Team Pettijohn

We're a Bit Rusty Here

2011-03-07T14:55:00.003+09:00

Well, it has been over a year since out last post. I think that we will be trying to do a little better. Facebook has been keeping us up to date on everyone, but it isn't quite the same as when we had this blog up and running like we used to. Give us some time and be easy on us if we are a little slow to post. It's gonna take a little time to get back into the swing of things.

Children: our gift to the world

2010-01-07T16:16:00.001+09:00

pieces of you
and pieces of me
our gift to the world
is what they will be

before their birth
we prepare a place
where they can grow
from grace to grace

we barely know how
but this much is true
our children, our life
both husband and wife

we'll give them our all
a task that's not small
with all of our hearts
we will try to impart

all that we have
is theirs 'til the end
that it may one day
be a benefit to them

but now is the time
while young and small
to instill in them
what's best for us all

kindness and love
patience and joy
forgiveness of faults
sometimes hard to employ

share with them happiness
share with them joy
share with them caring
don't ever avoid

all of those dear things
near to your heart
lest they may stray
from what you impart

trials will abound
I fear it is true
but never forget
in all that we do

our children will love us
if we love them
raise them in righteousness
and keep them from sin

one day when they've grown
with kids of their own
and share in the blessings
of house and of home

they'll pass them on
these gifts that we gave
gifts to be used
from cradle to grave

the gift of love
and all that it's worth
the gift of fidelity
for better or worse

the gift of honesty
trust is hard to be won
the gift of friendships
that can't be undone

they'll take all these gifts
from you and from me
and pass them on
to all that they see

they'll share them through smiles
they'll share them through hugs
but most important of all
they'll share them with love

by
matt pettijohn

Now this is a Santa

2009-12-14T10:12:00.001+09:00

So which one is caught up in the magic and which one is not in the mood to be on a big guys lap dressed in Red. My kids hide their emotions so well.

My Cute Girls

2009-12-08T11:35:00.002+09:00

Happy Anniversary Babe!

2009-12-08T10:25:00.005+09:00

On Thanksgiving this year we were thankful for our 4th Anniversary. Four years and two beautiful girls later, I couldn't be more grateful or blessed to have such a wonderful hubby and family! The only thing that would make it better is if we were able to have spent it together!

My handsome hubby spent it doing this. I love this picture...makes him look so tough!

And I spent it doing this. I had to have a fun hernia repair (they found 3 hernias from a prior surgery), then spent the holidays at my parents house where they took care of the kids while I recovered. Thanks mom and dad for being there. I can't tell you how much much it meant to us that you were able to be there for me and the kids while Matt was gone!

Playing Catch Up

2009-12-08T09:20:00.005+09:00

Once again I am playing catch up. Since matt's been gone I've had the chance to help time pass by faster by doing a little traveling. We've been to Kennewick and Utah to spend time with some long lost friends and family. It was so great to visit with people that I haven't seen since before Korea. It was fun because Ava and Hazel got to know their cousins better, and play with some of my close friends kids. We were able to spend time with Marianne and Heather (my roommates) and it was so fun for me to see our kids playing together. We also had a little "singles" ward reunion, and was happy to reunite with some special people in my life, and catch up. Thanks so much for everyone who was able to come, and those who couldn't were missed!

Some other highlights were going to the Pumpkin Patch, Hazel's 3rd Birthday, Spending time with Aunt Michelle, Ava's ear infections (103 fever), A fun reunion with two special friends from Korea, lunch and playdate with Jeanine and kids, and being able to spend time with my awesome Brother and Sister-in-Law and their family! Hazel still talks about Uncle Dave and rolling down the hill! :)

All in all it was so fun, and we can't wait to come again. I added a few slideshows of our trip for your entertainment. Hope everyone is doing well and are enjoying the holidays! We love you!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Off to the Desert

2009-09-19T07:41:00.004+09:00

Well we knew it was coming and now we are one week in to a year long deployment to Iraq. Matt left last week and is currently in Kuwait waiting his turn to join the adventures in Baghdad. He is doing well but really can't believe how hot and sandy it is. I've spoken with him while it is early in the A.M. there and he is already hot and sweaty. The girls and I are here in Washington holding down the fort, and will be doing a lot of traveling over the next year while Matt is gone. We've been gone a long time and have two years of visiting to make up for. We really missed spending time with friends and family...and as Hazel keeps telling me..."Friends Awesome". Here are a few pictures from the day that Matt left. As he says, we are doing our best to look happy about the situation. lol

Back on Track

2009-09-19T07:35:00.004+09:00

Wow...I guess I took the summer off. A lot has happened over the past few months. I'm just going to summarize since there is so much to say. We moved back to the States which we are loving, have gotten reacquainted with friends and family, Hazel broke her leg on my parents trampoline, Ava had her first birthday and learned to walk. I won't talk much because there are so many photos, and I will once again vow to do better at updating so those who don't "Facebook" can keep up with us. I hope you had a great summer too!

Ava in Training

2009-05-31T11:32:00.001+09:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Some May Pictures

2009-05-30T16:17:00.005+09:00

I'm not really going to share much right now...I just wanted to post some pictures and let you know we are all still alive and well. We've got less than two weeks left here so life is crazy busy trying to get everything done. We've really enjoyed our time in Korea, the best part having Ava while we were here...however we are ready to get back to the states and see family and get settled in our new home. We've done a lot of prep work which will make it easier on us when we get there...we've already mentioned that we've bought a van, so that will be waiting for us when we get there. We've also rented this cute little house in Washington where we are moving to. The day after we get there we are having the Internet/cable installed and 2 days later our stuff from storage is being delivered. It actually couldn't of worked out better. (I hope I just didn't jinx it!) Oh, and I forgot our awesome Blackberries are already in hand so we can jump right in to American Culture...lol. Well that's all for now...catch you on the flip side...or live from Washington!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-16T14:46:00.006+09:00

Easter morning was funny. It was Hazel's first time being old enough to understand that something cool was going on. When she came out of the bedroom...she did a beeline for the stash. Her eyes were wide with excitement...and all she said was "Woooo-ow!" (it was in two syllables) We don't really give her a lot of candy, so she was really excited when she discovered that if she barely put pressure on a plastic egg with her foot, it would pop open and M&M's would fall out. She would hurry and eat them really quick just in case she wasn't suppose to...it was a pretty clever technique. She really loves her new shoes too. The first day after she got them she woke up at 6am almost shaking with excitement saying "Shoes, shoes." She has to have them on anytime she is not sleeping. She also got a soccer ball. She's gets excited every time she sees one so the Easter Bunny brought her one. I may literally be a soccer-mom someday, a dream come true. :) Overall it was a fun family day that included Hazel and Daddy-time making cookies. I can't wait until we have a kitchen that we will all fit in so we can have more moments like that! I also attached a fun video of Ava laughing at Hazel saying "boo". It goes on for awhile because she just kept laughing at her so I kept recording. Funny kid!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What can I say...she's a fan!

2009-04-09T11:09:00.002+09:00

I've been wanting to get Ava on video for awhile now. She loves being able to go wherever she wants. Most of the day she is right on our heels, we all have the bruises to prove it. Poor Hazel, she asks to wear shoes all the time because she needs the extra protection. The best part is how fast she can go. It never fails, when Baby Einstein is on...she comes a runnin'. Enjoy the video, and I apologize for the lame mommy commentary!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pettijohn Getaway

2009-04-05T16:42:00.005+09:00

I had no idea that it had been so long since we last posted on our blog. Almost two months have gone by. I guess we have had other things on our mind. As many of you know we are getting ready to move in a couple months and have been focused on that a lot lately. We are so excited to get to our new location and be close to friends and family again. As a matter of fact we spend much of our time on the Internet looking at houses and other things that we want to get when we arrive back in the states. Furniture, stuff for the kid's room, and much, much more. Actually, one of the things that we were looking for was a new car (new to us) for when we have to travel with the kids. A sedan just isn't gonna cut it anymore. We found a 2005 Honda Odyssey online that we just couldn't pass up that was located in Portland Oregon. We had a good friend go and check it out for us. Turns out it was a great deal, so we bought it. Our friend picked it up from the dealer for us just last weekend. We will pick it up from his place just as soon as we get back (Thanks Dave). Well enough about that (didn't include any photos of the van......it's just a van, THAT ROCKS!).
On to our recent trip....This weekend we went to the Chinhae (Jinhae) Cherry Blossom Festival. Chinhae is located all the way at the southern tip of Korea, right on the Sea of Japan (Koreans call it the East Sea...they don't like the Japanese). It took a little over six hours to drive there. I can't wait to get back to the States, where I can really put the pedal to the metal. The speed limit here is like 55...ugh. Well, we finally arrived at about 8PM on Thursday and checked into our hotel. A super nice suite with a full kitchen on the US Navy base in Chinhae, for only $30 a night. During our weekend we didn't do too much, as this was mostly a getaway to relax for a few days. However, I will recount a couple highlights from the trip.

