tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-183037822012-01-18T23:29:59.002-07:00Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.comBlogger1601100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-61520678720685522832010-09-06T14:06:00.000-06:002010-09-06T14:06:40.583-06:00

And here we are. As I write to you, I'm sitting in my new-to-me 82 year old house. Yes, the inhabitants of the Little Red House have relocated. We have finally done something we have wanted to do for a very long time. We moved back to the first city we called home together, and we are so, so happy. We are now in a little orange house and I absolutely love it. It has character. I can feel the

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-7464549599900847522010-07-17T23:30:00.000-06:002010-07-17T23:30:03.123-06:00

then do I have the breakfast for you to try. Unfortunately you will have to wait until next year to try it but anything good is worth waiting for, right? ahem.  Every year we go to a couple of Stampede pancake breakfasts, because it is a pretty fun atmosphere.( Even if you do wait in line for decades just to get a plate full of greasy food). But this year, my friends, I did my research. This

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-79919554859678023072010-07-16T20:08:00.000-06:002010-07-17T23:31:20.340-06:00

What do you do when the rain keeps falling? Make your own supergoodforyou fruit bars, of course. Wanna join in? You will need: Some fruit of your choice-frozen or fresh ( we used blackberries, strawberries, blueberries) A wee bit of honey to sweeten things up a wee bitA little bit of soy/almond/cow's milk, or alternatively some fruit juice Blend it up and pour into some little popsicle makers.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-73737566717809136572010-06-24T23:25:00.000-06:002010-06-24T23:25:21.849-06:00

Loving this:   And so not loving this:   Notes: Bought the above shampoo for the girls at Superstore. I believe it was about $6. Read reviews on it and feel good about this. Plus, it smells amazing!  I picked up the dishwasher detergent after my oh so frustrating experiments with homemade (in case you're wondering my three attempts were all complete and total failures. That is unless you somehow

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-72803414406740400272010-06-21T14:30:00.001-06:002010-06-23T19:19:09.929-06:00

For a long while now I've been making "funny lunches" for Cate. It all began when she started becoming extremely selective about what she would and would not eat (2.5 years maybe). I'd been reading about bento boxes and thought we could sorta make our own at home. I use a muffin tin pan (with 6 spots) and fill them each with a small portion of different food. I try very hard to touch each food

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-13145947746710315792010-06-15T20:35:00.001-06:002010-06-16T21:18:04.061-06:00

Have you heard of the Dirty Dozen? And no, I'm not talking about that one. I'm talking about a list of 12 fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticides. I've come across this list in many places, one being in my new cookbook which my sweet husband got me for my birthday and I helped pick out. Now that I've decided to step into the world of organic foods, albeit very slowly, I want to

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-51134475194606250812010-06-08T14:46:00.000-06:002010-06-08T14:46:43.199-06:00

 Okay, I know. I know. Beans may not be everyone's favorite food in the world. But seriously, they are so.good. for. you. And they are cheap, and they are one very easy way to incorporate a meatless meal into your week. We eat a lot of beans around here, but honestly, that only started about a year and a half ago, and before that, I probably could have counted on my hands how many times I'd eaten

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-80703294907395760822010-06-03T15:15:00.000-06:002010-06-03T15:15:59.141-06:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-79374064856462980612010-06-02T10:58:00.002-06:002010-06-02T13:16:46.903-06:00

I mentioned in a previous post that I just tried out a service here in Calgary, called Spud.ca, for the first time this week. The whole process was really quite fun ( if you're into produce). You can place a specific order for organic fruits and vegetables, or they can give you a mixed box based on a given price. I chose the first option, because I knew that there would be certain things I'd be

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-81575415071405747502010-05-31T22:02:00.005-06:002010-05-31T22:12:47.267-06:00

I'd been thinking about making my own laundry soap for SUCH a long time.  A few months ago my friend had a wee little baby girl. I had been reading things like this and this and this and for some reason the birth of her baby motivated me to finally try it out. I just couldn't imagine her tiny little baby being exposed to chemicals.  It took awhile to find the right recipe and all the ingredients,

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-57808217456189649972010-05-30T21:05:00.015-06:002010-05-30T21:19:47.448-06:00

