Where to begin?

Dean is trying to exercise whilst Tristan climbs him.

  It has been hectic around here lately.  I finally hired a house keeper to come half a day a week, which has lightened my labor load.  Granted, the clutter is back in place within a day, but at least it's clean underneath for a bit.

Tristan's potty miracle was short lived.  We have him in underwear most of the time (even out of the house), but he still prefers to drop his load anywhere but the royal throne.  He's pretty good about numero uno at least, or will hold it for a long time. 

Cambria is generally a happy baby as long as she's not hungry, and she's wrapped up snug with a favorite binky.

The boys are back in school; Hunter seemed relieved, and Kyler was excited to finally go a week after Hunter.  Kyler's teacher is spending the first two weeks of school going through the motions with the kids, like how to line up to go to the lunch room.

Hunter, our fourth grader

Finally sending Kyler to school a year late (need I remind anyone that he missed starting last year by ONE DAY?!) feels like the black cloud hanging over me has turned to sunshine and rainbows.  He is mentally exhausting, and thinks he should have one on one attention and entertainment all day, every day.  I cried on the inside this whole extra year.  Dean had a four-day holiday weekend, so after gleefully sending the boys on their way we spent the day together with the two little ones, who are still cute and delightful.

Kyler - Mr. Socialite

I forgot to mention back in August that Dean and I celebrated our birthdays.  I made a lovely steak salad with chipotle dressing and a coconut cream pie (still his favorite) for his birthday, and arranged a date for us on mine, to a Brazilian restaurant and the cutest little coffee shop for dessert.  I would LOVE to have a B&B or a little decadent treat shop like that some day.  Without discussing it, we both bought massages for each other, and still need to redeem them.

We had a birthday party for Hunter and Kyler on Labor Day.  We told them about it . . . on Labor Day.  That saves the constant headache of questions every five minutes until the event.  It was an airplane party, with no pictures, but lots of airplane/projectile flying and airplane toys, plus pizza and cupcakes.  They were delighted and received much nicer presents than they deserved  from their friends : )  Toward the end of the affair a group of hooligan boys descended on us and started inhaling pizza and cupcakes, then demanding water and asking to come to our home.  Uh, no thanks.  Apparently that's how it goes around here; groups of kids roam around looking for parties to crash.  I was not amused, and lectured the boys later about not ever doing such a thing.

We were blessed to attend the temple sealing of Angela Hur on Saturday, whom we adore, and who has been in our home teaching group here.  I haven't mentioned them enough.  She, Corinna Barrett and Adam Murphy (until he moved back to the US) have been a joy to have over for dinner and  a lesson every month.  The kids love them and ask every week if they are coming.  I am so impressed with the single population in our church here.  They are all outstanding enough that they are here in Seoul, Korea, of all places, doing something way cool and having all kinds of experiences.  Most of them are not affiliated with the military, so they don't have that and all the conveniences of the base.  I really can hardly comprehend how much more difficult it would be here without the commissary, APO shipping/USPS, the PX, American schools/hospitals, and all the other amenities we have.  I never realized how difficult it would be to live in a foreign country that speaks a different language, and has a different writing system.  I do know how it feels to be illiterate, and helplessly dependent on the kindness of others.  Anyway, our singles are AWESOME!