Hangin' with the Benjamin's

Rebecca's First Basketball Game

2010-01-23T13:45:00.006-06:00

Rebecca is playing in the Kindergarten Basketball League at the YMCA. She had her first game this morning. It was so cute to watch all the kids run around and play basketball. I really was impressed with the Y. Before we started the game, the ref gathered both teams in the middle, had them make a big circle, hold hands, and say the YMCA sports pledge and followed it with a prayer. Rebecca was very good at running back on getting on defense.

The one time she got the ball (when I had the camera ready), she opted to pass to her teammate instead of taking a shot.

This is Becca running the court letting the ball handler know she was open.

She had alot of fun. I had alot of fun being the assistant coach. Can't wait for practice on Monday.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T12:39:00.004-06:00

We had a wonderful white Christmas in Enid, OK. It snowed all day on Christmas Eve and we were able to enjoy building a snowman today. Santa brought the girls all kinds of great gifts, including Disney laptops. They can now Skype each other from their rooms and Skype Grandma in CA. It's been alot of fun. Our next door neighbors, Traudl and Karl, joined us for a Christmas feast. We are very blessed to have found a home in such a wonderful neighborhood.

The Disney Laptops that Santa bought.

The mounds of gifts and packages.

Sam the Snowman

Becca and Sam. It's just too cute not to share!!

We hope everyone hada a wonderful Christmas. Enjoy the last week of 2009 and we send you wishes for a joyous 2010.

GO Air Force, Beat Houston!!!

Christmas With a Capital "C"

2009-12-10T16:19:00.001-06:00

Let's not forget the reason for the season. Merry Christmas!!

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." {Luke 2:10-11 NIV}

Children's Choir Christmas Program

2009-12-07T11:17:00.005-06:00

Last night was the Emmanuel Baptist Church Children's Choir program, "Our Children Sing of Christmas." Ashley and Rebecca are both in choir. Ashley is in Crescendo Kids, which is 1st and 2nd graders. Rebecca is in God's Little Singers, which is pre-k and Kindergarten.

Rebecca's choir sang: "Christmas," "Good News! Jesus is Born," "Bells are Ringing," and "They Called the Baby Boy Jesus."

Ashley's choir sang: "Unto Us," "Tell the Good News!" and "Silent Night."

Amazed!

2009-11-11T11:44:00.002-06:00

I am amazed at how God reveals himself to us everywhere we look. I have been just amazed at the colors of Fall here in Oklahoma. All the trees are red, yellow, orange, and brown. It is so pretty to drive around and look at the trees around here. And I can hear a still small voice reminding me that "HE made that." I am teaching the 4 and 5 year olds at our Children Desiring God program about Who is God? What is God like? and How I should act toward God? We have learned that God is incomprehensible, sovereign, self-sufficient, the creator, and our provider. I just marvel and the pretty colors of Fall and am so filled with gratitude to my Lord and Savior for letting me enjoy the beautiful things He has made. Amazing!!

The Tragedy at Ft. Hood

2009-11-06T09:41:00.000-06:00

I just can't wrap my head around what happened yesterday at Ft. Hood. I feel a certain connection with the post, since we were stationed there a few years ago and Rebecca was born at Darnall Army Medical Center. I can't stop thinking about an Army officer, a Major, a mental health professional, would do something like this. The guy is a psychiatrist! Didn't he see that he was about to have a psychotic break? He'd rather go shoot innocent young troops, instead of get help or actually deploy to Afghanistan? I know the facts are still coming out. My emotions get the best of me at times like this and I am using my blog to vent, since I don't have any other adult around today to vent to. Who denied this guy's request to get out of the Army? Clearly, there was a mistake. I know and understand the needs of the service come first, but at what cost? I want answers, not only for me, but for the families of the 13 dead. Senseless!!

I will continue to pray for the post personnel and the families of those who died and those who were injured.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1

The Lord works in mysterious ways

2009-08-25T17:28:00.003-05:00

I have always been a firm believer of the Lord working in mysterious ways. Today was no exception. When I went out to the van to go pick up the girls from school, the van was dead. No lights, no nothing. I was able to pick up the girls with a neighbors car. (It's great to have great neighbors!!). USAA sent a tow truck to come and jump start the van, so I could take it to Dodge to be checked out, in case it was more than the battery. So the guy gets the car started and everything was good. He was getting the van VIN number for his paperwork, when the van quit running. Very strange. Open the hood and jump it again, only to discover that the battery connections are very loose. He tightened them up and it works great! The Dodge mechanic said they probably disconnected the battery for shipping and didn't tighten the connections when it got here.

So I believe the Lord's hand was in it when the van quit after the first jump start, so the guy would have to take a second look at the battery and discover the connections being loose. I can just marvel in His majesty all day! I wasn't stranded anywhere with the girls. I was at home. I have a wonderful neighbor who loaned me her car at a moments notice. And the van is fixed at no cost to me. Praise the Lord!!

First Day of Pre-K

2009-08-25T09:45:00.003-05:00

Rebecca started full day Pre-K this morning at Emmanuel Christian School. She was so excited and wasn't even hesitant to go into her classroom by herself. It was harder for Mommy to walk away. So this morning is bitter sweet for me. I am excited for her to start school and I am excited to have 7 whole hours to myself on Monday - Thursday, but I am a little sad that she is not here with me.

Outside her morning classroom.

Going in to class

First Day of Second Grade!

2009-08-19T08:20:00.003-05:00

Ashley started 2nd grade this morning at her new school, Emmanuel Christian School! She has some cute uniform choices at her new school. She opted for the plaid skirt and white polo for the first day. She can wear red, white, or navy polo, with navy or khaki shorts, skorts, slacks or capris. She can also opt for a khaki or plaid skirts. Lots of choices. For Chapel, she'll wear a navy jumper with a whte blouse.

This is her desk from Open House last night.

We brought in her school supplies and attended the New Families Pizza Party. She already has a couple of friends from Sunday School and Choir. I am so excited for her. Today is a half day, so I am watching the clock, so I can go pick her up.

** NOTE: Rebecca starts on Tuesday, so I'll blog about her first day next week.

Things to ponder when moving....

2009-07-31T11:23:00.002-05:00

1. Why do you have to rewire the dryer with a new plug every time we move?

2. Why can a computer worked fine when it went into the box, but now it won't start up?

3. Why do we have so much stuff?

4. If I went without it for 3 years, so I really need it?

5. Books are heavy, why do we have so many?

6. Why is it my husband seems to get out of alot of the moving/unpacking by being TDY?

7. Why doesn't a washer and dryer fit in the laundry room? Neither, a top loaderor a front loader dry does not fit in my laundry room. What am I going to do?

Before and After

2009-07-20T17:03:00.003-05:00

New Counters

Before

After

I love them. But it took all day. I miss Japanese efficiency. And the guys were not allowed to put our sink back together. That is a little fishy to me. But the granite is beautiful.

We've Moved (PCSed)!!

2009-07-11T17:05:00.004-05:00

We have officially moved. We are now at Vance AFB in Enid, OK. We will be closing on our house on Wednesday. We can't wait to get settled in. Tomorrow we attend our new church and hopefully the girls will start making some friends there before school starts. I'll post more pictures and information as we get settled and my computer gets set up.

Shurijo Castle

2009-05-24T05:06:00.002-05:00

We finally made it to Shurijo Castle this weekend. With only 2 weeks left, it was the last of the "to see" on Okinawa list. I am so glad we did. It is great to see some of the old Okinawa history.

Here are the girls in front of the entrance to the castle.

They really liked all the dragons.

And our token family shot.

Mother/Daughter Banquet

2009-05-02T18:04:00.003-05:00

We had our church's Annual Mother/Daughter Banquet yesterday. This is the poem I wrote for my girls:

For My Girls

My Girls keep me on my toes,

Always asking about things only a Mother knows.

