Thailand Trip

We added another stamp to our passports with a fabulous trip to Phuket, Thailand. We spent 7 days/6 nights at the Bel Air, Cape Panwa. We had so much fun relaxing at the hotel, touring the Island and swimming in the pools. The staff was very accommodating and by the time we left everyone knew Hannah by name. The spa staff was the best (thanks Ms. Ping, Ann, Ji, Mai, & Jang) and helped Ryan and I relax while entertaining Hannah at the kids zone. Mr. Bao was probably one of the happiest people I have ever met and kept Hannah completely entertained at the kids pool. We also had a great tour guide, Ms. Ta, who spent two days showing us the sites of the Island as well as some great ceramic shopping. Hannah's favorite part of the trip was the hour long elephant trek through the "jungle." We were so sad to leave our new friends and return to 30 degree weather. Check out our newest adventure photos!

DMZ

Heather and Ryan traveled to the Joint Security Area, or JSA, this past weekend. There, we literally walked across the border into North Korea as our Communist friend (pictured here) kept a vigilant watch on us. Note his spying friend in the window to the left.

Highlights of the tour included a visit to one of the North Korean infiltration tunnels discovered in the 70's, gazing across the Imjing River into a North Korean propaganda town, and driving through minefields en route to the JSA....oh yeah, and the Army tour guide (Heather's #1 highlight).

At the DMZ and Tunnel #3 there was quite a photo restriction so we took photos whenever we could. The photos still cannot begin to describe the incredible experience it was traveling to the North.

We have also added some pictures to Hannah's birthday extravaganza as we had some friends over to help celebrate her day. We played games, made forts, decorated cupcakes and had lots of sugar. Thank you to the friends who came to make her day special.

Take a look at the Mulhyanggi Arboretum pictures. We visited a couple of weeks ago just as the fall foliage started changing.

Lastly, Ryan's airshow was a success. We didn't take many pictures though. Check out the airshow pics.

Hannah's 5th Birthday Extravaganza!!!

We have just added some photos from Hannah's 5th birthday! Check back for more as it seems like the festivities just keep on going.

Thank you to all who helped make her 5th birthday a special one. She received many wonderful and thoughtful gifts. She really had a great day!

Thanks You!

NANTA!

The family traveled to Seoul over the weekend to enjoy a Saturday matinee of the show NANTA.

NANTA, which opened in 1997 is Korea's most popular and longest running show....probably because of the star pictured at middle left in this photo! Actually, they take "volunteers" from the audience to participate in one of the scenes from the fast-moving, non-stop show. NANTA has been drawing the largest number of audiences in Korean stage history. The record-breaking show has broadened its stage from Seoul to Jeju Island in Korea to Broadway, NY, and to the world.

In the scene depicted, the wedding couple (Ryan and a random Korean girl) have just tested the soup and are celebrating with the chefs. Heather's favorite chef is the one on the right...his name in the play is "SEXY GUY" ;) The female Chef on the left was named "HOT SAUCE." The show was spectacular and was thoroughly enjoyed by the whole family. Hannah especially liked it; but got a bit grumpy when daddy was picked to go up on stage and not her. It is like Blue Man group meets Benihana.

Check out our recent post for some more pics of our Seoul jaunt to the Gongbuk area.

Monster Mash

With Halloween quickly approaching, Hannah and I decided to start the fun early. I made one video and Hannah made the other (let's see if you can guess which one she made). Hope you enjoy!

Memorial day weekend

Our memorial day weekend was a crazy one with lots of traveling! We started the weekend off by going to Yongsan for Hannah's pre-pre-op appt. Since we were in Seoul we decided to take a Han River boat ride where Hannah was the entertainment for the evening (of course). After a good night's sleep at the Dragon Hill Lodge, we went to an indoor waterpark called Tiger World. Didn't take any pictures since we were in the water, but we had fun playing in the lazy river and wave pool.

After a day of relaxation (i.e. went to Everland) we took a trip to the East Coast; specifically the city of Gangneum and Unification Park. We were able to visit various war monuments and a musuem that showed some of South Korea's history with the North. We also visited a retired Warship and captured N. Korean submarine. A trip to the beach wrapped up our stay in Gangneum and then it was off to Waterpia (another water park). This one was tons of fun too. After spending a couple of hours enjoying the wave pool, lazy river, and various spas we headed home. Check out the picks of the Han river boat ride (where you will find a video of Hannah entertaining the passengers) and the Unification Park visit.

Gongsanseong Fortress & King Muryeong's Tomb

This Saturday we took a trip to the city of Gongju where we visited the Gongsanseong Fortress & King Muryeong's Tomb. It was a very interesting and fun trip. Hannah was quite the trooper walking part of the perimeter of the fortress with us (it made Daddy a tad bit nervous to be so close to the edge though). We were also able to visit the Tomb of King Muryeong who died in 523 A.D (or there abouts). His tomb was not discovered until the 1970s when drainage work was being performed on nearby tombs. It was very interesting to walk the grounds and to see what the inside of the tombs looked like. The neatest part was how interested Hannah was in all of the history and exploration. We plan on re-visiting the Fortress so that we can walk the entire perimeter of the Fortress as our footwear only allowed us to see approximately a quarter of the grounds. Hannah is also excited to go back and explore "the empty rooms." Also, check out the pictures and movies of the activities that we found around the tombs entrance as well as the group of girls that were enthralled with Hannah.

