fall snapshots

this week marked a seasonal shift: it snowed. i don't know why it is a shock to me. last year it snowed mid-october, dumping about 2 feet on the metro-denver area. so the fact that it snowed a measly inch in the middle of november this year almost seems a little late. nonetheless, it marks the end of one season and the beginning of another.

thankfully, jody, eu-mi and i were able to get out and enjoy the fall weather before the leaves all fell and the temperature dropped significantly. we went for a stroll at our favorite open spaces - cherry creek. amidst incredible wealth and some of the largest mansions i've ever seen, there are trails, ponds, and beautiful scenery that helps you forget that you're in the metro area. jody and i love to take the dog and just walk and enjoy the beauty.

i have also been thinking about how the end of 2010 marks 2 full years that jody and i have lived in colorado. it has been a challenging 2 years, for sure, but they have also been good years. years when God has shown Himself faithful to us, taking us deeper in our knowledge of His character and His provision.

this coming week i will be going home for a short visit. as i looked at my vacation time at work, i realized that i have not really taken any vacation time in 2010, and if i do not use it, it will 'go away' with the end of the calendar year. so jody and i looked at our schedules and realized that although there wasn't really a good time for jody to travel, i should go ahead and book a flight back to virginia. i am truly looking forward to this visit, but so sad that this is the second year in a row that i am visiting my family without jo. *sigh*

i will be in virginia from tuesday (16. nov) until monday (22. nov), and if you're there i would LOVE to spend some time with you, catching up. call me on my cell or at the parentals!

sometimes i just have a hankerin'...

for korean nummies! so our spiritual formation group meets on mondays, and here we are! the henkles and us switch every other monday, hosting our group time, and on this occasion jody and i decided to go 'all out' and get a few korean food items at the H-Mart in aurora so that our dinner was completely korean from start to finish. it was so much fun!

we had spicy ramen - complete with the egg and slice of cheese on top, kimchi, kim (seaweed), the yellow radishes, sticky rice, the pounded fish bread (i don't know what it's called exactly) and bean sprouts. we even had the maxim coffee mix and ice cream from korea to wrap up the meal. it was SOOO much fun!

part of the fun is, as always, exposing friends to a new type of food. the ramen is pretty safe, of course, but the side dishes are what provide the greatest mystery to american friends. it's more fun to take a friend to a korean restaurant, but i thought we did a pretty good job! and jesse and rachel seemed to enjoy it all. haha. i am thankful for their willingness to experiment and humor us. :)

having jesse and rachel in our lives has been such a blessing. finding friends, and i mean true 'kindred spirits' has been harder than i'd like to admit in this season. i think part of it is... we're grown ups now, and free time is harder to come by. i think part of it is also that we're in the crunch time of seminary. jody has one more semester after this one, and he is consumed with school assignments and his job at the church. amidst it all, however, the Lord has been so kind to us in providing like-minded friends in jesse and rachel. we are so grateful. i pray that no matter where the Lord takes us, our friendship will last.