the first of many...to catch you up!!

ALOHA!!!

from beautiful...

S. Korea! ha! :)




...but this post is a pIcTuRe post from our 3 day (well my 3 day, B's 2 and a half week) trip to beautiful Hawaii!! And it is simply just that...beautiful and fabulous! I'll let you see for yourself! Enjoy!!

Beautiful Wakiki Beach!!

The view from our hotel into Wakiki. We stayed at the Hale Koa Resort- one for military servicemembers, both active duty, reserve and retirees! It was beautiful and we could'nt beat it for the price...$92.00 per nite! We can't even stay at the Holiday Inn in Kernersville, NC for that rate!! Ahh the many perks of the armed forces!! Thank you-Uncle Sam! :)

Our wheels for the weekend!! We LOVED this Jeep! It was a 4 door which worked out perfectly since we had B's parents there with us, and you best believe that the top was down 99.9% of the time! :) This was the only .1% that we had it up, because it was about to mist rain...which by the way is the most beautiful rain fall ever!!

Simply Stunning! Looks like a postcard...but I swear I took it! We highly reccomend saving your pennies for Hawaii... you won't regret it! We're definatly planning a trip back and for MUCH longer than 3 days! Heck...who knows maybe that will be our next duty station... :)

Us!

Look closely...I just love my pumpkin's little boy excitement over the waves crashing against the lava rocks! <3 br="br">

An action shot of the view behind us...and what B was so excited over!! What an awesome God we have who created mothernature as majestic as this!!

And...we can't forget the fine men and women (yes...some look like yougin's! ha!) who make the ultimate sacrifice and give us our freedom to live as we please in the good ole' USA!! So here's a big shout out to the fine soldiers of the 304th Signal BN. Charlie Company-cause "Charlie Rocks the House!!" *If you look close in the back..you'll see a soldier I'm quite fond of...who mentors those soldiers you see in front of him to be the best they can be...Army Strong each and everyday!!*

Mahalo and XOXO-

From Wakiki Hawaii and Uijongbu S. Korea!!

A fun little Q&A!!

So some of my bests buds have posted this little q&a...I thought...what a great way to get back on the blogging wagon... so here goes! Enjoy!!

B's answers are in teal!!
1) He is sitting in front of the TV, what is he watching??
-a random movie with Nicolas Cage, NCIS or CIS; movie.


2) You are out to eat, what type of dressing does he get on his salad?
-ranch; ranch.

3) What's one food he doesn't like?
-V8 Juice; tomatos. ha!

4) You go out to a bar, what does he order?
- Bud Light or Bud Ice; beer.

5) Where did he go to high school?
-Gospel Light; Gospel Light

6) What size shoe does he wear?
-15; 14. *In my defense, we're in KOREA, it's been awhile since I've found shoes that fit him! ha!

7) If he were to collect anything, what would it be?
-shotglasses, money, oh yea and shotglasses too.

8) What's his favorite sandwich?
-BLT; BLT!

9) What would he eat everyday if he could?
-Fritos and bean dip; pizza!

10) What is his favorite cereal?
-Raisin Bran CRUNCH; Raisin Bran

11) What would he never wear?
-socks with sandals and pink; "I don't know!" ha! I guess I'll speak for him, I've tried to get him to wear pink, he won't do it because he says it doesn't look good on us redheads! ha!

12) What is his favorite sports team?
-Redskins (which is true); Wake Forest! * I apparently had a brainfart!

13) Who does he vote for?
-He doesn't!; I don't! *Yup, he really has never voted a day in his life and doesn't plan too! ha!

14) Who is his best friend?
-Me and Nathan; you and Nate

15) What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
-talk so much; nag! ha!

16) How many states has be lived in?
-2, NC and FL for 1yr of Marine Corp training; 1, NC-apparently the year of Marine Corp training "doesn't count as living there!" ha! okay!

17) What is his heritage?
-German; German.

18) You bake him a cake for his birthday, what kind of cake is it?
- pound cake; vanilla, anything but chocolate or coconut.