We are also very excited to announce that Hannah has graduated from Level 3 swim to Level 4 swim. She passed her test on Friday and will be resuming lessons in about a month!

Lastly, Hannah has been begging me to teach her how to read. So, we started learning to read this past week while Hannah had been cooped up in the house with another cold. Check out some video of her reading her first couple of books under the Nacho Saturday folder.

Aquarium, fish lessons and Church Shoes

<---Here is a picture of Hannah in her "church shoes and dress" that she asked Grandma for...thanks grandma! She also totally loves the box o' legos that you sent her (we got that in the mail yesterday).

We also have some pictures from our recent trip to the Coex Aquarium where we saw...lots of fish. Check out the picture of Hannah "in the fish tank." It is pretty funny.

This week we have also resumed swim lessons and invented other games to keep us entertained while Daddy is away. There are some new pictures in the Nacho Saturday folder.

Hannah's last day of swim lessons (for two weeks)

<--- A little Hannah diving action!

Hannah had her last swim lesson on Monday and she did awesome! In just 4 short weeks, she went from doggy paddling to swimming under the water and diving! She has even started to surface dive. I admit, each time she goes under water my heart goes into a panic, but she quickly surfaces and goes under for more. We will pick up swim lessons again next month but will enjoy a 2 week hiatus. Check out the videos of her swimming and diving in the Swim Lessons Folder.

Also caught a sweet moment on video of her dressed like a princess dancing to "Sugar Sugar" with her gigantic pound puppy that Godfather George and Amanda sent to her. Thanks George and Amanda your thoughtful gifts are always a big hit! She loves that dog as well as the others that you have sent! The dancing queen can be seen in the Nacho Saturday, et al. folder. Happy viewing!

Well, Hannah and I are half way through daddy's TDY...this has no doubt been a long one! He will be gone for a total of 5 weeks (give another week because I am sure he will be delayed)! Hannah and I are hanging in there, but miss daddy sooooo much :( Can't wait to have daddy back again! Hopefully, when he gets back we will be able to get some much needed R&R...we are thinking either Guam or The Phillipines? However, Hannah keeps asking to go back to Vietnam. Be safe Daddy!

Hannah sings the hits!

On our way to Everland (yes, again) we hit some traffic, but Hannah kept me entertained by singing songs that she was listening to on her ipod. Check out the video that I tried to take (trust me, traffic wasn't moving that much so I had time to video her). Also, we have added some new pictures to what we have been doing while daddy has been away. Check out the nacho Saturday, etc. folder to see the many games Hannah insists that I play. Today is her last swim lesson for a couple of weeks...they were learning to dive last class so I am hoping to catch some video of her diving and swimming. She is really doing well and has even swam the length of the pool on her back!

Nacho Saturday Must Go On!

Even while Daddy is away, Hannah and I still must continue the Sweazey family traditions of Nacho Saturday and Pancake Sunday. Check out Hannah chowing down some nachos and flipping pancakes as we pass the time. Can't wait for daddy to come home and eat nachos with us!!!

It continues to be an Everland summer. We have gone back quite a few times to ride The Columbus and The Flume rides. We also stayed late to enjoy the Festival of lights parade which was pretty spectacular. This was the latest that Hannah has ever stayed up and didn't get to bed until after 10:30! Check out the Everland summer album for updates. We also had a wonderful rain shower that lasted all day, so Hannah and I took the opportunity to splash around is some puddles. She actually found a small river to splash around in too. You will find these pictures as well as some other randoms in the Misc summer 09 album. Stay tuned for some more Sweazey Family Adventures!

It's an Everland Summer

It was a big day when Hannah hit 110cm...what is 110cm you ask? It is about 45 inches, but more importantly, it is the height required for our daredevil to begin riding some of her favorite roller coasters at Everland Amusement Park. Watch the video above to hear her shrill of excitement, or peruse some of the photos in the right hand column from our last trip to the theme park. Just one day in the "Summer of Everland"

The Big Recital!!!

May Dance Recital Extravaganza

...see these and other exciting end-of-spring pictures now!





<--Hannah and her friend, Lillian

Happy Easter!

Spring has sprung and what better way to ring it in than with a good ol' Easter Egg Hunt.

Check out the mass mayhem on our new photo album post.

Back from Viet Nam

- - - - - - - - -Vietnam: 28 Feb- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Korea: 2 Mar- - - - - - - - - - -

What a difference a day makes. On the left, the view we had from our beachfront bungalow...on the right, the view we returned home to.

The trip was good - extremely low-key and relaxing. Adventures were kept to a minimum as Hannah fell ill the day we arrived. Besides a death-defying kite-surfing experiment, the remainder of the trip was spent lounging on the beach, chilling in the bungalow, or eating.

Check out the rest of the vacation pics on the right.