The bring sunshine to all of my days,

With their smiles and loving ways.

I love the way they are curious about everything

And the way they belt out a song when they sing.

The first one came at a time in my life,

When I enjoyed being a military officer and wife.

She was such a blessing to bestow,

That I gave up wearing my uniform with the Air Force logo.

The second came on the hot Texas sunrise,

To brighten our lives with her big blue eyes.

I thank the Lord for the blessing of my girls each day.

I am proud of and love them in every way.

My girls are caring, compassionate, and true,

And I wouldn't be a Mother, if it wasn't for you.

I love you Ashley and Rebecca!

Spring Break in Tokyo

2009-04-19T05:43:00.011-05:00

We just spent a wonderful Spring Break in Tokyo. It was great!! We left on Sunday morning and stayed at the New Sanno, Naval Hotel (totally awesome!!). Once we got settled, we decided to go see Tokyo Tower at night, but have dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, first.

The second day, we went to Tokyo Disneyland with our friends from church, the Curry Family. We really enjoyed that!! It was so funny listening to the Jungle Cruise in Japanese. Donald and Goofy talking Japanese was pretty funny too.

The 3rd day, we went to the Ueno Zoo. The girls really enjoyed seeing all the different animals. They didn't have a giant panda on display for us, but it didn't stop the girls from getting a picture with the panda statue or buying panda souvenirs.

On the 4th day, we adventured to DisneySea. What a great park!! There was no crowd. We practically walked right onto every ride. It was great!!

On the last day, we went on a tour to Mt. Fuji and Hakone, Japan. We saw Mt. Fuji, had lunch in Hakone, rode a gondola up the side on a volcano with sulfur hot springs bubbling out of the ground, went on a pirate ship sail across a lake, and rode the Bullet Train back to Tokyo.

And then we came home. But we got to fly on the ANA Pokemon 747. It was painted with Pokemon and had Pokemon curtains, and headrest covers. The girls thought it was pretty cool. Not a bad vacation! I think we will remember it as one of the best!

Ballet Recital and Easter Party

2009-04-03T03:45:00.004-05:00

Just because I am busy with a job, doesn't excuse my lack of blogging and updating people on what the girls are up to. So I will try to do better.

Rebecca was able to participate in her classes ballet recital/show, even though she had to drop her class when I started working. I haven't downloaded the video of it yet, but I have finally downloaded my picture camera. She was so cute, I could hardly stand it. A few of her friends from the her old school and the neighborhood came to see her. We played hookie from school for 2 hours to go to the recital, so I didn't have flowers her. I could have kicked myself for that.

We also had our annual squadron Easter party. The girls really had a nice time. There was an egg hunt, crafts, and even the Easter Bunny stopped by. Of course, Ashley asked "Who was in the suit, Mom? I could see his shirt and neck." She is growing up so fast.

Some upcoming events: Rebecca is singing and reciting Bible verses at the Missions Revival tonight at Church. She is also going on her first real field trip next Friday to the Okinawa Zoo. Next weekend, we are headed to Tokyo for Spring Break. We plan to go to both Disney parks up there and try to get to the base of Mt. Fuji. I will definitely blog about that when we get back.

Only about 2 months left here in OKI. We are headed back stateside this summer and moving to Vance AFB in Enid, OK. We are very excited for the move and the vacation en route.

Pictorial Update - March 2009

2009-03-16T01:45:00.002-05:00

My first day of work and Rebecca's first day of K-4.

Rebecca playing First Steps Basketball

I've done it!!

2009-03-09T07:34:00.002-05:00

I have reentered the workforce. I know that may sound strange since I heard on the radio this morning that another 650,ooo jobs were cut last month. But I have started teaching at Maranatha Baptist Academy, where Ashley and now, Rebeeca, go to school. I have pictures of my and Rebecca's first day, but I am to tired to download them right now. I just wanted to take a moment and reflect. I have been out of the Air Force for over 5 years. It is a huge step for me to be able to get back out there. I loved it. I am taking the 3rd grade class with only 5 students, 4 Japanese and 1 American. All the kids are so sweet and seem to accept me on the spot. They even let me play "Heads Up 7 Up" at recess. It was a rainy, gloomy day. I haven't played that since grammar school. It was fun. I also got to grade a math test and a language test. I got to see my girls at lunchtime. It was a pretty good day. Well, see what Day 2 has in store for me tomorrow......

No Training Wheels!

2009-02-22T06:53:00.002-06:00

I thought I totally blew it today. Rebecca wanted to ride her bike, so I got it out and tired to put air in the tires. I ended up breaking the air spout thing. So off to the BX to buy a new tire tube. Luckily, they had 2 in her bike's size. That is amazing in itself, since the BX never has what you need in a pinch. So Adam fixes Rebecca's tire. Well, during this whole ordeal, Ashley wants to ride her bike, and she never wants to ride her bike. Only now she thinks, she can do it without her training wheels. And by golly, SHE CAN!!! Check of the video of her riding around our cul-de-sac.

So a flat tire on one child's bike, turned into a significant step in my other child's life. Isn't life grand?

Great Mommy Gadget!

2009-02-18T22:19:00.004-06:00

Do you have trouble getting your kids to wash their hands and brush their teeth? WE DO!!! Ashley likes to brush her teeth for approximately a millisecond and claims she is done. Rebecca doesn't like to do it at all. So night after night, we fight with the girls to brush their teeth properly and for a reasonable amount of time. So last week or so, while Adam is having this routine discussion with Ashley, I get an e-mail from Leaps and Bounds (aka: One Step Ahead). Now over the 6 years of having children, I have discovered that One Step Ahead has to coolest travel gadgets, toys, feeding accessories, and so on. But this one is I think my all time favorite purchase from them. Introducing the LED "Wash & Brush" Timer:

It cost $12.95. It flashes a green light (Top), slowly at first and speeds up as time expires, then the red light (bottom) comes on. It flashes for 20 seconds for hand washing and 2 minutes for teeth brushing. My girls have been washing their hands every chance they get and last night, there were no discussions on brushing teeth. They just did it!!! WOW!! I love this thing!

It has sucction cups, or velcro, or screws for mounting. It is as easy as pushing the "hand" button for washing hands or the "tooth" button for brushing teeth. It is great! I wish I had invented it.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=534744&parentCategoryId=85195&categoryId=85244&subCategoryId=86228

I guess I should have posted, that they cannot ship this item to APO: "We are unable to ship this item to Armed Forces - Pacific, USA when ordered on our website. To place your order, please call Customer Service at 1-800-477-2189, or choose the 'Ship to an address other than Billing' option above." I use ShipItAPO.com for my shipping needs, when websites will not ship to APO. For $7.50 handling fee and required postage, you can get anything shipped to an APO. I wish I had thought of this too. What a great business.

Weekend at Oura Wan

2009-02-17T02:31:00.003-06:00

We just spent a wonderful weekend relaxing in the cottages at Oura Wan on Camp Schwab. It is nice to get away and just be together as a family. The girls have been bugging us to go there, since I went in September with our squadron wives. So we went, even though the ocean is still really cold. So there wasn't any swimming to be had, but I don't think the girls minded. There is a small playground with a swing set across from our cabin (The Eisa Cabin) and they were so excited to swing all weekend long.

Poor Daddy was pushing Rebecca all weekend!

We did go down to the beach to look for seashells and sea glass. The girls filled their buckets with shells and coral.

Happy Shell Hunters!!

Our friends, the Booth family, came up for a cookout on Sunday night. It was just a perfect weekend.

On another note, we are still awaiting word on our next assignment. When we know anything, I'll post an update. I wish they wouldn't leave us in suspense so long. Oh, well. What can you do?

