2011 Christmas Letter

I'm pretty sure that nobody I know figured I'd write a Christmas letter. I didn't think so either. I mean, I've just had the worst year of my life, lost the closest person to me and the father to my children in a motorcycle accident, had my life ripped apart at the seams and uprooted to move to the other side of the world. Certainly doesn't seem appropriate to expect a cheery update letter on how our little family is doing and our comings and goings. Right? 
Maybe so. But that doesn't change the fact that a writer is a big chunk of who I am, and that writing this letter might be a good idea just for me. So let's put things in perspective. 
2011 was a huge year for our family. After the addition of our newest member, Elenie Jane in December of 2010, January started very busy from the get go. John had been visiting for a month after her birth and returned to South Korea on January 9, his 27th birthday. As soon as he left all I could think about was joining him. 
We did just that in March, after having our belongings packed in February and returning to MIssouri for 2 weeks to visit family and say our goodbyes. March 13th we flew the long long trip to Korea - the 2 girls and me, that is. The journey was long and hard, but with the help of kind and friendly strangers at several airports along the way and even on the plane, we all made it with all limbs intact. John had prepared a very nice apartment for us in a building with two wonderful families that we got to know fairly well during our time there. For the next month or so we worked on settling in and adjusting to life in South Korea - temperatures, vehicles, culture, food, sleep schedule, going on and off post, etc. I believe it was in April that we started attending a Church group with some friends we'd made at their home nearby. That group became our Sunday church service and those people were our brothers and sisters who challenged us, laughed with us, and watched our children grow. 
Korea was a different planet but with a nice little installment of America with most of the resources we could have needed on post at Camp Humphreys. I soon found out about many different opportunities to get the kids out, let them play, and meet other moms. John was hard at work flying constantly and doing many other side jobs. He absolutely loved being a fixed-wing pilot with the relaxed atmosphere, cushy plane, and the ability to climb to higher heights than he'd gotten the opportunity to inside a helicopter. He often described the feeling and beauty of finally reaching the top of the clouds and rising above all the weather to see the sun in all its beauty no matter how it looked to us down below on earth. In fact, he once said to me, "The sunrise is always beautiful at 20,000 feet." 
In May we went to visit one of the biggest cities in Korea, Daegu. We loved it and did a lot of walking and site seeing! We decided to go back on our anniversary in June. Both times we took the kids and had a great time! We explored Apsan Mountain and took a tram up through the mountains to the very top! It was a foggy day, but a beautiful view nonetheless. We also walked through the city and took a taxi to eat at 2 different American restaurants - haha! John and I never grew attached to Korean food and ate traditional Korean a handful of times at most. We tend to grow attached to a restaurant and continue to go back there over and over, and in Korea it was no different. We ate on post more often than anything and constantly traveled to Osan Air Force Base which was about 20 minutes away for shopping and leisure. 
In June we celebrated our 5th anniversary in Daegu. 
I believe it was in July that my softball league finished up their season in second place out of the 4 teams, which was a great ending to my first season playing softball. Mostly I got stuck out in the outfield, but it was good practice for the future and experience to grow on. :)
At some point during the early summer John was finally given a job he had trained to do, Air Life Support Equipment Officer. He had his own office and grew quite cozy in his position which he manned when he wasn't flying. Basically, anything the pilots used or needed on board the planes they flew would be brought to him for repairs or replacement, if I understand correctly. I loved to call him at his office and hear his mandatory greeting, "3rd MI ALSE shop, Buffett speaking." 
During the month of August, Camp Humphreys had organized a women's Soccer week that I was very excited to participate in. It was a very fun week and very tiring! The Saturday of my final day in the soccer camp, John and the kids watched Mom play and win the game and get nice and sunburned. Of course, John did not escape without a red glow as well. ;) 
That afternoon we all played outside, rollerblading, riding a tricycle, and washing motorcycles. It was a gorgeous day and everyone was in good spirits. Later that evening we attended a pool party for John's battalion. 
The next day was a Sunday, August 28th.  The girls and I woke up sick with a head cold, so we all decided not to go to church that afternoon so the rest of the families wouldn't catch whatever we had. John felt fine, though, so he decided to call a couple of buddies and make up for a motorcycle ride that he had missed a few days earlier. They decided to meet at 1pm that day to ride to Osan. 
John left the house that day planning to return and make biscuits and gravy for dinner, hang out with his family, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. However, while driving his motorcycle, John was hit by a car and killed almost instantly.
 
The next days and weeks became a blur of paperwork, visits, and memorials. Eventually the girls and I got on a plane and landed in Missouri, where we lived with my parents until we bought a house in late October. During this time, I turned 24 and Airalynn turned 3. Airalynn's birthday was commemmorated by a great big party at the park with a Spongebob pinata included! 
The season of fall was one of recovery. Through the help of dozens of friends and family members, I have done my best to give the girls a stable life filled with love and consistency. We found a church home almost immediately, where I now volunteer as the assistant youth leader every Wednesday and where the girls have grown to love their Sunday school classes and Airalynn constantly asks to go to church. We love to spend time with family and make time whenever possible to do just that. Thanksgiving was wonderful and full of love and laughter. The girls have kept growing and changing with incredible speed! Elenie turned 1 on December 1st, and since then has decided she's going to get 4 teeth at once and start "talking" constantly, to the pure delight of her mother. She is also a stinker who likes to get into everything, especially things that are off-limits. Airalynn keeps getting smarter and funnier and loves to read and jump on the bed. :-) 
All three girls are doing well, feeling loved, and continuing to learn and change almost daily.I am larning to see each day as a new opportunity to live life to the fullest, and I know my most important role in this life is to be the best mother I can be to my sweet girls and to teach them about God and about love. 
2012 will be a good year, and it will be a new year. Change is not always good, and not always bad, it just is. We welcome you, New Year!