Celebrating 2007!

To finish out 2007, we went to the movies to see National Treasure 2 (see the Golden Compass poster in the background, in Korean?), and gathered with colleagues and friends at a neighbouring house for fellowship and fireworks. January 1st dawned bright and clear (last photo), with a dusting of snow on the mountains that rim the city. Happy New Year!! Our prayer is that 2008 provides even more opportunities for our family to serve others and seek after Jesus with all that we are, and all that we have. Praise be to Him!

Boxing Day at the Beach...

It is hard to find places in Korea that are quiet and still. Because we live in a very busy, urban neighbourhood, there is always noise and activity and lots of people around. So sometimes we crave our canoe and a quiet Ontario lake, just to find some quiet space where we can think and reflect. Today we were blessed to spend a few hours at a lake east of Daejeon that offered some precious stillness. The sun was shining and it was so warm we only needed sweatshirts or light jackets; we drove up to the lake and walked amongst the pines and dunes until we couldn't even hear the odd car driving on the lake road. It was divine and perfect, and a reminder that we need to find green space on a more regular basis. What a beautiful way to wind down and relax. (In the last photo you can see some "humps" on the hillside, as well as some markers; these are traditional graves and they are common on mountainsides and hillsides throughout Korea.)

Merry Christmas from the other side of the world!

As everyone at home gets ready to tuck into their beds on Christmas Eve, we're already half-way through Christmas Day! Hannah and Cora are pictured here with our short-stay canines, as well as their Christmas gifts (cell phone for Hannah and new fashionable coat for Cora; Rebecca will be shopping in Canada for her Christmas gifts).

Christmas isn't celebrated as widely (and as lavishly) here in Korea as it is in North America. As a result, business is carrying on as usual in our neighbourhood today. Our recycling had to go out this morning, and on a nearby building that is being constructed, men are busy painting and working. Traffic is humming and children are playing outside - all of the regular sounds of a weekday. Inside our apartment, we have spent the morning hanging out, eating lots of food and calling family from home. We miss you!! Rebecca, we especially miss you, and love you so much. Merry Christmas!!

Pre-historic dwellings...

In the midst of baking and cleaning and getting ready for Christmas Eve, Brian and I took an hour to explore the Dunsan Prehistoric site in Daejeon this afternoon. Reconstructed dwellings from the late Stone Age and Bronze Age are nestled in one of the busiest districts of the city, surrounded by modern apartment buildings and shopping towers. While Hannah and Cora kept Yoda and Artie (our two "rental" dogs!) busy, we meandered around the site for awhile and then came back to continue baking. Brian has some homemade shortbread on the go!

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family in Canada. We miss you terribly!

"Suddenly the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God: 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favours'. When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, 'Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'" Luke 2:13-15

Christmas festivities...

After a few weeks of violin concerts (Hannah), flute concerts (Cora), basketball games and a drama production (Rebecca) - not to mention lots of exam marking and merry-making - our Chrismas holidays have officially begun. Last night our family spent the evening downtown, enjoying the festive atmosphere, taking sticker pictures and savouring a fancy Italian dinner. We came home to hang out with Yoda (one of the two cute canines we're dog-sitting for the holidays) and to open gifts with Rebecca. This was our big family celebration, as Rebecca flies out for Canada today (in fact, in about 1 1/2 hours!), and we had a lovely time. What a blessing our girls are!

Christmas at the orphanage...

On Sunday afternoon (December 2nd), some of National Honour Society students and a bunch of teachers and staff kids traveled to the Village of Peace Orphanage to share some Christmas cheer. Santa was a big hit, and the children loved their gifts, as well as the songs and skit prepared by our students. It was a wonderful afternoon, touching all of our hearts with the true spirit of Christmas and the love of Christ.

Sing it, baby!

After a year-and-a-half in Korea, Brian and I finally made a visit to the noriebang (or karaoke hang-out). This is a very popular pastime in Korea and, to our surprise, we discovered it is a lot of fun! We enjoyed lots of '80s music with our friends the Wilders (from the States), the McAllisters (from South Africa) and Steve McNutt (from Nova Scotia). Madonna, Wham, The Rolling Stones... we belted it all out with true '80s enthusiasm.

Basketball, laments & more...

Rebecca played the opening games of basketball season this week! She is pictured here with Coach Liz, as well as with some of her team members during a break. My group of IB English students also met last Thursday evening to share poetry together, which was wonderful (they're pictured here with the "Lecturn of Laments" where they presented their amazing poems). And Hannah's arm is now free (and healed) after weeks of being bound up in this cast/brace (a greenstick fracture caused a late-evening jaunt to the local hospital three weeks ago).

And heeerrre's Artie...

Over the Christmas break we are looking after this cute little Yorkshire Terrier, Artie (he belongs to our teaching colleague Elizabeth Souba, pictured with Hannah and Cora). The girls are totally in love with this little dog, and spent some quality time with him a few weekends ago.

A quiet afternoon...

Last weekend Brian and I spent Sunday afternoon walking at Uam Historical Park. It's a perfect place to relax and enjoy some late fall sunshine. While entering the park we spotted this antique motorbike, which we figured might date to the Korean war era.