Family Bible School

2009-01-24T01:50:00.005-06:00

We just had a wonderful week of Family Bible School hosted by our church and Dr. Bobby Brown and his wife. Here is a link to their website: http://evangelistbobbybrown.com/page.cfm?id=4. Family Bible school was inspirational, uplifting, and downright, awesome. The girls learned some songs, recited Books of the Bible, heard Bible stories, learned verses, and had a great time. I even learned how to do Sword Drills. The girls were in the 3 years old to 2nd grade division. So after the opening session every night, they would go upstairs for their portion of the program. They earned Happy dollars for attendance, learning verses, etc. Ashley's school (1st grade - 12th grade classes) sang at the Sunday night service.

Ashley is the 3rd from left, 2nd row up.

At the beginning of each night, we started with the Pledge to the American Flag, Pledge to the Christian Flag, and Pledge to the Bible. Dr. Brown would say, "Attention, Salute, Pledge." Which meant, stand up tall, put your hand on your heart, and say the pledge. Well, Rebecca thought salute meant to salute like Daddy does. So she would salute and then put her hand on her heart. It was very cute!!

At the end of the week, the children all had bunches of Happy Dollars to spend at the Happy Store. Ashley was so excited to buy a Faith & Friends doll and Rebecca was happy with her bag of miscellaneous loot.

It was such a wonderful week.

Pineapples, Mikans, and Pizza, Oh My!!

2009-01-04T00:48:00.005-06:00

We had such a fun adventure yesterday. My friend, Diann, invited us to caravan up to the northern area of the island to go mikan picking, which are tangerines or manderin oranges. So we went, and thought we could visit the Pineapple Park while we were up there, since it all seemed off of road 84. I am so glad we went. We had so much fun. Our two families caravaned up there and we tried to find the mikans first but then decided to start at the Pineapple Park and then work our way north on 84. We've been to the Pineapple Park twice before, but Rebecca has been asking to go back for about 3 months. We just love trying all the samples and or course buying a few things. Here is a picture of the girls in the pineapple doorway:

Next stop, was a mikan stand off 84, where a Japanese lady in a car will have you follow her to a mikan orchard up on some mountain in the middle of the jungle. Sounds bad....but it was beautiful. We picked a couple dozen mikans and we able to understand the old man saying something like "san" something in Japanese for "ichi" and point the scale. He was saying, 300 Yen for 1 Kg of fruit. (Ashley has been teaching Rebecca to count in Japanese, and we are picking up on it too). Here is Ashley and the Booth's; Aaron, Diann, and Kaitlyn, at the orchard.

After picking mikans, Diann suggested we try and find the Nakajin castle ruins that are up the road a little ways. And we were able to find them!! I think the kids were expecting a castle more like the ones in their fairy tales. At one point while we were walking through what used to be the main court, Rebecca told Caroline, "There is a castle around here somewhere." Too cute! Here are the girls, and you can see the castle wall in the background.

And after all that walking and picking and seeing cool stuff, dinner was on the minds of all. So we stopped at Pizza in the Sky. A very out of the way Japanese restaurant that we had never been too. Thank goodness the Booth's had been, or we would have gotten lost trying to find it. They only serve pizza (the house pizza only), salad and drinks. I was a little weary when I heard the pizza had corn on it. But it was sooooo good!!! It was cheesy. It had corn, onions, bell peppers, and somekind of sausage. Even my kids ate 2 slices each. Here is a picture of Adam and the girls while we where waiting to get a table. (We ate outside in January!!)

Happy 2009!!

2009-01-01T04:07:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!! Out with 2008 and in with a new 2009!! I hope this year is a happier, more economy friendly year. We rang in the New Year with a small party at our house with our friends and neighbors. We had a great time. The kids all got along with no major outbursts and the adults seemed relaxed and enjoyed visiting with each other and playing Scene It Squabble. It was a perfect way to send out 2008 and bring in 2009. We also celebrated New Years in the Pacific time zone via Skype with Grandma and Grandpa Benjamin.

"For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne. "

Cheers!!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T17:57:00.005-06:00

What a day we had yesterday!! Before I start, I need to give glory to God for sending his son to save us, for that is the true meaning of Christmas.

We have a few traditions for the holiday. A night close to Christmas, we drive around and look at Christmas lights. There were some very nice displays on base this year. But we still think our house is the best. On Christmas Eve, we open one present, usually pajamas for the girls. We eat milk and cookies and Daddy reads the night before Christmas.

The Night Before Christmas and new Pajamas!

Christmas morning is spent opening presents, eating cinnamon rolls, and the past 2 years chatting with Grandma and Grandpa Benjamin on Skype. Here is a few pictures of what everyone got for Christmas:

Rebecca got an Abby Caddabby Doll from Santa that sings and calls her "Pumpkin" like Mommy does.

Ashley got a digital video camera from Santa. It actually will go under water 3 feet. It is pretty cool.

Daddy got a cool blender. If you are ever on You Tube, check out the "Will it Blend?" videos. We got him THAT blender.

Mommy got some iLuv for Christmas. It is a DVD player for my iPod. I can't wait to use it.

So, for us to you, we hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a wonder New Year!! 2009 promises to be full of adventures and challenges. May the Lord guide us through safely!

Kids do the Darnest Things

2008-12-09T21:21:00.002-06:00

Why can a small child find ways to stick objects in to the tiniest of places? Well, mine can and did. Rebecca stuck my ID card into the tiny slit above the card radio in my van yesterday, while I was sitting in the driver's seat talking to our Pastor and his wife. Who thinks of these things? Well, evidently, 3-year olds do. I was about to have a Mommy Meltdown, when my friend, Teresa, grabbed my arm and told me it will be alright. She sure saved me from totally embarrassing myself in front of our Pastor. Mr. Ishikawa, our church handyman, and Teresa, were able to take my dashboard totally apart and find my ID card. I still can't believe she did that. So now she understands why I tell her to not touch or play with Mommy's ID card. Mommy can't get back on base, get in the commissary, BX or pick up Christmas packages at the Post Office without it.

P.S. Adam is not TDY right now, so I am not sure why this happened. Unusually these things happen when he is gone.

Christmas has Sprung at Kadena AB

2008-12-02T01:34:00.005-06:00

I am starting to think that Thanksgiving is just a road block to get to the Christmas Season. It is really in the way. All the cooking, planning to cook, shopping for the cooking, is all just keeping me from getting my Christmas on! Here in Oki, we jam pack Thanksgiving weekend with everything, from turkeys to Christmas trees (Live trees went on sale at the BX on Saturday morning at 7 am). We actually got up at 5:30 am on Saturday to get in line for a tree because if your late, you won't get one. And I can't imagine Christmas without a live tree. It took 3 days to decorate the house and put up our Christmas lights because of all the other things going on over the weekend. But I must say, I really enjoyed the Annual 44th/67th Turkey Bowl and Neighborhood Parade this year. It was a blast and the girls enjoyed watching Daddy play football with the guys. So anyway, for all the hustle and bustle of the weekend, we are now in the full swing of Christmas. The mailing deadline is 4 Dec for Priority Mail. So packages and cards need to get done this week. I am in charge of putting on the Children's Christmas party on Saturday. Next week, I am babysitting for Holiday Coffee's and Squadron Parties. Our Squadron Coffee and Party are next week as well. So by the 14th of December, all the hoopla should be finished and I can enjoy a quiet day or two, I hope.

Our imitation of the Clark Griswold house. This was taken from the opposite corner of the street to try and squeeze all the lights in the shot.

Our LIVE tree. It wouldn't be Christmas without it.

Thankful for You

2008-11-29T18:23:00.002-06:00

To all my wonderful friends and family,

Just a quick message to say, "I am thankful for you." We have had a wonderful holiday weekend, filled with food, squadron football, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, lots of dishes, and wonderful friends who shared this time with us. I hope you all had a great weekend too.