One evening we went out into town where the festival was in full swing. There were horse drawn carriages and we thought that it would be fun to take the girls on a ride. What we expected would be a nice leisurely ride through town turned out to be a little more adventurous than planned. After hopping into the carriage we headed off down the road at a slow trot. It was beautiful seeing all of the lights in town and the cherry blossom trees lining the roadway. When we had gone down the road a bit, it was time to turn around. The driver cut the corner too short and ended up getting stuck on the center divider. This scared the horse and was causing it to get excited, it wanted to run and was beginning to rear-up. But with the tire stuck it was unable to make forward movement and was obviously frustrating the horse. Finally, the driver was able to get us back on course, but not before we heard a loud grinding and what sounded like the wheel about to be torn off. Then the horse took off, running to catch up with some other carriages that were in front of us. The wheel continued with the grinding sound and we both held onto our girls tightly and also the carriage, in case one of the wheels did fall off and flip us over. Needless to say we were very anxious for the ride to be over. As the ride was coming to an end a Korean man drove up next to us saying something then gesturing to the bed of his truck. There was the rubber from the wheel laying in the back of his truck. I guess that explained the loud grinding during the last half of our ride. The carriage was riding directly on the wooden wheel. There is a photo with the rubber from the wheel laying next to the carriage. After it was all over, we were just glad that it was all over.

Another incident that happened, that was kind of funny, happened at the festival bizarre. At the festival there is a huge bizarre, with literally thousands of people walking about. We went there with the kids, each in strollers. It was pretty tough negotiating the crowds with those strollers (I sure am glad we didn't try to bring the double stroller). Koreans seem to be extremely fascinated by kids with pale skin, blue eyes and/or blond hair (white kids). They are not afraid to come up to them and touch them, bend down and talk to them, give them things to eat (basically, constantly stopping us in our tracks to kindly smother our babies). Hazel has never had much trouble with this, but Ava recently has had a tough time when strangers get close. Anyway, we are heading along down one of the isles in the bizarre when one Korean lady (wearing a surgical mask, making her extra scary) stops Nicki and Ava. She bends down in front of the stroller and gets right into Ava's face. At this point Ava is getting quite disturbed and you can tell she wants to make the bad lady stop. But as other Koreans see their opportunity to see a little white kid up close they jump at the chance and begin to huddle around (about 15-20 of them). All of this while the scary lady is pulling up Ava's socks holding her hand and talking to her (in Korean) through the scary mask. Without fail Ava begins to cry, only encouraging the lady to try to comfort her....(it's not working lady). Finally I think that the lady got the hit that it was her that was causing the outburst and she got up and moved on, and the crowd magically dissipated as quickly as they had gathered. Hopefully Ava won't be overly traumatized by the incident.

Finally, I (Nicki) will do a little explaining about the photos of the gravesites in our slide show. Matt pointed them out to me While we were driving south from Seoul down to Chinhae, and explained that traditional Korean graves are mounds of earth usually found on rural hillsides in scenic locations. After learning what all those mounds were, I became fascinated with the way they littered the hilltops along the freeway. I found myself wanting to learn the story behind each mound. I noticed that some were unkept, overgrown with weeds and brush, and others that were meticulously manicured on a regular basis. There were some that were coupled, what seemed to represent the two were married, and some that were obviously surrounded by family. More than anything, I wondered how the crap some of them got up there, and how they would ever be found again. Anyway, I took some pictures and wanted to share them with you. Don't worry, I won't be offended if you don't find it as interesting as I did. Since we've been home I've thought about it a little, and think Matt and I should be buried in mounds...I found it quite romantic.

Okay I think we've reached out literary limit. Thanks for hanging in there if you've made it this far. I'm going to add a video as a special treat of Hazel on our road trip. She really loves to sing the chorus to a song by Adele and she didn't know I was videotaping her. She has this really squeaky voice that makes me laugh, not to mention she does some goofy stuff when we're not watching...Enjoy. Hope you're all well and we can't wait to see some of you soon. WOOT WOOT!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Four Day Weekend

2009-02-17T12:57:00.004+09:00

Matt had a four-day weekend because of the holiday, so we decided we were going to finally take advantage of our time left here in Seoul. For Valentines Day we hired a babysitter then went on a double-date with some friends to Outback Steakhouse. That's right I said Outback...and it was everything I had hoped it would be. They don't have parking there so we've never gone due to it's inconvenience...but we grabbed a cab that dropped us right off it front... and it was so worth the wait! After dinner we walked around a bit and did a little shopping then headed home for some Rockband! It was great...and boy our friend Tiffany can sure play those drums. She was playing them on the hard setting and her hands were a-flyin'. I get stressed on the easy setting so she totally has my respect.

Monday we took the kids to the Coex Aquarium located at this huge Underground Mall. We had a great time, and it was there that we really understood Hazel's love for turtles. That's why there are so many pictures of them...including her souvenir turtle backpack. I tried to see if she liked the seal or the penguin one better...and it was all about the turtle. Or should I say, all about the "Shellys". lol. She wasn't to pumped being so close to an alligator, I could tell she was a little nervous being by it's big teeth. Afterwards we did a very "American" thing and had lunch at McDonalds that was located outside the aquarium in the mall. It's nice to know you can take care of your "Big Mac Attack" in any country.

It only took us 15 minutes to get to the Mall from where we live, so on the way back I started bragging about how well we are finding our way around in this huge city of 8 million. (23 million if you count the surrounding areas) Well I bet you can't guess what happened next. Yep, we took the wrong exit off the freeway and took a little detour north of Seoul. We arrived home about two hours later so we really aren't as good as I thought. Thank goodness Matt speaks Korean, because I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't be home if I were alone. It was nice to see another part of Seoul while the girls got their naps in, and we even got a picture of Dongdaemun Gate which is at the end of the slideshow. We really enjoyed the entire day and look forward to our next adventure.

It's a done deal!

2009-02-03T16:57:00.007+09:00

Well, we did it. We re-enlisted in the Army for another six years. I say, "we" because we decided together that it was the best thing for our family at this time. This will keep us in the military until at least January 2015 (WOW!..big commitment). But we didn't do it for nothing. We got our duty station of choice, Fort Lewis, Washington (definitely looking forward to the clean mountain air). We will be close to home for a change. There was also a $bonus$ that helped seal the deal. Over the last few months we have been planning a path that would take us to out of the military and over to Utah. However, with the current state of the economy and the security we have with the military (free family health care, steady pay check, housing, etc.) we felt it was the right path for us. Above are some pictures of the family at the re-enlistment.

Finally!....A Holiday Update

2009-01-17T16:14:00.006+09:00

Actually, just some pictures...have some errands to run today....maybe an update later tonight.

Okay...we're back now and thought I would give you a quick run down of the past month and 1/2.

Matt and I are older now...we both celebrated birthdays this past month...me in December and Matt at the beginning of January. For my birthday Matt brought home some take-out from a favorite place of mine on post that makes yummy sandwiches and the best cheese/bacon fries. I'm drooling right now just by thinking about them. Afterwards we went to the Christmas tree lighting which was fun and then the kids got to see that weird Santa that I posted a picture early in December. For Matt's birthday we actually got the chance to have a hot date without the kids. We met some great friends at a great Mexican restaurant here in Seoul followed by a little street shopping.

For Christmas we had a small family day which was wonderful, Hazel was hilarious on Christmas morning. The whole time I think she maybe said 10 words. She was so quiet, and her eyes were wide with excitement. We think that she was totally overwhelmed with everything...in shock that all the new toys and clothes were for her. It was really cute! She really got the hang of ripping open the gifts. She even took the liberty of opening a couple gifts that we were kind of saving for later. We had no idea she had grabbed and tore into them. She can be so quiet and sneaky.

For New Years we went over to a Friend's house where we spent a few hours chowing and singing Karaoke...then left early to put the kids in bed. At midnight we woke up Hazel so she could watch a firework display...we had a front row seat from our bedroom window. It's handy living on the 7th floor. It's got a great view!

All the kids are doing well and growing more everyday. Ava has been cracking us up because she can push her walker around the apartment now. The other day I was doing dishes and looked back to check on her, and she had made her way down the hallway to be closer to Hazel in the toy room. She loves being around her big sister, and giggles every time Hazel gives her any attention at all. She's a great kid, and has the best smile and laugh ever. I just love her so much!

