{ LIFE as we know it }

I've been asked if we have started counting down the days 'til we come home. So I added a countdown to our blog. Actually I added two! I couldn't decide which one so I kept them both. One is at the top and one is along the left side.

Clinton had "staff duty" the other night, which is a 24 hour shift sitting in the barracks. Who ever thought a 24 hour shift was a good idea? I can't complain too much though because we've been lucky and this was just Clinton's first time.  While he was gone I had lots of time to do nothing.

I DID attempt making my first chicken ever. I really didn't think I would be grossed out, but I really was.  Everything I had read said that I needed to remove the giblets and rinse the cavity. If I wasn't grossed out enough just by the look of the chicken I now had to remove "giblets." What IS a giblet?

So I got the chicken out of the bag and I just starred for a bit. A naked chicken is heavy and meaty and feels "skin like." It was weird. So, I (reluctantly) seasoned it up and then remembered the giblet issue. I got down so that I was eye level with Mr. Chicken (which is not the same as the movie, "Mr. Chicken", but almost as frightening).

This was my view. I was just starring. What is that? Is that...a...giblet? I squatted there for a while as I starred...in a daze, hoping I didn't have to reach my hand in there.  Finally, I came to the conclusion that 

my chicken didn't have any. The package told me that they had been removed. To my relief I was able to avoid sticking my hand in...there. :/

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We haven't had much going on these past few days, so I thought I'd just post some puppy pics.

Whit is pretty crazy

I found them like that...snuggling together :)

Whit need to borrow a few bucks ...

then she decided to just write a check so she needed to borrow a pen

but seriously...she is super naughty. She takes things off of our coffee table and hoards them. I then have to chase her around the living room and kitchen.   She often runs under the bed, couch, and kitchen table though, which makes it difficult to catch her. Her new thing is to hide under the overhang on the coffee table. I don't know why she thinks that's a good spot, because she get's caught every time...soooo....

Avery has a super smushy sleepy face...

 Since Avery is such an oinker, we have to hide the food from him... today, he found it. He is usually the "good" puppy...but not today. This is where I found him...

eating at the table

 Whit just kept barking at him. She must have known it was her dinner he was eating.

I showed Clinton these pics and the first thing he said was, "Sooo, you took a picture of him on the table first...then you yelled at him??" YEP! :)

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A year ago from Thursday, February 24th, Clinton and I were engaged! Part of me feels like it's been three years and part of me feels like it was just yesterday.

In case you never heard the story, I'll share a few highlights.

First of all...Clinton had been carrying my ring around with him for several days, because he didn't want to leave it in his hotel room. I obviously didn't know that and one day I kept pulling his stocking cap out of his hoodie pocket. I guess I was really making him sweat, because he had the ring in that pocket. He'd put his hat back in the pocket and I'd take it out again. I was just being ornery, but he thought I was going to accidentally grab the ring box!

My mom, Nancy, Clinton, and I rode the subway to Seoul to do some 'site-seeing'

It took us forever to figure out where we were supposed to go to get on the City Tour Bus, so I just kept taking pictures while the rest of the gang looked at the map.

I took this picture, not knowing that a couple hours later I would be at the top of that Tower in the background.

We finally found the bus and Nancy and my mom went and did there own crazy things while Clinton and I rode the bus and finally got off at a stop. The area we were in is famous for all the different types of unique restaurants from around the world. Clinton told me I could choose any restaurant I wanted...I went for the obvious choice, Subway. Classy. I ordered my favorite, Tuna with mayo, pickles and chips. Also classy. 

What I know now that I didn't know then is that I have several food sensitivities... Tuna being one. Milk and eggs (Mayo) being the other.

We got back on the bus and wouldn't you know it, I didn't feel so good. I was trying to appear calm (and happy), but really I was desperately looking out the window for the nearest bathroom before I got sick on the bus! That would've been memorable.

 Finally, we decide to get off the tour bus at the N. Seoul Tower. The tower sits on top of a large hill/ mountain...I think it's a mountain. It's either a large hill or a small mountain. Anyways, the bus only takes you so close and then you have to walk the rest of the way... Really? You know what it's like when you are in the situation where you feel sick, you're looking for a bathroom, you start to sweat and you begin looking around for alterior bathrooms. You start noticing different prospects... "that big tree is about 50 meters away...I think I can make it" "That tour bus looks like it has a bathroom...I could just sneak on", "That plastic bag is looking good at the moment."

Well, lucky me (and Clinton) there was a restroom at the bottom of the climb. Phew! Dodged that bullet. It didn't help that by this point I had a hunch that Clinton was going to propose, so I was getting nervous that while he was spilling his heart I might spill my guts!

We made it to N. Seoul Tower! You might be thinking that the "N" stands for "North", but it actually stands for "new." Random fact of the day.

It's basically a large cyllinder building with an elevator in the middle that takes you up to the viewing level.

This is what 360 degree views of Seoul look like.

by this point it was a little foggy...but beautiful

The picture below is of the Han River. It's huge. Twelve bridges connect Seoul.

This is the table where we sat when Clinton pulled that ring out of his pocket :)

I obviously said yes :) If Clinton was willing to kiss my tuna, mayo, pickle lips and STILL propose, then I think he's a keeper :P

Of course the first thing I wanted to do after he got that ring on my finger was to have someone take our picture. Everyone around us was Korean. At this point I wasn't as comfortable trying to communicate as I am now, so I was too nervous to ask anyone.

Outside we were able to get a random non-American, non-Korean guy to reluctantly take this lovely picture of us with the giant radio tower coming out of our heads.

Kissy-poo

My mom took some pre-engagement pics of us :) think she did a good job!

{ And that's where this craziness all got started }

The End