The Morrison Five

Confessions of a Snail Killer

2010-07-22T10:39:00.003-05:00

We've had a fish tank for several months now. We've filled it with multiple fish and two snails that the boys have each picked out. Several fish have died and now we are down to three. The snails were thriving, or so I thought. I found one of the snails, Gary floating at the top of the tank. I thought to myself, Oh boy...here we go again. The boys will be crushed. I plucked Gary out of the tank before I could arise suspicion from the little ones and chucked him across the golf course behind our house. They were none the wiser.

Until the second snail started to float a few days later. Ugh. What was going on with the aquarium or it's keeper? It was like the death trap for all things aquatic. I figured I would save the chucking of the snail for the morning and went to bed. When I awoke in the morning I discovered something unusual. The snail was scooting along on the bottom of the tank! Could it be true? Could he actually have just been faking his death to meet his friend in the after world?? Or was this some trick that my mind was playing on me? I observed the snail for a few days only to come to the awful conclusion that I unfortunately, had killed Gary. I think he was faking his death. Who knew that snails could actually do that or are mine just that talented? Because of Gary's little 'dead dog' act, it was his final curtain call.

That snail haunts my dreams to this day....

Where ART thou?

2010-05-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

Tonight we took a trip to the Memphis Children's Theater Festival kick-off where we had encounters of the artsy kind or what Chris would say "My thing". Since it was just the kick-off and not the main event which is tomorrow, the crowd was small. We were able to have more interaction with the performers such as the man on stilts, aka, "Zeke the juggler", the acrobatic lady, the face painter, the dancer and the musicians. We played around for a bit before the performance which was the play "The Kalahoney Kids vs The Shadow Monsters". The play was great and very fast moving which held their attention. Chris and I thought it was very entertaining as well. After the performance we were treated to a cookie and milk buffet. Boy, what a spread! I wanted to take a picture with my 3 children, the octopus triplets, we had to grab and go before there was nothing left for the other patrons! After our bellies were full of sugary goodness we enjoyed the delight sounds of Out Loud Artistry (think Stomp! on a smaller scale). The boys were brought up on stage with a few other kids to show off their skillz on the dance floor. Tyler promptly went into a break dancing spin on the floor. Wish my camera was ready to catch that! We all really enjoyed ourselves and I think that this night will be talked about for weeks to come.

Kick-off to Summer!

2010-05-25T16:18:00.000-05:00

It's the end of school for Logan and we've already hit 90 degrees. We completed puzzles, disassembled radios and made our own slushies! We have plans to grow our own sunflowers and make a teepee. Things should get interesting around the Morrison household, but then again with 3 boys, things are ALWAYS interesting!

Mountain View, AR

2010-05-11T13:20:00.002-05:00

This weekend we took a little trip to Mountain View, Arkansas for Mother's Day. It's a quaint little town that is the self proclaimed Folk Music capitol of the world. It's not uncommon to venture out at night to the town square and find people "pickin' an' a grinnin'" by the moonlight. Tourists are encouraged to bring their instruments and join in on the fun. We explored Blanchard Springs Caves and the Ozark Folk Center while we were there as well as the antique shops and boutiques around the square. We even attended a junior rodeo which was quite amusing. (Imagine four year olds racing around on ponies and hog-tying baby goats.)This town has that old fashioned feel that I love so much and I look forward to meandering out that way again real soon.

A two-fer in the crockpot!

2010-05-11T12:39:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

3-4 med sized sweet potatoes
3-4 bone-in chicken breasts
seasoning of your choice (I used Corky's Dry BBQ Rub but Lipton Onion Soup Mix works just as well)
Tin foil and a large Crockpot

1. Remove skin from chicken

2. Sprinkle with seasoning

3. Wrap chicken individually in tin foil pouches

4. Place washed/dried potatoes on bottom of crockpot with chicken packets on top. Cook on low for 8 hours.

5. VOILA! Eat and be merry!

Side Note....My friend, Toni and I were out shopping the other day when I spotted this cute little apron. The one I have is blue and boring. I debated on purchasing it for myself and then decided against it. Toni went back and got it for me. Love her and my new apron!

The Gardener of My Heart

2010-04-13T13:41:00.007-05:00

Till the soil of my heart, Lord.

Plant the seeds that grow into the Fruits of the Spirit.

Help me to tend my garden. Help me to stay vigilant for weeds that will steal the nutrients in the soil.

Keep watch for snakes that wind their way in to hide.

Lord, You are the Great Gardener of my heart.(This is a short poem that I wrote on Easter. I find writing therapeutic and luckily for my reader, I keep things short and sweet!)

Growing Roots

2010-04-09T09:32:00.009-05:00

God created me to be a visual person so naturally He speaks to me in word pictures. I've always had a special fondness for trees. I'm not sure why, but to me they are beautiful in any shape, size or age. I have a tendency to humanize them.

My in-laws are going through a tough time right now. My father-in-law had a stroke in January, as well as brain surgery from an infection. He's still recovering and it's been a long and life changing road for the both of them. Their life, their family "tree", was knocked over in a storm.

I was at a nature center here in TN the other day and I noticed this great big tree. This is an excerpt of an email I sent my mother-in-law the other day describing it. (I hope she doesn't mind that I share it!)

"The tree was huge and had fallen over a while back during a storm. The roots were exposed on one side yet half of them were still rooted in the ground. The roots that were exposed had new growth coming from it. It was a beautiful sight. The tree's life was forever changed during that storm yet beauty still grew from it. Your family tree has been uprooted during your "storm". Beauty will still grow out of it." (I'm sorry to say, that I do not have a picture of this tree. )

Two nights ago, we had a crazy, powerful storm. Lightning, thunder, the whole works. The next morning after the storm had passed I shuffled the kids into the van and was backing out of the garage when I saw part of a tree in the yard. It was leaning against the neighbor's house. During the storm this tree was struck by lightning and the top half of it was completely knocked off. Such a drastic turn of events for this poor tree! The trees roots are still planted and it will survive this but...sometimes that is how God gets our attention...with a quick spark of lightning.

To continue with our theme of trees, I considered my family tree and what it's like right now. I picture this...

Living the military life, you've got to be portable. You can't let your roots grow to deep because they are eventually going to be uprooted. I do look forward to the day when I can stretch my roots but until then I think I'll just continue to decorate the pot that I'm in.

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

He made all thing new

2010-04-04T18:57:00.003-05:00

It's been quite some time since my last post and to be honest with you, I haven't been inspired to write until now. I started this blog to keep my family and friends updated on our day to day news but Facebook came into the picture and has hogged most of my "blog" time. With today being Easter, I have spent a lot of the day reflecting. We watched The Passion of the Christ and there was something that 'Jesus' said, "I make all things new." What better time to start a dedication to blogging than today when Christ gave me a fresh start. It may sound corny but blogging was once a big part of my life and I have longed for the creative outlet that it had granted me. Therefor I am publicly announcing a re-commitment to blogging.

With that said...let me jump back to my reflecting that I was mentioning. My kids have asked me about the Trinity, how Jesus can be God and vice versa. I 'borrowed' what my former pastor, Chap. Brown said once about Jesus being a Son, just like he was someone's son and Him being the Father just like he (Lee) was a father. I have always liked that explanation but just today I came to the realization of a different kind.

Throughout the Old Testament it is written that God can not be looked upon (ie. The burning bush or hidden behind the temple curtain). Humans use their five senses to judge their surroundings. So for our human brains to fully grasp who God is, He had to engage our senses... sight, touch, hear. He became flesh. He put skin on so we could finally look upon His face. I know this is not a new concept but it's one that I myself, have just begun to understand. God wanted to personalize himself, to make himself more approachable, and so that a relationship with Him would be attainable. Like I said before, we're human, we need our senses to judge what is real. We have to fit our "reality" inside of a box and test it against those senses. The God of the Old Testament was out of reach, behind the curtain. When Jesus came it was like He said, "Here I am, See Me, Feel Me, Hear Me. I AM real and I'm here for YOU."

As I close this first post in many months, I want you to think of Jesus, God with skin on and what was the reason for his descent to the earth from His Heavenly throne. You.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-30T10:24:00.000-06:00

My mom and RT came for a visit during Thanksgiving. It was a real treat to share our first turkey day back in the states with them. It was such an awesome day...very relaxing since I made most of the food a day ahead of time. I was able to enjoy the parade (YAY!) and made a scrumptious turkey. I'm so thankful for the many blessings I have and FAMILY is at the top of that list!

From white belt to yellow belt

2009-11-13T10:44:00.002-06:00

Logan has graduated to a yellow belt in his karate class. We're very proud of him! He has shown tremendous growth in the 3 months that he's been attending. He has shown great focus and concentration in learning karate.

Fighting stance

His teacher, Mike Cassie, has been such a blessing. He is stern with the kids but it's what is needed when instructing them on how to protect themselves. They snap to attention like little soldiers at the sound of his voice. He teaches them discipline and respect for themselves and one another.

Logan and his buddy, Duke. They started the same day and made yellow belt at the same time. These guys are two peas in a pod who sometimes get into trouble because they try to make each other laugh all the time. Duke always has a smile on his face especially when the teacher requires him to look tough. It's the funniest thing!

Trunk or Treat!

2009-11-13T10:28:00.001-06:00

Halloween night was our trunk or treat at church. What-a-crowd! It was a bit chilly out but I was happy to not sweat for once on Halloween! The boys enjoyed checking out their loot although for Ryland it was everytime that someone put it in his bucket. He thought he had to eat every piece right away! Our truck was decorate in a Navy theme. I carved 8 pumpkins! That's gotta be a record for one person, if not, than it's one for me!

A battleship in the moonlight

The Amys...hey that would be a great name for a rock band! Amy was my Navy cheerleader as she was wearing the traditional Navy colors of gold and blue. If you notice the pumpkin in the back that says Anchors Aweigh...I did not spell that wrong. I received a lot of comments about that but that's how it's spelled in the song....I swear!

I had to pry this child off of this ride. He kept trying to escape and run back to it. My guess is that he liked it....;-)

The kiddos had more fun passing out the candy than collecting their own. I had to keep a watch on Logan, his serving was a fistful and Tyler's was one piece.

Casting Crowns

2009-10-26T18:15:00.002-05:00

Casting Crowns was one of the first Christian bands that I listened to when I became a Christian 5 years ago. I had the opportunity to see them when they were in Memphis thanks to my mother in law for buying the tickets AND my sister for watching the kids. It was an awesome concert and I received a renewing of my faith because of it. Listening to the music live was like being transported back in time to my "baby" Christian days. I'm so blessed to have had this experience. They will forever be one of my favorite bands.