Ah, it really is a nut-free world, isn't it? Truth is, we eat a lot of nuts around here, in the Little Red House. Nut butters, nut cookies, nut breads, nut smoothies... and that is all fine ( in fact, it's more than fine, it's excellent) But now that Miss Cate Rowan is out in the real world, I have become more aware of the need to be nut free when we leave the house.  However, since all the

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-13583678370843154982010-05-28T21:24:00.010-06:002010-05-30T21:19:32.053-06:00

I know, I haven't blogged in, what was that? 7 months? Oh, right. Who knows if this is going to stick, but seriously, I constantly think of things I could blog about and so why not just start and see? Since I first embarked on super healthy eating 2009, I have become fairly interested (ahem) obsessed with ways to eat better, live simpler, and be, well, greener.There are some things which are

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-17873198099262461382009-10-18T23:02:00.002-06:002009-10-18T23:07:05.556-06:00

Hey! Having trouble getting to any updates on here, but our trip IS being blogged by my talented husband at sixhappyfeet.blogspot.com. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.Our house is full of the flu. sick. Haven't seen a single person since we arrived home! boo. Hoping this week goes better than the last.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-36417561326560344812009-09-29T14:10:00.002-06:002009-09-29T14:23:47.275-06:00

2 little sleepyheads in warm cozy jammies1 little hand holding on tight4 little feet playing in the leaves3 bottles of warm milk5 favorite songs played for the driveA gazillion crumbs swept off the floor22 pounds of chubby baby goodness13 rocks thrown into the riverCountless "I love you's"Just one more book1 suitcase almost filled...= 1 very teary eyed mommy.Our flight leaves tomorrow night at 9

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-3551533725361070712009-09-27T22:53:00.003-06:002009-09-27T23:04:54.961-06:00

I am madly in love with this little girl. We had a perfect day with her. Here are a few pictures of the party. More to come later...

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-50636466050921667922009-09-25T14:48:00.003-06:002009-09-25T14:55:02.708-06:00

Check out David's post to see what Cate's been up to. She's changing so fast. The toddler is all gone and in her place is a beautiful child."What I wanted most for my daughter was that she be able to soar confidently in her own sky, whatever that may be."-- Helen Claes

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-71786338370018039092009-09-17T15:19:00.002-06:002009-09-17T15:56:27.248-06:00

Friends,It's been too long again.It's fall and I love, love, love fall. Leaves, colors, smells, weather, apples, pumpkins, schedules, school buses, sweaters. Yay for fall.This September is a big month. First, Maggie Jane will be one on the 27th. My, I don't know how that's possible. She is so, so funny and I love who she is. Yesterday she found some of my shoes and tried to put them on her feet.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-81892133087128475092009-08-07T14:50:00.003-06:002009-08-07T14:59:29.202-06:00

Sorta.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-56259245169084263762009-07-27T13:21:00.007-06:002009-07-27T13:38:45.181-06:00

to our brown and crazy haired, hazel eyed, chubby cheeked, two-toothed, buddha bellied, happy happy, elephant noise making, bye-bye waving, music loving, constantly clapping, sweet as can possibly be, Maggie Jane.We love you baby.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-73136214875530823582009-07-17T13:52:00.008-06:002009-07-17T14:29:10.061-06:00

Sometimes when I'm bored (okay, wait. That doesn't really happen. Let's say when I'm tired of doing things I should be doing.) I like to look at old pictures and find one that was taken exactly a year ago. It seriously is amazing how things change, and so quickly.Today I was doing just that. My house is far from tidy-in fact, by my feet right now there is a shoe, a baby brush, a list on an

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-25947188190754414442009-05-21T14:56:00.004-06:002009-05-21T15:08:09.439-06:00

Three is a funny age. Sometimes oh so challenging, sometimes so adorable it hurts, sometimes just plain funny.Here are a few lines from Cate in the last couple of weeks:I spilled some rice on the table this morning and said "Oh!" Cate looks at me and says " Don't cry about it, mommy."Cate isn't very familiar with Disney characters, ( we don't watch the movies yet, and try not to buy Disney themed