God Bless America!!

The Girls at Awanas

2008-11-23T04:36:00.002-06:00

Both girls are active in Awana Bible Club at our church. Last week was a dress up night for Ashley and a Thanksgiving party for Rebecca.

Ashley won best dressed for Sparks. She won 100 Awana shares that she can "spend" at the Awanas Store. She really had fun dressing up in Daddy's clothes. A close friend was very nice and let her borrow his flight cap, since Daddy has his in Singapore.

The Cubbies made Indian, I mean, Native American headbands. Rebecca adorned hers with stickers. She really enjoys learning her Bible verses and doing crafts at Cubbies. She often comes to me to remind me I need to go over her weekly verse with her.

Other than that, we are trucking along into the holiday season. I think I might have actually bought everything I need this year for Thanksgiving and the commissary didn't run out of what I needed. We are anxiously awaiting Adam's return tomorrow. I need to get my Christmas cards going. The mailing deadline is 4 Dec for Priority Mail. Not mention that Saturday, the live Christmas Trees go on sale at the BX, so we'll need to be there early to get one. It should be a busy weekend. Happy Holidays!

Okinawa Adventures with Flat Stanley

2008-11-16T03:45:00.008-06:00

We are having a blast with our visitor Flat Stanley, who came to visit from Atascadero, CA. Now, with that said, let me explain. My oldest and dearest friend, Denise, sent Flat Stanley to us for her 1st grade daughter's school project. Flat Stanley gets to stay for a little while and "see" Okinawa. Flat Stanley is the title character of a 1964 children's book. Stanley Lambchop is flattened when a big bulletin board (which Dad gave Stanley and his younger brother, Arthur for putting pictures and posters) falls on him in the night while he is sleeping. He survives and makes the best of his altered state, and soon he is sliding into rooms through the opening at the bottom of closed doors and being kind to his younger brother by playing as a kite for him. Stanley even helps catch some art museum sneak thieves by posing as a painting on the wall! But one special advantage is that Flat Stanley can now visit his friends by being mailed in an envelope. This literacy project was started in 1995 by Dale Hubert, a grade three schoolteacher in London, Ontario, Canada. It is meant to facilitate letter-writing by schoolchildren to each other as they document what Flat Stanley has done with them.

So this is what Flat Stanley has done with us on Okinawa: We taught him to drive in a right-hand drive car, on the left side of the street. We took him to see a giant Shisa Dog at Cape Zanpa park. We showed Flat Stanley some of our beautiful beaches, and we played with him at Pirate Ship Park at Araha Beach. The girls are having a lovely time taking Flat Stanley around. We'd also like to take him for a Japanese meal, where you sit on the floor, but we are waiting for Adam to return from his TDY, since he is the only one who will order sushi with Flat Stanley.

Pierced Ears

2008-11-01T04:05:00.003-05:00

I took Ashley to get her ears pierced today and ended up getting Rebecca's done too. They both chose pink stars for their training studs. I was hoping for birthstones. But I let them pick. Ashley was supposed to go first, but got scared. So Rebecca jumped in the seat and was my brave girl. She didn't cry until the lady grabbed her hand to not let her touch the 2nd earring after it was in.

Ashley needed a little coaxing. And almost didn't get the 2nd one done. But she got brave and let the lady finish. Now both my girls have beautiful earrings in.

Halloween

2008-11-01T04:00:00.003-05:00

We had another fun Halloween here in OKI. We had hundred of children come to the house for Trick or Treating. I had a laundry basket full of candy and I ran out in one and a half hours. Since Adam is TDY, my friend Diann, the White Rabbit below, took the girls Trick or Treating for me so I could pass out candy. Here's the girls in their costumes, with their friends, Caroline and Kaitlyn.

Diann and Me!

Broken Arm #2

2008-10-27T01:32:00.003-05:00

We have our second broken arm for 2008. Ashley broke her wrist while playing in her soccer game on Friday night. She tripped and fell backward when she was backing up for a throw in or free kick. She put her hand down behind her to break her fall and instead broke her wrist. The doctors are calling it a buckle fracture. We took her to the ER Friday night and went home 3 hours later with only a sprained wrist. But the Radiologist read the x-rays over the weekend and discovered the small fracture. So we went to the Orthopedics clinic this morning and got her a purple cast.

She is doing great. Her teacher postponed her writing (cursive) test Ashley had today and let her only have a practice test. Her teacher told me she was sad at recess today because there isn't anything for her to do outside. She needs to be careful not to fall down. I told her she should lay on the floor until the cast comes off, since she is always falling down.

Rebecca and Ashley are painting right now. They are so cute. Rebecca is painting her wood art she made at school today and Ashley is painting herself as an Indian, to prepare for the Thanksgiving dress up day at her school, that is coming up.

And so it begins....

2008-10-19T22:14:00.003-05:00

My baby girl, who is 6 years old, attended her first drop off event at the Youth Center on Saturday night. It was for the 6-8 year olds. They did pumpkin decorating and played games. Ashley had a really great time, especially since her friend, Katelyn, went with her. I would have taken a picture of her going in, but I didn't want to embarrass her. I think I was more nervous than she was. I even teared up a bit, as I watched her for a few minutes from the lobby. She is growing up and it makes me a little sad to see it happen so fast. This weekend she is attending the 6-8 year olds costume party at the Youth Center. And so it begins....

Tokashiki Marine Village - Karamas

2008-10-14T21:38:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful time in the Karamas this weekend at Tokashiki Marine Village. What a great little secret resort. We had the best time and the customer service was more than we could have asked for. We went with our friends, the Klein's, Jeff, Sara, Savannah and baby Lilian. The girls had so much fun, they didn't want to leave. We played on the beach for 3 days. We saw all kinds of fish while snorkeling, and yes, both girls snorkeled.

This is Tokashiki Marine Village (the resort/hotel) from the road coming from the port. We stayed on the 3rd floor with an ocean view.

This was the view from our room.

But the best thing was swimming/watching the giant sea turtles. A local, who works at the hotel, said there are 6 turtles living in the bay. It was awesome to see these magnificent creatures. We called them all "him" since the girls thought it was Crush from "Finding Nemo."

This one was huge, as big as a picnic table. He wasn't scared of us either. He just kept on eating sea grass, even though the girls kept getting a little close and splashing a lot.

This is a baby turtle. It was fun to swim around with him. He is coming up for air in this picture. The bigger turtles stayed underwater for a long time before they had to go up for air.

I can't say enough about our weekend. I am so glad the Klein's came with us. We had so much fun together. I do need to mention one thing. The girls were fascinated about trying to crack open a coconut that they found around the hotel. They played with that thing at every meal (it was in the area where we enjoyed eating our meals outside on the patio). Adam finally ripped off the outer skin and smashed the coconut open on the last day, so they could see what was inside. But is was fun entertainment for 3 days.

Rebecca's Cubbie Patch Presentation

2008-10-09T00:05:00.003-05:00

Rebecca is participating in Awanas this year at our church, in the Cubbies program. She completed her first 2 sections of her book, or Bear Hugs, as they are called. She is on the Green Team and I am the Green Team Cubbies Leader. We have a good time together at Cubbies. She has learned 6 Bible verses, without any trouble. Granted, they are edited down for the 3 and 4 year olds to learn. But I am so proud of her. Last night, the Cubbies got to go up in front of the Wednesday night service and receive their Cubbies Hopper patch. Here she is with her Green Team members.

Kia, Rebecca, Joshua, and Gabe

(They are all also in the K-3 Sunday School class that Adam and I teach)

Sneak Peek at our Christmas Card

2008-10-07T22:47:00.004-05:00

Here is a sneak peek at our Christmas card photos for this year. I couldn't wait to share with everyone.