A visit with family

2009-10-26T16:27:00.002-05:00

My sister came to stay with us during the week of Logan's birthday. The cousins meshed so well together. The little ones followed each other everywhere and the big ones...well let's just say that Logan was the leader of the pack. We had the pleasure of taking them around Memphis to see the many fun spots that we have enjoyed such as the Children's Museum, the zoo and the Firehouse museum. We even had a chance to dress up in halloween costumes and attend the annual Zoo Boo. I think that they had more fun just being together and playing.

This is just a snippet of our week together. There are many more photos in the web album.

Wii party for Logan

2009-10-26T16:07:00.001-05:00

Logan turns 7!!

We celebrated Logan's birthday with a Wii marathon. His cousins came all the way from NC and he was also joined by old and new friends to help him celebrate his special day. Who needs birthday games when a Wii is around? Not these kids! We couldn't pry them away from it for the cake!

Happy Birthday Logan!! We love you!!!

Put your shoes on!

2009-10-08T13:31:00.003-05:00

Over the 3 years on Guam I craved a bible study like I had in NC which was Community Bible Study. I did not spend much time in the Word while on Guam because I didn't have a bible study to really force me to get into it. I know that's not an excuse by all means, but it's mine.

By Divine Intervention, I ran into a mom at a playground a few months ago and she told me about a study geared towards moms. It turned out to be just what I needed.

We meet to discuss the book "High-Stepping in Heavenly Places" with a group of great ladies and then we break to hear the author, Jean Stockdale, speak. Let me tell you, this woman is right up there with Joyce Meyers in my book. She has a gift for public speaking and can draw you into her story as if you're two moms sitting down for coffee.

In this study we are delving into the book of Ephesians and Jean adds her "mom" twist so we can better apply it to our daily lives. One thing that sticks out for me is that Jean calls us "Beloved", a word that Paul uses several times in the New Testament. Each time she speaks that one word, it is a reminder to me how much God truly loves us. In Hebrew it actually stems from two words 'ahebh' which means "to breathe" or "to long for" and 'agapao' which means "to prefer". God "longs for" us and "prefers" us. WE are His Beloved!

Halloween Preview

2009-10-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

The only costume that he would agree to wearing...

Our Weekend

2009-10-04T22:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend we went to the Casey Jones Train Museum. Have you ever heard of Casey Jones? I never had but apparently he's pretty famous and has been since his death. He crashed his engine into the back of another train over one hundred years ago but he saved everyone on board in doing so. He could have jumped off to save himself but he stayed on board to slow the train down as much as he good to save his passengers. That's quite a man. There was song written about him, movies, tv shows, and merchandise galore. I sure do hope that his descendants are benefiting from it. There is an entire village with his name on it. Below are a few pics from the museum except for the first one. The boys had AWANA tonight and they had to dress up as royalty. As a "class" project this week we made the crowns and I picked up a few shields and breastplates at the dollar store to complete the look. They really wanted to bring their swords but I didn't think that their leaders would appreciate that!

Can you tell who's into Davy Crockett?

Little man did not want to be with his brothers, he had to be by himself like a big boy.

Happy Fall!

A very Magical Week

2009-10-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

Back in the spring, while still on Guam my friend, Kerry and I were chatting about taking a trip to Disney to utilize the military free pass for active duty. It was quite a deal that we couldn't pass up and was also a chance for us to spend some time with one another because it had been 3 years afterall! In the 3 years time frame, things had changed a great deal for both of our families. I had a baby. She had adopted a little boy from China and moved from NC to PA. The week was one of constant movement. We all had a great time but I think if we do a vacation annually, it will be some place far, far away from an amusement park! I am so glad that we had the chance for our families to mesh and get to know one another again. Kerry's son Jacob was Logan's very first best friend.

Many more photos in the web album for your viewing pleasure!

School Picture Time

2009-10-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

Now just because the boys (meaning Logan) are not going to a conventional school does not mean that they can't have their school pictures taken! I'm a member of a homeschool group that publishes a yearbook annually. I could not resist having the other boys get their school pics taken even if they aren't in school.

Lost his first toof

2009-08-30T07:28:00.000-05:00

My little boy is growing up! The day I saw that tooth wiggling was one of excitement (for him) and sadness (for ME!!). He certainly is like his mama too because he was very apprehensive about losing his teeth (or change of any kind). He would proclaim that his teeth were "just babies!". When it really started wiggling we tried to coax him into tying a string around it to get it out but he simply was not having it. He eventually just lost it eating a pb&j sandwich. He said it tickled coming out. Guess that's a good thing since he has several more to lose and I think I'll go a little crazy if he reacts this melodramatically with the rest of them! ;-) Like I said....he's just like his mama.

A visit from PapPap

2009-08-29T21:18:00.001-05:00

How blessed we are to have a carpenter in the family! PapPap joined us for some work and fun although I'm sure he'd say it was the other way around! The boys really needed a swing set to get some energy out and PapPap sure did come to the rescue. He built an awesome swing set that I'm sure will last for years to come. The boys had a great time "helping" and also enjoyed taking him around to see the Children's museum and the zoo.

Thank you so much for the swing set PapPap!! It's the gift that keeps on giving because it is used EVERY day!

Visiting campers or is it camping visitors?

2009-08-05T19:20:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Chris' dad and his wife Shirley came for a visit. They brought their RV up and set up camp at a state park to the north of us. Shirley had lots of fun things for the boys to do. They got to search for fish with their nets, examine bugs under magnifying lenses, and roast marshmallows. Ah, who doesn't love the outdoors? We had a visit from a cheeky little raccoon while we were eating. He got a squirt from the water bottle and was on his way. I wish I had some good pics of that. It was pretty funny. We all enjoyed our time with Granddaddy and Miss Shirley. We look forward to our next exploration with them!

CMOM rocks!

2009-08-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

CMOM is Children's Museum of Memphis and boy did we miss having a children's museum around. The boys had such a good time here. I brought them back again yesterday and Ryland squealed with delight when we pulled into the parking lot. They got to play in an actual cockpit of a FedEx plane, "fish", play dress up, drive fire trucks, grocery shop and much more. I can tell this is going to be a place we frequent a LOT!

Fun times with Grammy!

2009-07-21T19:58:00.000-05:00

After I left the mountains I took a trip over to visit my mom. We had a great time with her and on our last day Christy, Chris and the kids stopped over for some Monkey Joe fun. The boys loved it. Afterwards we had a barbeque and bonfire (mini) with smores and hot dogs a-plenty!

Reunion in the mountains

2009-07-21T19:32:00.001-05:00

We had a great time visiting with my sister and her family. The boys loved hanging with their cousins Ethan and Emerson. It's been a non-stop Ethan-fest here at the house. Below are snippets from our visit. I had the joy of celebrating Emerson's 2nd birthday with her.

And so it begins....

2009-07-09T12:11:00.000-05:00

My little journey into homeschooling. I've decided to take a leap of faith. Some think I'm crazy, heck, sometimes I think I'm crazy but nevertheless it's a commitment that I've accepted whole-heartedly. Upon arrival of our curriculum I had a doubting moment. My friend, Rebecca, can attest to that. I sat down and facebooked her with my concerns because I couldn't find her phone number to pick the phone up and cry in her ear. Lucky her. I'm afraid of boredom. There I said it. Boredom. Sounds kind of trivial, doesn't it? Well when you've got three youngesters that depend on you as their sole source of entertainment it can be draining. I'm sure that once the routine is in place things will go smoothly. I expect bumps in the road but sometimes bumps are needed to wake you up and get you alert. Consider myself on alert status and ready to ride. Are you ready to ride along with me?

Nature Center and Waterspray

2009-07-08T16:06:00.000-05:00

I was feeling a little summertime cabin fever since it's been so hot. I woke up this morning on a mission to curb the fever with a little heat. I know, doesn't make sense to me either and I sorta figured it out when I was standing in the middle of it (the heat, that is!). Our first stop was Lichterman Nature Center. I've heard great things about this place so anticipation was high. We packed our lunches and away we went. The visitor's center was very informative with stuffed animals that are indigenous to the area. We picked up a family backpack for free (you had to leave your keys for collateral) and it was filled with tons of fun things to use outdoors plus games to familarize yourself with the plants and animals. The kids particularly liked the binoculars and the handheld songbird identifier.

Outside of the visitors center was a flock of canadian geese. I'm not really a fan of these guys because I've seen them chase people. I was prepared to beat them off with our backpack if they got close but fortunately for me, and the geese, they were tame. Some of the other visitors had brought crackers to feed them. When the crackers were all gobbled up they just sort of walked behind us waiting for more handouts. Tyler didn't really enjoy this but got used to them. After we ate our lunch the geese appeared. Ty was chompin' on some cheez-its and decides he's brave enough to throw one to the geese. Of course they immediately flock to his side, he dumps the crackers and runs. I nearly peed myself laughing.

We were there just in time to watch a hawk feeding which was none too pretty, let me tell you. Thankfully the little mice were dead. It was all I could muster to keep from gagging when the tail was hanging out of it's beak.

A few of the moms and I got to talking and they told me about a water "park" not far from where we were so I piled the kids in the van and went in search for some cool off time. After Mrs. GPS directing, I made my way to the mecca of water "spray" parks and it was FREE. You can't beat that. The baby was not dressed for waterplay (don't ask me why) but that did not stop him from getting in on the fun. Too bad he sucked up half the water with his diaper. We spent an hour there and then it was back home with a little detour to Wendy's for a frosty. Good times.

My new name...

2009-07-07T15:22:00.004-05:00

The Squirrel Wrangler. Yep. That's what they call me around these parts. Making it my mission to get these little guys all fattened up. Just wait until winter comes. They'll be living high on the hog or, well, high on the peanut.

Back in the saddle again

2009-07-07T11:04:00.002-05:00

I've decided to compile all the pictures that I've taken over the last month and put them in a slideshow. As for the song, well, it says it all. I'm back at blogging. Consider me "caught up" and now I can go forward with future posts.

Enjoy!

Goodbye Guam

2009-06-27T08:09:00.005-05:00

Our farewell weekend was one of celebrations. We had fun in the sun with great company. Our good friends, the Ramirez family, the Simmons family and the Harris, were able to join us for a weekend stay at the PIC.

I also scored the best sauce recipe on the island from Mr. Vitale who owns and operates Vitales Italian Ristorante! I have been going there for 3 years and asking him to pass on his recipe to me when I leave. He finally succumbed to the barraging requests.