19) Did he play sports in high school?
-yes, baseball and basketball; yes, baseball and basketball.

20) What could be spend hours doing?
-sitting on the commode reading the Army Times, yardwork, hanging out with friends and family on a porch somewhere; yeah all those and video games!

I gotta itch...and it ain't a bug bite...

Yup, that's right folks...I'm itchin' for some new air space, new surroundings, new faces, to actually carry on a complete conversation with a local in El English!! I've got the Korean 10 month itch...I'm not too sure if this is something that exists...but I'm definately feeling it.

So that's it...I'm off to Hawaii tomorrow with very minimal plans in mind...and right now, I'm more than lovin' that idea.

Here's to hoping to accomplish these few things:

a)safe travels of course-prayers appreciated!
b)rest...lots of rest! rest on the beach will be great, rain or sunshine, hail or tsunamis...I'll be there!
c)rejuvination...I'm burnt out...ka-put! which probably explains why I've been kinda in and out of my social life lately...
d)shopping-I can't WAIT to step foot into Macy's and Nine West!!
e) and most importantly- I gotta get this mind of mine cleared...it's been working on overload for 10 months...time for some changes in attitude and lattitude! (thanks Jimmy B!)
f)catching up on some reading, gossip magazines and most importantly re-syncing myself with the Lord! How great thou art...

So ladies-I'm out!

I'm not officially on me time...and it's great!!

Love you all!!

-Mrs. GC

Nordstroms Rocks My World!!

Thank you Nordstroms for re-stocking this gown...






The 1st Signal Brigade Ball (Happy 150th Birthday Signal!!) is May 21st...of course we will be attending...I just LOVE balls! :) Between my years in Sigma and B being active duty, for the past 6 years I've not missed a single year that I haven't had the opportunity to get all dolled up for a night out on the town! :)

Once again, looking foward to a fab night with my darling! Now...just get this dress here on time!!

Nordstrom's you rock! :) PS- so does my mother in law for recieving it at her home (in approx. 1 week and then flat rate box shipping it to Korea!!)

Mid-Week Update...

so tonight I feel the need to just say a few little words...to all my lovely friendy friends...I have not forgotten to blog this week! :) for now, we can just call this my mid week check in- here's a few items to brief you on our week...

1- B is still in the field, he will be home at some point, then home for 14 days, then to Hawaii (for FIVE WHOLE weeks) (lucky duck!!)
2- the Lord blessed us (I'm reminding myself that it was a blessing) with 8 inches of snow on Wednesday morning...8 inches of glorious snow...it is now "glorious" because it's melting...I'm so ready for spring and cherry blossoms
3-I now have 8 (yup, EIGHT) pregnant spouses at the PBC...can we say HORMONES!!!
4-due to the above, I ONLY drink bottled water... :)
5-during the snow...i took PICTURES...it was a beautiful snow...i plan to post them ASAP!
6- little Chloe got a bath tonight...it went over well...i was nervous because B usually does the washin' and i do the dryin'...tonight both and that equaled success...yup, I think she's a mommas girl...
7-korean rice wine...mmm.mmm good! :) I might just have to start sending some home so that I've got it stock piled for when we leave...any of you gals want to try a bottle...let me know I've got some good light spring wines that will go GREAT with some BBQ's this summer! :)


some thoughts for now...

-Mrs. GC

**I realize that this snowy picture makes no sense...it is beautiful, but I got it on there and it won't let me delete it...any pointers!?? :)**

Hey Hey World! :)

Recently, I have enjoyed reading all of my friends blogs, and keeping up with them and after much *begging*, yes, you know who you are :)...here's our updated blog. I haven't updated in MONTHS I know! But, honestly after getting settled into living in Korea it has seemed as though it's just life, and really not that interesting. There are some days that are fun and unique, but overall it's just became a way of life for us! With that being said, I think it's wonderful that it has became such a unique way of life for us, but for all my "friendy friends" in blog world and real life...I know you want updates by the millions!! Soooooo, I promise to TRY to update this blog as often as possible! Now, that I am finally back into the working woman world...I may have more interesting things to talk about!

