the wide open space and water {not literally!}.

Things I am Loving - Determination

We have been having ongoing negotiations around dinner lately. I can't always figure my son's eating patterns out and I sometimes end with that feeling of not providing what he needs. 

Figuring dinner this day, I chose a pasta and broccoli combo which usually goes down a treat. Dishes served up and we are ready to go. Eversion, diversion and splat; food on the floor. This was not turning out good until Isaiah started to beacon for a fork on the table with 'peeese'. 

things I'm loving - nami Island, south korea

for our easter weekend we decided to take a day trip to a new place we had never been to, a privately owned half-moon island in the middle of the han river - naminara republic. a very quick ferry ride across the river took us to this interesting place...

Things I am loving {October 12}

according to my instagram: 

Long cool evenings, with the sun peaking through leaves of various colors.

 A little boy growing up too fast; in just over two months we will be celebrating his first birthday!

A new face brandished whenever he is ecstatic or being silly. Hilarious.

Amazingly clear, stunning sunsets from our balcony. This fall has been the best yet!

Roaming night markets and taking in the atmosphere just around the corner from our apartment.

Getting to the end of a week that took everything I had, and being reminded comfy couches always help. 

An overview of some things I am loving and reminding myself of these things!

What are you loving lately?

Looking back and forward

 Sickness, school events and celebrations have kept me super busy this week!

I am thankful to share that Baby Hub is all clear of sickness now. He had been battling with a double ear infection for over a week. This boy is still so sweet and happy even though I know it has been painful; not to mention anti-biotics issues.  Loving that he is starting to chew on everything! He shows so much determination when he wants to put something in his mouth. Teething is coming up fast I think.

I love special events at school. We had a read-a-thon day at school on Wednesday and I was Piglet... Chosen because at the moment, this is Isaiah's favorite. This was a day intertwined with intensity and fun!

Why I love Fridays

There is something about Fridays for this girl!

The feeling of a week finished but a weekend not yet begun. 

Is there anything better?

Loving our Spring Break

This year, we traveled down to Busan ~ the second largest city and on the southern coast of the Korean peninsula. It was our first trip away with baby Hub. It was amazing how being by the sea can be so refreshing!

 The weather was a lot warmer than where we are in the north, with one day reaching 19degrees!

I love smiles!

Especially on Fridays. 

Especially on this first Friday back at work.

And especially from this wee man.

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

I'm leaving on a jet plane and things I love...

hi everyone, mum has asked me to share some of my favorite things about being in nz before we go to a new place i have heard a lot about, our home for now, south korea. i am going on a jet plane and i am not even five weeks yet but i am excited for my next adventure...

let me share some things I have loved so far...

a mini road trip

we went out today with our wonderful niece and nephew to enjoy the sun (and a few showers) and the sea, albeit no waves.

A beach trip

It was a beautiful day here in Northland, New Zealand. My mum wanted to show me her favourite beach spot at the moment; Whananaki South.

This is not the End

Well, time has ticked by this week SO fast! There is lots to do and finish off... I leave Saturday afternoon a month earlier than Hubby. As you can see from the link - I have less than 40 days left until my due date with baby Hub! WoW!

One of the hardest things about leaving to go home this time is that I have to say goodbye to a really amazing family here in Korea. The Schumachers are not just colleagues they are really good friends and we have loved doing life with them here. I even got to teach their daughter in my first year - a very special thing.

We had a ANZAC gathering last night at our apartment - with lots of kiwi-styled food and Aussie beef. It was a great time.

This is not the end - it's just 'See you Soon'! We will see them in June/July of next year when we visit the Gold Coast. I am excited for their future!

God bless Schumachers!

31

 Got to love celebrating my birthday here in SoKo... 

Being surprised with a cute youtube video shared by my class 

Dinner at a local indian restaurant... 

And cuddles...

Precious friends

Korean stylie

Trying something new, and getting a strike!

Loads of laughs

And chatting with Hubby and family in NZ.

Oh yes, the best has yet to come...



AND of course always loving to link up over at PaisleyJade's place...

Loving Laughs

I tend to exaggerate *sometimes*... but the last week has been one of the most challenging, stretching and stressful times I have had in a while. I kid you not.

But in all that *stuff*, I am surrounded by loving friends and a Hubby who always makes me laugh. 

This week I am loving... 

Hubby's ability to keep things light in many many situations... Here he is trying out a new snowboard (second hand) in our living room. 

The next photo should have shown him slamming into the coffee table behind but I dashed to his rescue instead... hehe

______________________________________________________

And my friends and colleagues who make my job full of joy

and all the antics that come with them!

I feel blessed to have such awesome people in my life. 

Linking up with the lovely PaisleyJade today! Go check it out!

flower delivery love

i have been horribly sick this week, with a nasty flu bug that is doing the circuits here at our school. 

i am loving how my sweet husband made me feel so loved on tuesday, even when i was feeling miserable!

in every apartment here we have a video control board which lets us see if visitors want to be let into our building and a camera at the front door of our apartment. quite often we have random people press our apartment number so we usually ignore them. 

on valentine's day, feeling sorry for myself in bed, i heard the tune start playing and so i thought to just let it play and it would stop. it kept going so i got up and checked the video screen... i certainly didn't recognize the korean man at our building's door. i then got a phone call. and as i started to speak my very un-fluent korean, the person on the other end quickly realized i could't speak to him and he couldn't speak to me! we then hang up... 

later on, I find out that he was a flower delivery man! 

second time round he is successful and we laugh together as he hands me the flowers and says to me 'mistu hu-budo' in broken english. 

so today i am joining in with paisley-jade and loving my red roses, chuckling about a funny scenario in a still-somewhat-foreign land.

Loving it!

Wow - my first week back at school for the second year here in Korea is nearly at an end...

Here is what I am loving this week, linking up with the amazing Paisley Jade. 

This day is a special day in our family. Not only is it my hubby's birthday but also my Grandma and my cousins birthday all on the same day! Love you all!

Loved the pancakes with bacon, banana, honey/maple syrup that we devoured had after a 3 hour early morning bike ride on the morning of the birthday. It majorly hit the spot!

Love, love, love this present from very good friends. We had a great laugh... It's for hubby's birthday present... But I like where it's going (we haven't eaten it yet!!).

I made my first ever banana cake here in Korea and it turned out good!- Shock horror - I am an apprehensive cook/baker at the best of time. So combine that with trying to source ingredients it doesn't happen as much as it should...

Lastly, I am loving my class this year! These kids are fantastic and so fun to teach - they inspire me to do my very best to direct them through their learning and cheer them on. Yay!

We have just started up our class blog over here too!

Goood!

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23:5-6

So0 s0o good...

The biggest Pepero given to me by one of my students!

Breakfast in bed from Hubby

Putting up our first fake Christmas tree

Secret Santa presents that are so original - can't wait to try out 

a S'mores

Getting truly inspired by all the creative and beautiful blogs out there. Taking that inspiration and redeveloping my blog little by little...

Secret Santa fun! Making this was... well, a challenge of dexterity and nimble fingers
(burnt them a couple of times on the hot glue gun) BUT well worth it!
I hope the recipient enjoys it...

Let me know what's good in your world :)