unsettling

earlier this week we found out that my cousin luke will be sent to iraq in october. no one was more suprised than himself. his time with the military ends in feb., so he didn't think he'd have any more international assignments. now he won't be finished til late next year. maybe that's why i've been tossing and turning so much lately. and everytime i pass his picture on our bookcase, i have to look away, or else i choke up a little.

family

my dad's been in town since friday for my cousin's wedding and it's been a whirlwind since he arrived. i'm happy that he came though of course! since "the kids" in our extended family are mostly grown now and are slowly getting married, these weddings are the only times when all the relatives from both coasts of the u.s. get together. unfortunately, it's time for my dad to head back to n.c. =( it doesn't seem like he was here for very long at all. we were so busy with wedding related events and visiting relatives from his side [my cousin who got married is on my mom's side] that we didn't get to spend too much time alone together. i hate when that happens. he turns 60 on the 21st, which is a big deal in korea, and i wish i could be with him then. but both he and my mom will be returning in november for a family cruise and thanksgiving so i guess i'll have to wait til then to hang out with him again. i wish he wasn't leaving so soon. =( and i wish my mom could have come along on this trip. she sent homemade ban-chan though, so at least i have her cooking! =P

family is so strange and wonderful at the same time. when we're all brought together to celebrate...a wedding, a birth, a graduation, etc...it's so fun. yet, there are moments when you want to rip your hair out and clobber the family member standing in front of you. as great as it was to see so many of my maternal relatives at my cousin's wedding, i also recently learned of some ugly drama festering between an aunt of mine and her daughter. it's quite sad actually...my heart sank when i heard it. [sigh] so along with the golden moments of family life there's also the tarnish of broken relationships and suffering hearts.