Speaking of "working woman!!" YES, after much persistence and months and months and months and did I mention MONTHS of looking for a job/volunteering (which I plan to continue)...I am officially (this coming Tuesday March 2nd) the newest PBC manager/director!! PBC= Pear Blossom Cottage...it is a cottage on our post (C. Stanley) that is operated soley for the military families of the post and the surrounding community. The mission of the PBC is this..."The PBC program supports the ACS (Army Community Services) mission to assist commanders (head honchos...big guys/gals like Lt. Col. and Col.!! :) by delivering social support services to family members, contributing to high troop morale, and increased vision of readiness." The vision of the PBC is... 1) Provide support in a safe and secure community gathering place for spouses and children 2) Provide opportunities for growth and self- sufficiency through educational and social programs 3) Promise positive soldier and family relationships!! Hopefully that helps in understanding my job at hand! I am VERY much so looking foward to this new chapter in my life. We have a year and a half left here in Korea, and I truly believe that during this time I can make a difference in our community! We have a great network of established families already associated with the PBC, yet my personal vision is to eventually put into place methods of reaching out to those families who are associated with our post, yet don't call the PBC their social home! :) The reality of our situation is...Korea can be a very LONELY and DEPRESSING place without friends! And, what a blessing the PBC is!! Some of my daily duties will include basic paperwork and statistic reports, event planning (thank goodness for those Sigma days!), cultural trip planning to venture out to places near and far exploring the Korean peninsula (day trips of course), and providing educational classes to the families: parenting, financial, exercise, nutrition, cooking ect! The PBC is a unique facility on our post comprised of a lovely living room equipped with a big screen TV, family kitchen area (also HUGE), laundry room (for FREE laundry!), children's play room (also equipped with a big screen TV) and tons o' toys! :) I realize that the job is going to be ALOT of work, and going to take tons of heart! But I think I've got it! At least I pray that the Lord has prepared me for this, and he will continue to give me the strength to serve these families! I will certainly keep you posted on my adventures at the PBC!

Let's see what else...the hubby is doing great! B is in a field exercise for now. He will be home the middle of March for 14ish days and then fly to Hawaii for 5 weeks of training! Lucky ducky! Although, I can't be too jealious...I will join him for 3 WHOLE days and 3 WHOLE nights during the tail end of his training. *Please reference tropical picture up top...ps- if someone would like to tell me how to put pictures inside of the post ie: like what Ashley and Jodi have done...that would be great...and my post will flow better!* Thanks!

One last thing, B and I ordered Vonage...YAY! We finally got the Vonage adapter in the mail today! I am going to use my noodle and hook it up this weekend! We have a local- Kernersville, NC 336 area code number and would love to share it with anyone who wants to contact us! :) We have unlimited minutes calling to the states... and would be more than willing to call you back! :) As soon as I get it hooked up...I'll let you know! Probably with a real LIVE phone call! :)

Well, enough babble for now! Maybe I'll make my post "Babbling...Friday!" :)

Much Love from Sunny S. Korea!!!

-Mrs. GC- (I would love to have a cool signature thingy like Mon, and Ashley if someone would assist me in that too!!)

**HAHAHAHA! I have come to realize how un blogger savvy I really am! Maybe that's why I gave this thing up! :)

Korea...the long awaited post!!

Hello from Uijongbu Korea (Camp Stanely!!) Or should I say Ahnnyeong-seo!! (Hello!- one of the only words we know!)

A little side note before we begin, I reccomended getting a nice glass of something to drink and sitting in a comfy spot because this post is going to be a long one...Tom Petty and I are jammin' out! :)

The Beginning...