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-36452821747163851542009-05-05T20:34:00.004-06:002009-05-05T21:31:56.506-06:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-76143510661837435662009-04-24T14:18:00.003-06:002009-04-24T20:59:42.611-06:00

Twice a week I teach a class for toddlers and preschoolers. On Mondays I teach a playgroup and on Fridays a dance class. This is new, and quite funny to me, because those who know me certainly know that I am not a dancer! Thankfully it is more of a movement to music class and it's working out ok :)Anyways, on these mornings I bring David to work and so the whole family has to be out the door by

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-13331204705755504562009-04-21T21:20:00.005-06:002009-04-21T21:27:04.933-06:00

Ah, spring. Beautiful, warm, sunny, spring. We've had a nice week here, but unfortunately it's not to last. Thursday's forecast is of -1 celsius and snow. deep breath.Anyways here are some pictures David took of our first park day of the season. I'm not sure who checks David's flickr account, but to those who do, these are all taken from there. Sorry for the repeats :)

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-29976787495160742172009-04-15T15:15:00.006-06:002009-04-15T23:44:40.795-06:00

For the missing kidney.Most of you probably don't know that our little Maggie was born without her right kidney. We were told this news at our first ultrasound at 22 weeks and it was confirmed at birth. Although it is not something to worry about, the doctor's caring for Maggie would still like to know for sure that there isn't a small kidney somewhere in her body ( which can happen in

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-29211173054530421222009-04-14T14:29:00.008-06:002009-04-15T08:57:11.461-06:00

I've been ( as in David and I) taking pictures of food for a while, saving them up for some kind of post. I've been experimenting a lot with different foods and recipes and these were some that I thought were definitely worth trying again.This is a simple ( very, very simple) quick meal that I make when I have leftover brown rice-or any grain for that matter. It's just a matter of sauteing some

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-26600629326902797292009-04-03T10:26:00.003-06:002009-04-03T10:31:11.907-06:00

Maggie CateHere are both of my girls at 6 months. Exact same age, exact same overalls.Many people ask us if they look alike- so here you have it. What do you think?

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-49164771689740286832009-03-30T20:42:00.004-06:002009-03-30T23:10:15.070-06:00

At 12:37pm on March 30, 2006Cate Rowan came into the world.At 12:37 pm on March 30, 2009She turned three. Picture taken at 12:38pm

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-90976034758292844662009-03-28T13:47:00.002-06:002009-03-28T14:03:44.843-06:00

And you thought I was kidding! I'm really back.As mentioned, David and I have really changed our eating habits. We can no longer justify eating whatever we feel like. We're quite concerned that the things we put into our mouths are actually things that are good for us. I've never thought this way before. I used to just think, " that's not that bad. It isn't too fatty" etc. But now, I think in

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-45687910129789030572009-03-20T21:29:00.002-06:002009-03-20T22:24:33.417-06:00

Well, here I am. A mere 4 months later and I'm finally sitting here deciding whether I should bother! I've been removed from lists of blog friends which tells me that I seriously am in the bad blogger club. Yikes!Let's try this for starters. This will be a 25 things about me. In the last 4 months.1. I have had a full nights sleep about 8 times since I last posted.2.I have officially learned to

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-5027957945565431592008-11-27T21:54:00.002-07:002008-11-27T22:05:17.452-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-68896735560928705612008-11-04T14:23:00.003-07:002008-11-04T14:31:30.610-07:00

Cate Rowan- 2 years, 7 months and 5 days Maggie Jane- 5 weeks and 3 days

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-24604720322406653702008-10-02T23:07:00.004-06:002008-10-02T23:54:59.968-06:00

I'm sure you all have read or heard that our little baby girl has arrived!So sorry for the delay in posting on here...Maggie Jane Guenther was born on September 27th at 1:48 am weighing 7lbs 11 oz and measuring 19.5 inches.As the dr. said, " this one was in a rush to get out!".Friday morning, September 26th, I went to my 39 week OB appointment. I had been feeling some painful contractions on the

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-5699384876655995292008-09-20T23:14:00.003-06:002008-09-23T20:50:49.896-06:00

