Sam & Diane: Day 1 and 2

So they finally made it after a very very long trip. Long story short when we looked online mom and dad needed no visas to get here. They were going through China and would have an 8 hour layover. Well at the airport they first stopped them asking for visas for China but then let them through security in Chicago. Well then they called them back saying they couldn't board without visas. So they ended up having to Stay in Chicago for an extra day and go to the CHinese consulate and get transit visas for an 8 hour layover in the airport. This ended up being okay because they should have had a $3000 fine to rebook for the next day but they didn't. Well we thought we avoided disaster and just missed 24 hours, but low and behold then they landed in China.

In China they were told their onward flight to S. Korea was not valid since it was rebooked and was never confirmed...even though they held tickets in their hands for the flight. What a stressful disaster. Well then they could either wait and miss their flight and talk to an American Airlines representative and get it worked out, but they couldn't tell mom and dad when the next flight to Busan would be... Or the other option was to just buy a new ticket for the same flight they already had. Mom wanted out of China and didn't want to be there for days so they got new tickets.. which they were then told forfeited their tickets home since they were all booked together. Needless to say when they got here it had been a long journey physically and emotionally. They bought visas, extra tickets, and had no way home. Haha. It's kind of laughable.

Well don't worry, they called Chicago and they have a way home and should be able to get a refund for the Beijing-Busan flight. ANYWAY now the fun begins!

First night after a nap and a shower we went out to dinner.

On our way we stopped at a street vendor who sells "toast." This toast consists of two slices of toast with an egg/pepper pancake inside that has ketchup, mustard, and sugar smeared on it. Interesting, but tasty!

One of our favorite meals is beef BBQ korean style. Here is dad working his metal chopsticks for the first time.

We stopped at this little stand by the big fish market where you can design your own name stamp in Korean or English. Mom and dad got their names in Korean on one stamp.... maybe they will write you a card and stamp it when they get home.

Here is Jon posing with the stamp guy. If you see his laptop it has our last name on it with Korean underneath. This little machine carved your design out of the wood.

Just holding up the world. Amazing to think God really does this.

On top of one of the buildings you write your love on a lock and then lock it on the railings and throw the key away. The big store has these red and green bunny things you also write on and lock up.

Here is the key box. Once you lock up your love and throw away the key you can't get it back :) This is real commitment people!

Jon and I wrote on our lock and we are locking it up.

Throwing away our key.

It's official - we're together for life incase any one questioned our wedding vows haha.

Our lock - Jon & Nicole Bihl 1/29/11 On all of the other sides we both wrote messages.

Mom and Dad locking up their love. It's about time as they approach 30 years of marriage.

Goodbye Keys

In the words of a man named Jesus "It is finished." Does Dad look happy or scared??

Their lock

There they are... forever in the top of the Lotte Department store in Busan, S. Korea.

Then we went to Italian and they had this awesome big long spoon.

Dinner - VERY VERY delicious. We didn't want to overwhelm them with too much Korean food too quickly.

In the middle of the movie Secretariat. Think they are tired??

Dad's feet while he slept on the floor. We don't know what happened to his other sock :)

It was a great first day. Now on to the third day of fun!!! More pictures to come.