And Beagle makes three!

For my 30th birthday (30!? when did that happen) Rick had decided to get a puppy for me. He wanted it to be a surprise, but decided it was in everyone's best interest to let me in on the decision. I had always wanted a tear your throat out type dog, and Rick wanted an outside dog. We somehow came to the compromise of a beagle. We went to the couple that had POCKET beagle puppies for sale. They had two girls left. The woman, Jean, handed me a very sweet dog that had a little mohawk. Now, a dog that has a bona fide mohawk is pretty cool, and I could pretend that would be intimidating to potential intruders. She then handed me the other puppy. This puppy snuggled into my arms, looked up at me with THE sweetest face. To top it off, Jean said they had named her Peanut. SOLD.

We brought our little four pound attack dog home, and embarked on the journey that is owning a puppy. Up several times a night, puppy-proofing house, monitoring poops, etc. It's so much fun having her in the house, following us around, and seeing what makes her smile. No, she really does smile-It's the cutest thing. One thing she doesn't do, is bark. The doorbell will ring-nothing. The bug-guy comes into the house-nothing. Fat lot of good she does me as an attack dog. One day, she was sniffing around in my purse that was on the ground, and I told her, "NO". She circled the purse, and pounced on it. I yelled, "NO!"

She jumped, turned around, and BARKED at me! She then took off running.

I couldn't believe it. She won't bark to alert me of somebody at the door, but will SASS me. It's a good thing she is so dang cute.

Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta, Georgia is our new home, and we are really enjoying getting settled into our new house, and becoming acquainted with the city. Below are a few shots of our life in Valdosta...

-->Our new home - Just a slight upgrade from the apartment in Korea.

-->At a Blazers game. Rick is in flight suit as he was part of the fly-over.

-->PECAN trees are everywhere..

--> and to accompany all the pecan trees-my allergy clinic.
--> Ironic

Valdosta or BUST

We are finally on the road to what will be our home for the next few years. We wake up, almost giddy, to start the adventure. I had stocked up on snacks for the road, and settled in to the packed truck as Rick hooked up the two different GPS systems, and new IPOD wamjigger that would allow his IPOD music to play in the truck's speakers. As he configured this complicated jungle of wires, I daydreamed about what was sure to be a relaxed road trip filled with sing-alongs and maybe some highway Bingo. Rick buckled his seat belt, and suggested we keep track of our journey. I though this was an amazingly sweet idea, and dug a pink notebook out of my bag, turned to a fresh page, and marveled at the symbolism.

Like this notebook page, our future lay before us blank, and just waiting for us to begin the story. I smiled and turned to Rick to share this, and found that he was staring at me. He had his wrist up, and asked if I was ready to synchronize our watches.

He said, "Hack. 8:11 a.m. central standard time, the Mitchells left Tim and Hallie Mitchell's residence,"
I considered suggesting Zulu time, to be more accurate, and then thought better of it.
So, here is a precise account of the 782.5 miles we traveled, in one day.

8:11 Leave Tim and Hallie's house in Glen Carbon, Illinois
8:35 Get on Interstate 255 South, and I do the universal sign of an 18 wheeler honking his horn accompanied with the sound
8:47 Get on Interstate 64 East
9:34 The guy that is fixing the garage door on the house we still own in Warrnesburg called to say he would be completing the job today.

9:35 I call the renters, and let them know the garage door guy will be there this morning
9:50 Get on to Interstate 57 South
10:21 Garage door guy suggests we pull up the concrete to add a drain to accommodate the water that collects by door.
10:23 Garage door guy is removed from Christmas Card list
10:37 Get on to Interstate 24 East
11:01 Rick realizes his phone, that he was also using as a GPS, is not charging. The vein in his forehead bulges out just a little.
11:22 We come to a construction site that has the interstate down to one lane, but the phone is now charging!
11:25 We hit Kentucky, and both agree we are making great time
12:28 We stop for lunch at Subway, and then drive through McDonalds for me.
2:09 We get on to 24 East
2:43 We stop for a bathroom break, and notice the looming storm. Rick explains if we only spend seven minutes at this stop, we can stay ahead of it. I notice the gas stations are getting increasingly more...unique..the farther South we get.
2:56 Rick tears into the beef jerky he bought at the last gas station, and the smell fills the car.
3:12 My dad calls to remind us of the steep grade when leaving Chattanooga.

5:15 Traffic is slowed to a stop..then a crawl. Rick checks the gauge on the truck that calculates the mileage. That vein pops out again.

