Happy Friday, friends. Yet again, I’ve found myself in a bit of a blogging rut. Caught somewhere between work, play, travel, staying home, and everything in between, I find that I’m decidedly uninspired by this eternal winter. This is 36. I celebrated my 36th birthday yesterday, and it was a sweet one, despite my blogging funk. We kept it low-key, enjoyed an amazing cake that I shared on my instagram, and just spent some time as a family. And, even in the midst of this seemingly never-ending winter, good things and life continue on.
1 // Mieke graduated from preschool
Mieke’s Korean “kindergarten” has different classes. Since she started in August, she’s been in the Milky Way classroom. Today, she graduated from the Milky Way classroom, and next week she’ll move up to the Space classroom. She’s excited, and they did such a beautiful little ceremony to celebrate the milestone for the kiddos. It’s been a big month for her between becoming fully potty-trained and, now, graduating!
2 // We scaled back on tablets and personal devices
Winters in South Korea are hard. The AQI is often awful, and since we moved to our new home, we don’t have playgrounds right outside like we did in Sosabeol. We’ve relied more heavily on tablets and the TV than I care to admit. Porter’s seemed so overstimulated lately though, so we made a judgment call that we need to scale way back – and we did. We went back to the library, got books, and now we’re getting into a new nightly routine as a family. It’s hard, but I’m grateful for the challenge.
3 // We’re preparing to book a trip this summer
While Korea’s restrictions are still going strong, a lot of other countries are currently relaxing their COVID restrictions. We’re hoping to book a family trip this summer, and I’m super excited to get away with my people before Ryan leaves for a bit in August.
4 // We marked 8 months in South Korea
Yesterday (coincidentally on my birthday), we marked 8 months of living in South Korea. It’s been a very challenging 8 months of life, but I still wouldn’t change these 8 months for anything in the world. What an adventure we’re on! Good and bad, this is an opportunity we wouldn’t have had if not for Ryan’s military service, and that doesn’t escape me. We’re simultaneously adding to and checking things off our bucket list, and that has me excited!
5 // My birthday present actually arrived
Ryan ordered me a new knife set about a month ago for my birthday. It’s something I’ve wanted for a while for my kitchen, but it’s also something I just never justified spending the money on. Well, he bought it for me, and it’s been in limbo for a month. Surprisingly, it arrived on my birthday, which made my day even more special!
So, this is 36. Birthdays are different than they were in my younger years, but in some ways, they’re sweeter. They mean both more and less. They mark the passage of time, sure, but they also mark growth and change. So much has changed in just the last year, alone. So much change is yet to come. Thank you for continuing to follow along with this crazy adventure of ours, my friends. It means so much to us.