Hazel has become quite the sponge. She tries to repeat everything these days. I went from understanding 80% of what she says to less then 50% since she has moved from single words to full on sentences. I have felt many times like I'm in Brazil again listening intently trying to pick out the words I understand. I'm exaggerating a little...it's wonderful how much she knows now. She knows a few of the shapes, some colors, can name the numbers from 1-9 and recognizes a lot of her letters. She even sings the alphabet, although a lot of the letters are slurred or hummed. It's pretty entertaining. She helps out a lot with the baby which is fun too. She's quick to say shhhh when she is crying and says "It's okay". It's pretty cute.

We get lots of updates on Maizy as well and continue to have our weekly phone calls with her. She loves talking and singing to Hazel and Ava and gets so excited when Hazel says words she knows. She has been taking Taekwondo, and just recently tested for her Camo belt. (it's just below yellow belt). We received some new pictures of her including this year's school picture that is posted on the right. We really miss seeing her and can't wait until we get back so the girls can really get to know each other.

Well that's all for now. I will try and do better as I always say, at keeping you all up to date on our adventures here. Facebook has really distracted me lately...it's so easy to post pictures and give quick updates that I forget that I haven't been on our blog for awhile. I hope everyone is doing well...just know that we love and miss all our friends and family and can't wait to get back to the states this year so we can see you again!

Ava Live

2008-12-12T23:00:00.005+09:00

Ava was cracking us up tonight and we thought we would share it with you. Hang in there and you will see two video clips. You can see for yourself why we love her so much!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

2008-12-08T19:29:00.006+09:00

Tonight we went to a Christmas tree lighting here at the housing community where we live. They had a little ceremony with a prayer and a couple choir numbers. It was nice although crowded. Hazel got a little restless while we were standing in line to take pictures with Santa. With the help of a good friend, we did manage to get a couple family pictures afterwards. Enjoy.

You can't really see us in this picture, but you can get a sense of what the lights look like. It was really pretty...it's no "Lights at Temple Square" but I thought they did a good job.

Here is the first picture of the girls with Santa...I was worried that it would turn out worse than it did because he had his beard and mustache pulled down below his mouth so it looked kind of ridiculous. He did manage to pull it back up in time even though he still looks like he smoked a candy cane or two before he came. lol

Couldn't be more Thankful

2008-11-30T01:50:00.004+09:00

November is always going to be a special month. Not only is there a special holiday that provokes reflection on all that we are blessed with, there is also our Anniversary. Matt and I were married three years ago on November 26th, so Thanksgiving weekend will always be a special time for us. We can't believe all that we've gone through in 3 short years...most importantly having Hazel and Ava join our family. I can't imagine life without them and Matt...it just makes everything that much better to know you are married to your best friend, and that you are parents to some special kids! We got to do something this year that we find hard to do...and that is go on a date. Matt got a friend that he works with to watch the girls. He and his wife have one son and have been tinkering with the idea of more so they were excited to watch them. Matt came home from work with some beautiful flowers, helped me get the girls ready...then we were off. After dropping the girls off we walked to a busy shopping area where we found a place to eat. I've been wanting to eat some Korean food for sometime now and totally loved it. I still however am not a fan of Kimchi, and don't see that happening anytime soon. It was so nice to be able to get out and experience more of city life, which can be difficult to do sometimes when you are toting around two little ones with you. It was a great night, and it's been a wonderful first 3 years...I am looking forward to all the years to come!

Thanksgiving was fun too. We have a few families here that we've become friends with and we were invited to have dinner together...including us there were 4 families total. We shared a huge feast and great company. Hazel loved being around all the kids as usual...and they had fun making her laugh, which is an easy task if you're a kid.

Now it's December is just about here and I couldn't be more excited. After Hazel went to bed, Matt and I put on some Christmas music and decorated the tree and hung up the stockings. We were so excited after we were done that we went and woke Hazel up so she could see the tree all lit up while it was still dark outside. Her expression was totally satisfying....and made it all worth it. She just sat on our laps not saying a word...totally in awe. It was AWESOME! Today she totally cracked us up because we kept catching her just walking casually by while totally looking at it. It was hilarious. She's been good not to touch it though...she just gets close enough so she can see her reflection in some of the bulbs. We will see how long that lasts.

Well that's it for now. I just wanted to say that life is good!

Movember Is Over

2008-11-29T00:49:00.003+09:00

They say that all good things must come to an end, and so it has with the month of Movember. Several of the guys from work (and a few of the ladies through no fault of their own) decided to grow mustaches during the month of November. We were having a little competition to see who could grow the best/worst/creepiest mustaches. Overall it was a pretty funny sight. Most of the guys that I work with are pretty young and by the end of the month you could only tell that they hadn't shaved if they turned thier head at just the right angle and the sun was shining on their 4 or 5 lady whiskers. However, there were a few of the guys that were already having to trim their 'stache by the end of the first week so that they would stay within military regulations. I, myself fell somewhere in between. All I have to say though, is that I am glad that the end of the month has come and gone along with that mustache that is in the picture. I was ready for it to go, Nicki was definitely ready for it to go. Now that it is gone I am quite sure that I won't be growing another anytime soon.

Winter Finally Made It!

2008-11-19T09:42:00.010+09:00

It's half way through November and the cold finally hit us. Yesterday it was in the high 20s which is a drastic drop from low 60s that we had last week. Fortunately we are all feeling better, although Ava still has a little cough and my ears are still plugged. Anyway, here are a couple pictures of the girls before we left for Ava's well-check yesterday. Super Cute is all I have to say! hehe

The Little Sickie

2008-11-09T16:06:00.007+09:00

It's been a fun week. Hazel got pretty sick after she went to her 2 Year check-up. I have a question, why do you have to do the well checks in the same place that the obviously not-so-well checks occur? Anywho, she's been pretty miserable and it's been hard to watch since she's really never been sick. I honestly have never seen so much stuff drip out of someones nose before. I did see a glimpse of her old self at 4am when she lethargically sang "D-D-D-D-D-Dora" while looking at her pajama top. Now we are to the joyous part of the illness where it spreads throughout the whole family. Matt and I are feeling it and Ava woke up this morning with a runny nose. All I can say is that it's a good thing she didn't get the live virus flu shot. Who knows what would have happened then. So sad. No worries, we've all been quarantined and the plague is hopefully contained within our quarters.

Too sick to care that I keep taking pictures.

There's been a lot of laying around which she never does.

Daddy trying to make Hazel smile.

Success.

Pettijohn Oktoberfest

2008-10-31T22:51:00.006+09:00

Well it's been a busy month, a lot has happened in terms of progress. We will just jump right in and give you the pooper-scooper.

Ava: It seems like she is growing up so much faster than Hazel did...she is already 4-months old. She is constantly laughing and giggling (except when she's yelling at us) and at times it seems like she is trying to join right in on the conversation. She is trying so hard to talk, which is funny because Hazel was always quiet...soaking it all in. She doesn't get a lot of tummy time due to her sister always running around, so she surprised us last week when she rolled from her tummy both ways on to her back. We've loved being able to put her in her walker, and you can tell she loves being in the middle of all the action. It's helped her and Hazel interact more with one another. She is totally content watching Hazel jump around the house. One thing is for sure...she has a smile that can melt you, and a laugh that is music to our ears.

Hazel: What can we say...she is such a character. She turned two on the 30Th, and they sure are right when they say toddlers take on some new personality traits at that age. She's been finding news ways to test her boundaries lately, and we are not loving it so much. She loves being around people and little kids as we've mentioned before, however when it's time to leave or do something else she's been exercising the art of the "Dead Weight, Limp Arm" drop. It's so stinkin' annoying and I can't help but wonder where do kids learn that. Fortunately for us she's only a pill sometimes. The other 95% of the time she just entertains us by constantly demonstrating new skills. This week she took us off guard by reading a book about numbers and totally counted to Six. After she said each one, we would look on the page to see if it matched and it did. We've gone over numbers a ton, but she had never bothered to repeat beyond the number three. It was awesome...and we were so proud. She is learning more words everyday, and continues to have a passion for music and dance. I love it when she tries to mimic the moves or sing the songs she sees on TV. Those Backyardigans can really shake it!

Matt and I are still doing well...the kids keep us busy but we have managed to make new friends at church and had fun hanging out with them. It doesn't get better than a BBQ and an episode of "The Office"! We do miss our family and friends back home though, especially when birthdays and the holidays come up. I can't wait to have those big cousin birthdays, and for everyone to get to know our cute girls.