Day Trip to Hwaseong

We braved one of the colder days we've had lately to visit Hwaseong Fortress. The fortress surrounds much of the city of Suwon which is Osan's neighbor to the north. To learn a little more about the fortress itself, click here. Besides being a truly remarkable engineering feat, the fortress was also the site of perhaps one of the nicest public restrooms we have seen! Dad, we even have some pictures of the restroom in the album just for you!

Off to 'Nam!!

Thanks (again) to the amazing efforts of Heather in winning yet another prize for Ryan....this time a free airline ticket! Sooo, we're off to Vietnam for some sun, fun, and relaxation! Oh, to be off the ROK!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Here is a sample Heather's awesome craftsmanship.

Pictures of these works of art don't nearly do them justice!

Here is one she made for Hannah ---->

A Brief Winter at Osan

With highs in the upper 40's to low 50's this past week, most of the ~16" of snow from last weekend is nearly history. Another unfortunate victim of the warmth is our friend shown on the right. Constructed by Hannah and dubbed "Friently" this poor chap didn't last much more than four days. Who knew the local birds would enjoy Twizzlers as much as they did.

Fortunately, the warm weather brings with it the promise of spring...and humidity...and yellow sand...

Hannah's Portfolio Added

We have begun scanning and uploading Hannah's artwork. View the Hannah's artwork album to view her masterpieces.

A Furious Start to '09!!

Well, it has been a whirlwind of a month...a fast and furious kickoff to 2009. First, please note the addition of three new albums:
--Gangnam Underground Shopping
--First Snow of the Season
--Tumbling and Stuff

Needless to say the Sweazey ladies have been running amok with shopping, dancing, tumbling and everything in between. In the meantime, dad continues to work goofy schedules, but still finds time to avert death with Hannah.

We also cost ourselves a few life-force points by venturing into Seoul traffic again - this time to do some shopping in the underground Labyrinth of Banpo station and the Gangnam underground shopping district. The objective: craft wares and birthday gift. Mission accomplished. Secondary mission (directed by Hannah): gelato. Also accomplished. Oh and no way passing on a Krispy Kreme along the way!

We just got in from enjoying our first substantial snow of the season. There was enough accumulation to enjoy some sledding and snowball fights. Dad, we'll of course keep you posted on any weather update. Right now, we're expecting about 6"

If speeding down a slope wasn't enough for Hannah, she also joined a tumbling class to expend more of that infinite source of energy. Note boyfriend Luke in the pictures gawking over her....

That's it for now - we'll report more after the Storm of '09 passes!

So little time...so much to do!

We are all up-to-date on our photo albums and they are ready for viewing (we hope)! As you can probably tell, it has been a crazy 9 months here! We have tried to take advantage of the opportunities we have had to travel and see all that is to see here on the ROK.

Our first real trip was to YongPyong and Mt. Soraksan. Friends of ours arrange some nice accommodations for a group of about 30 or so. We stayed at a place called Greenpia (which was a nice condo...the only drawback where the Korean beds). Greenpia had many activities for the little ones (during winter it is a ski resort and during the summer they offer rides and activities). Hannah and I enjoyed riding the "mountain coaster" and beating daddy down the mountain. We spent a day hiking around Mt. Soraksan and before we knew it, time was up and we were headed home.

USAG Camp Humphrey's (not too far from us) has a huge water park called Splish and Splash. We found ourselves there several times over the incredibly hot and humid summer. Check out the pictures of Hannah posing with "The Angels," a local band that invited Hannah up on stage to sing and dance. Fearless Hannah also insists on going down the big water slides all by herself. Splish and Splash is a great water park and we look forward to going again when the weather gets warmer!

Or course you will find pictures from Hannah's big 4 celebration. We invited some friends over to eat cake and play with toys. Take a look at the cake that Hannah picked out!

We have taken several trips to an amusement park called "Everland". It is said to be the 4th largest amusement park in the world. It has a little something for everyone! Hannah is finally tall enough to ride some of the roller coasters! On our last trip we found the "nerf ball" house, which had air guns that you could shoot the balls out of...we enjoyed "fighting" with the others (and Ryan especially enjoyed shooting at unsuspecting people). Everland also had the sledding hills up and running. Hannah was tall enough to ride one hill solo and the other she had to be accompanied. It was great fun to sled down the hill and see Hannah play in the snow.


Congrats to Daddy on pinning on Major! We are so proud of him! We had a nice luncheon to celebrate the occasion. Unfortunately, the lighting (and camera) weren't the best so the pictures didn't come out too well. Hannah took many of the pictures in the album.


Our Christmas was very busy! We attended a few parties, Hannah had a winter dance recital and we were able to visit a local orphanage. We enjoyed a relaxing Christmas day at home playing with our gifts. Thanks to all who thought of us this Christmas! We truly had a great Christmas...of course Hannah made out like a bandit and seemed to open gifts the majority of the day!


There is a taste of how we have been spending our time here. We have also taken several trips to Seoul, enjoyed the local cuisine and found many great stores for shopping. Hopefully, we will soon post more pictures from our adventures!

Love,
H

Ahhh! We're in Korea!!

OK, this is our first blog attempt. I hope it works!

See you soon!

The Sweazey's