Hawaii Vacation 2013

I have been waiting to do a post about our Hawaii trip this summer before I start back with life in Korea.. but was overwhelmed by the amount of pictures I have - and realized that if I wanted to really be thorough about it - I would probably need to write 10 posts.  So - here is the abbreviated version.

Hawaii was definitely a highlight of the summer.. of the year.. of our marriage.. really, of my life. ;)   Ok, there are some things I can think of that were better... like getting married, having babies, graduating high school.. and college... and grad school.., but THIS was probably the best vacation I have been on. Ever.

Why?  Because I can't think of any thing about it that was bad or went wrong... it was relaxing, refreshing, great family memories, and full of new experiences, learning about our nation's history, and sunshine.  This kind of vacation doesn't come around very often (our wallets couldn't handle it!) but we were so glad to be able to celebrate our 5 years of marriage/30th Birthdays/3rd baby "babymoon" in Oahu.

So the details: 

We arrived on Oahu early in the morning on June 8 and left late in the evening on June 18th.  Our rental condo at Beach Villas at Ko Olina was fantastic and let us check in as soon as we arrived (instead of the normal 4 o'clock) which was really nice since we were traveling with jet-lagged kids, and they let us check out late (instead of the normal 10am) so that we just went straight to the airport in the evening and Emmalyn could have one last afternoon nap there.  We highly recommend our condo for families with young kids!

 (click pictures to enlarge!)

 We spent a lot of time - at least some part of every day- at the (semi-salt water) pools and at the beach lagoons just outside our resort gates.

 One day we took a tour around the island, hitting up Turtle Bay at the North Shore, and back down the   Eastern "rainy" coast.  We are glad to have seen that side of the island, but were thankful for our relentless sunny days on the Western side of Oahu.

After our tour of the island, we headed to the airport to pick up Jarrod's parents to enjoy the rest our Hawaiian vacation.

We went to the Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor, and Waikiki:

We were able to visit with some of our friends, Nick and Naomi, from our small group in Korea that moved to Oahu.  Nick works as a helicopter mechanic and test pilot, so one day we went up to Wheeler  Army Airbase to get a tour of the Blackhawks that he works on.  It was great to see them both at the base and at our resort!

We celebrated Jarrod's actual 30th birthday (and my 30th to come..) with a gift from Jarrod's parents: a Luau at Paradise Cove.

Jarrod's parents went the night before us so that they could babysit for us. We were thankful!

Our beach villa was next to the Disney Resort, so - of course - we headed over there to check it out and meet some of Marc's favorite characters. :)

 Did I already say that we went swimming?
A lot?

 And snorkling??  Jarrod got us all to go out with him!.. He even took Marc in a floaty with his goggles so that he could look down into the water. :)

 And then.. just like that.. it was time to leave. 

So long, sweet Hawaii...

...until next time???    ;)

2013 Quarter 2 Update

The second quarter of this year: April, May, and June have been such a whirlwind.  Everything seems to move a little faster with the warmer weather, end of the school year, and beginning of summertime travels.  Each Springtime, with the rejuvenation and new life sprouting out of the earth, it is hard to deny that this season is full of hope.   

April brought beautiful cherry blossoms to decorate Seoul and usher in Springtime and the beginning of many outside adventures.  It has been a delight to watch Marc and Emmalyn grow even more into playmates - Emmalyn tries her best to keep up with her big brother!  It is our hope that, as these children grow, they spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24).

In May, we cried and "cheered" as my sweet young nephew, Super Shaun, finished his race on this earth and went home to be with Jesus.  Shaun fought hard for his life, loved others unconditionally, and spread joy to all who knew him.  From our earthly perspective, it is hard to understand why such a young child would be taken from this earth so quickly- but, through Jesus Christ, we have hope that this is not the end of the story.  In John 11:25-26 Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 

May also brought changes for our family as we packed up the house we have lived in for the past 4 years.  We lived up several flights of stairs, which has always been difficult on Stephanie's knees, and even more so toting a couple of kids and bags along.  As we expect our third child to come in October, we were hoping for a place to live that would be easier for Stephanie to get in and out of the house with the children while Jarrod is at work.  

Praise the Lord that everything fell together and on June 1st, we moved a kilometer away - which distance wise, isn't much, but it has already proven to make such a difference.  One of the unexpected blessings that has come with this move is that we moved into an apartment complex that not only has a great playground for the kids just outside our door, but 3 other YISS families (along with the YISS family already there) are moving there this summer - so there will be lots of friends for the kids to play with regularly!  Moving in Korea is really incredible and efficient... more to come on that. Through it all, we praise God for a smooth transition and are filled with hope that this new place will be a good change for our family as we return to Korea for our 5th year.

After a week in our new place, on June 8 we flew out of Korea and crossed the international date line to start the day over again in Hawaii!

After a wonderful and relaxing 10 days of vacation, we made the cross-continental trek to Virginia to enjoy the beauty of our homeland and reunite with family and friends.  It has been good.

We will be up and down the Shenandoah Valley this month.  We hope we are able to connect with you.  Please let us know if and when you are available.  

This second quarter of the 2013 brought us to the end of Jarrod's fourth year teaching at YISS.  He was asked to take over teaching responsibilities for the Ancient World History teacher, who had to leave YISS due to unresolved illness. He was busy learning, preparing, planning, and grading, all while completing two more courses of seminary.  It was not easy, but he somehow managed the balancing act of work, study, and family life while continuing to pull out top scores in his course work. I am proud of him! He is now half way done with this Seminary degree.  As we look to another year in Seoul, we are hopeful that Jarrod will be able to complete his degree and are excited about what a new school year will bring.

Stephanie has had her hands full with two fun-loving and mischievous children while completing her 1st trimester and moving into the feel-good 2nd trimester (woo-hoo for more energy!).  She has enjoyed getting out with other moms to enjoy some of Seoul's parks.  

Playgroup wrapped up a wonderful year, and as we look ahead, Stephanie is really excited to help the leadership team to come up with themes from the Fruits of the Spirit for this next year.  We are hoping to be more intentional about teaching the kids, parents, and childcare workers about God and how He shows us good things (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control) as we interact with this world.  

As we left Seoul for another summer in the States, we realized how different it would feel if we were finally moving away from this place where we have grown so much as individuals - and more importantly, as a family.  As we look ahead to this fifth year in Seoul - which could be our last - we are hopeful and expectant for what God has in store through our living situation, job opportunities, ministry opportunities, and as our family grows to 5.

Hopeful. It is a good place to be.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13