Well that's all for now. We miss ya'll even though we are enjoying our time in this Foreign Land. lol

We're Still Alive and Well

2008-10-05T14:34:00.004+09:00

Man this year has really flown by. I can't believe that we are already in October. Ava is 3 months old already and Hazel turns 2 at the end of this month. Matt and I have been pretty "busy" our first 3 years of Marriage. I never thought I would be living in South Korea married, with two kids. Our family motto is "Roll with it"! We love our life together and all the crazy adventures that we get to experience. We also think it's pretty cool that Hazel can say that she lived in South Korea and that Ava can say that she was born here.

Hazel has been changing so much lately. She's been saying so many words, and today we swear that she said "agua" when asking for water. She's been watching a lot of Dora the Explorer lately and has picked up a few things from it. She loves Nursery and doesn't think twice about mom and dad not being there. Everyone comments on how she just goes right in there with all the other kids, and doesn't cry like a lot of the other kids do when they get dropped off. I think she just gets tired of being with mom all day everyday and enjoys the new view and faces.

Ava is getting so big so fast and has become so expressive. She has this super cute raspy laugh and catches us off guard when she uses it. She'll start laughing when we sneeze or when she hears a funny noise. I absolutely love it! She also has become a great sleeper. She will go to sleep sometime around 10:30pm and sleep until 9:30-10:00am. It's so nice, but frustrating that we have 9:00 church and have to wake up both kids early in order to get there on time. It's about a 20 minute drive to get there, so we have to be out the door by 8:30am. I would say that Ava's most annoying habit is that she's the biggest wiggler. She always has trouble keeping her pacifier in because her wiggly arms always knock it out. We have to bundle her really tight in order to get her to sleep, but when we do it lasts all night long!

Well I keep rambling on, but I didn't want to finish without congratulating my hubby. He got promoted to Staff Sergeant last Friday and I am so proud! We didn't get to go to the ceremony because they had it at 5:30am or as Matt would say O'Darkthirty. He did get a couple of pictures that I put on the slide show. I also have a niece and nephew who sent us some Flat Stanleys to take pictures with, so we took him to the Korean War Museum. We had a great time, and Hazel loved running around. She got surrounded numerous times by Koreans who just had to touch her rosie cheeks and practice there broken engrish. A common phrase we hear all the time is "SO Cute". It's hilarious.

Well I better wrap this novel up. I hope you enjoy the pictures and the not so light reading. I would like also to apologize for not being the best commenter on so many of your blogs, but I promise to repent and not be so lazy in the future. Matt and I both do read them though and keep up with all of your families.

Ava's Blessing Day

2008-09-07T12:25:00.002+09:00

Just a few pictures from Ava's blessing today. I started off with pictures of our new Church building. When you look down this alley you would never believe that there is this huge building on the right side there. The street is so tight I couldn't even get the whole building in one picture. It's a U-Shaped church with 3 rows of parking, two of them underground. It has a full-size gym and even has a foyer which our other one didn't. I could barely fit in the bathrooms at our old building. lol. Anyway we love it, and Ava was the first baby blessed there. She looked so beautiful and didn't make a sound. Matt did a beautiful job on the blessing. I still can't believe I am the mother of two amazing daughters. I love them so much, and they make me laugh and smile everyday! Enjoy our first family pictures of the four of us.

A Pettijohn CRAPtastic Miracle!

2008-09-02T15:04:00.003+09:00

For those who have been around us know that Hazel has a best friend named Shelly. It’s a stuffed turtle that we got her from the aquarium in Monterey. She sleeps with her every night and even uses her as a pillow. Lately she’s even been bringing her over to me so I can wrap her up in a blanket like I do Ava. She will carry her around and pat her on the back and put her in the swing when Ava is not using it. It’s so dang cute. Well last week after church we went to put her down for a nap and we couldn’t find Shelly anywhere. The only conclusion we could come up with it that she must of tried to bring her to church and we lost her somewhere between our apartment and the car. We searched everywhere and she was just nowhere to be found. When we put Hazel to bed that night, she just sobbed because she was so sad. It totally broke my heart to see her like that because she is usually so happy. I know I’m being dramatic, but you just don’t want to see your kid so sad. We found a website that sold the same turtle and ordered it. When Hazel saw the picture online she smiled and pointed saying “DATS Selly!” It was so cute. I’m telling you, that turtle couldn’t get here fast enough. On Friday Matt called me to tell me he was going to make my day. That morning he had emptied the diaper pail and decided to take his chances and throw the garbage bag into the dumpster from a few feet away. He missed and hit the corner of it causing the bag to pop open like a bag of chips. As he bent over to pick up all the diapers, there at the bottom of the pile was Shelly. (Or should I say Smelly…lol) Seriously what are the chances of that happening? We had our own little "Crappy" miracle…as simple as it may seem to others…was a huge deal for us. We put her in the washing machine and gave her to Hazel that night. I took some pictures of the reunion so you could all witness her happiness. I also added some other pictures of her sleeping with Shelly as she was napping with my mom last summer, using her as a pillow in bed, and if you check out our family picture in the top right corner of our blog she is holding her. So there you have it…our Pettijohn Craptastic Miracle!

Just Our Cute Little Girls

2008-08-26T10:41:00.003+09:00

Not much new to report, I just thought I would share some cute pictures that we took of Hazel on Sunday, and some of Ava smiling. Being a mom just rocks! Hazel has been so good with Ava, although you can tell that she can't wait until she can play with her. Ava has been getting better at her schedule and has been sleeping from around 11pm-7am give or take a 1/2 hour. So we are gradually working into a routine. I've come to the conclusion that the best weight-loss program is going to be keeping up with them. lol. Well enjoy the pics.

Another First and I Missed it!

2008-08-19T13:40:00.003+09:00

So while I've been recovering from my surgery we hired a girl (Lexi) to help me with Hazel. The other day she took her outside to the playground while I was resting and taking care of Ava, and something so funny happened. There was this cute little Korean boy (4 yrs old but the same height as Hazel) who was jumping around making Hazel laugh. She loves kids, and it really doesn't take much to get her laughing at them. Well he got carried away and got right in her face hoping to keep the laughter going. Hazel took it as a hint, and grabbed his head and kissed him right on the lips. Lexi said that she totally freaked him out...he started wiping his lips off in disgust. Aw...her first kiss and I'm sad to say that I missed it. We were wondering if something like this would happen since she goes around giving us kisses all the time. Well I guess this means we will have to set some ground rules and hope she will understand that she's still too young to be kissing boys. lol.

Our Crazy July

2008-08-04T15:23:00.006+09:00

Well hello everyone. Sorry that it’s been so long since I wrote last…it’s been a crazy month. As you all know it started off with a beautiful baby girl. She is such a wonderful addition to our family. We’ve been able to gets lots of smiles out of her lately, which I am certain is not because of gas! Hazel has been great with her too…giving her lots of hugs and kisses. (All of which need to be monitored) We were worried when we brought Ava home from the hospital because Hazel didn’t seem herself. We assumed that she was having a hard time adjusting. Well turns out she was a little sicky…having a temperature with no other signs of what might be wrong. After a couple of days after the fever, she ended up with a rash which the doctor later informed us was roseola. She got over that quickly, but also struggled with her walking and ended up taking a couple headers on the sidewalk. You probably noticed the nice scrapes on her head in some of the pictures. She tried stairs on a hot day, and ended up falling as a result of the hot cement. Her head is looking a lot better these days, but there is still a bump on her forehead as a constant reminder. Poor kid!

We had a few more challenges as the month went on. About ten days after the C-Section, I started feeling pain in my abdomen…then a week later I developed a fever. I went to the emergency room a couple times trying to find out what the problem was, and after a week of uncontrolled fever, the Doctor at the emergency room decided to take a CT Scan of my abdominal area. He came in asked me if I had had my appendix out, and was bewildered when I answered no. I guess they couldn’t see it on the CT Scan which had him worried. The scan was also showing a large amount of fluid surrounding a lot of my organs. The Doctor then decided to contact a Surgeon who as well was very perplexed, and after consulting other Doctors around him, thought it best to perform exploratory surgery. Just the thought of it freaked me out…having an operation with an unknown destination. Anyway, so on Friday the 25th that same day as the CT Scan, I had my second operation of the month. I am so grateful for the Priesthood that Matt holds. He was able to find someone to watch the girls so he could come to the hospital to give me a blessing. It was so comforting, and I knew I would of struggled without it. So it looks like the operation went okay , even though I had to spend another week in the hospital. The doctors found that my appendix was attaching itself to one of my fallopian tubes with scar tissue so they ended up taking it out. Also there were lots of blood clots around my other bits and pieces as well as a staph infection. Thankfully I knew that something wasn’t right and kept going back until they found the problem…otherwise things would have been a lot worse...now I get to sport a new 7 inch scar. I guess all those bikinis will have to go to charity...lol.