Our weekend was a very special one but very sad. We did not want to say goodbye to our friends or to Guam. Our time on Guam was one of continuous goodbyes but we are so thankful for the friends that we've made along the way. There's something about making a connection with someone and then finding out that your time is limited. It forces you to get to know someone quickly, that's for sure!

Our first year we said goodbye to our friends and neighbors, the Browns. Our carports connected and we would meet outside to chat, cook on the grill and just hang out. We did boonie stomps together, had birthday parties together, shared holidays and learned how to play mexican train from them!

We said goodbye to the Pattons on the second year. They were our neighbors as well but lived a few houses down from us. Theresa was there for me in the middle of the night when I went into labor with Ryland. She came down to the house in a flash to watch the boys so Chris could drive me to the hospital.
Now it's our turn to say goodbye. We took trips with the Ramirez and Simmons families to Hong Kong. That was a memorable trip and we all had a blast. A few months later the girls took a trip to Thailand and then to Yap. We celebrated holidays and birthdays together.
Our neighbors, the Harris family had daughters Isabel and Jojo that were like the daughters that I don't have. Last year it was the summer of Isabel. She and Logan were attached at the hip!
We count ourselves as blessed because of all the wonderful families that God hand picked for us. Each one made our time on Guam a blast and I know that we will all be lifelong friends.

Yap Trip

2009-06-20T06:36:00.005-05:00

Let me just start by saying this trip was FREE! My friend, Dot won a free trip to Yap for two back in October at an MWR (military lingo for Morale, Welfare, Recreation) travel fair. Her hubs did not want to go besides the fact that they would have paid airfare for their four kids plus lodging. So she asked me to go and let's just say I didn't take long to ponder on the decision!

We left Guam and arrived in Yap but it was dark out so we were not able to see much. We walked down the stairs from the plane and there was this little building which was the airport. We were herded into a line for customs but as we were waiting someone was holding up a sign with our names. We were shuffled passed the customs line, greeted with the most beautiful leis (presented by young topless girls...not kidding!) and into a dark waiting room. I didn't think much of it at the time until I stepped out of the room to take a picture of the airport. The man that was in the room with us serving drinks jumped up to escort me out. As soon as I stepped out of the room there was almost a hush over the crowd of people waiting for their loved ones. All eyes on the strange white lady with the camera. I snapped and dashed back into the room. I had heard stories about the yapese people that they are very protective of their tradition. They are also a very suspicious people. There is fighting between the different villages even today. If you walk through a village other than your own you had better carry a blade of grass with you to show that you mean no harm. Those entering the village empty handed are looking for trouble.

After a short wait our escort for the trip, Al (the owner of the place we were staying, the Village View) showed up with his friend. We made arrangements to meet up with his friend to discuss the package that we would choose for diving/snorkeling. I didn't understand why we just did not discuss it right there but just followed along. I learned real quick that we were headed to a bar. Ugh. Just where I wanted to be. It's not bad enough that I was sticking out there like a sore thumb but now I'm entering the land of drinkers with inhibitions out the window! When we arrived to an open bar/shack with a dj on a stage and a dirt dance floor there were plenty of stares and even an invitation to dance. Yay me. I did my best to remain calm and act nonchalant but inside I was praying hard! We finally left and arrived at our final destination. It was a row of houses set right on the beach. The water at high tide literally crashed under the deck right below us. The moon shown brightly on the water and it was just a beautiful sight. We were very thankful to have arrived safely and got some shut eye.

The next morning we awoke to the soothing sounds of the ocean. Ah what a sound. If I could live out my life right there, I would be a happy woman. We walked across the dirt road to the only eating establishment within 30 miles, the MoonRize cafe. It was completely open with nature as it's decor. Breakfast was rice, scrambled eggs and spam. What more could you ask for? We spent the day relaxing and walking around the village. Each village has a man hut where the men go to get away from the wives (or so we're told!) and to share the stories that were passed on to them.

There are ancient stone paths set up from village to village around the island so we decided to take a stroll up the path....or I did....Dot was a bit hesitant to go off into the woods on a strange island....I don't know why?? ;-P Needless to say, we made it back safely.

The next day Al took us around by van. There are little stores set up with a few items around the island. They are set up like a small food stand in the states where you stand on the outside of it and tell them what you want. We got to see a lot of stone money which is Yap's currency. It's used more for tradition now or trading of land. The stone money was brought over from Palau to use for trading. We stopped at a spot where they continue the tradition of making the canoes out of giant logs.

That same day we went to Colonia, the capitol of Yap. Dot got a massage at a local hotel and I got a foot massage. I think Thailand has ruined me for massages after the 3 hour massage I got there. Um, no thanks, not doing that again. While I was waiting for Dot to finish I took a stroll out by the pool and who did I run into but Nick, my neighbor from Guam!! He's a captain of a Coast Guard ship and had pulled into port for the night. It was comforting to have someone we knew there after our little bar excursion the night before!

The next day we enjoyed a day out on the boat. We went snorkeling at a few different spots and I saw an octopus! Definitely the highlight of my morning. That afternoon Al took us to his daughter's school to watch the children practice their traditional dances in costume for their upcoming graduation ceremony. We had such a blast and I made friends with the local kids. They got a great kick out of the digital camera and the fact that I could take video of them and play it back.
Our time in Yap was short but sweet. We were able to truly get an appreciation for the Yapese culture. Being there felt like I was back in time 100 years ago. But the best part of the trip was spending quality time with a good friend, a lifelong friend, Dot.

Still here

2009-06-17T09:04:00.004-05:00

So I bet you thought that I have fallen off the blogging train. Well I haven't. I have just moved from one side of the world to the other. A lot goes along with a move but when you've grown accustomed to a certain way of living, ISLAND living, everything else is just overwhelming. I've spent my time unpacking and occasionally venturing out into the great city called MEMPHIS. I've got restaurants coming out the wazoo and shopping, oh my, let's just say that a trip to Wal-mart nearly brought me to tears with all the choices. We've had visits from some of our dearest relatives and met some new friends. There are photos documenting everything but I just haven't had my external hard drive to load them on. Now that are second shipment has arrived with the hard drive we've noticed problems with the computer so it's going to be a little while longer. I appreciate your patience and once my blog is up and running, it will be well worth the wait when I continue dictating my adventures.

A night at the Santa Fe

2009-05-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

We met the Ramirez family at the Santa Fe Grille last night for a sunset dinner right on the beach. What a spectacular view. We sadly just discovered this restaurant at the end of our time here. This place at sunset is just breathtaking. We did not stay for dinner, we actually tried to, but termites came out to play. I do not like those little buggers! It's ok though...the photo ops made up for it.

A promotion -- A Blessing

2009-05-08T17:46:00.002-05:00

After 8 long years of service in the United States Navy, Chris was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. It was a proud moment for our family. Just 6 years ago he was promoted from Lieutenant JG to Lieutenant at a base in California. Logan was just born and was asleep in the stroller during the ceremony. Flash forward to present day, 2 more children added to the brood, Tyler removed his old boards and Logan added his new boards....while Ryland slept. Chris chose the beautiful spot of Asan Bay overlook. The area was originally chosen several months ago but my husband, the logistical thinker (he is a Logistical officer, afterall!), nixed it because he did not want to cause anyone too much trouble. He decided on the loading dock at the hospital for convience purposes because noone would have to leave the hospital. I'm so glad that he changed his mind on that one because the views were spectacular at the overlook...and in my opinion, he's worth it! ;-)

A BIG thanks to DOT for taking such beautiful photos and putting together these awesome collages!

And after all the formalities it was time to celebrate. We went for chicken wings at Hooters and he got a tattoo! I laugh as I type this because it's such a redneck thing to do but it was actually my suggestion....does that make me a redneck? Whatever. I don't like labels. ;-P He's been saying for months that he wants to have Ryland's name tattooed on his arm underneath his family crest and the other two boys' names. He talked about putting a little latte stone next to the date because it's so Guam and we wanted to commemorate the island Ry was born on. If he waited until TN to get it, I'm not so sure they'd know what a latte stone was. Besides, he's gotten a tattoo in the state that each boy was born in...why stop now?

Honeymoon Hike -- Haputo Beach

2009-05-07T06:45:00.000-05:00

While the boys were in school and Dot (Thanks DOT!) watched Ryland, Chris and I took advantage of our time alone with a hike down to Haputo beach. Going down was not as hard as I thought it was going to be...going back up was a whole different story. Once we reached the bottom, the trail opened up to a breathtaking view of a secluded beach and crystal blue water. We did not stay long because there was a storm looming just behind us but the time we did spend together was wonderful. It's nice to go on a little getaway...even for just a few hours, to refresh our memories of what it was like when it was just the two of us....quiet!

Don't let this pic fool you, this little guy was not so little. In fact, if given the chance I'm sure he could do some serious damage to a finger. He held on to that branch like he was bracing for a typhoon and I couldn't pull him off! He made a weird sound when in distress too. I did not know that crabs made a sound...did you?

Farewell Fiesta

2009-05-07T06:24:00.001-05:00

In good ol' Chamorro fashion, we had a farewell party on the beach. It was just a year and a half ago that we had Napu's (Ryland) christening and now we have come together to say goodbye. Goodbyes are never fun but MMD (Materiels Mgmt Dept) know how to make it so. We ate until we were stuffed with foods such as short ribs, dried corned beef, spicy chicken, chicken kelaguen and plenty of red rice (and white too!) w/ finadene. Chris was presented with a beautiful decorative machete set between two latte stones, a Guam seal carving and a Naval Hospital latte stone. The machete has his name (with new rank) which you can see below and the back says "Un Dangkalu Na Si Yu'os Ma'ase" (Thank you and God bless....TESS correct me if I'm wrong!). In our MMD fiesta fashion we even had a little shredding of the coconuts and coconut candy making which I missed because Ryland was done for the afternoon (meaning on his way to a meltdown!).

No, he didn't really cut the cake with it...this is just for show!

Materiels Management Department....a GREAT group of people that we will miss dearly.

Many more pictures available for your perusing in the web album. (Thanks to Rick for taking such great shots of the family!)

Marriage Vow Renewal

2009-05-05T20:04:00.002-05:00

Our marraige vow renewal was one I will never forget. We had it at our church, Christian Life Center, right on the water in Agat. Everything was planned down to this most minut detail and that is where our story begins....