We had these taken on 20 September at White River Photo Studio. They did any outstanding job and were so nice to the girls. I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to have these types of photos taken while in Okinawa.

Ashley's Soccer

2008-10-05T02:28:00.005-05:00

Ashley is playing soccer again this year in the 5-6 year old league on base. Her team name is the Green Goblins. She was one of the kids who helped pick out the name and started chanting it during Fridays game while she was on the bench. She really like soccer. She has made new friends with the other kids on her team.

She is getting more aggressive and taking the ball when she can. She still is a little shy about getting in the big group of kids trying to all go after the ball. I always say at this age it is really 11 kids against the one with the ball. Nobody really passes it to their teammates yet.

Facebook

2008-10-05T02:22:00.003-05:00

Facebook has me hooked. I love it. I love reading about every one's status's and looking at pictures. I am hooked on playing Word Twist with Jody and Diann on Facebook, and hooked on Pathwords, and Scramble. I am not so hooked on Suduku, because Adam and Aaron are playing hard boards and I can't keep up. It is driving me crazy. I feel like I am not blogging about the girls as much, since I spend all of my computer time on Facebook. So I am going to try harder to work on my blog more, between Word Twist matches. I can't leave Jody hanging! :)

Oura Wan Weekend Getaway!

2008-09-28T20:11:00.004-05:00

Oura Wan Bay

I just went away on my first ever weekend getaway without my family. I went to Oura Wan Beach with the other wives from the 44th Fighter Squadron. We had so much fun and it is so beautiful up there. Oura Wan Cottages are located on Camp Schwab, a Marine Corp base up North. The cottages were awesome. It was like being at someones house. We enjoyed wonderful food, games, movies, the beach, more food and just good fellowship time together. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful ladies in my life. I can't wait until the next wives trip.

Morning Coffee on the Porch

Our afternoon at the beach

Girl's Kimono Pictures

2008-09-20T02:48:00.005-05:00

Now, these are off my cell phone and the proofs won't be ready until Thursday. How cute are my girls?

Ashley's hair is finished.

Rebecca loved the make up and and flowers in her hair.

These were after their pictures. The ladies that did their hair and dressed them could get over hoe "silky" their hair is and how cute they were. The mother of one of the ladies was their and she said seeing our girls made her heart happy. Pretty nice compliment. I can't wait to see the real photos on Thursday.

Rebecca's Ballet Class

2008-09-11T06:42:00.003-05:00

Rebecca has finally convinced me to sign her up for a ballet class. She wants to be just like big sister. So the both have a ballet/tap dance class, both do gymnastics, and both play soccer. I am one busy Mama!! But this picture was worth it:

You can see more at: http://www.flickr.com/gp/9819841@N02/5aoA00

9/11 - Remembered

2008-09-11T02:37:00.002-05:00

Today 9/11 almost came and gone without a thought. But as I was driving home from picking Ashley up from school. The radio was playing "Amercian Soldier" by Toby Keith. I drove by the NCO Academy and the flag was at half staff. And I thought to myself, "Why is the...?" I didn't even get the thought finished when I remembered the date today, 9/11. As I continued to drive home and the song continued on the radio, I started singing the song and welling up with tears. That song usually gets me anyway, but this was different. I was overcome with emotions. I want to say to all our Armed Forces, God Bless You!!

Rebecca's T-Ball

2008-09-06T15:32:00.005-05:00

Rebecca is playing First Steps T-ball, which is a parent involvement sports program for 3 & 4 year olds. Here is the team picture. It was like herding cats to get them to all sit/stand still and look at the camera.

Hangin' out with Becca

2008-09-04T00:03:00.007-05:00

Rebecca and I have had 2 great hanging out days, today and yesterday. Yesterday, I took her to Monakids Jungle with my friend, Diann, and her daughter, Caroline. For those of you stateside, Monakids Jungle is a huge indoor playland. The kids ran and played and had a blast. They were playing so well, that we stayed the entire 3 hours that you are allowed to stay on weekdays. I usually stay about 2 hours and then I am ready to go. But yesterday is wasn't crowded at all and the girls were having such a great time, so we stayed. Naps can be overrated, right?!?

Here are a few pictures from Monakids Jungle. The lighting there is really yellow. But these were cute.

Today, Rebecca had preschool orientation, again, for the start of the Fall term. But we didn't really need to be there. The staff member that told me I had to go to orientation was mistaken. Next, Rebecca had her gymnastics class. After that, we met our friends, Lisa and Emma, and Diann and Caroline, at the Bowling Alley for lunch and a game of bowling. We had a great time. The kids bowled, the Moms got to talk. It was great. It is really nice when they are all so well behaved. They are growing up so fast.

Ashley's 6th Birthday!

2008-08-31T05:33:00.005-05:00

I sit here to blog about Ashley's birthday party yesterday and I am in total amazement about the little girl that was born 6 years ago. She was a awfully cute baby. I even sent her picture into the Regis and Kelly Cutest Baby Contest in 2003. But I could be a little bias. (you think?) Now, I can't get over what a charming, caring, beautiful, and considerate little lady I have living with us. Ashley (and Rebecca) is such a blessing from God. I think Him everyday for my girls and the joy the bring me.

Anyway, Ashley is now 6 years old and had a Little Mermaid themed party at Torii Pool yesterday. She had a total blast. She really enjoyed having all her friends come to the party. Here's a few shots from the party. You can see more on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/gp/9819841@N02/2j0x4s).

Grandma hit the jackpot by getting Ashley a Hannah Montana guitar and headset. Ashley hasn't stopped playing with it. And I've got "Nobody's Perfect" stuck in my head. (All you Moms of young girls know what I am talking about)

First Grade for Ashley!

2008-08-17T23:02:00.004-05:00

Ashley started First Grade today! Here she is out in front of her school/our Church with her new Ariel backpack and lunch tote.

I hope she is having a great day.

It seems like yesterday she was coming home with us from the hospital. Now she is walking into school to start first grade.

NOTE: I did enjoy my 2 1/2 hours by myself this morning, while Becca is was at preschool. I went to water aerobics, paid bills on-line, and took a peaceful shower. I almost forgot what is was like to take a shower without screaming from the other room or being barged in on.

My Birthday

2008-08-14T03:16:00.004-05:00

Yes, yesterday was my birthday. On the contrary to what has been spread about me, I am NOT 45 years old. You are only as old as you feel and I don't feel a day over 29. Ha! Anyway, I wanted to have one last day of extreme fun for Ashley since she is starting 1st grade on Monday. So I rented a bouncy water slide for the day. The kids had a blast. I really enjoyed my birthday having all me friends around. It was great. I've included a few shots.

The water slide was a great size for all the kids to run and slide on.

Here is Ashley and Becca racing out the back.

Ashley had so much fun.

Rebecca, Caroline, and Christina

And there was cake, hotdogs, and plenty of other food brought by my wonderful friends. It was really a relaxing get-together and I really enjoyed it. Plus, I need to publicly thank Adam for all he did so that I could sit and chat with my friends. He was awesome!

So, here's to another year!!

Olympics Opening Ceremony

2008-08-08T22:30:00.003-05:00

We got the strange opportunity to watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Live, but on a local Japanese TV station last night. NBC didn't carry the Opening Ceremony Live, because in the US it would have been 8 am ET, so AFN couldn't broadcast it for us. So we watched parts of it on the Japanese channel. Now, today we are watching the NBC prime time broadcast of the event. It is just weird. We are only an hour different from Beijing, but we get the Opening Ceremony 12 hours later. We are supposed to get all 600 hours of NBC's coverage of the Olympics, but it will be mostly in the middle of our night, since that is daytime in the States. Oh, well. This is my pet peeve for the next 2 weeks. Go Team USA!!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

2008-08-03T23:02:00.003-05:00

Yes, my birthday is a few days away. But my wonderful husband and children have already started showering me with gifts. They got me a new camera!! I now have 15x zoom on it, compared to my 3x zoom. I can't wait to take it out to the girls t-ball games. I'll be able to zoom in on them now. Yeah!! Here are a couple of pictures we took of the girls trying out the new camera.