38 weeks:Ahh! So funny! I started making a post a few days ago and was having trouble loading any images. I just closed blogger thinking I deleted the post. Then I came back to it and saw that all I had written was "Waiting" and 38 weeks- and you kind blogger friends still commented! hee hee. Anyways, this is what the post was supposed to be!So yes, here I am. Very, very pregnant. David took

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-60198775742332549182008-08-18T20:50:00.003-06:002008-08-18T21:08:55.427-06:00

As you can see, our little babe is almost here! With just 7 weeks to our due date, I am ready to get in full baby mode! So far we really haven't done anything, mostly because we know that we have most things we need for little girls :) We plan to set aside a day to buy her some special things of her own, set up the car seat, cradle, etc. and then we'll be ready to go! At least as far as that area

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-31127529405626225542008-06-21T21:55:00.002-06:002008-06-21T21:58:00.857-06:00

GIRL!Coming this October, Cate will have a baby sister and we will have TWO daughters! We are sooo happy and can't wait to meet her!

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-54188857639505465762008-05-27T15:19:00.005-06:002008-12-09T02:00:05.543-07:00

So I'm guessing that I don't have a lot of readers left after this enormous blogging hiatus I've been on. Sheesh. There's just no excuse! Everytime I'd think of updating I'd get overwhelmed by just how much I had to update, so I'd leave it. So today I decided I would at least give you something!We live in Calgary now! I think most of you probably have heard this news, but David got a job at

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-81853651064408851692008-04-10T14:44:00.006-06:002008-12-09T02:00:16.457-07:00

Let's start where we left off.Leaving Korea. To be honest, in the last few weeks before we left the country, I was ready to leave. I was tired of communication barriers, stares, and long boring days at work. I had become completely accustomed to life in Asia and didn't see the excitement and thrill of it any longer! As you may have read from David's blog, our last day in Korea was not as smooth

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-90640703889141616902008-04-04T23:09:00.006-06:002008-12-09T02:00:17.251-07:00

I seriously can't catch up on this blog! My plan was to get into all the pictures from China and Florida, but I cannot miss my little pumpkin's birthday post, so let's start there.My beautiful Cate is two. What an absolute gem she is. I often think about how blessed we are to have her as our child. She makes every day( or most days!) brighter and more meaningful and fulfilling.This year, we

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-16225728749061694402008-03-26T17:21:00.003-06:002008-12-09T02:00:17.397-07:00

Hellooo everybody! I'm finally back in the real world and ready to post again.This month has been CRAZY! We've been in Korea, Beijing, Vancouver, Calgary, Orlando, Key West, Lethbridge, Saskatoon and back. We are finally in Lethbridge again, searching for work and sorting out everything that needs to be done. There's a lot to do when you leave the country for a year and then return.Anyways, I

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-32831490831299313172008-02-19T03:41:00.007-07:002008-12-09T02:00:19.526-07:00

Now you'd be lying if you said you didn't want to know more about that title!First of all, my big brother Corey came to Korea for a week and we had a really great time! We affectionately termed his visit as Corea. Although our itinerary was somewhat determined by a toddler's nap schedule, and he did have to sleep on the kitchen floor, we hope he had as good a time as we did! We spent a few days

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-76579084181584870942008-02-02T22:35:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:00:19.773-07:00

Oh no! I've become a terrible blogger. I'd love to use the excuse that there has been nothing happening, but that's totally untrue! We've been busy planning and if you read David's latest blog entry you'll know that we are leaving in 3 weeks, taking a mini-trip to Beijing and squeezing in a dream vacation in the Florida Keys all before mid-March. We'll be back in AB for a few days in early March,

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-83269893955209008852007-12-27T04:52:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:00:20.530-07:00

Merry belated Christmas!Wow. I can hardly believe that I let the whole Christmas season go by without posting a thing.It might be due in part to the fact that Christmas didn't really come to Korea. Sure, there was the random carol played at Home Plus, and the Santa on stilts ( see picture below) but on Christmas Eve, as I walked home from work, the only things that were different were the red

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-57985631672384333772007-12-08T04:42:00.001-07:002008-12-09T02:00:21.069-07:00

Happy CateSad CateCute CateMommy and Cate

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-83416291109994734332007-12-01T17:35:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:00:21.386-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-10983493265471924782007-11-17T18:03:00.001-07:002008-12-09T02:00:21.536-07:00

