Military Balls in Korea

Well hello everyone and happy Monday to most of you.  I thought I would share the on goings on the MI ball that was held last week!

Military balls are a time of beauty, a time for the woman of the military and the female spouses to get pampered.  You go shopping for the prettiest ball gown that fits your style, you find the shoes, the purse and figure out the hair.  Friday before the ball I went and got my nails done and a massage.  The french wrap is lovely and the massage ruined me.  It was my first Korean massage and let me tell you IT HURT!  I didn't realize just how much it hurt until the next morning Collin rubbed my back and I winced of pain and quickly ran to the mirror to make sure I wasn't bruised for the big evening.  Thankfully I was not.  I had never had such a horrible massage and it makes me miss Brenda from the Springs sooooooooooooo much!  She gives the best massages ever and I wish I could pay her a visit and talk about our kids together.  They are only 3 weeks apart.... anyway I digress.  Saturday was a day of fun....  I had my eyebrows and lip waxed, my makeup done and then my feet and hair.  It was tons of fun!  Because they did my feet and hair at the same time I got done about an hour sooner then I wanted too and had about an hour to sit around the house and hope my makeup didn't sweat off and my hair stayed in place. 

Finally 540 came.  Collin, Tom, and I were all ready to roll!  We headed downstairs to catch a cab and we were on our way to the ball.  Now most people love the final stage of the ball, including myself, because that is when all the official stuff is over and the DJ starts the dancing and they usually start off with the famous electric slide within the first few songs to get everyone moving.... Not the case for us that evening, no not a single dance.  Korea is still in a time of mourning and as long as that is happening certain elements of fun are prohibited.  So no DJ for us.  However the night was very nice and probably the most upscale military ball I will EVER attend.  The hotel had an enormous social area, a ball room for pictures and socializing.  There were BMW's on display along with ice sculptures.  The main lobby was filled with fancy stores with beautiful clothes and expensive time pieces.  There were some of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen worn in person.  We were called into dinner area which was another enormous ball room.  Once seated with stood for the colors and for the official party.  Following was a series of toasts and a prayer.  In America this part is usually long and by the end of the speakers most people are not even paying attention.  However I will never think that again.  In Korea you do everything in English and then in Korean.  So yes this section of the night was twice as long as it usually is back in the states.  Dinner was served after all the important guests of the official party who were scheduled to speak spoke.  I was pretty shocked when I realized the first thing brought out to us was a piece of freshly cut salmon for each place setting.  I was shocked but sad as I wanted a salad NOT FISH!  I don't eat anything that used to swim.  So even though I was thinking fancy fancy I was scrunching up my nose and couldn't wait for them to take it away.  We were then served a very yummy soup.  Not sure what exactly it was but it seemed like it was some sort of potato soup.  Dinner was delicious.  Collin had the chicken and I had the beef tenderloin and it melted in my mouth.  Best ball food I ever had (except for the salmon).  I do not fully know what the dessert was either but it looked so fancy.  You know like one of those $15.00 desserts that is only about 3 bites with a small ball of strawberry ice cream. 
During dinner we had entertainment.  The JROTC kids did some awesome rifle routines and did a great job.  There were 2 sets of dance groups and then the Violets.  They are a group of 3 who play a bass, violin, and a flute to 'pop' music closing with Eye of the Tiger.  It was pretty cool.  I should have recorded it. 
After all was said and done I even went over and saw my trainer and we got to talk for awhile.  I felt very out of place as she was sitting at the head table with her husband, but she seemed very happy that I went to go talk to her.

All in all it was a great evening (even with the salmon and without the DJ).  I love going to the salon and getting all pretty and having Collin all handsome in his uniform.  We clean up pretty well!  This Friday is ball number 2 and although I am still uncertain about the dress I am very excited to get all done up again but on a smaller scale.

Well it is Monday night my time and time to head off to bed.  I have the USO at 9am and the gym at 3!  I hope everyone has a terrific day!

I AM A BEAST.... or so I like to think I am....

Hello everyone!  I hope your doing fantastic!  I am busy as always but doing pretty well.  I have struggled the past couple of weeks in school and will probably struggle the remainder of the class do to falling behind in the reading.  However even after falling behind I am still holding a very low A but it is an A.  Now to figure out how to continue that A for 2 more weeks.  Next semester I will be part time and only taking 2 classes because I am taking the next 5 weeks off.  I am still feeling positive and am enrolled to restart in 7 weeks. At first I wasn't ok with this but I know how I am wired and I need to do this.