5:45 We make it on to Interstate 75 South
8:34 We hit torrential rain in Jackson, and drive 25 MPH. I clench my 'travel log' and am so grateful to Rick for driving

8:55 Rain clears and we see the first sign for Valdosta - WAHOOO!
9:16 Our last stop for fuel and this gas station boasts boiled peanuts
9:35 I realize how remarkably annoying hearing somebody chew on ice is. Every time Rick ravenously raises the cup to his mouth, and all the ice crashes into his face, and he chomps on what has made it into his mouth, I cannot help but picture a giant ogre crunching on the bones of unfortunate villagers. I eat a cookie.
9:37 We sing some Journey together (Finally, a sing-along!!)
11:45 We take exit 22, and cruise in to Valdosta, GA!!!! Our fantastic friends, Jason and Stephanie, are waiting up for us. Our guest room is ready, we are TIRED, but we first toast to our new life in AMERICA!

-->7% grade ---YIKES!

-->Driving through Nashville

Excellent gas mileage

The Mitchell traveling circus

After battling the 'dry heat' of Arizona, we flew to Kansas City. There we finalized some wedding details, watched my household goods get packed up, put Rick's Warrensburg house on the market, and spent some time with friends and family. We also managed to eat our way through another city; enjoying Waldo Pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Jack Stack BBQ

Finally, we packed up the DODGE and headed to the lake for the fourth of July weekend with the Leiter family.

--> The truck leaving K.C.

-->Rick heaving Aaron across the pool. Despite the terror on his face, he loved it.
-->Rick and Carson
-->Rick and Aaron

Then, on to Illinois to see the Mitchell clan. We rolled into town in a fury of pink suitcases just in time to celebrate our sister-in-law, Hallie's, 30th birthday. We visited a number of friends and family, and ate our way from bbq to bbq. It is so great to be back in America!

Finally, we rented the Uhaul, moved everything out of Tim's basement, and punched in MOODY AIR FORCE BASE in the GPS....

Arizona in June

Now that Rick and I are both back in the Continental U.S., we have a lot to do before we get to Georgia. Our first stop was Arizona. Rick had to complete a course in Tucson, and we were able to spend a lot of time with friends and family. My mom greeted us with dozens of cookies, and hot chocolate with every meal.

Aside from completing the course, we also worked in some karaoke, a trip to the water park and more...

--->Diamondbacks game
--> Competitive game of SPOONS

First stop, Hawaii!

What better way to celebrate the end of our assignment in Korea, than a trip to Hawaii?!

Right after we touched down in beautiful Maui, we decided to take a sunrise bike tour the following day. This meant, we would wake up at 1:00 A.M. in order to leave by 2:00, and be at the bike company by 3:00. We were driven, on a bus, to the top of Mt Haleakala. We watched a beautiful sunrise despite it being freezing cold! Then, we were bussed halfway down the mountain, given our bikes, and on down the mountain we went. We were informed we would very rarely have to pedal. This was true. It was also true that our brakes would be smoking when we got done. Despite the sail-like poncho I was sporting, I'm pretty sure my average coasting speed was 67 mph. Once we completed our beautiful decent, we returned our gear and headed to Hana. We had researched the 'road to Hana' and it was supposed to be a beautiful drive around the island. The road TO Hana was beautiful black sand beaches, waterfalls, and exotic gardens. We should have turned around at Hana, and gone back the way we came. Instead, we continued on that road, around the rest of the island. There is a reason you don't ever hear about the road OUT of Hana. It's awful. The road is narrow, bumpy, and almost non-existent in some places. The backdrop is barren desert, and the only sign of life is the islanders that nearly run you off the road as they honk and curse at you for being a tourist. Quite the contrast to the amazing ride to the town of Hana.

Another fun adventure was the helicopter ride we took. It was called the 'hidden Oahu' tour, and we flew over Waikiki Beach, Hanauma Bay, Makapuu Point and lighthouse, “Jurassic Park” valley, Pearl Harbor, and Sacred Falls, a 1,000-foot cascade. The weather was perfect, and it was so cool to see all these places from that vantage point. The only thing that dampened the mood was the girl that was puking in the helicopter. I was just happy it wasn't ME puking, so I breathed through my mouth as I took in all the sites.

The rest of our trip was spent at the beach, discussing the events of the coming months. We have a ton of things to get accomplished before rolling to Georgia...

- OVER-caffeinated

-->Almost thawed, and ready to bike down the mountain

-->Despite the smell of hot brakes, the scenery was beautiful!

-->Rainbow eucalyptus tree on the road to Hana

-->Road OUT of Hana. BOOOOOOO!

-->THE best fish tacos!
-->Eating lunch outside at Duke's

MISSION COMPLETE in Korea

The Kimchee car is sold, household goods are packed, and the last 'kamsamida' has been spoken. The Mitchells have left the ROK!

I remember the day it was decided Rick would extend an additional year in Korea. I trusted his decision, and didn't shout any of the questions that were running through my head. (i.e. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?")

