Happy Christmas 2012 from Busan, South Korea

This year we decided to make a Christmas video instead of sending out Christmas cards again. We took silly photos in the hopes of sending out cards, but I ran out of time. I don't know how time got away from me. Although, I think the video is much better than the cards because it shows what our life is like as teachers in Korea.

It's a bit hard being so faraway from home during the holidays, but thankfully Markus and I have each other. It's been a bit easier because we can have a Cruz Family Christmas. Even though we haven't been home for about 15 months, Markus and I have been able to create some amazing memories. So with that dear readers, I wish you and yours a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year.

The Foxy Man | Halloween Costume 2012

Halloween is probably my favorite holiday. It marks the beginning of the best three months of the year. Every year, I always say I'm going to dress up, but it never happens. I think that the magic of fall takes over and I always have good intentions but never follow through. Last year, I made a lame attempt at being a pumpkin. I put on an orange dress and pasted some leaves in my hair. It was a bit lame I know, but this year, I decided that I would put in more of an effort for my students.

Since I work at a library full of wonderful books, I thought it would be good to be a literary character, Mr. Fox from Fantastic Mr. Fox. I bought a generic fox mask at a nearby costume store. It was pretty awful. It was all white with gold sequins all over it. Markus, the artistic genius that he is, transformed it into the beautiful mask you see now. He used watercolors and added a few other small touches. I think it turned out wonderful and I know that no one else in the world has a mask like it. Now that I've made the effort this year, I've decided that I want to dress up every year! Maybe next year, Markus and I will have awesome couples costumes. Any suggestions?