I told Ashley this is her modeling face.

Rebecca's T-Ball

2008-08-03T22:57:00.002-05:00

Rebecca started First Steps T-Ball on Saturday. It's a 6-week program for 3-4 year olds with parent participation. She really enjoyed it, but she got over heated and had to sit out for a while. Isn't she cute with that big helmet on her head?

Totally Awesome Day!

2008-08-01T03:42:00.002-05:00

We have had the best day! Helped a couple OSS ladies learn how to make hooded towels for new babies, rented a bouncy water slide for a day of fun before school starts (the rental date just happens to be on my birthday), went to Torii Pool with friends and had lunch there, and played with our neighbor's kids on their new water slide. It has been just a great day! Doesn't it look like the girls had a blast?

Those are Becca's feet

They were having so much fun!

But the didn't mind posing for a picture!

Check out this video clip.

And now it's time for pizza and movie night. What a great day! I wish they could all be like this.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

2008-07-28T02:50:00.004-05:00

I can't believe how fast summer has been going. I always look at the 10 weeks of summer with a little groan because it's 10 weeks of constant entertaining my kids. But this year has flown by. We have been so busy with swimming lessons, t-ball, golf camp, gymnastics, birthday parties, going swimming with friends, and just hanging out. Not to mention, Adam brought home a Nintendo Wii from Alaska and we play it all the time. Ashley starts school in 3 weeks, on 18 August. Rebecca is already in a preschool program, but she'll 2 weeks off before the Fall session starts on 8 September.

Anyway, here is a couple of pics of Ashley from golf camp.

Ashley loves playing golf. She went yesterday with Daddy, her friend Savannah, and her Dad, Mr. Jeff. We have a regular 18-hole course here, the Banyan Tree Golf Course, and we also have a par 3 course, Chibana Golf Course. She's played Chibana twice. Ashley and I hit the driving range one day last week, while Becca was at school. Too much fun. It is so nice that she is getting bigger and enjoys playing with us.

Not only can both kids play the Wii, but Rebecca also enjoys a little Rock Band on on our Xbox 360. She loves to play the drums. She is so cute.

Rebecca's 1st Day of Preschool

2008-07-21T18:55:00.005-05:00

Rebecca started Preschool yesterday.

Rebecca in front of the CDC

She is attending a part day enrichment preschool program at one of the Child Development Centers on base. It is a 2 1/2 hour a day program. She really liked going and couldn't wait to go this morning.

Standing in front of the cubbies

Both days, the teacher had paint out for the starting activity. That was all she asked about when we were preparing her for school. "Can I paint?"

This is her paint smock.

I am glad she is enjoying it. Her "two little friends," Caroline and Emma are also in her class, that made the transition easy as well.

Ashley's First T-ball Game

2008-07-12T01:03:00.003-05:00

Ashley had her first T-ball game and Opening Ceremony for the baseball season this morning. She did a great job.

This is Opening Ceremony for Kadena Baseball 2008.
---

Ashley has completed running the bases. They are only allowed to advance one base at a time. Each side bats the entire team and then they switch. We played 2 innings in 45 minute game, so Ashley batted twice.

She is in the "ready position" waiting for the batter to hit. She fielded a couple of balls and threw 2 runners out at first. She played Pitcher in the 1st inning and Center Field in the 2nd.

She really enjoys playing baseball. Rebecca will start First Steps T-ball (a parent plays with her) at the end of the month. Ashley is also taking a junior golf camp this week. She is looking forward to that. And Rebecca has her orientation for part-day Preschool on Wednesday and then she'll be able to start her preschool class on the 21st. It a program on base at the CDC for preschool enrichment for 2 1/2 hours a day. It is 5 days a week, but once she gets used to going, she'll only go 3 days a week so she can still participate in gymnastics and storytime.

Daddy is home!!

2008-07-05T05:30:00.003-05:00

These pictures say it all....

For more pictures, check out our Flickr photos from my favorite links.

Delayed for the 4th time

2008-07-03T17:37:00.003-05:00

Adam is STILL in Alaska. The 2nd tanker broke so the 2nd set of jets are still camping out on the tarmack at Elmendorf. What a pain the @$$!!! So we will celebrate the 4th without him. He is hopeful about returning tomorrow. But like I keep telling Leslie, "I won't hold my breath."

Rebecca's 3rd Birthday

2008-07-03T04:55:00.003-05:00

Today, my baby turned 3 years old. I can't believe it. She had a Cinderella party at our USO movie theater. Her and four of her friends dressed up as Princesses and watched Cinderella, are lunch and, of course, had cake. Here are a couple of pictures from the party.

She opened her presents with Grandma on Skype. Grandma always gets a kick out of spending time with the kids on the computer. And she got to talk to Daddy on Skype as well. I don't know what we ever did before we had a webcam and Skype.

Adam should be home tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers.

Afraid of Spiders

2008-06-29T07:56:00.004-05:00

Now, I feel like a total baby. It is 10pm and I just called my neighbor across the street to come over and kill a big spider that was on my wall in the living room. I was totally freaking out and trying to figure out who I could call. Steve was great. He said it was a Banana Spider. It was about 6 inches in diameter. It was huge and I was scared almost to tears. I feel like a total wimp. I have serious arachnophobia. Thank GOD the kids were in bed or Becca would be having nightmares for who knows how long. When is my husband coming home? Creepy crawlies are his job.

The things we do for our kids

2008-06-27T04:26:00.003-05:00

Today, I have hit an all new low. Ladies, you know how we shave our legs for our husbands/significant others, or for ourselves to make us feel better. And you know how when hubby is out of town, we kinds let the shaving go for a couple of extra days. You know you've done it too. Well, today I shaved my legs because my 2-year-old has been telling be at swim lessons the past two days that my legs are "prickly" when she tried to sit with me. The things we do for our kids.

In trying to keep the girls energy high, while waiting for Daddy to come home in another week I now have a tent in my living room. The girls have decided they are camping in the living room tonight. They are so excited and the threat of the tent coming down got both of them to eat their pasta bake dinners and drink their milk. So I guess I scored one with the tent, but now I am relegated to my bedroom for my TV show and movie tonight. Again, the thing we do for our kids. Chow!

Taking a Break

2008-06-24T08:12:00.002-05:00

Every Mommy needs a break. I took one this evening. Since Adam is still TDY and will not be home until next week. I called in the babysitters, a set of twins that are great!! I took myself out for a movie and some popcorn. What a much needed break. I sat in the theater and lost myself in the lives of Carrie Bradshaw, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha Jones. What a treat. I am so glad they kept to the series story lines and everyone ended up happily ever after. It really brought closure to the series.

On another note. Ashley started t-ball today and loved it. She was dirty from head to toe when we got home. She can't wait for the next practice on Thursday. I'll try and get some pics then.

Delayed again

2008-06-23T00:18:00.005-05:00

It looks like Adam won't be home until Wednesday. And if they don't make it out of Alaska by then, they might not get home until after the Elmendorf Air Show, due to the airfield being closed. GREAT!!

The girls seem to be taking it pretty good. I just keep them entertained with swimming and video rentals. These are a few pictures I took at Torii Pool last week.

Rebecca is loving swimming with her arm floaties on. She is turning into a fish just like Ashley.