If you know me, than you know that I DO sweat the small stuff. I try not to. But I just do. I spent hours, I mean HOURS on a slideshow (the one seen below) to make the perfect ending for our renewal. I envisioned it with tears and laughter, you know the typical wedding stuff. I kept coming up against road blocks meaning the slideshow wasn't timed to the music right, it would not burn to a disc, blah blah blah. I'm a persistent person when I want something but even persistence has a limit. I finally managed to get it burned to a disc and it ended up being the wrong kind (it was a CD instead of a DVD) so it was never shown to our guests. (My bubble burst.)

I planned for a cake, all in white and I was going to add my own tropical flowers to it. Well when I went to pick it up (30 minutes before our ceremony) it was not finished. I mean a layer of white frosting with a little cake still showing and that's it. That was my first inclination that this night might not go off as planned. (There went another bubble...)

During this cake fiasco Chris received a call from our friend, Dot while he was waiting in the car. She was picking up the beef fried noodles that I had ordered ahead of time. Apparently the noodles were not made and when they finally gave them to her it was a single order. Not a tray like I had asked for. (POP!)

Shortly after that we received another phone call from Dot. She was picking up the order of 50 Lumpia for us. Well they were never made. Order was taken but apparently not received by the master lumpia maker. Lumpia is not an easy thing to make so an order that big needs advance notice. (Wait for it...wait for it....SPLAT!...ANOTHER bubble.)

Now my reasoning behind telling you all this is simple. The night before, right after my slideshow "meltdown" I prayed for the Lord to help me focus on the real reason that we were doing this and not on the details. And HE did just that. He cleared my vision from all the "bubbles" that were clouding it. We had a beautiful ceremony. We dedicated our marriage and our children to the Lord. It was a moving time for us and I'm thankful for every "pop" that happened that evening. Another funny thing that happened right after we finished and blessed the food. A massive swarm of termites came out to join us....just as we were enjoying the sunset. And I just laughed. Like I said before, this will be a day I will never forget.

In the photos below is the McManus family (minus 3). They have been such a blessing to us. Pastor Nina is the Principal at the boys school and a wonderful woman of God. I tell her that she moves me to tears whenever she speaks at church. (I joke and say "Insta-tears...just add Nina!") Pastor Steve gives the most eye opening and soul searching sermons. He leaves me reflecting on his message throughout the week. Their 2nd child, Shannon is our babysitter but more importantly, the beautiful voice that lifts us up to the Lord on Sundays. She is a sweet soul and I wish that I had more time on island to spend with her. Katie, the oldest, ah, what an inspiration! She is a strong, single momma and goes to school on top of that! Her family pulls together to help her with the baby so she can finish school. They are truly a beautiful family, a model for which to follow.
This collage is filled with what Dot calls "my peeps". The friends we've made on island that are more like family. Without Dot, I probably would not have done the renewal. She gave me the prompting to see how important it was and the encouragement to see it through to the end. She was my go-to girl with the planning and picked up all our food. Her husband, Dale was the "Lumpia Superstar" that saved us from our lumpia woes. Tori was my sounding board when the bubbles were bursting. She's a great listener when I've got a complaint! Chantelle was my "Martha Stewart". I gave her a vision of what I wanted for the balloons/kite theme and she completely ran with it. She went beyond what I even envisioned with her beautiful photo kite creations. Meredith and Rick they are the family that "moved away" but are still there for us. Rick graciously took on the role of videographer for the ceremony. Jen swooped in and saved the day. My cake was looking sad, sad, sad but with her expertise it was transformed into an edible masterpiece. Mrs. Sablan, Logan's teacher, was my kiddie corraller. She loved on the little ones during the ceremony. Without all of "my peeps" it could not have been done. We are so very blessed to have each and everyone of them in our lives. God hand picks each person that crosses our path, even if it's just for a moment. I think He did a spectacular job in His choices.

Girls' night out (mini-style)

2009-05-05T17:55:00.003-05:00

I asked Daniella, Dot's daughter, if she wanted to have a present for her birthday or if she would like to do dinner and movie. She was all over the girl time! We went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner and lots of laughs then on to the movie theater to see 17 Again which was a funny movie. I enjoyed spending time with Dani and getting my "girl fix" in. I would be blessed to have a little girl just like her someday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANIELLA!

2009-05-02T08:05:00.001-05:00

Should I worry?

2009-04-26T02:29:00.005-05:00

Today we stopped by Hangin' High to celebrate Morgan's 11th birthday. The kids were using the zipline to fly across the gym. Tyler volunteered for this without coaxing from anyone!

Now, Ryland on the other hand, had no idea what he was getting himself into. I think it freaked him out a little bit. He made it half way there and then decided that this wasn't for him.

Ryland + Mia = Best Friends

Dining Out - A Navy Tradition

2009-04-26T01:48:00.008-05:00

We had the privilege of going to our first Dining Out last night. A Dining Out is a formal dinner to support camaraderie among officers' of the command. It's very structured and includes dinner, drinking and skits for entertainment. Every action such as a trip to the restroom is choreographed meaning you must wait until they 'allow' you to take a break. You are not supposed to sit upon entering the room until everyone is standing behind their chair and the Captain and his wife sit down. Before dinner is served there is a 'parading of the beef'. In every command it's different but it usually means that someone or a group people parade the roast or whatever is being served around the room. Well this was done "Guam-style" and a carabao was paraded around the room. And if I didn't know what a carabao does when it gets nervous than I do now. Let's just say, it stunk! It was a very ~~shocking~~ amusing moment. During the night skits are performed, some previously recorded and others live. The different Corps were fined at random times during the night and made to drink from the "grog" which is a nasty concoction made up of anything and everything that they could get there hands on. The spouses were even fined at one point (thanks DALE!) to drink from the grog....guess they didn't want anyone to feel left out! It was a nice night, everyone looked beautiful in their dresses and dapper in their uniforms. I'm lucky to have had the amazing opportunity to attend a traditional Dining Out.

Before the dinner bell rang we lounged around listening to soft music and had free flowing refreshments.

The men looking rather dapper, don't you think? Dale (center) was Mr. Vice President for the evening which means that he had to MC the event. He did such a great job and even sang a "sound of music"-esque song. Job well done, Dale! We were all impressed!
"Parading of the beef"

Medical Service Corps were fined for having a good skit. Here they are drinking the grog in unison. Chris is the seventh one from the left, half hidden.
A special thanks to Dot for letting me ~~steal~~ borrow her pictures and to George Potak for taking a fantastic shots both, group shot inside and outside at sunset!

Landmark goes down

2009-04-26T01:42:00.004-05:00

This is for all my Guam friends that have left the island. A COMNAVMAR landmark is being demolished. The lone building that was used for training will soon be taken down. Not sure what they are putting up in it's place but just wanted to pass on a little change to the base you once inhabited! Does anyone of you remember where this is located?

Earth Day at McCool

2009-04-24T17:01:00.003-05:00

Last night we went a spaghetti dinner at the base school that benefited Guam's endangered animals. They had different exhibits such as live insects, a fruit bat, a brown tree snake, a Guam rail (aka the KoKo bird-looks like a roadrunner because it has no wings!), starfish, hermit crabs and booths set up explaining the different coral in the area. There was even one exhibit, with two large sea turtles (not living), that Tyler liked because it had baby sea turtles in a jar. We just watched a National Geographic show on baby turtles. He loves anything baby. It was a fun filled, informative night!

Logan with his best bud, Ryan

Tyler admiring the baby sea turtles

Brown tree snake

Logan w/ the fruit bat

Guam rail aka KoKo Bird

Not ready to turn the page

2009-04-24T01:42:00.005-05:00

So I haven't been in the mood to update the blog. You want to know the truth? I'm sad. Yep, I said it. As much as I've been in denial, I'm sad. We're closing another chapter in the book of a Navy family. It's not easy to end a chapter. Have you ever read a book where there's always a cliffhanger at the end of each chapter? That's how it kinda feels. You're left saying..."What happens next?". Well I'm trying to read the last few paragraphs (weeks!) slowly. So if I update in spurts you'll understand why.

Here's a few things that are coming up:

a Dining Out - I've never been to one before but I'm looking forward to going. It's a semi-formal dinner with the service member in choker whites and spouses dressed in cocktail attire. Somehow I managed to get into a skit that will be shown that night. Heaven help me. I'll try to refrain from hiding under the table since it will probably mess my dress up.
a Vow Renewal - Mine. It's been something that I've wanted to do. Renew our vows and dedicate our marriage to God since I have not been married in a church with a Pastor (I don't really count the Pastor at the drive-thru wedding chapel in Vegas if he even was a Pastor. I think he doubled as the 'Elvis' as well.). It's going to be a sunset ceremony at our church. Completely casual. Completely us. There will be music, food and if we're lucky, maybe a little dancing!
a trip to Yap - Where is Yap you say? Ever watched Survivor? Well Survivor Micronesia was actually filmed here in Micronesia (which is a group of islands to the south of Guam) and one of the rewards was a trip to Yap for a cultural dance where the women are topless. They actually still practice that custom. No I will not be "doing as the locals do" thank you very much. I'll keep my shirt on. My dear friend, Dot won a trip back in October for two. She decided to take me when her husband graciously stepped down from his ticket! How cool is that! It's sort of our farewell trip.
a final packout - Done the day I return from my island getaway. Two days after we say goodbye to our house and three days after that we say goodbye to our island as well as our good friends.

As for tonight...we're going to an Earth Night dinner at the school here on base in support of our lovely planet. We'll see lots of things like a brown tree snake and other animals from Guam as well as learn about ways that we can protect the island and the earth.

Yesterday, a new friend, Beth, had us over for coffee. In the short time that I've known her she has made quite the impression on me. I joined her bible study once but wasn't able to continue with all the preparation I've had to do. It's a shame that I will not get a chance to know her better.

From L-R: Barbara (her lil guy is in the carseat), Beth (holding a baby she was sitting for), Amy w/ Mackenzie, Dot, me, Chantelle and who could miss lil Mia in the center.

It's Tyler's turn...

2009-04-19T02:00:00.003-05:00

for an ER visit. This morning he took a little spill between the dining room chairs and ended up with a mini gash on his head above his right ear. He was quite brave and endured the placement of two staples without the need of an injection (he just had some topical numbing medication). We were in and out in an hour and made it to church on time. He barely shed a tear. That's my boy. I feel like an old pro now. Maybe the ER needs to come up with some frequent visit benefits....

Underwater World -- Spring Break Day FIVE

2009-04-17T20:47:00.004-05:00

Day 5 of spring break was spent watching the fishies..or what Ryland likes to say ISH-EE! Little Mia and her momma, Dot joined us for our outing. We all enjoyed a yummy lunch at my favorite place, Vitale's.