This isn't a great picture, but look at the size of these leaves! I've never seen anything like it. Cate could probably use one as a shelter!This was taken at the Daegu Zoo. Slightly inhumane, but Cate enjoyed it nonetheless. We are waiting to get our pictures developed from our SLR, so if any turn out I'll be sure to post.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-10862174370031617242007-11-10T21:33:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:00:21.924-07:00

Today, Canadians will honor war veterans by taking part in Remembrance Day services. And today, Koreans will celebrate Pepero Day. A special day to give and receive a "stick biscuit" from your loved ones.Pronounced by Koreans as Pe-Peh-ro (I've got to be honest, it sounds like they are speaking Italian when they say it), Pepero is a brand of cookie, a long, thin crunchy wafer half dipped in

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-89377431554911026492007-11-08T04:44:00.001-07:002008-12-09T02:00:22.263-07:00

( David's photos, by the way)

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-16668530490349211272007-11-02T06:10:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:22.939-07:00

This was my first year without a Halloween. Admittedly, I've never done much about the holiday except to throw on a costume, but still - it was missed. So, instead of actual celebrating all Hallow's Eve, I taught about it. Twenty-four times to be exact. And if you're wondering, that's over 800 children who now know how to make a Jack O'Lantern, why black cats are scary and how the word mummy is

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-69359789446115215362007-10-16T06:39:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:23.548-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-163400702911260612007-10-09T04:44:00.001-06:002008-12-09T02:00:23.918-07:00

Last week Cate woke up during the night, and we brought her into our bed. I fell back asleep and woke up to her kissing me on the lips. It was the cutest thing you could imagine. She then put her arm around me as best she could and fell asleep. I am so in love with this little girl.Here she is, at 18 months.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-52256797459750827122007-10-09T04:20:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:24.373-07:00

If you've checked David's blog, you will have seen and heard about some of our latest adventures in Busan. We took a lot of photos , and I thought I'd add some more of my favorites. I thought these pictures really told a story of Busan-at least how I saw things.Busan has been described as the San Fransisco of Korea. I guess you can see why.Busan is known for some beautiful beaches. Having

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-50403020602589406892007-09-29T07:11:00.001-06:002008-12-09T02:00:24.540-07:00

when Nana and Papa come to town... Cate with giant elephant at Costco Cate with giant elephant at home

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-34472023061541873152007-09-20T06:33:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:24.648-07:00

Well, the results are in! Cate is going to be just fine! We went to our appointment on Monday with the specialist, and he said the tests ruled out any serious developmental disorders or diseases. Thank God! He said she does have low muscle tone but will probably catch up within the next few months. He did recommend physical therapy to increase her confidence and her strength.We've gone 2x so far

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-18894080445005560102007-08-31T05:18:00.001-06:002008-12-09T02:00:28.513-07:00

We're back from our lovely little holiday to Seoul. We had a great time. The weather was cool, the food good, and the culture amazing. We had a really leisurely time of walking through traditional markets, sleeping in and touring some sites. Here is our holiday in pictures. I will post the candid and the family shots here, but be sure to check out David's blog for other great photos and

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-55047862974035813232007-08-25T01:14:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:28.872-07:00

Whew. It has been a hard week.First of all, thanks for all the encouraging posts. It means a lot to us to know that people are thinking of and praying for us.Our first trip to the doctor was on Monday. Yes, I am saying our first trip.We had the appointment with the specialist and he was really great. He spoke nearly perfect English and so it was nice not to have the language barrier in the way.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-89387251518522041692007-08-18T20:51:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:29.350-07:00

It is soo hot. I feel like I'm losing my mind! There is no relief from the heat. Night and day. 35-40 degree temperatures. Cooking is nearly impossible because with our gas oven it heats up the house immediately. So we're living on salad, tuna sandwiches, watermelon and cucumbers. The water in Korea, or at least in Daegu, is undrinkable, so we have to buy cases of it. I'm pretty sure we're going

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-79984986106660763602007-08-11T05:36:00.002-06:002008-12-09T02:00:30.024-07:00