I must comment on the girls fascination with the Olympic gymnastics trials. The women's trials were on yesterday before church and the girls were glued to the TV. They just loved watching those girls "fly through the air and do all that cool stuff." The second night of the trials were on this morning and I had to tape it so they girls could watch it over and over. It will be a lot of fun watching the Olympics with them this year. Check out Rebecca walking on the balance beam at only her 2nd preschool gymnastics class.

I just love the new clothes I bought for the girls at the BX. They are so cute. So I had to include this picture of them.

Delayed

2008-06-21T19:16:00.002-05:00

We woke up this morning with a little spring in our steps. The oven was pre-heating to make Daddy a "Welcome Home" cake. Then I checked the computer to see if there had been any messages. Adam left me a chat message through Skype explaining how they are delayed at least 48 hours due to weather and tanker support. I don't think in all of his career flying Eagles, they have ever returned on time. So the girls and I will have to trudge through 2 more days. The girls are disappointed and I could really use a break.

And the Hits just keep on Coming

2008-06-19T08:18:00.002-05:00

I was hoping I could make it until Sunday without anymore significant events or mishaps happening. Not the case. I walked down the hall tonight to get my flip-flops on to take Charley for a walk and I heard a strange dripping noise. I opened the A/C closet to find it flooded and the unit dripping like my coffee maker. Luckily, housing mx came out within 2 hours and shop-vac-ed all the water out and I had already had the air running to defrost the A/C unit. Nothing is too ruined. Our luggage, which is stored in the A/C closet, has those little legs on the bottom, so they kept it out of the water, I think. Adam had his roller blades in the their box and they are full of water. It is just another thing that happens when your husband is TDY. Here is the list for this TDY (1 month since he left): I got sick 2 days after he left, I super glued my fingers to my Palm Pilot stylus, I had an eye infection, I landed in the ER with strep throat, and now my A/C froze up and leaked all over the place.

I just need to stay home with the shades drawn and order take out until Sunday. After that I am checking into the Marriot for my vacation. (Wouldn't that be nice?)

Feeling Better

2008-06-16T07:05:00.002-05:00

I am feeling better. The strep is gone. My nose is draining. And I can breath much better. Thank you to everyone who called, commented, e-mailed, etc. Hopefully I can stay healthy for the remainder of the summer, or at least until Adam comes home next week. Who knows?

Ashley started swim lessons today. Level 2. She did great. She was able to do all the things her instructor asked her to do. I think she'll fly, I mean, swim, through the class with no problems.

The girls were such troopers last week while I was sick that I promised to take them to see Kung Fu Panda today. They loved it. They thought the panda was pretty funny. I really enjoyed taking them. They are at such a fun age now where we can do stuff like go to the movies. We can't wait for Wall-E to come here next month.

Ok, I gotta get some sleep. I need to get up at 1 am to watch Tiger Woods' playoff round of the US Open, if they are showing it live. I can't wait to be back on regular sports time zones. :)

I Hate Goodbyes

2008-06-14T06:19:00.003-05:00

I just said goodbye to one of my closest friends in the whole world. I only met her less than 2 years ago, when we took up residence at 2130 Westbrook. She was only the neighbor lady with 2 wild boys and one on the way. But over the past 2 years, I have had the opportunity to get to know Heidi Wong and I am a better person because of it. We have laughed together, cried together, and lent each other a hand when needed. I have grown to love her and her entire family. It saddens me to know they are not a walk across the grass anymore. I will miss her dearly. But I wish her all the best in Florida. I hope to see her real soon. God Speed Heidi!

What else can happen?

2008-06-12T16:58:00.002-05:00

Well. I was really sick. I ended up in the ER last night because my throat hurt so bad that I couldn't swallow without tears of pain. And I am glad I did. I have strep and the ER staff was surprised I could swallow at all because my tonsils were so swollen. They said if I hadn't come in, I might of had an airway issue in the night, ie, I would have stopped breathing. I don't know why I wait until the last minute to get help. I don't like asking for help. But I can tell you that the ladies in our squadron, jumping into action, and took care of the girls and took care of me. I was in awe of them. They are wonderful people. So, 2 bags of IV fluids, 1 Bag of IV antibiotics, congestion medicine, gargling something for my throat and a shot of antibiotics in my butt, and I was feeling much better. I have to go for a follow-up appointment in an hour. Also, the medical guys attached to our squadron and taking care of our families while our husbands and flight doc are gone, are awesome as well. The ER couldn't get me a follow up in Flight Medicine. But one call from Leslie to our Physiologist, and not only do I have a follow-up in the right clinic, but the flight doc came and checked on me in the ER last night. What a bunch of guys, uh? Thank the Lord for such wonderful people who jump in and take care of us, when our spouse are gone!!

I am sick, AGAIN!!

2008-06-12T01:20:00.003-05:00

I can't believe how many times a year I am sick over here in Japan. I use to only get sick once a year. But it seems like I am sick once a month here. I subconsciously tie to to my cycle, but I am not sure that is true. This is the second time I've had a head cold since Adam when TDY. It hasn't been 3 full weeks since I got sick last time. And not to mention that I woke up on Monday morning with my right eye almost swollen shut. And I couldn't get in to see a doctor until 3:15 in the afternoon. I am just so tired of being sick. I am trying to get the girls sick, so I am washing my hands and using hand gel like crazy. Well, my eye is better. Whatever it was went away. But this cold has had me knocked out for 2 days. I'll post more when I am feeling better.

Ashley's Ballet/Tap Dance Recital

2008-06-07T05:30:00.004-05:00

My little girl is a budding ballet and tap dancer. She had her very first recital last night. She did a ballet routine to "The Merry Ole Land of OZ" and a tap routine to "Nursery Rhyme Blues." I added a small clip from each routine.

I think she did a great job. She loved all the makeup and flowers. I had a lady at the base Beauty Shop put her hair into a bun for the performance. I don't think it would have looked as good if I tried to do it myself.

Ashley has had a few big days lately. But for now, they are over. Now, we can relax and enjoy our summer...except it's been raining most of the week. I guess this is the rainy season. Welcome to Okinawa!!

Those Things that Happen when....

2008-06-03T00:13:00.003-05:00

Do the strangest things happen to you or around your house when your spouse is out of town? You know, your kids get hurt, the car breaks down, a random cat come into your house uninvited and won't leave, a bird flies in through your bathroom window, or the key breaks off in your van's sliding down and you are down to your last bar on your cell phone? Well, this probably takes the cake. Yesterday, I successfully super glued my fingers to the stylus of my palm pilot. How did I do that, you ask? Well, let me tell you. I had dropped the stylus on the kitchen floor and the top of it broke off. So I thought I could super glue it back on. So holding the stylus in my left hand and trying squeeze glue with my right, the glue wasn't coming out. So I REALLY squeezed and about half or all of the super glue came out all over the stylus and my hand. Thinking quickly, I grabbed the stylus out of my left hand with my right only to end up super gluing my pointer and middle finger to each other and to the stylus. And I have super glue all over my left hand as well. So now, what do I do? ER here we come. But after a minute or so, I remembered that Adam had bought super glue remover and it was in our junk drawer. That's my DH, always thinking ahead because he knows that gluing my hand to something is right up my alley. I feel like such an idiot. This one will going into my "When my husband was TDY, guess what happened?" list.

Summer is Here!