Our last day of spring break was not documented on camera, unfortunately, because I forgot to bring it with us! Chris was able to get the day off and we all celebrated the last day of SB by going to Tarza waterpark. We spent ALL day there, stopped off at Wendy's for dinner and I went out and bought Bedtime Stories (movie with Adam Sandler). It was a really great day all the way through!

Happy Resurrection Day!

2009-04-12T02:40:00.002-05:00

Tarague Tide Pools -- Spring Break Day FOUR

2009-04-12T01:35:00.004-05:00

Saturday we attended church with the Ramirez family to listen to them sing. What beautiful voices! I keep joking with them and saying that they are Filipino version of the Von Traps of Sound of Music! Then went on a beach trek to Tarague Tide pools. It was awesome! We followed a little path through the woods and came to a beach. I thought to myself, aw, man. The tide is in so there's nothing to see. We started to set up our towels when Chris took a little walk down another path and then came back with great news that the tide pools were a little bit further down the beach. We couldn't see them where we were because shrubbery was blocking our view. When we followed Chris down the other path it opened up to an explorer's wonderland. I was in HEAVEN! Many, many tide pools stretched out before us with lots of little goodies to discover. Chris found an octupus! It was a small one but once it spotted us it hid pretty well. Dani and I with the boys found something strange that looked like a sea snake but acted more like a sea cucumber until it lunged for Ryan's foot. (That nearly made me pee my pants!) There was tons of little crevices, nookies and crannies to explore. It was a great time and my only regret was that I did not find this place sooner. We ate at Bamboo Willies, played some frisbee and called it a day....a really, really great one!

By the way...can you tell that collages are my new thing? It's a fun way to get a lot of pictures on here rather than uploading them one at a time. Special thanks to Dot for telling me how to do it!

Boonie Stompin'! -- Spring Break Day THREE

2009-04-11T22:45:00.004-05:00

There are many things to do on Guam but you have to select them carefully when you have small children so that's why we went boonie stompin at Asan Beach Park again. We gave a tour to the Ramirez and Simmons families along with a little bit of history from the park. A battle was fought here to take back control of the island and rescue it's people from the Japanese occupation during WWII. Artifacts can still be found on the shore and that was the basis for our mission. Each child was given a baggy to collect all the things they discovered. My plan was to do a little show and tell afterwards with our findings but I was just too exhausted from the hike with Ry on my back and helping Tyler along the way...he's my cautious one. Thank goodness for one of them being cautious, right?!
Some of our findings were:

A leaf from a Breadfruit tree. It's half the size of Logan!

A boonie bee nest. Yikes!

A Hug! Awwww!

A hiding place! A little hermit crab crawled all the way up there.

A breadfruit. You cook it like potatoes. This one is pretty small.

A hand. Tyler, my very cautious boy, was never too far from mommy in case a hermit crab would get him!

A new friend! We found several blue starfish along the way.

A beginning to a comedic acting career. Crazy mer-man Ryan!

A rest. Much needed, might I add.

Bowling -- Spring Break Day TWO

2009-04-11T22:15:00.003-05:00

Chris surprised the boys and came home early to take them bowling. The bowling alley had a midnight madness sort of feel at 3 in the afternoon because they turned the lights off, the music up and blacklights on. It was pretty cool!
I have no idea why he keeps flexing in his pictures lately. Guess he wants everyone to know how strong he is!

USO Movie Day -- Spring Break 09 Day ONE

2009-04-08T22:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Logan and Tyler's first day of spring break and we went out for a movie day at the USO. In our household the USO is mentioned pretty much every day. There is always some sort of request put in for going to the USO. Logan loves it and Tyler loves anything that he loves. When I told Logan the night before that he needed to go to bed because we were going to his favorite spot he gave no complaints and quickly complied to my request.

Now here's a funny story. Below is a picture of Dot, me and Glynda. We all met through my blog. I was corresponding to emails from both Dot and Glynda at the same time last year. Both had received orders to Guam and found my blog through research of the island. Dot and I met shortly after her arrival but Glynda and I had lost touch until one fateful day.....Dot met myself and friends at the local aquarium but I was running late. While she was waiting she met Glynda who recognized her through my blog! That moment got me back in touch with Glynda! We did not officially meet until a chance encounter in Macy's several weeks ago. We planned a lunch to get together but one of Glynda's kids were sick and until recently had not made any more plans. Yesterday was our first official "hang time" with her and the kids. It was great and I only wish that we had met sooner since my time on island is now coming to a close.

Kiddos sprawled out and ready to watch Bolt.

Most of the gang...the big boys were playing video games. The little girl next to me was just hanging out with watching Bolt!

Easter Egg Hunt 2009

2009-04-04T16:54:00.000-05:00

We took the boys to the base Easter egg hunt for some good times. I honestly have never liked them because I feel like it's too easy to lose your kid when he runs off from you to find eggs and then tries to find his way back. Makes me nervous. Don't we teach them to not run off and then give them free rein on egg hunting day? Makes no sense to me but I conformed to the norm. They had a great time accept for when Tyler's egg was stolen right out from under him by another kid. I captured the look he gave him right after. Logan was very successful because he was on the older end of the spectrum. Poor Ty only ended up with 3 eggs but lucky for him that he has an older brother that was willing to share. Ryland couldn't figure out why we had to wait to go get the eggs which made him pretty mad. Once the bunny said go and everyone started running it freaked him out and he started to cry. All in all the boys did enjoy themselves.

This is unusual...it's usually Ry sleeping with the other two awake!

The many faces of Tyler

2009-04-02T22:52:00.000-05:00

We know how to PAR-TAY!

2009-04-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

We spent Chris' birthday out and about. We went shopping and to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch. By the end of the day we were both tuckered out so I gave him a choice, I cook enchiladas or we go out to McD's (and use Dot's gift certificates--Thanks DOT!!). He chose the McD's and I saved the enchiladas for lunch the next day. He was pretty much all caked out from the day before so I got him a birthday sundae. I put a candle in it inspite of his disapproval (it was for the kids, really!) and we all sang happy birthday to him.

Happy Birthday to our Daddy

2009-03-31T15:13:00.006-05:00

From the moment of birth

you've helped us grow.

You teach us lessons
that you think we should know.

You are always there to give us a hand
even if that means you get covered with sand!

We want to shout out across the sea
Happy Birthday to our Daddy!

Surprise birthday party for Chris

2009-03-30T22:45:00.002-05:00

As much as he hates surprises (and I love pulling the wool over his eyes!) I had to have a celebration for his last birthday on island. What better place to have it than at work where his ladies know how to party! I sent Tess a little email with an idea of having a potluck that included all of his favorite foods and she took care of the rest. Gotta love that! She even had the cake made! I was able to get our Hong Kong crew together to join in on the festivities. A big thanks to all who brought food and celebrated with us. You made his day (and mine too!).

Chris and his ladies!

These ladies from the island sure know how to PARTY!

Hong Kong reunited! (minus a few kiddos) Thanks for sharing in our day!

How Great is Our God

2009-03-29T06:23:00.002-05:00

I watched this tonight at church and was blessed by it. I encourage everyone to rent or buy this video and watch it! It's amazing how great our God really is. This video is just mind blowing!!

Peek-A-Boo (and a boo boo too!)

2009-03-29T02:52:00.003-05:00

Seeing these pictures brings back memories of when Logan and Tyler would play hide and seek in our cabinets in NC. Ryland and Tyler had a blast playing peek a boo with the camera.

You can't see me!

BOO!

I said that I wasn't going to post a picture but on the eve of his last day with staples I decided to take this for memories sake.

Logan's ER Visit

2009-03-20T04:21:00.004-05:00

We haven't seen the boys' friends, Isabel and JoJo in a while so we made a visit to their house to play. Right before we were about to leave I hear crying coming from upstairs. Meredith and I ran up to find Logan holding his bloody hand out. I thought that there was a cut on his hand until Meredith turned Logan around and my eyes slowly went from the blood stains on his shirt, up his neck to head where there was a lot of blood. I saw a small puncture wound and knew immediately that he needed to go to the hospital.

Upon arriving the Dr checked him out and cleaned the wound which was several inches in length. He was given a topical numbing agent and then an oral dose of morphine. After all was finished, he walked away with 13 staples. Thank God for that hard head!

I won't post pictures of the wound with the staples in it because it hurts my heart to look at it and I don't want to subject any of you to that. Below you'll find pictures of Logan with the pot that he fell on. Apparently he fell off the top bunk and his head was the first to hit the pot which was sitting on the floor upside down. He hit the bottom of the pot with such force that his head dented the pot and the part that came up from the pot was what caused the gash. Bizarre.

We're so thankful to God that he is ok. Please pray for a swift recovery and no infection of the wound. Momma is a queasy one so with Daddy gone it falls on me to lather the wound up with antibiotics....greeeaat.

Sights and Sounds of Chamorro Village

2009-03-18T22:33:00.004-05:00

Chamorro Village is a must see if you're new to the island. It's an introduction to the local food, culture and craftsmanship of the Chamorro people. We had to go one last time before we leave island to pick up a carving I had made for Ryland and also to get some Guam souvenirs.

This is Chief Quipuha (which means "striving to capsize"). He was Guam's first Catholic Chief and gave the land for the first Catholic church to be built, the Dulce Nombre de Maria {Sweet Name of Mary} Cathedral Basilica in 1669. This church still stands today.

Care for a drink? Coconuts a-plenty!

Local fare

Octopus ball, anyone?

Crowds, crowds and more crowds! We're so spoiled here on Guam as this is as bad as it gets and it's not even that bad!

Bread Fruit...this is one of my favorite trees because of the unique looking fruit and beautiful, large leaves. They say that you cut it up and fry it like a potato.

This actually looks like a fake picture but it's not doctored and I did not insert Logan into it! That's the famous Chamorro village tower in the background. You can see that from the plane when you're flying in!

I don't know what this is or was but I've always liked it because it looks like an ancient jailhouse.

Robert Taitano graciously completed a wall hanging for little Napu (means "oceanwave"). Robert is a master carver and was commissioned to carve Bill Clinton's chair and presidential seal when he came to Guam in the 90's.

Shells....

Shells..........

And more shells!!!!!! All are indigenious to Guam.

This thing sounded like a loud tugboat horn. I could hear it across the village. The blowing of the shells was sort of the ancient "cellphone". It was used for communication but also for ceremonies.

Carabao

Gotta love the hawaiian (or ISLAND) print!

Local craftsmanship

When the toys are gone...Improvise!

2009-03-17T06:06:00.002-05:00

The movers left behind a little something special that Ryland got a hold of. He wheeled himself all over our bare house!