It's the middle of August and our Cate is sick. And so are we.Last weekend we noticed she had started coughing and was just abnormally cranky. By mid week she was tugging at her ears and was coughing non-stop. So on Thursday I decided to take her to the doctor. As you can imagine, going to the doctor here is a bit of an adventure. We have to figure out where to go ( and location matters because

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-58120504118650145772007-07-26T04:40:00.001-06:002008-12-09T02:00:30.815-07:00

Hello! Here are a few new pictures of Cate. Almost 16 months old! We just introduced her to coloring.She seems to really like these low-key activities. She bit into a crayon the first time she tried and got blue crayon all over her mouth, but I think she's figured out that it isn't terribly worth it! Since then, she sticks to the paper...or the floor. But you know what? This place was

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-44710035459531226782007-07-17T00:30:00.001-06:002008-12-09T02:00:30.923-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-88304901491386274132007-07-03T04:51:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:31.773-07:00

Hello! It has been a long time since I've actually blogged, hasn't it?To be honest, I feel like our lives are a bit boring right now! I realize we do have a one year old and we do live in Asia, but life does not really seem out of the ordinary. I'll try my best to entertain you.As you know, my mom and dad were here to visit us for two weeks. Ahh, what a wonderful time we had. It was so nice to

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-84659452217727506662007-06-23T06:20:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:31.958-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-82047701456043002482007-06-18T05:13:00.001-06:002008-12-09T02:00:34.143-07:00

Hello friends and family. Here are some more pictures of our time with my mom and dad. We've been having such a great time. It's going to be soo hard to say goodbye this Friday. Here are some new photos taken this weekend.Here is a picture of the beautiful coastal city of Busan. It was a fun day trip.David and I at Haeundae Beach, Busan.Mom and Dad and Cate on the beach.A stroll through the

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-11856310837065539912007-06-16T20:52:00.001-06:002008-12-09T02:00:34.376-07:00

To a father who gave me the most beautiful girl in the world, and my own dear father. I love you both.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-47846724251703957932007-06-11T05:04:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:35.819-07:00

My parents are here! We've been totally blessed to have my mom and dad come to spend 2 weeks with us here in Korea. They arrived on Thursday after a long trip, and we've been pretty busy since then!They've tried some Korean food, we've been to a famous temple, and made the trip downtown. I have to work all week, so we'll be a bit limited in what we can do, but the great thing is, even things like

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-18570835415069708852007-06-02T08:18:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:35.974-07:00

One reason why you might not want your children learning from Korean/ English picture books.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-69531570126914089712007-05-31T06:33:00.000-06:002007-05-31T07:04:30.101-06:00

Cate is 14 months old! I thought I would make a little tribute to her. Almost all of the pictures in the slideshow were taken exactly 1 month apart. Note how chubby she gets around 4 months, and then how the chub seems to disappear as she hits 11 months. (She's hardly gained a thing since she was 10 months old!) I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-78907211760024244052007-05-28T05:51:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:36.583-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-3188097499885179002007-05-19T06:38:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:37.122-07:00

Tonight we went downtown to see a parade for Buddha's birthday, which is this coming Thursday. Although it wasn't quite as cool as we had hoped, it was pretty amazing to see monks walking with lit lanterns in the streets. It seemed as though nearly all of Daegu was in this parade. Busy, busy. I'd post some pictures, but I left David downtown with some other foreign teachers so they could watch

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-77605008388921130552007-05-04T06:55:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:38.426-07:00

Lanterns are up for Buddha's birthdayGrade 2 students dancing in traditional costume.My schoolGrade 4 students." Carmen teacher! Please take picture!"I can't believe I haven't posted a picture of this yet. Here is a Korean toilet.The view outside a window at my school. All of my students live in those apartments.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-91517439090375660962007-04-30T07:20:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:38.936-07:00

I took Cate out for a little photo shoot tonight. These are some of my favorites.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-21038930619287025602007-04-29T07:26:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:39.096-07:00

Okay, so I've been meaning to write in detail about what it is like to take Cate out of our house and into the public eye. You have all seen the pictures of Cate with the Korean paparazzi, but there is so much more than that. To sum it up, people are obsessed with her. I kid you not. To be fair, there are some really sweet people that are just excited to see a white, blue-eyed baby.Cate has been