Matt was amazing….he was able to extend his leave so he could continue taking care of the girls. He’s basically been Mr. Mom this whole month, watching the girls, keeping the house in order, as well as running around Korea trying to get Ava’s little passport and visa all taken care of before the 30 day deadline. I really do think at times that I married Superman. I couldn’t imagine being able to go through these challenges without his strength.

Well life is settling down now, and Matt is back to work and so am I. I finally get to know Ava better, and love spending time with my girls. I look forward to recovering so we can all enjoy South Korea while we are here. I love how life trials remind us how blessed we really are!

New Pettijohn In-Da-House

2008-07-07T19:31:00.003+09:00

Here are a few new pictures of Ava along with some of the rest of us. The C-Section went really well and they sent me home just after two nights. I think they really wanted us out before the Holiday weekend. Recovery has been a little slow going, but I'm stating to get around a little better each day. Matt took Ava back to the Doctor on Saturday for a 4-Day check-up and she has a clean bill of health. We just love her to death. I still can't get over her dark hair...I love it! I really hope she gets to keep it, and that it doesn't go lighter over time.

Hazel is loving her little sister, although she's wanted more lap time than usual. She's been trying to do a little adjusting to her new situation which has been a lot to take in. First mommy was gone for 2 days, then that baby that was with her came home and is staying for good. She's been trying to figure it out, and we've been doing our best to make the transition as easy for her as we can. (sometimes, not that easy)

We wanted to again say thanks to Michelle for coming to visit and stay with Hazel while we were in the hospital. It was such a huge relief to know that Hazel was in good hands while we were gone. Hazel just loves you to death...so let me know when you want to come and stay for good!!!

Matt was able to take leave this month, and has been doing so much while I've been recovering. Considering that I can't even lift Hazel, would have made for some long days without him here. He has a knack for making everything just that much better when he is home.

Well that's all for now...time to get some sleep. Take care and talk to you soon!

Ava Nichole Pettijohn

2008-07-02T18:59:00.002+09:00

Born July 1st 2008 1:57pm, Weight 6lbs 14oz, Height 19 1/4, healthy. Nicki is due to be discharged from the hospital tomorrow or the next day (hopefully tomorrow). More to follow when she returns. I just wanted to get a picture out there so that some family and friends can see our new addition to the family.

May Recap

2008-06-12T17:52:00.007+09:00

Well May is over and we made it through Matt's trip without going into Labor...Thank Goodness. lol. Even though he was in Hawaii his trip was far from relaxing on the beach. When he wasn't working, the people he was with had a list jammed packed full of touristy things to do, and Matt was their guide. They went on a dinner cruise, to a luau, pearl harbor, the Dole pineapple plant, a magic show, diamond head, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. That doesn't even include all the shopping they added to that. They were in the States again and wanted to take full advantage. Needless to say Matt was exhausted and bummed that he got to spend maybe a whole 15 minutes in the Ocean. He still had a great time in spite of that.

Since he's been back we've been trying to get ready for the baby to come. We washed all of Hazel's old "basically brand new" baby clothes and seriously can't believe how small she use to be. When we were sorting them out, she held a pair of pajamas up to her chest and they were half her size. I just can't get over that in just a couple of weeks we are going to have a little one that will fit in them. Babies are so tiny!!! Well I sure hope we don't get surprised with a boy after seeing how many cute girl clothes we have already. Speaking of the baby coming...we have an official date for the C-Section...unless we go into labor early July 1st will be the big day.

Other exciting news is that we were spoiled this last month. Not only did we find that $10.00 bed at a yardsale, but a super sweet woman in our ward won a brand-new crib and had no need for it, and gave it to us at no charge. It couldn't of been better timing because Hazel crawled out of her Pack N' Play for the first time while Matt was putting the crib together. We put her new Nemo blanket in it, and seriously she runs to her bedroom door when we ask her if she is ready to go Night Night. Makes bedtime a whole lot easier. As far as the toddler bed, we've been keeping it out in the front room because it gives Hazel something else to crawl on besides my belly. : )

Well that's all for now. I will make sure and update you as we get closer to the big day. Only 2 1/2 weeks left, and we can't wait!

My Husband Rocks!

2008-05-28T11:44:00.005+09:00

I just wanted to share with all of you, how great Matt is! I know we shouldn't brag, but he seriously is the best! He is in Hawaii this week for work, and really wasn't happy with the timing of this mandatory trip. We're in the last month of the pregnancy, and I'm supposed to be taking it easy because contractions have been kicking in every time I start doing something. Anyway, he wanted to make it as easy as possible for me before he left so all I had to do was take care of Hazel. When I tried to help, he asked me not to. Here is a list of what he did to make our burden lighter this week:

-Cleaned and Vacuumed the house
-laundry
-dishes
-shopping
-emptied garbage and diaper pail
-gave Hazel a bath
-made a bunch of Spaghetti for some lunches and dinner
-made a loaf of French Toast to freeze and pop in the toaster
(1st time trying that but is seriously yummy!)
-helped me pack for the hospital
-Changed out the 5 gallon water thingy

Needless to say our week has been going quite smooth. He really has made it a lot easier on Hazel and I, and I just want him to know how grateful I am. Thankfully he is enjoying his trip to beautiful Hawaii (which he more than deserves) and he can do it worry free because we are doing great here all because of him. I told him for Father's Day he needs to get a massage at the hotel there, so hopefully he will have time there to take me up on that. Matt, you're the best! I love you!!!!

Our Little American Idol

2008-05-09T19:38:00.000+09:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Surprise from Daddy

2008-05-07T13:55:00.007+09:00

We decided that we wanted to get a couple bedspreads for Hazel's room since she is considering climbing out of her bed. She hasn't yet, but we know it's coming. We've had her sleeping in a Pack N' Play since she was born, which we thought would be easiest with all the moving around we've done over the past 2 years. Well now she is showing her flexibility and can reach her foot all the way to the top. She can't climb out yet, but with our hard floors we have decided that we better get prepared. So to make a short story longer...Every set we found online wouldn't ship to us over here, and we didn't like the ones we found on post so we decided to go another route. Here in Korea they make these beautiful mink blankets (not real mink) that are super soft. Hazel's been addicted to Finding Nemo lately so Matt set out to find blankets that had Nemo on them. Monday he came home with two matching ones that you see in the picture, and this cute little Adidas outfit that she has on. It's still a little big on her, but I think it's so adorable on her. Well as you can tell from the pictures, she loves the blanket and her face lights up every time she sees it. We put it on the spare bed in her room, so whenever she goes in there she has to get on the bed. It's so funny. When I get her up in the morning, and turn the light on...she just gets the biggest grin on her face as she looks over at the bed. I just wanted to share because I think it's super cute how excited she is about it.

24 Things about Me

2008-05-05T15:45:00.004+09:00

Tagged by Shelli

4 Places I Go Over and Over
:: The Bathroom (got to love being pregnant)
:: The Kitchen
:: The Commissary (grocery store on post)
:: 121st Hospital on Post (Where Hazel and I go for all Dr. Appts)

4 People Who Email Me
:: Marianne
:: Terri
:: Tasha
:: Mom

4 of my Favorite Foods
:: Steak and Baked Potato from Outback
:: Lettuce Wraps from PF Changs
:: Cinnamon Rolls
:: Crab Legs

4 Places I Would Rather Be Right Now
:: In Grants Pass,OR so Hazel and Maizy could get to know each other better as sisters.
:: Tri-Cites, WA so Hazel could get spoiled by grandma and she could get to know her cousins better.
:: In Utah so we could have play dates with my friends who have kids Hazel's age.
:: Anywhere as long as my hubby and kids are there.

4 People I Think Will Respond {This means I tag you}
:: Jessica
:: Jodi
:: Kelsie
:: Amy

4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over
:: Overboard
:: Sweet Home Alabama (true, I don't mean to copy you Shelli :-)
:: While you Were Sleeping
:: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

April Fools

2008-04-30T15:15:00.004+09:00

Time is going by fast, and I couldn't be happier about it. That means only 8 more weeks until Baby Pettijohn joins the world outside Mommy's belly. Even though I'm due on the 5th of July, the next time I go in to see the Doctor they should schedule the C-section for either the 24th or 26th of June. Woohoo!!! I'm not excited or anything. lol.

Well I've already addressed some of Hazel's clever new skills. This past week we reached another new milestone that is bitter sweet. She has mastered the art of climbing on the furniture. Some of you might not think this is such a bad thing, so let me explain why it's a little traumatic. The walls are cement so we can't really hang pictures on them so they've been on the end tables. This also goes for any other kind of item we might have around the house to make it more homey. This new skill has opened a whole new world of trouble for her, and she loves every minute of it. Item after item has been taken in to our bedroom, leaving us with less and less on display. Why bother you might ask...well I'm lazy and pregnant, and I don't really feel like saying "No No!" all day long, so I would rather just eliminate the temptation. The other issue with her crawling up on the couch is the lack of cushion for a landing. The floors are basically tile on top of cement, so Matt and I have become full-time spotters as she tests the bounciness of the cushions. (They are hard as rocks...military issue) Fortunately no injuries yet, and she is getting quite good at the dismount.