A visit from the USDA

2009-03-15T19:50:00.002-05:00

One of the perks of living on Guam is that you get a visit from Cannon, the USDA dog, AKA...snake finder! His handler, Mark was very informative and told us stories about the snakes he found on base. One snake he found was in the lining at the bottom of the couch! There was a hole in the lining that the snake took full advantage of to make itself a home. Can you imagine sitting down on your couch after a long day and not knowing that there is a snake right beneath you?! All military moves are subject to an inspection before the items are shipped off island. Just goes to show how big the brown tree snake problem really is.

Mark and Cannon the snakefinder!

Cannon in search mode!

It's moving time again

2009-03-15T18:40:00.002-05:00

At this very moment I'm overcome with a mix of emotions one of them being a sigh of relief, not because we are leaving Guam but because all of our preparation over the last several weeks is finally over. The scramble to buy furniture and souvenirs, the painting of several pieces of furniture, the purging of all our stuff (which isn't complete by the way), the sorting of what stays here and what goes and anything else that goes along with a move. That was phase I, the preparation phase. Now for the start of phase II, the reflection phase.

Forget the packing...let's go to the beach!

2009-03-15T18:32:00.001-05:00

After several weeks of purging we were finally at the end of our preparation phase. The movers come tomorrow. There's nothing left to do but wait. So....why not 'wait' at the beach? Ryland, momma's little heart attack, is not one to back down from what the big boys are doing. If Logan and Tyler are running and jumping into the water, he needs to do the same...even if it means that he goes under again and again and again! That boy did not cry once even when he was coughing up salt water and his little eyes were red. Logan was on the hunt for hermit crabs with Tyler in tow. Who had to bring up the rear? Ryland. Another thing he's not afraid of were those hermit crabs. Remember way back when we tried to get Tyler to hold one and he thought it was just a shell until the shell grew legs? That ended with a scream and the crab was airborne. Not my Ry. He thought it was the funniest thing to see the little crab walking all over him.

Codemeister had to get in on the action even if it was unwillingly! His knee is pretty messed up and the vet said to exercise it by getting him to swim at the beach. That didn't go over so well but at least we tried. It took some coaxing to even get him in the water!

On the hunt for hermit crabs!

What you can't see here is a little bitty hermit crab right in between Ryland's hands. He had to lie down to get a better look at it. That was a close as Tyler would get to it. He kept saying, "I'm not scared anymore, I can hold it!" but when we would get it close to him he'd scream and pull away.

Hooters comes to Guam!

2009-03-15T18:11:00.001-05:00

We get pretty excited around here when a chain restaurant from the mainland opens up even if it is Hooters. This place is just like back in the states, half dressed women, ogling men and loud music...oh yeah, and the chicken wings (which Chris claim is why he comes...uh huh...yeah....). Chili's Restaurant also opened up at the same time. We haven't been there yet but have heard that it's a bit disappointing. Hooters was right on the mark.

My FL boy posing under a Clearwater, FL sign. Can't believe it's that far away!!

Ry was happy as long as he had his balloon.

Same goes for lil man.

Before and After

2009-03-15T18:05:00.000-05:00

I've given myself many little jobs to complete before our exodus to Tennessee and one of them being the tv armoire. I purchased this from a liquidation center here on island. It came from an upscale hotel after they decided to remodel. It was a good price but a little too light for decor.

So I painted it black. I found some cool drawer pulls in Bangkok but couldn't get four of the same so I'm left with the originals until I can find something to fit the new look. There's quite the glare on this when I took the picture and it's only a semi-gloss. In all my projects this was the most time consuming. It probably took a total of 12 hours after all the coats that I put. Let's hope that it's not destroyed in the move and all my hardwork was not in vain!

A redneck Saturday morning

2009-03-06T17:07:00.004-06:00

Chris is a great husband. He gets up bright and early with the kids so I can sleep late (7:30-8 is late for me!). It's actually because I can't nap. I just can't fall back asleep later in the day. My mind races but him, he's a napper. He can lay his head down and wake up refreshed, all in 20 minutes. I just don't know how he does it. Anyhow, I kept the boys as far away from the bedroom as possible so he could rest and needed something to keep them busy. So I gave them some tats and they loved it. Doesn't take much to make a Saturday a REDNECK day....YEE HAW!

Got my thrill on!

2009-03-06T06:34:00.001-06:00

Apparently I'm not content to keep my feet on the ground. After ziplining through the jungles of Thailand you'd think that I've had enough of the adrenaline. Well think again! As a hater of heights, (that's right, I'm a hater) I've spent the majority of my life with my feet firmly planted (most of the time!) on the ground. I'm slowly coming to the realization that when you push yourself out of your comfort zone, you feel more alive. You gain more confidence in your abilities which spills over into your everyday life. There is so much in life that I've held back on because of fear but you know what?? Not anymore! This girl is getting her THRILL ON!

My friend, Jeni (my fabulous photographer!) and I getting hooked in.

Almost at the top!!

The girls from L to R: Boni (owner of Hangin' High, Dot, Sheila, Tori, moi, Beth, and Jeni

Would you believe that I'm counting the days until my next climb?

"Faux"hawk

2009-03-06T06:15:00.000-06:00

Well my four year old is all about being cool now. He needed a haircut and has been asking me for several weeks for a mohawk. I was not about to let him have a real one so we settled for a "faux" hawk. I took this shot of both boys with their new cuts and zoomed in for a headshot but what you don't see is their little stances. They've got their hands in their pockets and are throwing out the cool vibe. Yes that is Tyler's cool look. Too funny. So you'll see more of this cut soon since these pics don't do it justice.

Zucchini Bread

2009-03-03T17:36:00.001-06:00

The other day the boys and I had some fun making Blueberry Zucchini Bread. The boys received some chef aprons (and hats but they didn't want to wear them) from Auntie Christy which they HAD to wear because everyone knows that you can't bake without an apron! I think I need to use mine more because I always look like I got into a fight with a flour bag when I bake.

I guess somebody thought something was pretty funny! I love this picture of lil man caught in the moment.

While we were waiting for our bread to bake we had a little lesson on antibodies and viruses. I've explained that when you are sick there are little "soldiers" in your body called antibodies that march to the virus to attack it because the virus is a bad guy. This is a great story that I tell them to make sure they nap when they are sick because the soldiers can work faster to get to the virus! Well Logan wanted to see what a "soldier" looks like so we looked for pictures online and found one of an antibody actually attacking a virus. Tyler had a runny nose and I told him that he must have a virus. He replied, "I think there is a soldier in my nose." Ah, Tyler talk....you gotta love it!

Meet the NEW Jonas Brothers!

2009-02-27T17:58:00.000-06:00

Hangin' High

2009-02-27T17:08:00.003-06:00

(To make a long story short, I'm having a bit of problem with image storage so the next three posts should all be condensed into one but that's just not possible at this time. I'm unable to upload anything new into the web albums right now but wanted you to enjoy as many pics from our fun time as I can. As soon as I get the problem resolved there will be more pics for your viewing pleasure. Thanks for your patience!)

Yesterday I decided spur of the moment to join Dot at Hangin' High with our clan. It was our first time to climb and the boys had a blast. Logan was up first. He was harnessed and ready to go. I'm lucky to have snapped this picture before he was off scrambling up the wall!
He did a great job and went all the way to the top! He was a little scared once up there but with some encouragement, managed to ring the bell. We are so proud of him for pushing through and overcoming that fear! Way to go, Logan!!!

Daddy was belaying him and Tyler was trying to figure out how he was going to get up there.Logan took a turn on the natural wall and Dani was there for support.

2009-02-27T17:05:00.002-06:00

Here's my monkey climbing all the way to the top of the net. After accomplishing that wall, this wasn't nearly as scary for him!Chris gave it a try and successfully reached the top!My lil' man getting ready for the climb!Climb on Tyler! Ty didn't reach the top but made it half way. Pretty impressive for a 4 year old! I think he enjoyed the ride down more than the climb up! He wanted to keep climbing up there just to get that ride!

2009-02-27T17:03:00.002-06:00

Dot helped get in on the action. He's never been one to shy away from an adventure!Go Ryland!This is a push up like exercise that Logan was doing. He was able to do 3! The little boy in the back was impressed because he's unable to do more than 1! Way to go Logi!Chris clowning around on the pole.

Bored?

2009-02-27T16:59:00.002-06:00

So the kids are bored on a Saturday afternoon? Watched enough TV? What's a family to do?Have a shaving cream fight!!Ball shaving! Great way to practice without the danger of cutting anything!It was one of those spontaneous days that I love so much. All that was needed was some shaving cream and a hose! Isabelle and JoJo just happened to stop by and decided to join in on the fun. Once I get my picture storage problems resolved there will be more pics in the web album.

Good Bye Thailand!

2009-02-27T16:32:00.003-06:00

I took a last minute dash to the nearest Buddha before we had to leave for the airport. It was so worth it. Everything in Thailand is so exquisitely made from the tops of the buildings to the door frames. Here's the golden Buddha that we are able to see from the hotel.

Inside the temple. The paintings went all around and onto the ceiling. I just realized that the paintings are of all the temples in Bangkok, sort of a map to Buddha!

We were here on Sunday and came in the middle of prayer and worship, Buddhist style. After to praying to Buddha, the faithful will purchase a gold square and rub it on a statue. There was a ton of statues all around, some like this filled with gold and some with just a few squares. There was big ones, small ones, animals, etc.

I arrived home around 5:30am, before my little munchkins were up but they managed to still welcome me home with this sign, cards and roses. I love my lil men (and the big one too!)

2009-02-27T15:51:00.001-06:00

The Grand Palace was closed so we were "encouraged" to go on a boat ride. What I mean by encouraged is that we were actually followed and pestered by this man we ran into at the palace. He was trying to sell us a tour on a boat for 900 BAHT when all we wanted to do was go up the river on a water taxi to get to our hotel. We managed to talk him down about 75% of what he was asking and got a little tour around the canals. It was nice to see Bangkok from the river.

This is the view of the big Buddha statue from our hotel rooftop.

Right before bedtime was snapped this last shot of our "One Night in Bangkok"(I'm totally singing that song in my head right now!).

2009-02-27T15:48:00.001-06:00

(I'm having issues with my picasa storage where I store my pics so you'll have to bear with me. This posts as well as posts above it are all a continuation from "Day Five" but I am unable to post the pics in that particular post. So just read from bottom to top!)