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-88265087987862699492007-04-14T05:02:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:39.527-07:00

Don't be fooled...she is still not crawling or walking. She just likes to sit on here. I think she looks huge in this picture!Out in the market with daddy. Sometimes it nice to have her in the carrier, because we can get out of the way much easier if someone is about to try and pick her up or kiss her or something. She's such a sport.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-76430757668371844242007-04-07T07:06:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:40.333-07:00

Today we visited the historical city of Gyeonju. It is about an hour away from Daegu, so with a short taxi ride, a long subway ride and a 50 minute bus ride, we made it there. It was a really beautiful place. It is the former capital of Korea, and is therefore very well maintained. It calls itself a museum without walls because they have discovered thousands of artifacts from the Silla Dynasty,

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-34202857869049789382007-04-01T04:30:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:41.066-07:00

I can't believe our weekend is over already!As you know Friday was Cate's birthday. It was so hard for me to go to work that day, I cannot tell you. We gave her a couple little gifts in the morning before I left and she was soo sweet. One of the gifts was a musical phone and she started to wave her arms in the air to the beat every time the song came on. She was so happy. When I got home we had

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-37179933493530652642007-03-30T05:34:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:42.136-07:00

Today is my little Boo's Birthday.I feel strangely emotional about the day; it's like a part of me longs to relive those first moments of her life and really remember what it was like to hold this 6lb little person again. I feel very nostalgic about her birth, and even my labor. The moment that I had her something completely changed in me, and there aren't many moments that you can pinpoint like

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-9927221967074873502007-03-24T07:00:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:43.327-07:00

I am going to start today with another segment of amuse me, please.Koreans try very hard to use English in their product advertising. Sometimes it works, and other times it does not...A pair of socks.And my personal favorite...Please note that not only is the wording a little wonky, but they have also used "helf" for help. This is our laundry basket.We had a pretty fun time downtown today. See

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-26757658624640259482007-03-19T04:55:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:43.713-07:00

We're falling into a pretty good routine here in Daegu. Sometimes it's really hard to believe that we live here. In a strange way, when we're inside our apartment, we don't really feel like we are anywhere, but then we step outside, and we're in Korea. It's like a fantasy book where you are magically in another world, just like that.Here are a few pictures that we took this weekend. There is

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-52463359274832701892007-03-14T05:16:00.000-06:002008-12-09T02:00:44.243-07:00

Cate takes her Korean studies very seriously.Her first Korean bath. That's right, there's no bathtub. Just a drain in the floor.Cate and kimchi, bim n bap and gim bap. She loves it. (Actually, she's eating carrots!)And some Korean love birds. that's us. :-)

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-56393563906685068892007-03-14T04:45:00.000-06:002007-03-14T05:12:54.390-06:00

Oh friends.I'm writing on my blog. I really am.I hope you will forgive me for not keeping you posted on our lives. I am hoping and assuming that you have been to sixhappyfeet.blogspot.com to get the latest news.This last week has honestly been life changing. It started off with excitement and anxiety, moved to devastation and fear, and has become happiness and awe. Does that describe it well

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-11792291493754311592007-02-28T20:07:00.000-07:002007-02-28T20:11:44.688-07:00

We have news. Big news. Check it out on David's new blog at sixhappyfeet.blogspot.com

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-52718421397850909812007-02-27T17:20:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:00:44.595-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-41044187299637111422007-02-16T14:10:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:00:45.070-07:00

Oooo. I can't help myself.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-91252788464033001212007-02-15T16:31:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:00:45.233-07:00

I'm hoping you have found your way here.For those who know David and I well, you will know that we love films. Love with a capital L. I didn't use to have such an appreciation for it, but it has developed over the years. So in honor of the upcoming Academy Awards, I thought I would give you my own little list of the movies I have seen in the last while.Blood Diamond. Incredible. Very hard to

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-61579950229444726872007-02-14T17:38:00.000-07:002008-12-09T02:00:45.358-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-67483681773318162402007-02-13T16:36:00.000-07:002007-02-13T16:36:06.106-07:00