We have been in Korea for approx. 3 weeks or so now. I arrived on July 17th to this wonderful country of Korea. As most of you are aware I was terrified to fly, especially by myself! Well I am so proud of myself, I took a leap of faith and flew the entire 15 hr. trip by myself. It was a lovely experience. I left Greensboro, NC- flew to Atlanta, GA and then was a one way trip into Incheon Airport in Korea. The Korean airlines were absolutly wonderful! I could not have asked for more attentive service. The plane was so clean and comfortable. It was simply a wonderful experience. Little did I know until I made this adventure that we would not indeed be flying over the ocean, we actually flew through Canada, the Arctic Circle and then down through Russia, China and around N. Korea- thank goodness. Upon my arrival here, my wonderful husband who had been here for about 1 week picked me up from the airport and of course it was pouring down rain when we landed (one thing I did not enjoy.) And we boarded a bus to Seoul (Yongsan Army Garrison), where we stayed at the Dragon Hill Lodge for the weekend. The lodge is located on the Army Garrison.

Then the following Monday B finished inprocessing at the headquarters and we once again loaded on the buses and came about 45 min. north to Camp Red Cloud (Uijongbu, Korea), and the bused it again to our home away from home Camp Stanley (again in Uijongbu, Korea)!! These camps are quite small, yet just enough to be a home away from home. During our first night at Camp Stanley we had to stay in one of the barracks rooms on post (not FUN!). Unfortunatly, command sponsorships are a new happening for this area and the Army companies are not used to having spouses accompany soldiers, so needless to say, they had no idea what to do with us! We were assured that the following morning they would find us appropriate lodging. So Tuesday came and we were booked a room at Camp Casey about 50min north of Camp Stanley, where we stayed for about 2 weeks. Fortunatly, the Army has created a quite smooth operating bus system for the area 1 region inwhich we reside and its quite convient to bus back and forth to the bases as needed.

B was able to take the bus back and forth daily inorder to get his job inorder. I became very familiar with Camp Casey, its a much larger base than C. Stanley. C. Casey is about 10min from the DMZ at N. Korea. But I assure you we are very safe here and have a very good relationship with the S. Koreans and the ROK Army (Republic of Korea).

Camp Casey...

So while we were at C. Casey we were able to find a cute little apartment here in Uijongbu about 5 min from post. Our little apartment building (21 stories high) is pictured below...the free standing one.

