Birthday, Busan style!

Well, it's official, I've eased my way into my thirties and have officially hit 31 today!   My day was celebrated with lots of fun letters from my Korean elementary students (which happen to be quite funny), rice cakes, cupcakes, flowers, pencils, pens, soap flowers, perfume, a book, a notebook, etc... Never thought I'd be turning 31 and receiving pencils, but I can't complain!  I'm a sucker for a fun pencil!

Here are some of the birthday cards I received throughout the day... 

ENJOY THEIR SILLINESS!

Finally, one letter than shows that I actually DO teach grammar and spelling!  LOL

As if those notes weren't cute and thoughtful enough, I was showered with fun gifts too!  These bagels are from one of my 5th graders who remembered me saying that my favorite thing to eat for breakfast is bagels - LAST YEAR!!!!  Amazing memory, right?!

This GIGANTIC hair bow is from two of my 3rd graders!!  I promised them that I would wear it tomorrow!  I'm not kidding when I say it's almost as big as my entire head!  Oh boy!

One of my 5th grade boy's mom's made these soap scented flowers!  Yep, you can actually wash your hands with them!  Pretty cool, eh?  I smelled them and said, "mmmm, yummy!"  He immediately had a look of complete fright and attempted to tell me, in his best English, that I can't eat them!  LOL

Okk, my darling co-teacher surprised me with 3 cupcakes from my favorite cupcake bakery in Nampodong (RED VELVET), and a famous Korean book which was recently translated into English that she really loved.  The beautiful garden roses are from A!

 

How can you not feel loved when your desk looks like this on your birthday?! 

I was overwhelmed by my students and co-workers generosity and thoughtfulness today!  Feels good to be loved, huh?!  During the afternoon today, I got a couple text pictures of paper towels with arrows written on them from my friends Gill and Sam.  I was so confused, as you can see below!   I thought maybe their phones got hacked and were sending these weird arrow pictures to all of their contacts...

Then, I got home and saw this, hanging over my front door keypad, I immediately put two and two together and smiled from ear to ear, because it meant that my two sweet friends had come all the way to my apartment (about an hour by subway and bus) to surprise me with something before they went to work!!

They surprised me with arrows leading to a GORGEOUS white chocolate Tous Les Jours cake!!!!

... and a DARLING card!

Then, minutes later, Aaron showed up with a HUGE bouquet in hand!

I've only seen bouquets this big in Ms. America pageants!  LOL

Sooo blessed with fabulous people who loved me in my love language today!

Aaron did some research online and found out about a FABULOUS Italian restaurant 

near Gwangali Beach, called Bella Cita, and surprised me by taking me there for dinner tonight!

 It was quiet, intimate, romantic, pretty, comfortable, and the food was, in fact, delicious!

Aaron ordered a BBQ set, which came with two beers.  We laughed about how it was a really nice restaurant but that the beers were MILLER LIGHTS!  lol

I had a super yummy pasta!!!  Wedding diet starts tomorrow... FOR REAL!

  

Fun thing about going to Bella Cita was that the beach was right across the street for an after dinner stroll!

It was supposed to rain all day today, but I never saw a drop!   Thank you Jesus! :)

This is how Aaron hails a taxi!  Apparently it's helpful to stand on something and appear to be much taller!  :)

We had such an awesome birthday date, until.... I got out of the taxi and up to my apartment and realized I had left my wallet in the backseat!  uuugggghhhh!  Happy birthday to me!  I spent about 30 mins on the phone with my American bank, cancelling accounts, and ordering a new debit card and checks... and the other 10 mins on the phone with my co-teacher, who was on the other line with the taxi company trying to file a report!

Earlier today I really wanted some new clothes, but now, 

the only thing I really want for my birthday is my wallet back!  haha... fingers crossed!

Welcome to 31, I guess!