As you can see, I'm attempting to change the blog. I keep fiddling with it, so it might take me a while.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1170733817730350092007-02-05T20:26:00.000-07:002007-02-13T17:31:14.595-07:00

Ahh, that's great.I just noticed I wrote "ta da for now" instead of "ta ta for now" at the end of my last post. David always laughs at the way I misuse words. Yeah. really funny.While I'm posting, I thought some of you nice blog friends might enjoy seeing our little monkey.The picture in the striped pajamas is my favorite. This is her new face that she makes nearly all day long.The picture in

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1170732361880546632007-02-05T20:12:00.000-07:002007-02-13T17:33:23.832-07:00

Hey friends, I'm sorry that I stopped posting. I was on a roll, and then...oh well. I thought i'd post a couple more pictures of the cruise. The first is of the ship leaving Antigua. I thought it was a cool picture because it shows just how big the ship is, and it was a great sunset. The next picture is of David and I with our dinner servers. They were very funny-obviously we enjoyed them enough

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1169229119093494522007-01-19T10:40:00.000-07:002007-01-19T10:51:59.116-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1169174419517327132007-01-18T19:30:00.000-07:002007-01-18T19:40:19.533-07:00

Our first stop was in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We spent our time in the old city. The first picture is of a building in a graveyard in the old city, then a pic of us, and a picture of the old city from the ship as we sailed in. Sooo beautiful.

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1169139178182278182007-01-18T09:18:00.000-07:002007-01-18T09:52:58.230-07:00

Hello! We're back from the Caribbean and I can't say that I'm happy about it. With the exception of our little beauty, being in Lethbridge is so not fun. It is a far cry from 30 degree weather and white sand beaches. So where shall I begin? Our trip was AMAZING. We had such a great time. I have never seen more beautiful places in my life.Leaving Cate was pretty tough. She wouldn't go down for her

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1169103414163996952007-01-17T23:37:00.000-07:002007-02-09T19:52:26.027-07:00

more to come...

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1167975796549392812007-01-04T22:31:00.000-07:002007-01-04T22:43:16.566-07:00

We leave on our cruise tomorrow!!!! As I write this, I suddenly realize that perhaps I have never told you readers that we are going a cruise! My parents are taking all of my siblings and their spouses on an 8 day cruise in the Eastern Caribbean. Isn't that nice? I can hardly believe how nice it is actually. So we are flying to Florida tomorrow and then our ship leaves on Saturday. We return

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1167761345590721792007-01-02T10:52:00.000-07:002007-01-02T14:25:22.296-07:00

Hi friends. I was reading Alison's blog this morning and she had this great little questionnaire on the year that was. So I took it. And here it is.What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?I gave birth.and everything that goes with that-breastfed, stayed up for an entire night with a newborn, became enthralled with an itty bitty person.I also graduated from University.Did you keep

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1167277592905443522006-12-27T20:39:00.000-07:002006-12-27T20:46:32.920-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1167074223198917872006-12-25T12:12:00.000-07:002006-12-25T12:17:03.216-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1167016406733528512006-12-24T19:57:00.000-07:002006-12-24T20:13:26.753-07:00

Wow. It's Christmas Eve. We are having a quiet evening- all of our gatherings are on other days this year so we are sitting and drinking egg nog and eating nacho chips. and trying to put our baby to bed. but that is becoming hopeless. so instead we'll just let her chew on a book.she is being so strange. She has decided that going to bed at night is the worst idea we've ever had. She's usually in

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1166222987165483172006-12-15T15:32:00.000-07:002006-12-15T16:35:19.903-07:00

Hi there everyone and Merry almost Christmas!Does anyone even look at this blog anymore? I know Kristin does... :) I keep telling myself I should just call it a night and forget about it because I am so awful at updating, but then I will take a super cute picture of the little bug and I decide to post again. sigh. ahhh, well.This post is taking me a very long time to write as I am constantly

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1163478918500249542006-11-13T21:31:00.000-07:002006-11-13T21:35:18.526-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18303782.post-1162264125837638872006-10-30T20:06:00.000-07:002006-10-30T20:08:45.836-07:00

Carmenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11618609707430289147noreply@blogger.com7