2008-06-01T18:31:00.003-05:00

What a great weekend we had! Of course, Ashley graduated on Friday night to start off the weekend. Saturday was my 12th Anniversary. My wonderful husband, planning ahead, left me a closet full of gifts. I hate not being able to spend the day with him, but he'll be home soon. For the gifts, he remembered that I have been looking for a tart burner since January and got me 2 electric ones, which are safer around the kids. How sweet was that? I can't believe he remembered that I have been looking for one. Saturday night, the girls and I walked up to Chili's Too for dinner. It was actually a nice evening to be out walking. Sunday was great. Our friend's the McMurry's, Boomer & Jody, attended church with us. I enjoyed having them as my guests. Ashley really loved having Sarah with her at Children's Church. After naps, the girls and I headed out to Torii Pool for the first time this season. Wow, what a difference a year makes. Rebecca wore some arm floaties and actually let go of Mommy and floated by herself in the big pool. She was loving it. Ashley still is a fish. I have to keep telling her to come up for air. She also took to the water slide. It was a fun afternoon and the girls behaved splendidly. I couldn't ask for more.

And this morning is Ashley's first day of no school. She slept in until 8:15, that's the time I am usually dropping her off at school. Way to go Ashley!! If only I could get Rebecca to sleep past 7. Ummmmm......

Ashley's Kindergarten Graduation

2008-05-30T08:16:00.005-05:00

Maranatha Baptist Academy put on a very cute graduation ceremony for the kindergarten class tonight. It was kinda hard to see Ashley in a cap and gown. I can only imagine what I will feel in 12 years, watching her graduate high school. She was so cute. And I am so happy that our church and school have the ability to webcast it's services and events because Daddy was able to watch the graduation on his laptop in Alaska. What a blessing.

-----

--

Mommy bought flowers for her graduation. She thought that was pretty cool.

--

--

This is the Maranatha Baptist Church K-5 Class of 2008.

This is Ashley's best friend, Claudia. They couldn't wait to eat the yummy cake.

**More pictures of graduation can be viewed on our Flickr photostream. Let me know if the link on this page doesn't work.**

And so it begins....Summer. No alarm clocks for 10 weeks, except the voices of the girls asking to get up (which is pretty early here, since the sun rises before 5:30am). It really is the "Land of the Rising Sun." The early rising sun. For the summer, we'll have t-ball, swim lessons, gymnastics, ballet, and lots of swimming at the pool or beach. The kids can't wait. And so it begins...........

Zoo pics and more....

2008-05-29T01:28:00.005-05:00

I finally downloaded the camera with pictures from Ashley's field trip to the zoo. Here are a few pictures from that day.

Here are the kids looking at a bug and butterfly display at the Wonder Center.

Ashley loves Peacocks, so I had to include a picture.

They have a petting zoo area where the kids could hold chicks, guinea pigs, and turtles.

Rebecca loved being part of the class for the day. As you can see I even dressed her in the school uniform of the day.

My baby girl is graduating from kindergarten tomorrow. It is kind of making me sad. I am sad because Daddy is going to miss it and I am sad because she is growing up so fast.

Adam has been gone for a week and we have been able to talk and see him almost everyday on Skype. What a wonderful invention, the webcam. It sure makes TDY's a little easier to handle for the kids because they get to see him and interact with him on the computer. I recommend it to everyone who lives away from family and friends. Video calls to other Skype members are FREE!! You can't beat that! Ok, that is my plug for the day.

Until next time... "You stay classy San Diego" (One of Adam's favorite movie quotes)

Boy, we've been busy

2008-05-25T22:57:00.001-05:00

We sure have been keeping busy these first few days since Daddy has gone on his work trip. Friday, I chaperoned, with Rebecca, Ashley's K-4/K-5 Field Trip to the Okinawa Zoo. We all got a kick out of the chimpanzee throwing poo at everyone. Friday night, I took the girls to see "Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" that the Pacific Okinawa Players put on with my friend Jody and her kids. I am so amazing how taken with the show Rebecca was. She couldn't get enough. She was so sad when it was over and she had to leave. I guess I'll be getting tickets to "Ragtime" in October.

Saturday was a fun filled day of power outages. The power was off and on all day. What a pain. Ashley had gymnastics at the Youth Center with no a/c. Ashley and I attend our church's Mother/Daughter Luncheon. Ashley enjoyed getting all dressed up and wearing her princess crown to the event. My good friend and next door neighbor, Heidi, watched Rebecca for me. I am sure going to miss them when they PCS in a couple of weeks.

Today, we had Sunday School and Church. Then we went out to Torii Beach for a squadron baby shower. It was nice having it out at the beach so the kids could come. After, we went next door for dinner. What a busy day. I am surprised I am taking time to blog now. I still have to get ready for the squadron Memorial Day BBQ, I am having at my house tomorrow. Oh, well. I'll sleep sometime.

Sorry, there are no pictures this time. I haven't had time to download the camera from the zoo. I'll post them on Flickr once I do.

Ashley Finished 1st Year of AWANA

2008-05-21T19:25:00.001-05:00

***First, I have changed who can leave comments to: anyone. You do not need a Google bogger account to leave comments.***

Last night, Ashley's AWANA Program had it's Closing Ceremony and Awards Presentations. Ashley was a Sparks, Skipper rank. And she received her Book 1 Sparks Completion Ribbon. Here she is getting her ribbon from the Sparks Director, Brother Jeff.

You can watch her ceremony at http://www.maranathaokinawa.org/media.asp. It should be posted soon as the May 21 - WedPM service. We are so proud of her. She has learned so much at AWANAs. We are looking forward to next year's AWANAs. Ashley will try for her Sparks, Hiker rank, Rebecca will start Cubbies, and Mommy is going to be a Cubbies Leader.

Sewing Extra...

On a side note, my friend, Jody and I finished our special sewing project the other day and she is expecting to see it on my blog. Now, it is important to note, that the other fighter squadron at Kadena are the "Fighting Cocks" or the "Chicken Squadron" as my children call them and the ladies wear these red flightsuit dresses for parties and special occasions. So Jody asked me for help sewing a baby version of the red dress. I think we did a pretty good job.

One Last thing..

We dropped Adam off at the PAX terminal this morning for his month-long work trip. So I will try not to whine too much over the next month. The girls and I already miss him. He is going to miss Ashley's Kindergarten Graduation, our Anniversary, Ashley's ballet recital, and Father's Day. It is not that he is gone a lot, because he's not. But his work trips always seem to make him miss special occasions. Last year, he missed my birthday and Ashley's first day of Kindergarten. Anyway, please keep him in your prayers while he is away. Thanks!

More on the Pedicure Adventure

2008-05-20T01:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I just showed Ashley our blog and she reminded me that I didn't show a picture of our toe art from getting our pedicure last week. She got roses on her toes and I got a flower and turtle. They can do amazing things with paint on your nails over here in Japan. Ashley looked and looked through the big book of nail art, but once she hit the roses page, she was hooked. When they rubbed her feet and legs, she said, "This feels so good, I think I'd like to take a nap." I think I may have made a monster. She is already talking about going again for her birthday. :)

Don't know what I am doing....

2008-05-19T19:46:00.001-05:00

Well, I am trying this bloggin' thing out. It seems that everyone is doing it. I so much enjoy reading other friends blogs and catching up with them in cyberspace. Since the life we have chosen takes us so far away from family and friends, I think this might be a good way to get out there and reconnect with people. So I am a baby blogger, and I don't know what I am doing.

Today, Becca and I am hanging out, waiting to go visit a friend for a playdate. All the usual mundane chores are done or in the works, ie. laundry, dishes, the dog walked, etc.

Ashley is off at school. Only a few days left for her. Friday is a field trip to the zoo and next week are 1/2 days. Next Friday is her kindergarten graduation and my first born will be a 1st grader. I can't believe it. She has lost all her top/bottom front teeth. Those front 2 bottom teeth are her adult teeth.

Ashley and I went to Cocok's last week to get our toes painted for a kindergarten graduation present, before Daddy leaves for a month.

Daddy is going back to the States for a month long TDY. We'll miss him, but I think we have lots of activities planned to keep us busy for the first couple of weeks of summer.

Ok, Becca is chasing the dog up and down the hallway, so I better go and check on her.

Chow!