Hazel is talking quite a bit even though we don't understand a lot of what comes out. Her and I have had quite a few long conversations lately, and it's super cute watching her move her hands and nod her head as she talks. I also love listening to her practice in bed when she wakes up in the morning or when we put her down at night. She talks up a storm, and there are usually a few squeals in her sentences. Her vocabulary is growing though thanks to watching "Signing Time" videos. My favorite is watching her sign the word for baby. It's so cute!

Matt's been working even harder than usual these days. The army has really piled on a lot all at the same time, which can be pretty stressful. He's been so amazing trying to balance both work and family, and I just want him to know how much he means to us, and how grateful I am for all he does!

Well I've bored you long enough, I just wanted to update you on what's been going on in the Pettijohn Household. Just know that even though we are so far away, that we think about and miss you all!

Super Sneaky Super Kid

2008-04-10T10:42:00.007+09:00

I am pleased to report that Hazel has a wonderful sense of right and wrong. The funny thing is, it doesn't mean that she won't get into things. I am going to give you a couple examples of her sneaky moves.

The Fake-Out Hug: I love it when she is affectionate. She is getting more and more that way everyday. However lately when she is sometimes giving this super sweet hug, I've seen her free hand inching it's way to the remote or mouse. To tell you the truth, I can't help but be impressed with this smooth move.

The Wait-for-a-Witness: We have a walk through gate to our kitchen which I absolutely love. It keeps her out of the cupboards, our water dispenser...and other not so friendly Hazel items. However sometimes after a nap she will notice before Matt and I, that we have left it open while she was sleeping. She will get really quiet and go over and stand by it until we notice, then she will run in laughing to try and get in as much stuff as she can before we reach her. Another example of this move is when we leave something in reach on the couch or table. We use our TV as our computer monitor so sometimes the keyboard and mouse are left out. She will walk over to the couch, wait until we are watching, then full-on start typing on the keyboard or diving to grab the remote. It's so funny because she is really moving her fingers like she is typing. Last example of this move would be after a nap. We keep the doors in the hallway closed so she can't get in the rooms. She has decided to be helpful after we get her up by stopping at every door that is open and wait for us to close it. She's totally telling us that she is aware that it is not closed and will get into that room if we don't take care of it.

The Face Move: This is her newest move that she has even used as I've been typing this entry. She wants to push the keys so bad, and I am pretty good at keeping her hands away, so she has come up with the idea of leaning her head in slowly until she is pushing the keys with her nose. It's annoying yet hilarious all at the same time.

Well that's enough examples for today. I just wanted to share because I think she is so funny and proud that she is so imaginative.

Evil Eye

2008-04-09T10:19:00.000+09:00

We thought this was hilarious and figured you all might enjoy it too!

March Madness

2008-03-28T12:54:00.008+09:00

Well Spring is coming and we couldn't be happier about it. Last year the weather was a lot more mild in Monterey...so we've been looking forward to it warming up. I shouldn't complain...we've had lots of friends buried in the snow, and we've only had a couple inches total all year. The temperature got in the 60's last week so we thought it would be fun to take Hazel outside to play on all the kids toys. It's fun having her at an age where she can run around and take it all in. Matt and I have both decided that she would just keep running from us if we didn't step in as human boundaries.

This week we also got the chance to go to a Korean Hospital and have a very detailed ultrasound. It was fun to spend a lot of time looking at the baby and counting all her fingers and toes. The baby's features actually resembled Hazel quite a bit. The thing that cracks me up is that they are so amazing at locating the four chambers of the heart, the bladder, the brain, yet because of the culture here they can't tell me if my baby has a pee pee or not. lol. The only thing we can get out of them is "I think girl?" or "Maybe girl?". So that is what we are planning on, however Matt and I have a back up boy name and have had the circumcision discussion in advance so we should be covered if there are any surprises. Matt doesn't want our kid to be made fun of, so it's a go. lol. One thing we know for sure is that the baby is very active and knows exactly where mom's bladder is located. We've had many close calls these past few weeks.

Well that's all for now...Enjoy the pictures of us playing outside and Hazel's windblown hair (and that her hair is actually getting long enough to be windblown). Also I love the picture of her in the bathtub. It totally looks like she is getting frisked while we are getting those hard to reach places.

P.S. I just wanted to share with you some good and bad news. We just got our double stroller in the mail after 5 weeks, and we absolutely love it. It handles great and Hazel took it for a test drive and totally digs it. Bad news...We are 99% sure that it's not going to fit in the trunk of our cute, cheap little Hyundai Elantra that we are driving while we are here. We aren't sure what to do short of buying a ski rack, so any suggestions would be great. Maybe we can tie it up Korean style with lots of bungee cords...lol.

Dr. Pepper is Known to Enhance Your Senses!

2008-03-18T13:01:00.009+09:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The other day I let Hazel play with this box and this is what she managed to do. You would think she could see, but if you were to witness all the furniture she managed to bump into before I got the video rolling you would know that this was pure skill. This is actually not her first experience with loss of sight believe it or not, she almost daily will put a sweatshirt, blanket or jacket over her head and walk around the apartment giggling the whole time. She is such a silly!

Is it March Already?

2008-03-07T15:07:00.014+09:00

Well I was just thinking about it, and Hazel and I have already been here in South Korea for 6 months now, and Matt has been here 8 months. It's amazing how fast time flies, by the time the baby comes as the end of June we will already have 1 year under our belts. Between the cold weather and pregnancy, we really haven't had a chance to explore Seoul very much, but we really look forward to doing that.

There is so much beauty and history here that we want to experience. Unfortunately I've been quite turned off by the smell of Korean food, but am looking forward to diving into it after the baby is here. Matt's had some fun with it though, he's had some Koreans that he works with take him out to dinner a few times. He always comes back feeling and smelling miserable after feeling obligated to eat raw eel, snails, and other wonderful delicacies. I might mention that he really isn't that much of a fish food lover. Oooops. He so thoughtful in trying to avoid any garlic since my bionic nose is mega sensitive to it...he's seriously the best!

Hazel is growing fast and still surprising me with new things she's picked up. I love the different kinds of things she does to communicate what she wants...for example putting her sippy cup in my hand...then running over to the kitchen to wait for me to follow so I can can fill it up. No mistaking what she wants there. The other day she picked up a stuffed bear and put her sippy cup up to it's lips to give it a drink, I thought that was so cute. Especially since neither Matt nor I have showed her that. She also loves being around other kids. My Visiting Teacher brings her 4 year old son over every month, and Hazel just follows him around with tears in her eyes from laughing so hard at everything he does. I think sometimes he wonders why he is so funny, and gets kind of a complex. We also got a new webcam so she can see and get to know family since we won't get a chance to go home until Thanksgiving time. Sometimes we turn on the camera so she can see herself dancing as she watches her favorite shows. Matt and I laugh so hard at some of the moves she has come up with. I still am wondering who she got her hip action from, I know for a fact that it wasn't from me. Imagine doing the hula hoop without a hula hoop...she seriously works those hips front and back, side to side...it's hilarious!

As for me...I'm now 23 weeks along and excited to say that I'm over half way there. We sure look forward to having our new little girl with us! We've toyed with the idea of giving her a Korean name like "Kim" or "Seoul" (just kidding about Seoul) But are leaning towards Ava Nichole Pettijohn. If you don't like the name, I ask you to keep your opinions to yourself...lol. Whatever we decide to name her, we just hope that she is happy and knows that we already love her to death.

Well that's it for now...sorry for being so long winded. Enjoy the pictures...and I will put some more up soon.

We Sure are Consistent!

2008-02-14T11:21:00.000+09:00

Well we had an ultrasound on Tuesday, and it looks like it's a Girl!!! We are really excited about her, and really excited that she will be wearing lots of gently used "hand-me-downs"! We should be able to save lots of money for the double stroller. lol. Anyway...looks like all is well and she is measuring right on schedule. We will keep you all posted as time goes on.

How to Get Full Lips

2008-02-10T13:06:00.000+09:00

Hazel was playing around her highchair last night and tripped over one of the legs. It was so sad to see her lip just covered with blood and her crying. We were able to calm her down right away with a little drink of water and yep...one of her favorite frozen mini-pancake to suck on and help stop the swelling. She was quite the trooper. Now she wears her first fat lip with pride.

