So the life of an expat really hit home this week when my closest friend in Korea moved back to the U.S.. Trying to explain to Connar where his friends went is not easy and seems like time will be the only way he'll eventually understand the situation (Parker is too young to even try to understand). The other day after we made cookies he said he wanted to take some to Ms. Cassie, and then later in the day he said he wanted to show Liam a toy that he got in his Happy Meal. Then as he was eating lunch today, he asked if Liam was going to come each lunch with us too. :(
They arrived in Busan a few months after us, so we've only known them for 10 months, but those 10 months were used wisely. We became fast friends, the mommies and the kiddos. I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the pictures I took of us over our mutual time in Korea. It's fun to see how much the kids have changed, and it brings back a lot of good memories. Here are some of my favorites starting from August 2012 through the day they left in June 2013.
They were here for only a week when I told Cassie I wanted to be "The First Week of School First Grade Fairy" for Greenlee (I left small treats and encouraging notes for her on her doorstep each night for the first week of school....you should've seen me ringing the bell and hightailing it to the elevator before she could open the door). I'm sure she thought I was a little crazy considering we didn't know each other too well, but she indulged me and my need to be creative.
After one of our sand play dates, we stripped the boys to get all the sand out of pockets, etc., and they ran home in underwear/diapers and barefoot. :)
We decorated pumpkins together for Halloween.
We had a Halloween dinner together...
...and then trick-or-treated in our building as a group.
We celebrated birthdays together too!
Girls' Night Out was always fun.
And we threw those kids in the strollers (check out that double stroller!) and hit the town like nobody's business!
Even when it was cold outside, we bundled up to burn off some energy together on the beach.
I adore this little girl and her traditional Korean hanbok.
Parker & Liam are only 2 months apart in age.
They even got their groove on!
We heart attacked their front door in February.
playing cars...one of their favorite things to do together
Many, many snack times were had on this couch.
We colored Easter eggs together.
We pulled off a great Easter egg hunt as well!
These two two-year-olds took off running and laughing. She chased them while I grabbed the camera, of course!
Lunch time!
We discovered several amazing play places tucked in corners of this Korean city.
And when it warmed up again in the Spring, we couldn't wait to get outside again!
And since we met at the elevator in our building on their second day in Busan, it was only fitting that we saw them off on their last day in Busan. Anything else wouldn't have felt right. So G & L came to play with C & P while their momma and grandparents took care of some last minute things for a couple hours.
Greenlee couldn't get enough of Parker, as usual. And as usual, he tried his best to wiggle out of her arms. She's loved him from the get go, and if she had it her way and could've fit him in her backpack, he would probably be in Virginia with her right now. :)
When he finally freed himself, G pulled up a seat next to him so she could still be close. :)
Of course they dumped out all 426 cars and played, as little boys do.
We took 5 minutes and snapped some last minute pictures in front of our building and on our beach.
This is par for the course: 1 out of 4 looking at the camera, 1 whining, and 2 wiggling to run free. :)
And after many tears and big hugs, they were off.
I always imagined that we'd leave Korea at the same time, but it's just not what God had planned for our families. What I'll always be thankful for, though, is his plan to have us meet here and have this once in a lifetime experience in Busan, South Korea together.
No goodbyes here. Only see ya later, Rawls family.
xoxo
Greenlee couldn't get enough of Parker, as usual. And as usual, he tried his best to wiggle out of her arms. She's loved him from the get go, and if she had it her way and could've fit him in her backpack, he would probably be in Virginia with her right now. :)
When he finally freed himself, G pulled up a seat next to him so she could still be close. :)
Of course they dumped out all 426 cars and played, as little boys do.
We took 5 minutes and snapped some last minute pictures in front of our building and on our beach.
And after many tears and big hugs, they were off.
I always imagined that we'd leave Korea at the same time, but it's just not what God had planned for our families. What I'll always be thankful for, though, is his plan to have us meet here and have this once in a lifetime experience in Busan, South Korea together.
No goodbyes here. Only see ya later, Rawls family.
xoxo