Not surprising, he was correct, and Korea proved to be a very good assignment. Rick accomplished a ridiculous amount of things, and we learned all kinds of fun things about each other with living together for the first time. It turns out we don't agree on certain things like, the location of the water pitcher, what lights should not be left on, and the definition of 'decor', but I digress

We were extremely excited to be moving back to America, and being closer to all our family, but it was hard to leave some very good friends we made in Korea. These people are what made our time in Korea so memorable. With the A-10 community being so small, we sincerely hope to cross paths with these folks again.

Additionally, something that made Korea bearable was all the incredible support we got from our friends and family. The care packages, cards, prayers, and even comments on the blog made us feel closer to home, and we very much appreciate it.

So, we are headed to Georgia via Hawaii, Arizona, Missouri, and Illinois. Never a dull moment.

Wedding information

Although official invitations will be sent, I wanted to get all the information on here for easy access.

-Ceremony

The vow renewal will be on November 27th at St. James church in Kansas City. The address to the church is 1104 N.E. Vivion Road

-Reception

A reception will follow at 2000 Grand (www.2000grand.com)

-Hotel

We have a block of rooms reserved at the Hyatt in Crown Center. They Hyatt is connected by a glass-enclosed walkway to Crown Center with more than 80 shops and restaurants, three live theaters, a movie theater, and ice skating. More importantly, this hotel is within walking distance of the reception site, and is providing a discounted rate ($89/night)for anyone that books through the below link.

https://resweb.passkey.com/go/MitchellWedding

Additional websites that you may find helpful:

1. http://www.visitkc.com/holiday/holiday-shopping/crown-center/index.aspx

2. http://www.countryclubplaza.com/

More to come.....

Seoul Tower

With Rick home from his five week Temporary Duty Assignment, we decided to visit Seoul for date night, and go up in the Seoul Tower. Seoul Tower is is a communication and observation tower located in Namsan Mountain, central Seoul, South Korea. The tower has been a symbol of Seoul since 1980 and measures 777 ft in height. I equate it to the Saint Louis Arch. You can take an elevator up to the observatory deck, and there are gift shops..etc. We had been talking about checking this out since my first visit to Korea, and now we are down to less than a month, so we decided to check the box. I was thinking if we went at night, it wouldn't be as crowded as during the day. I was completely wrong.

When we arrived at Seoul, we jumped in a taxi and asked that he take us to Seoul Tower. Our cab driver was extremely friendly, and when I commented on how good his English was, he responded, "Muchas Gracious"

What a ham. He dropped us off, and we were informed we would have to walk up the rest. The incline was ridiculous, but we finally made it to the ticket booth. We purchased our tickets, and followed the arrows. We enter the base of the Tower, and attempted to peruse the gift shops as we waited for our block of numbers to be called. I quickly noted that everyone and their sister had decided to visit the tower with their significant other. Public displays of affection is not prevalent in Korea, but I guess the Seoul Tower really brings the romance out. Nearly every couple had their arms draped over each other, giggling, and oblivious to any legitidiment tourist that was trying to maneuver around their love-fest. We found a spot close to where the numbers were announced, and waited for our number to be called.

When our number came up, the herd of folks waiting nervously at the entrance GALLOPED to get in. I though, "Holy, MOSES, there must be something REMARKABLE around that corner" This mob looked like flesh-eating zombies that just found an opening in the warehouse that the last people on Earth were huddled in. They were wide-eyed and frantic. I tugged on Rick's jacket, and we stepped forward to be swept into the mob. I peered over all the zombie heads to try to see what was around this glorious corner. We turned down the hall, and there stood.....the same crazy zombies huddled in a group, radar-locked on the elevators. The doors opened, and everyone rushed in. We counted 24 people in the elevator. I glared at all the zombies that were smashed against me for getting my hopes up that there was something awesome around that corner. We reached the top, and exited the elevator. The observation deck is pretty cool. It's round, all glass, and has landmarks noted on the glass. It also lists major cities and how far away they are. The only disappointing thing was the glass was so dirty, on the outside, you couldn't see very well, much less get a good picture. We then stood in line to take the elevator down to the plaza. Here, there are GOBS of padlocks on a fence surrounding the plaza. The tradition is for a couple to place a lock on the fence, throw away the key, and their love is locked in forever. Who doesn't want that?! We placed a lock on the fence, but as we shut the clasp, there was not any mystical music, violins, or vaccume suction sound as I expected. I mean, if you lock your love in forever, shouldn't there be a sound involved?

We left the tower to find our favorite Greek Restaurant, Santorini. We had a wonderful meal, and then braved the Subway home. It's great to have Rick home!

-> Here are the zombies fighting to get to the Elevator

-> View from the top

->Oodles of locks

Locked in!

->Tree of locks