It's so funny watching her use her tongue to play with her swollen lip...we all know that weird feeling when one side of you lip is all huge. Well we are glad to report that all her teeth are still there and in one piece. We will just have to give her cheek kisses for a few days.

January is Already Over???

2008-02-05T14:42:00.000+09:00

Well I can't believe that January has already come and gone. That means only 5 months until baby Pettijohn will grace us with it's presence. HOLY CRAP...what have we done? LOL. Just kidding, we are so excited and can't wait to find out what we are having. We have another ultrasound scheduled for the 12th, so hopefully we will have some news to share with you all next month. Make sure and vote what you think we will be having on the left column of our webpage if you haven't already.

Other than that, there hasn't been too much excitement this month, we tend to be a little boring sometimes. I did post a couple of pictures of Hazel, one because I think her outfit is cute and the other holding an empty box of one of her favorite breakfast items. I know it's cheating, but throwing a couple mini-pancakes in the microwave is so easy, and she loves them. So nope, no one can make me feel guilty for it. :)

Well I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the lovely weather you've all been blessed with over there in the states. It's been cold here, but we've only seen maybe a couple inches total this winter. Stay warm and I will update you more next time.

South Korean Strawberries

2008-02-05T14:34:00.001+09:00

I remember when Matt was stationed here in South Korea while we were dating...he used to brag about the Strawberries. He would tell me how big and sweet they are. Well I really couldn't appreciate what he was telling me until I was able to try them for myself. He wasn't kidding, they are the biggest and sweetest things I've ever eaten. They have a texture that is so different from strawberries in the U.S. and they tend to disolve in your mouth. It's hard to describe, you will just have to trust me when I say...YUM!!!!

New Picture in the Header

2008-02-05T14:24:00.000+09:00

We were looking for a picture of Seoul so you could get a good idea how big this city is. There are about 10 million in Seoul itself and 23 million in the surrounding suburbs. All I can say is that there are a lot of people here.

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/100163.jpg

Here is the link for this picture which was taken from the Seoul Tower (similar to the space needle), it provides a 360 degree view of Seoul. Believe or not we can find our apartment building.

Shirts or Skins

2008-01-26T21:39:00.000+09:00

This afternoon when I went to get Hazel up from her nap...this is how I found her. She had taken her entire nap with her shirt pulled over her head like this. We thought it was so funny that we had to show you. All day today she had been pulling it up high enough that it covered her eyes, allowing many near misses with the furniture as she walked around the apartment. She can be such a silly sometimes.

Hey by the way...don't forget to cast your vote on the poll we are taking on the left side of the page. We want to know if you think we are having a boy or a girl. We will be able to find out the results soon!!!

Mr. Tough Guy

2008-01-23T12:31:00.000+09:00

I meant to add this picture a couple months ago, however I had forgotten to until I came across it today. This was taken in October when Matt was at his leadership training course for a month. He likes this one because he thinks it makes him look all tough. I wanted to post it and say a few things about him really quick. I waited a long time to find him as most of you know, and it just so happens that he was more than worth the wait. I can honestly say that I married my best friend! He may look tough in this picture, but he is honestly the kindest most thoughtful person I've ever met. He is a wonderful Husband and Father, and we couldn't be more blessed to have him in our family! One other great thing about him is he gets my inside jokes when no one else does and will still give me a courtesy laugh even when it's undeserving. That's true love right there! Thanks Matt for all you do for us!

Sweet December

2008-01-02T14:46:00.000+09:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It was an interesting month for the Pettijohns...My birthday was on the 8th, and Matt and I made a very poor decision to celebrate by going to a Mexican Restaurant on base. Well...Matt ended up paying for it by getting some kind of stomach bug that jacked up his temperature as high as 105. He had to get a couple of IVs because he was so dehydrated at one point. Luckily after a week he started feeling better and was able to eat solid food again...Hazel and I were so proud of him. We learned a very important lesson...no more Mexican Food in Korea. (unless it's Taco Bell of course!) So far this pregnancy I've managed not to throw up which is something that I managed to do daily with Hazel. However I have been struggling with that 24/7 nauseated feeling that some of you might be familiar with. When Matt was sick too, I think Hazel was wondering what was wrong with her parents.

We did have lots of good news this month which we are happy to report. Matt had to take his Korean Proficiency test, and past it with flying colors. We also were finally approved for a car, which I can't even begin to tell you how exciting that is. We had to take our USFK (United States Forces Korea) driver's test this week and were able to pass it, so we should be driving hopefully within the next week. It's a Christmas miracle! lol! I know a few of you are familiar with drivers in Korea, and as I was studying for the test I realized it's definitely a "Drive as I say, Not as Everyone Else Drives" kind of Country. It's pretty much survival of the quickest when you are on the road. We decided not to ship our car over like some people do, and that we would just buy a super cheap Korean used car to use while we were here. I kind of had my hopes on getting one of those funny, stubby cars that lots of Koreans drive. How often do you get the chance to drive around in a car like that? I thought it would be so funny. However after considering the safety factors we made a mature decision to go with a safer route.

Hazel is just as cute as ever. I am totally one of those Cheesy moms that can sit and watch her daughter forever. She is so funny and entertaining. She still loves to sing and dance especially to the Backyardigans, and has begun imitating some of the gestures and moves that they do. It totally cracks me up. I also ask her if she's ready for "Night Night" and she will stop what she's doing and take off for her bedroom. My favorite is that when we say "Fold Your Arms" she will do it...sometimes she will clap afterwards because we would out of excitement at first. It's pretty funny.

Well I'm sure I've bored you enough. I hope you are all doing great and hope to hear from you soon.

P.S. Make sure to enjoy the videos down below. They are pretty funny.

Ooops We Did It Again!

2007-12-24T14:51:00.000+09:00

Just wanted to share with those who don't know, we have another Pettijohn on the way. Our new addition is due July 5th, and we couldn't be more excited...yet in shock that we will be in dire need of a double stroller. I've seen quite a few of them being pushed around on base, and always felt bad for the poor mother. So many questions...do you go with the side by side or the tandem. J/K...I'm just being dramatic, and seriously can't wait to be a mom again (and for the pregnancy to be over). For those who are wondering, we just wanted you to know that yes our baby will be born here in South Korea, and yes it will be an American Citizen. :)

Got to Love a Girl Who Loves to Play Ball!

2007-12-13T22:21:00.001+09:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

November Recap

2007-12-07T23:05:00.001+09:00

Well November seemed like it just flew by. I guess December is too since It's almost half way through the month, and I am just now giving you the recap. Well first, we've been watching Hazel grow up right before our eyes. She's now walking which means she is a little bit faster at getting into things. She's sporting a mouth full of 9+ teeth making our chances of losing a finger a lot higher. We just love her to death and can't believe we ended up with such a smiley kid, who is already showing signs of a great sense of humor just like her parents.

I also accomplished something huge in November. I had all my Christmas shopping done by the end of the month. Those who know me, know I like to get this done at the last minute possible. Our being in Korea has increased the urgency to get our shopping done since we had to do most of our shopping online. I can truly say we helped support Amazon.com this year.

Matt is still loving his job here in Korea. He would tell you what he does, but then he'd have to kill you, and I care just too darn much to let that happen. We're still waiting on permission to get a car, so we are braving the cold weather by taxi and bus. We're not used to it being so nipply after being in nice Monterey for the past two winters. We missed being with family for Thanksgiving, but cross our fingers we might be able to be there next year. We did end up having a joint Thanksgiving dinner with two other families in our Ward which was nice.

Well that's really all that's going on. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and I will be sure to post all the pictures of the big day next month.

Bustin' a Move!

2007-10-31T15:51:00.001+09:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We Have a One Year-Old

2007-10-31T15:35:00.001+09:00

Well October is over and the Pettijohns are back together again. I had posted before that Matt was gone for a month to do some training, then a few days after he got home he had to leave again for a couple more days to attend a conference. Now he is back and I am totally loving having him here. Hazel and I were lucky enough to attend his graduation of his leadership course, and don't mind bragging that he ended up on the Commandants List by graduating 17th out of 178. I was so proud and glad we got to share the big day with him. I added some pictures I found on line of the mountains that surrounded the area where he was at. The area is so beautiful, and he got to look at them everyday for a month. If you look closely you can see people repelling down. It was nice to get out and be able to see something other than the city.

Other big news would be that Hazel turned 1 yesterday. It's so crazy to look back and see how fast this year has went by. She's getting taller and heavier everyday...and I love being able to witness all of her changes. She's not walking yet, but is dang close. She lets go of the table or couch sometimes while standing, and when she notices that she is flying solo grabs back on as soon as possible. I am going to try and post a video montage of her dancing. She can't help but groove to the music whenever she hears it.