As some of you have seen I am meeting with a personal trainer twice a week.  She is amazing and I couldn't have dreamed up a better trainer!  She is very clear that I will finish ever last set even if that means I have to take a break with 5 to go and drop weight.  But with the this kind of training it is easy to push through.  On Tuesday I had to take that break at 6 out of 12 I dropped weight but I finished my military press.  Today I not only went up in weight in 4 area's but on my last set of military press I took a break at 10 out of 15.  Yes that is right I not only bumped up in weights but I bumped up in reps! I am a beast!  Ok well I feel like one at the gym.... its the day after that I am not feeling very beast like :)

So the military ball is coming up next Saturday and then the Friendship ball is the following Friday.  Both of my dresses need alterations now!  Sadly not around the waist but it does say something for my weight lose.  The one for the MI Ball is a quick alteration but the one for the Friendship Ball is A LOT!  Not as much as what they wanted to do on post though, the Koreans had a much better idea of how to fix it.  I am just hoping it looks ok..... eek!

I started this blog last night (Thursday night) and I fell asleep before I finished so let me enlighten you on my day date today!  We asked the Nanny to come today so Collin and I could have some time to go hang out.  It was awesome!  We had lunch at Subway with our friend Tommi.  Tommi is Collins best friend who just got stationed out here!  It is so awesome to have him here, some of you know Tommi actually married Collin and I at Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs.  After lunch we then went to the batting cages.  We hit 50 balls each, and I who hadn't held a bat in YEARS, did pretty great!  I hit over 50% at least!  Then we went and played some putt putt.  Now many of you know I do not lose much when it comes to some mini golf in fact I can't remember the last time I lost!  However Collin put a whopping on me.  He beat me by 10!  That is just insane, I think he has been practicing all week (even though he says he hadn't).  After that he was daring enough to take me out to the range and I hit 57 of the 60 balls (I let him play a little)  I am happy to report that I impressed him, being my first time ever to hold a golf club in my hand.  Who knows maybe this will turn into my next little hobby one day......maybe!

Now for a little bit of seriousness.  I hope that you can all join me in prayers for the families of the unaccounted for in the Ferry accident here in South Korea.  I have thought about taking the 14 hour ferry ride down to Jeju instead of a flight.  You can get little cabin rooms and I thought it would be fun.  I still keep an open mind to it but it saddens me to hear of all the students who are still missing.  Praying that there are enough air pockets and that there will be more survivors even with the frigid waters.  So much evil in the world has been happening.  I couldn't imagine being one of those parents, siblings, or even friend of anyone on that ship.  So many young people were on that ship and my heart breaks so much for them.  I also pray for the Captain as he I am sure will continue to be a hated man for the rest of his life.  I couldn't imagine the hatred that is coming his way, the remorse he feels, and I don't know how he will ever be able to move on in his life.  Even though he has made this tragic mistake I pray for him and his family also.  He was in charge of this ship, driving or not, he was in command of which way this ship should go and he choose poorly trying to make up for lost time.  The song "Forgiveness" by Matthew West says it best.  I can honestly say even as a Christian I don't know how forgiving I would be or I would feel towards the Captain if I had a loved one on that ship.  I can honestly say I would feel much hatred for him.  That is a fault I have as a human.  I thankfully am not in that position so hopefully I can pray for this man.  Let us also remember the search team in our prayers.  The weather is not cooperating and there isn't much success being done in the way of finding passengers.  They have a tough job out there and they are working through this weather.  Last I heard a few divers had been missing.  I do not know the status of them but I am also praying for the divers and search crews that they remain safe and will be successful in their mission.

Now back to a lighter note......because I don't like ending these sad.  Easter is this Sunday, I for one cannot wait for our 0630 sunrise service at the Dragon Hill lodge.  I desperately miss Easter Sunday at the ball field in Colorado Springs.  Those were the best and as my parents can vouch there is just something extra sweet about filling the seats behind home plate and even a little further out past the netting.  However if your reading this and have post access to Yongsan I urge you to come out to the Dragon for 'Sonrise' service I think it is going to be pretty sweet.
After church we will have Audrey hunt down her basket and have a little Easter egg hunt for her in one of the little out door garden area's of our apartment complex.   Well maybe after Church and after a nap since we will have to wake her around 0500.

I hope everyone has a blessed Good Friday and Easter weekend! 

Also if you are into photography go ahead and check out Collins latest blog:
www.topheradamsphoto.blogspot.com