Its a quiet little 3 bedroom 2 bath, hardwood flooring, lots of wallpaper...Koreans love wallpaper and lots of windows which I love! :) I love to look out our balcony into the bustling city!! At night there are lots of Koreans bright lights and signs...everything looks like youre in NYC!! The koreans love love love lights!!
Korean Life...
We live in a mountain valley in the city of Uijongbu. It is a very metropolitain city. A large city...there is actually two installations in this city C. Stanley and C. Red Cloud. There is a bustling downtown that is about 15 min. from us. And right outside our complex is tons of restaurants and little market places...what they are I can not tell you b/c they are all in Korean!! :) There is a little restuarant that we love to go to and we call it (well all americans call these restaurants) "Beef and Leafs!!" Basically it is traditional Korean food, and you go in, there is a charcoal pit in the center of the table (and yes we prefer to go to the ones with chairs and tables b/c of my tall husband!!) And you cook your own food on the little grill. Then you take the meat (usually beef and it is ohh so good) and you take rice, special sauces...and whatever other veggies are on the table wrap it up in a lettuce leaf and eat the whole thing...its quite entertaining and OHH so very good!!
Korean Driving...
We have also both gotten our Korean driver's license!! May the Lord be with us!! :) Korean drivers are CRAZY!!! The roads are very small, and as are the vehicles! There are road rules, they just arent really enforced by the police (and good luck finding a policeman, they dont do very much...well besides break up an occasional riot...and no I havent seen one!) There are lots of MOPED's here!! Koreans seem to LOVE mopeds!! And they are crazy on them- run lights (well everyone does that, stop means nothing here (unless there is a pedestrian crossing the road), zip in and out of lanes, cut cars and buses off (oh and the buses cut cars off all the time!! Needless to say driving in Korea is pure chaos! The only reason we bought a little car was for B to have ease getting back and forth to post, due to his crazy work schedule and duty for his soldiers! I have to hand it to the Koreans, they have a great public transportation system, there are buses, taxis, and subways in every single city it seems! I have rode the subway!! Its more like a train b/c it is all above the ground...quite a fun experience!
Our Apt...
Currently our apartment is quite empty! We are still awaiting our household goods!! They should be here in Sept. We do have a furnished guest bedroom by our landlord and we have our computer and our clothing!! We have no chairs, OH how Id love a chair!! Needless to say I can not WAIT for our stuff to get here!! My husband is currently in the field (about 4 hrs. away) for a 3 week training exercise!! Welcome to KOREA!!! :) So needless to say we were in the apartment for about 3 days and he had to leave! So far I think Ive done a pretty good job managing! I do get out and drive around...short distances! I havent gotten brave enough to go very far! Most of the road signs are in English...but its going to take me awhile to get aquainted with the geography of this country!
Entertainment...
I have been doing a pretty good job of keeping myself occupied! The next two weeks is going to be very busy for me. I've signed up to take some Army Family Team Building classes. I am looking very foward to those. They will teach me alot about the military, traditions, and rank structure as well as leadership. So I wont be so in the dark as to what my husband is talking about all the time! This coming week they are all day for two days and then the following they are all day for 3 days!! I have been out exploring!!! This past weekend, I went to Seoul (about 45 min south of us) and met up with a sorority sister of mine (Sora) who is here as an english teacher. It was so much fun exploring the big city!! :) This coming week I am also meeting up with some of the wives in B's company and we are going back to Seoul to explore an area called Insadong. Apparently, the area has lots of shops and a very pretty park!!
Silly Koreans... :)
A bit more about Koreans besides their crazy driving...they LOVE LOVE LOVE fashion!!! Its kinda crazy fashion though...Im not really sure what fashion magazines they read! I'll let you know when I figure it out!! The best I can compare it to is like a punk rock, modern, crazy, off the runway kinda fashion! Something that most of you and I would be like uh huh...never in this body am I pulling off that style!! :) They are also a very nice culture...they love everybody...well at leasts thats what were told! There is practically no crime here. The police dont carry guns and no one is allowed to own a gun. The police carry these large poles that are about the height of them (again I hear they use them to break up riots!!) For the most part, they really appreciate Americans! We have a positive working relationship with the ROK Army (Republic of Korea!)
Army Wives...
Well as far as my social life...I have met some wives...imagine that!! :) (And for those of you who pinned me to planning events...yes I've already volunteered to help with a going away party!!...imagine that!!) For the most part they are very nice! Of course, I'm about the only southern girl here...but thats okay! There are wives few and far inbetween. The area we live in is about ehhh...I guess 2 hrs. from N. Korea!!! ( no I'm not scared!!) We actually have plans to go visit the DMZ!! (Yes, I am nervous about that!!) But if I dont go then I will regret the once in a lifetime experience. There are guided tours there. Unfortunatly, I am sure that I wont be able to take pictures! But back to the area we are in, as I am sure I said back home, they are just now allowing families to come here, so there are ALOT of single soldiers and ALOT of youngins!! I could not believe the amount of soldiers that are here right out of bootcamp. In my opinion, its not the best idea...sending these 18 and 19 year olds over to this foreign country where everything is SOOO different, the drinking age is 19... but we are too abide by the states laws, and oh yeah...human trafficking is kinda big deal here. And yes, as a red head I do stick out like a sore thumb. The only other one I have seen is a pvt in my husbands unit, and she is a female as well!
Well, I am sure that I can blabber on and on and on!! But I won't!! Hopefully this will answer alot of questions.
We Love you all Very VERY much and Pray for you daily!! :)
Hopefully the posts from now on will he short and sweet, whew we've had alot going on!! And yea, I can blabb! :) I know!!
XOXO from HOT and HUMID (nothing like the south) KOREA!!!! :)
-Mrs. GC-