In the afternoon we traveled to Chatuchak Market for some shopping. We put our bargaining faces on bu were met with opposition at every stall. To our dismay, this was not as easy as it was in Chiang Mai! Usually they name a price, you name a price, etc. Not here, once you "pretend" to walk away (in CM they will stop you) they don't bother with you. HUH? That's not how it's supposed to go! Needless to say I was a bit disappointed because I saved all my BAHT (and storage space in my luggage!) to shop in Bangkok because I heard it was cheaper. Well I'm here to tell you...IT'S NOT! So if you ever faced with this dilemma...shop in Chiang Mai! Oh well... lesson learned.

Here I am after making a sale on a watch for Chris. I found out when I gave it to him that it is a BMW watch and actually does not have a battery. It works solely on movement of your body. Pretty cool! And I just thought it was pretty. ;-)

Everywhere I travel to I must get artwork. I want an artist's expression of their country. This time I chose a painting for the boys. I plan on having a game/movie room and it's going to by my Thailand room. I found a painting that had 3 elephants on it but one was pink. I asked her if she would mind changing the color to a boyish color and she was happy to oblige. Now this is not something I'd try anywhere else, in fact as I type this I'm realizing how bold I was to ask it. I mean, from an artists point of view the painting should stay as it was originally intended, right? Luckily for me, she was just happy to make a sale.

My middle elephant still looks like a girl with the flower but at least it's not as obvious as the pink was!

Strawberry soda in a bag anyone?? These chips were Mexican Spareribs. This is the only food we had at the market because I was nursing a sick belly and didn't want to push it.

One Night in Bangkok (Day 5)

2009-02-27T15:15:00.003-06:00

After a long 14 hour train ride we arrived in Bangkok. It's a hustle/bustle city with a mix of new and old but maintains that wonderful exotic feel.

We took a ride in a makeshift sung tao which felt more like transportation for farm animals. We arrived safely so no complaints here.

Ahhh...sweet tranquility! The Phranakorn-Nornlen guesthouse. This is the top-rated place to stay on Tripadvisor, my favorite trip research website. The guesthouse staff were wonderful. I had made a boo boo in booking the rooms. I actually booked the rooms for the following day. I was devastated! If it was just me that was affected then I could deal with it, but I had the entire group's fate in my hands...well not really, but you know what I mean! All ended well. The staff prepared some rooms for us (thank God they were not fully booked!).

While we waited were served an amazing breakfast of Pumpkin soup, salad, fresh fruit and a mouth watering mushroom crepe with a fresh pressed glass of apple juice. Heaven!

Goodbye Chiang Mai! (Day 4 cont)

2009-02-20T03:57:00.001-06:00

Our wonderful time in Chiang Mai had to end all too soon. We said our goodbyes after a last minute foot massage. This picture was hastily taken, we jumped in our awaiting Sung Tao and were sped off to the train station.

Noon hopped on the Sung Tao with us and said goodbye to her mom and brother. We would have gladly taken you with us Noon but I have a feeling your presence would be missed at Pak Chiang Mai! (Pic shamelessly stolen from Dot's Facebook. Thanks girl!)

Sleepy girl. I had a bit of a swollen ankle due to the bug bites received from ziplining in the jungle and Chantelle, the true momma of the group was ready with Benadryl. It knocked me right out and I slept like a baby!

All of us ready to begin the next leg of our journey in Bangkok!

Out and About (Day 4)

2009-02-20T03:25:00.004-06:00

This was our final day in Chiang Mai and we used it to explore the area. We walked the back streets to Wat Jedee Luang Temple. Here are some snapshots along the way.

It's sad to think of how much they paid for this one street sign when there are so many people that are destitute and have to beg.

Playing in the shadow of an ancient temple.

Yummy crepes! This was being made for a local school girl and it had egg, soy sauce, ketchup, mayo, chili sauce and chocolate!

The tops of the temple buildings were so extravagant and most had some sort of animal on the tip. I don't know the significance behind them but they remind me of gargoyles in a way, placed there to protect the occupants. Thailand is also filled with contradictions, the street sign being one of them but symbol of the elephant is a HUGE contradiction. They are worshiped, their symbols are found everywhere yet they are treated so cruel.

No there is not a spirit floating in front of my body...there is a rather large smudge on the lens. I discovered it shortly after but it did make it's way into several of my pics.

One of the many Buddha statues.

This sweet bird lady came up to us with baskets of small birds and said that for 100 THB we could set them free for good luck. Chantelle was the lucky recipient of the basket and freed the poor birds.

Day 3 (cont)

2009-02-20T00:44:00.003-06:00

By the time we returned to Chiang Mai my stomach had had enough of the van rides and unusual (for me) foods. Dot, Tori and Shelly decided on another 3 hour massage and I opted out of that pain. I spent my time with Chantelle and Madi relaxing and perusing the old pottery museum across from the guest house.

In the evening we decided to go to a cultural show at Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center. Food and fun were on the menu here.

We saw beautiful Thai dancers perform traditional Thai-style dancing.

We took a ride to the night market after dinner to enjoy some shopping.

Here a woman shows the process of making an ornament. I've seen these ornaments before but never really knew the work that went into them. It's very meticulous!

Hair clips made from a variety of items such as shrimp tails to cookies.

Beautiful hand-carved wax flowers

I love groupings of things because of the wonderful colors.

It's Monkey Time! (Day 3)

2009-02-20T00:27:00.002-06:00

When making arrangements for Thailand I stumbled upon an attraction north of Chiang Mai called Flight of the Gibbons. It's a series of ziplines through the jungle. I saw it on the Amazing Race (this particular one was actually on the Asian version of this show) and thought, wow...that looks like fun. The girls were all gung ho for it and I knew there was no backing out now. When we arrived we were suited up in the finest harnesses....very attractive, don't you think?

I just had to snag this one from Chantelle. Madi seems to be the only sane one with concern on her face while everyone marches forward. I just love this picture!

I decided to bite the bullet and go first. I knew that if I didn't then I would definitely chicken out. Anticipation is always worse than the action...or at least that's what I always tell myself. Judging by this picture...would you think that it's my motto now?

We were so lucky to have made it back safely to the ground. I swear I could have kissed it but I probably wouldn't have gotten up from it! There were 18 stations in all, 13 ziplines, 2 bridges and 3 rapels. We were then fed lunch but I couldn't eat. I think my stomach was still in knots from our adventure. Afterwards we were bused further up the mountain to a lovely waterfall. We enjoyed a relaxing hike and then bus ride back to Chiang Mai.

Elephant Nature Park (Day 2)

2009-02-19T18:58:00.001-06:00

We set out for a day at an elephant park but not just any elephant park, one that promotes conservation of the Asian elephant. This was truly the most moving day for me. I thought that I was just going to hang with some elephants but I came home with heart wrenching stories of the mistreatment of elephants. Several years ago the logging business was booming and most of the elephant population was used for this. Once the government placed a ban on logging many elephants were set free having never been in the wild. Many starved to death, were shot because they would forage on 'private' property or they were hit by cars. Some were taken to the streets of Chiang Mai and Bangkok to 'beg' for their mahouts (trainer) in order to get food.

The elephant camp or elephant trekking is a very popular attraction in Thailand but the torture that goes behind submission from an elephant is horrific. An elephant is taken from it's mother (sometimes not yet weaned) and placed in a bamboo cage that is no bigger than it's body. It is then beaten with sticks, jabbed with nails, starved, choked all in the name of "training" it. So the next time you see an elephant and thinks it's cool to purchase an elephant painting, think again! You do not know what happened to that elephant to make it paint. Nor do you know the severity of the "training" it received so that it would be tame enough for you to ride on it. God gave us these beautiful creatures to enjoy, not to torture. If you are brave enough to see, here is a link that describes the "training" process.

This is 8 year old, Hope, the 'cheeky' boy. Here's his story. He gave us quite the show when he was playing around with his 'Grandma', pushing against her and biting her ear. On our way to the park stories were told of Hope's naughty ways. A tourist group was rafting down the river and Hope was curious and went out to great them. The guide hit Hope with a stick, which had never been done to him before and he proceeded to knock the raft over with his trunk! The next day, the same guide came down with a different group and Hope stood on the bank throwing rocks at them. One of them hit the guide in the head! Cheeky, cheeky boy!

This is Jokia. Here is her story. What the story does not tell is how she was blinded. She was in the logging business and forced to push heavy logs uphill. She was pregnant and forced to work under arduous conditions. She was beaten so bad that she lost the baby that she was carrying. She gave birth and watched it roll down the hill. She was so grieved by this that she would not work. The owners took no pity on her and beat her to make her submit. She did not budge. They eventually shot arrows into her eyes to get her to move which inevitably blinded her.

This little fellow is one of two babies at the park. He's 9 months old and curious little guy. As he was led to the river for bathtime he couldn't help but to inspect some volunteers constructing a gazebo. He apparently made a visit to see them each time he came out for a bath. What luck that this little one was born into such a caring environment. If only the rest of the Thai elephant population could be so lucky.

There are 30 elephants total at the park, each with a different story. Among my favs are Maximus (Max) one of largest elephants in Thailand who was hit by an 18 wheeler, Lilly, a sweet elephant that was addicted to drugs and Medo, a female that was abused during the logging industry and forced to breed before she was old enough. The male elephant's weight ended up breaking her hips.

Max
Lilly reaching for food
Medo
This was an experience that I will never forget. I will come back here someday and bring my boys to see these beautiful creatures. If you would like to support the Elephant Nature Park you can do so by going to the shop on their website. The price already includes shipping and ALL proceeds go to the care of these elephants and rescue of the abused. Please make a purchase to help the elephants!

Thailand here we come! (Day 1)

2009-02-19T15:14:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday, Feb. 10th five moms and a daughter set out for an adventure to Thailand. After 3 flights and one crazy drive we made it to our destination of Pak Chiang Mai in beautiful Chiang Mai, Thailand. Pak is a new guesthouse in CM with only 9 rooms so they are able to really socialize with the guests and make them feel like they are part of the family. I had conversed several times through email with the owner, Noon and was pleased to finally meet her. She was a huge help in the travel plans.
After arriving in Bangkok we had to go through customs and then on to our last flight to Chiang Mai. Thankfully we had some time because we spent quite a bit of it trying to figure out where to go in this huge airport!

Chantelle, Madi and Dot waiting in line for customs.

My favorite place to stay in Chiang Mai...PAK Chiang Mai! Pak means to relax and boy, did we ever! The food was incredible and not once did we eat outside of the guesthouse. Noon kept us happy and well fed!

Dot was my roomie and this was our beautiful living space for 3 nights.