Anyway, we are doing great and loving our new home! Of course living in a new country has it's moments, but it's nice to be able to head to Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Hut or Subway on post to get a taste of home! Miss you all!!!!

Our September

2007-10-04T00:32:00.001+09:00

Honestly this month has seemed to drag on and on. Matt has been doing some training for 3 weeks now and there is still one week to go...Six days and a wake-up is how they say it in the Military. Hazel and I have just been kicking it here in South Korea by ourselves. It's been fun at times and challenging at others. I got pretty proud of myself because I was able to pay the Internet bill with out any help. We got it, and of course it was all in Korean. I knew that you could go to some mini-marts and pay it, but the ones I thought you had to go to, aren't as close as I would like it considering my lack of transpertation. Then, like there was a light shining right on it, I saw the word 7-Eleven amongst all those symbols. There is one right outside our housing community that Hazel and I could walk to and pay. I just handed him the bill and paid him. Not many words were used...just a lot of smiling and nodding. :) It's funny how simple of a thing will make me beam with pride.

Hazel is changing everyday. I'm getting nervous because her hair is getting longer, and I'm getting closer to having to come up with some new hairstyles for her. I am not sure she is going to let the bow and headband thing go on much longer. We barely make it through a church meeting without her pulling it off. She also is starting to learn new words and mimic others more and more. Pulling herself up even on flat surfaces (like a wall) has become no challenge for her at all...and I can see her getting more daring when walking along the furniture. She's not walking yet, but it isn't too far away. She can push her little walker pretty well...so you know it's coming soon.

Well that's all for now. We are just looking forward to Matt coming home so we can continue this adventure together.

What's Happenin' in Pettijohnland!!

2007-09-04T17:42:00.001+09:00

So Hazel and I have been here for a couple weeks now and have been adjusting to our new lifestyle...things like no car...and no car. Just kidding, the buses aren't too bad and there is one that goes from where we live directly to base. I don't think I will ever stop being amazed that more buses don't get in accidents. I can't believe how they are able to weave in and out of traffic the way they do. We've also gotten all the official things Hazel and I need to have in order to stay here for two years. For example...we got our Visa and SOFA stamps done today, and we got a ration control card last week. The ration control card is necessary in order to enter and shop at any of the commisaries or exchanges on post. (kind of important) Now that we are all settled, Matt gets to leave us for a month to do some training since he officially made seargent, so is was important that I adapt and learn my way around as soon as possible. Overall we've been having fun, and have been trying to become familiar with our new "HOST" country. Koreans are so friendly, we can't walk by one without them wanting to talk to Hazel. For some reason we stick out a little with our light colored hair and blue eyes. I still haven't figured out why. lol. Well that's all for now. Enjoy the pictures!!!

We Made it to Korea!

2007-08-20T18:46:00.001+09:00

Just wanted to post a few recent photos and let you all know that we made it here safely on Friday...after traveling about 26+ hours. (time includes from Hotel in Seattle to our apt. in Korea) I seriously wouldn't mind swinging by the military travel agents office and punching her in the face for sending Hazel and I on a trip around the world. lol. We flew from Seattle to San Fransisco to Japan, and finally here to Seoul. It would of been a headache by myself...but add a baby to the equation, and go through 3 security check points plus immigration and customs in Seoul with two carry-ons, and a stroller/carseat, it gets to be a little tiring. I know I'm whining a little...just know that the end result was totally worth it! It is so awesome having my little family back together again. I look forward to getting to know my way around, and learning all about the culture here. I will keep you all up to date on all of our adventures as they happen.

Summer Fun

2007-07-18T08:33:00.000+09:00

Well Hazel and I are trying to find ways to help pass the time while we wait for our big move. We've been chilling by her little pool together, and ended up taking a quick trip to Utah. Hazel also got to meet lots of my friends and got totally spoiled by her "Aunt Michelle". (One of my good friends and one-time roomate) She bought her a couple outfits and took her to Kiddie Kandids to pose for a few mugshots. If we are lucky...it will work out that she will be able to fly over with us to South Korea when it's time to move. All I can say, is that we've been really blessed with wonderful friends and family! The bottom picture is Hazel with her two cousins Cody and Braden. She is totally in love with them...it didn't matter what kind of mood she was in, when they walked in the room her face would totally light up. They had her laughing her head off the whole week!

Some More Pics from our Trip

2007-07-14T10:35:00.000+09:00

While we were in Utah, Hazel got the chance to have a playdate with her best girlfriends...(for now I get to choose who her best friends are)
On her right is Ellery who was born 2 days before her, and is the daughter of my friend Jeanine...and on her left is Izzy who is the daughter of my friend Tasha who was born a month and 1/2 after Hazel. It was fun catching up while they got to know each other.

I woke up this morning to find Hazel
with a head full of hair! Actually the other
day I came out of the bathrom at
Build a Bear and found my friend Michelle
sampling different looks on my daughter.
I thought this one was so hilarious
yet stinkin' cute!

Hazel and I also got the chance to
spend time with my roommates
Heather and Marianne. Here is a
picture of Heather's son Easton,
who is seriously so cute and smiley!
I wish I would of got a picture of
when he gave Hazel a big ol' mushy
kiss on her cheek! Super cute!!!!!

What a face!

2007-06-28T06:28:00.000+09:00

I thought I would share with ya'll the new face that Hazel loves to pull. She does it when she wants something or isn't happy with something. It looks like she is going to cry...but that isn't the case. It's so funny.

May and June Update

2007-06-20T10:20:00.001+09:00

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Family Update for June

2007-06-20T09:56:00.000+09:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've caught everyone up to date. I guess this month long vacation has been my excuse to get behind a little. Well I've decided to repent and get you all caught up on what's been going on over the past few weeks.

After we left Monterey, we went first to Matt's brother's house to spend some time with them, and for me and Hazel to finally get to know Dave, Amanda and their Family. They recently moved to Mt. Shasta, CA from the Midwest so we hadn't gotten the chance to meet since we've been married. We had a great time with them, and Hazel laughed pretty hard at her new silly cousins. We were also able to spend sometime with Maizy and let her get to know her cousins too. As soon as we drove up to their house, her first words were..."I love my cousins!" Needless to say, they hit it off pretty quick! In some of the pictures you can see that we got the chance to also see Maizy graduate from Head start. She is on her way to kindergarten next year...can you believe it???

After Visiting them and spending time with Matt's parents in Grants Pass, we headed up to Kennewick to my parents house. From there we were planning a quick trip to Utah, but my grandpa passed away two days after we got here. Luckily for us we went to visit him the day before he died to say goodbye and for me to tell him how much he means to me. The funeral was very uplifting and wonderful, and the military honors that were given to him were very moving. Matt got the surprising opportunity to participate by singing a solo of "How Great Thou Art" which was absolutely a tear-jerker.

Well Matt's leave is over and he has made it to South Korea safely, and for now Hazel and I are staying at my Parents in Kennewick until we are able to join him in August. (the sooner the better :) I will try to keep you up to date as best as possible. Until then...take care!

Our Last Days in Monterey

2007-05-06T09:31:00.000+09:00

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

2007-05-06T07:45:00.000+09:00

Well it looks like our days here are numbered. Matt graduated this last week, which made leaving seem even more real. Hazel also had her 6 month immunizations, and Matt and I will be getting ours this coming week in preparation for our big move to South Korea. It still seems so crazy that we are going there. At Hazel's appointment we found out that she weighs a whopping 17 lbs 6 oz and is 25 1/2 inches long. We can't believe how fast she is growing up. She continues to crack us up as she figures out how to make new sounds with her voice, and is pushing her walker around all over the place. Just a month ago she couldn't even touch all the way, and now she can stand with her feet flat on the ground. Well enjoy the new pictures and videos and we will keep you up to date on all the Pettijohn adventures as they happen.

P.S. Don't forget to turn the volume on the videos. :)

2007-04-19T10:15:00.000+09:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

You couldn't be more shocked than we are!!!

2007-04-18T14:40:00.000+09:00

Can you believe it???? Well we couldn't of been more shocked when we looked online at our army website...and there it was... South Korea! Matt is going to fly over first and report in by mid-June, where he is going to get things arranged so Hazel and I can meet up with him a month or so later. We are going to take a couple weeks to see friends and family before he takes off, and especially spend some time with Maizy. After Matt leaves, Hazel and I are going to stay in Kennewick with my parents until we can catch up with him. We've got lots to do to prepare, but are pretty excited for our new adventure. So it wasn't the Pettijohn bus after all...it's the Pettijohn Plane. Love ya'll...we will keep you up to date on our plans!