The beautiful elephant sculpture/fountain in the Pak garden.

The view looking down from our balcony.

We took every advantage of where we were so our first stop in CM was to get a 3 hour massage...you read that right THREE HOURS! Now I'm not a massage person AT ALL so 3 hours was a bit much for me. Tori, Dot and Shelly enjoyed it so much they went back again for another 3 hours of torture! Thai massages are ROUGH. I was told that in Thai you say "Bow Bow" for a soft massage. I told the massuese that but it still hurt...or maybe I'm just a wuss.

Tori and I before the pain began!

Lazy days of....winter?

2009-02-01T03:42:00.003-06:00

After an uplifting visit to church we decided to spend the rest of the day in relax mode. We went home, took naps (which is unusual for Logan and me) and spent sometime playing outside with Tyler's new bike. The sun was slowly setting and had the urge to jump in the van and drive to the beach. How many times am I going to get to do that in TN? Uh, none. So I had better take advantage of it now. While we were driving there we stopped for a quickie dinner at McD's and noticed a ship in port, the USS New Orleans. The gap on the bottom is where they load/unload the LCAC's which are amazing to watch. I recommend checking them out on youtube. Chris snapped this pic which I thought was pretty good! Plenty more where that came from in the web album!

It's not easy getting the perfect shot of all three at the same time. I'm just happy that Ry was looking up!

I love the silhouette shot of all my boys with the beautiful sky in the background.

Dadi beach at sunset. Could anything be more spectacular?

Happy 4th Birthday Tyler!!

2009-01-31T03:30:00.002-06:00

Mr. Tyler's choice for a birthday party was to go to Tarza waterpark for the day. How could we say no when this will probably be the only time that he can have a party at a waterpark in January! We had a great time with friends and mommy even went down a super crazy waterslide. Believe me, I screamed loud before I was slammed with all the water in my face! See the web album for many, many more pictures.

Tyler and his girlfriend, Bella. He loves her so much!

Tyler and his new bike!

Miss Shannon came to help out with the kids. She's awesome!! Tyler loved being doted on by her since he has to share her with other kids at school but today she was all his!

Happy Birthday Tyler!!!!

Tyler's school birthday party

2009-01-31T03:24:00.000-06:00

Friday we had Tyler's birthday party at school and had an impromptu song from our favorite McManus family. They sang a Happy Birthday song in acapella! I love their voices and it was such a blessing for Tyler as well as the entire class.

I tried to get him to turn around but he was just looking ahead so they had to sing to the back of his head!

Mrs. Sablan, Logan's teacher, wanted to get a picture with her and her Chamoele boys. Here on the island a chamoele is part Chamorran, part Haole (white). I guess they've been on the island long enough to deserve that title!

Aw! Brotherly love! Tyler was following Ryland around on the playground to "protect" him.

Boonie Stomping

2009-01-23T22:36:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted any boonie stomping adventures which means it's been a while since I've done any! Tori and I were talking this morning and I happened to mention Geocaching which she's never heard of and I've always wanted to try. In order to do it you need a GPS because you are given coordinates to a secret cache or treasure box. Once you find it you can take whatever is in there as long as you replace it with something. Hunting for treasure....the exact phrase that made my boys jump up and run for the door! We looked for an easy to find place on the geocaching website, Nick grabbed his GPS and we were off. We drove around for a bit until we found the exact location that the box was hidden. Our only clue was that it was under a rock or tree. Gee....could it get any more vague?? I felt like I was searching for the hidden immunity idle on Survivor! We searched for awhile but no luck. Guess it will have to stay hidden for the next person to come along.

Next we headed to Champs for some burger fuel and to brainstorm where our next adventure would lead us. We decided on Fonte Dam which is a dam built in 1910 to supply the area with fresh drinking water. It was a fairly easy hike with a well worn path. The boys enjoyed it and are asking to do another hike. I think mama needs to get over this one first. ;-)

Beginning the hike to Fonte Dam.

Top of the dam. Notice the water down below...

Bottom of the dam. The bricks that the dam was constructed with were imported. I can't imagine having to lug it all the way there!

Fonte Dam/River

Bruiser takes a fall

2009-01-22T16:23:00.000-06:00

The other day Ry (aka Bruiser) fell out of the john deere truck and hit the pavement head first. The next morning he looked like this. He looks like Lloyd Christmas from Dumb and Dumber with his new haircut and now he's added Rocky Balboa to that look. Poor baby! We're having our pictures taken next week but I may have to cancel because he looks like he got in a fight!

Montessori Moments

2009-01-22T16:19:00.000-06:00

The other day I wanted to work with Tyler on his numbers. I wanted to see if he could recognize the number and match it with the items on the paper. I started off by drawing circles on a piece of paper and had him put beans on each of the circles. I told him that each circle was a bean bed so he put them to sleep on their circles. Then I had him match the appropriate number to the beans. He did very well and enjoyed his "home"work.

As you can see, he's very proud of himself here.

Out at sea

2009-01-19T16:06:00.000-06:00

The morning started out with bright smiles in anticipation for our boat ride. Our neighbor, Nick is the Commanding Officer of the USCG Washington and he invited aboard for a dependent's cruise. Everyone was very excited to go.

Nick and the crew treated us to doughnuts for breakfast which is always number one in the boys' book!

Beautiful view right before heading out to sea.

And that's the last of our pictures because I got sick and I mean SICK. I think my stomach is floating out there somewhere. The winds picked up and the boat started rocking. I did my best to keep the contents of my stomach where they belong by taking dramamine and anti-nausea medication but to no avail. I spent the rest of the time in Nick's cabin half drugged and sick. Not sure if I'll attempt that again. The boys had a great time and are still talking about it. L was disappointed that we didn't get to fish but it was just too rough and by the time we got back all I wanted to do was put my feet on dry land. He did get a lesson on driving the boat as well as charting their course on a map. He loved it! I think I see sailing in his future. Nick and the crew were all very welcoming and accommodating aboard their floating home and we appreciate their generosity. I have a greater understanding and appreciation for the men and women of the US Coast Guard. They spend a lot of time out to sea protecting our shores and away from family. It's a huge sacrifice that is not recognized enough. Thanks guys for a great time!

First Haircut

2009-01-16T05:36:00.000-06:00

I've been putting it off because I want to keep my baby A BABY but I guess the mullet was getting a little unruly so it had to go. I'm not gonna lie, I was close to tears when his hair was being cut. He did great too. As I was watching his blonde locks fall to the ground I had flashbacks from when Tyler got his first haircut. I guess I've forgotten the similarity between the two until today. We made a trip to the doctor's today because of some suspicious looking white bumps on his tongue. I was afraid it was Hand Foot & Mouth disease because his little bud, Mia was just diagnosed with it yesterday. The doc confirmed my suspicions and he indeed has it. He sure is a cheerful, highly energetic little guy for being sick. I would never have known except for the bumps on his tongue. He also has an ear infection too. Just in time for daddy to come....

PMM (Proud Momma Moment)

2009-01-15T17:30:00.000-06:00

Today the school gave out quarterly awards. Tyler received a reward for being the most patient and that he is. I guess it comes from having an older brother who always wants to be first. (Don't worry, I'm working on L!) Logan received three awards, one for being the most friend and sociable, the second for excelling in his Bible verses and the third for making the principal's list! He has to get all A's for that one! Great job my boys! Mommy is proud of you both!!!

Lunch w/ friends

2009-01-15T17:24:00.000-06:00

We went over to Jenn's house for lunch on Thursday. Jenn is the momma of a little boy named Benji. Now if you know Tyler or have seen this blog in the past, you'll understand why today was so important. You see, Benji is Tyler's BEST friend. Every night before we go to bed, we say our prayers and he says, "Don't forget Benji!". He loves his friend so much. We've been out of touch for a little while because we sort of live on seperate parts of the island. We used to see each other frequently because we attended chapel that Benji's dad preached at so Ty got his weekly fix of Benji. Here's a few pictures of our day...

GO BABY GO!

Silliness!

Friends

Curiosity....

Ryland and Mia

2009-01-12T17:21:00.003-06:00

These two are best buds. When Ry first met Mia he was a little put off by her "mothering" which was hilarious to watch. Now the minute I mention her name he starts waving and running to the door for his shoes. It's great to see how they've bonded at such a young age. My friend, Dot has a slideshow of these two over at her blog.

These are the days of Ryland

2009-01-12T05:02:00.000-06:00

Ryland watching a man give the tree a "haircut". He was completely fascinated by this man climbing his tree! He kept waving at him while he was up there.

Following suit with his daddy, the boy loves to clean. Would you believe that when he dumps his blocks out he almost always puts them away when he's finished with them....without being prompted to do so!

Ah, this little 4 wheeler has made through 3 boys. It was given to Logan by my sister and is still going strong. Ry just learned that if you push the button it will move. He bucked half way across the yard on this thing.

A Wii Tragedy

2009-01-10T15:27:00.003-06:00

This video was actually taken to get a glimpse of Ryland playing along with the Wii like he was doing just a few moments before but what I caught on tape was one of L's fits if he doesn't win. Ugh. He won several times before but by some freak occurrence Tyler actually won (L runs a little faster that Ty!). How in the world does one teach their child to lose gracefully??

Kendo Martial Arts

2009-01-03T04:12:00.005-06:00

I babysat Isabel and Jojo today because they are moving off-base. I ended up taking all of the kids to see a Kendo demonstration today. If you're wondering what Kendo is, it's a form of Japanese martial arts with use of the sword. I knew this would be something that my boys would love to see! It was quite fascinating to watch actually. They explained their protective gear to the crowd and gave a demonstration using swords made of bamboo. Afterward, they asked for audience participation and little Isabel jumped right up. She's not shy! It took some coaxing for Tyler but he eventually got up on stage and didn't want to leave! They got to practice using the bamboo "swords". Once that was finished they had the master come up to give a demonstration using a real Samurai sword. He used it to cut through a rolled bamboo mat and we were told that this actual simulates the thickness of a human neck. Uck. When the sword was still used about 125 years ago they would aim for where the neck meets the shoulder and slice at an angle cutting their opponent in half. Pretty gruesome. The MC for the last event was done by a famous Japanese actor/comedian. I didn't catch his name because they talk pretty fast in Japanese but he is the equivalent to Adam Sandler. Wow.....we were in the presence of greatness! ;-)

My little Samurai Warrior

An oldie

2009-01-02T04:58:00.001-06:00

This picture is for anyone that ever doubted me when I told them I was once blonde. Here's my proof!

This picture is of my mom and me 9 or 10 years ago.