A Gift of Love

Stacia has been talking for two weeks about how much she loves being my "travel buddy!" 


We leave tomorrow for Tokyo. The thing is - I have been feeling increasingly uneasy about the trip....but Michael, Jared, friends all think this is a good thing for me to do. Get back in the saddle, step on the fear, travel to Tokyo without the family and see that nothing huge will happen. ::snort:: 


We had  a girls trip planned in March....we were supposed to go the weekend after I got home from my Tokyo Trip.....then we had that quake and tsunami and the flights were cancelled. I've not wanted to go anywhere without all of us together. 


Tonight I got home at 9:30 from MOCA.....and decided it really was time to pack. I started a movie downloading and went up to my room. 


I discovered a gift of love....Stacia at work...I did repack... after all I DO need a swimsuit (though I can't find the bottoms), and t-shirts with dress slacks are exactly my style.....Yes, this trip is important. Michael and Jared are right. It will be good for me to see natural disasters don't happen every time I leave the kids. 

One gift of love deserves another. I've decided to leave the lap top at home. ::GASP:: I know if I take it, I will be up early and late working and I'd rather spend these days with the girls (and the other PWOC gals that are going too - what a hoot!).  I WILL have the ipad so I can check mail...but I won't be blogging or working on the many irons in the fire....they can wait until Monday a.m. 

Kids' movie is downloaded, Stevie Wonder downloaded, bags packed....time to call it a night. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

MOCA

Tonight was the first night of MOCA. MOCA is a new outreach of PWOC (are you keeping up with the military speak? If not, click military buz above for translations. )


MOCA stands for Moms of College Aged - as in kids (we allow moms of Seniors - Moms of 98 yo).   Over the summer I began to realize mom's with children stateside is a demographic which we were missing.  We got chaplain approval. Ruth, a great friend who happens to be the PWOC Prayer Coordinator, agreed to help get it off the ground.

SWEET FELLOWSHIP tonight. Seven of us sharing our children, our hearts with each other...in a safe environment. All agreed to commit to pray daily for each other's children and for our hearts as we are so far apart.  Several have seniors this year and I know the transition will be  much easier with a group of praying sisters who understand surrounding them.  Really....this is a whole new stage of parenting and it's a joy to offer each other support.

We agreed we want to meet monthly. We're trying to pick a good night. We don't want to conflict with any other chapel program...at this point there is PWOC on Monday night, Book Club and PMOC on Tuesday, AWANA on Wed,  and Friday has PWOC Crafty Gals every other month and Date Night too.....so really....all those "once a month" things will add up if we aren't careful. We'll find a time...it appears either Thursday or Friday.


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Visiting Reese

It was a WILD and CRAZY day.

The weather is wild.....two trees down, flooded streets as I drove home this evening.

We got school  done for the week - and that is QUITE an accomplishment given the pace of this week and the fact that we are taking Thursday and Friday off. We rock.

The girls and I got ready for a trip to the big town.....

Stacia LOVES to go play with Reese!

We ran errands. Lots going on with the end of the Fiscal Year at the chapel....and getting our gals all set to travel to conference. 

We took Jared to a job interview. 

Everyone kept forgetting to remind me of errands this week.....I hit on a great plan today. 

"Stacia, remind me to get gas and I'll buy you a candy bar at the gas station."

"Arielle, remind me to go to the pharmacy and I'll buy you a brownie." 

It worked. 

Tonight was MOCA - I'll blog that separate! I got out of there and ran by the chapel to see Tina, our amazing and slightly harried Fund's guru.

I got home and decided to download a new movie to the ipad for the long bus trips coming up this weekend. 

Good day - need to sleep soon. We have to be at the bus at 06:30. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Kyle and Erika Move In

Erika - my fellow Earthquake/Tsunami adventurer - and her husband Kyle are getting ready to PCS.  During our infamous adventure in Tokyo Erika had wondered how her fish fared in the Earthquake. She also commented that they'd need a new home when she and Kyle PCS'd.  The movers come tomorrow.

Tonight....we brought their fish to our home. We've decided two of the four fish have to be named Kyle and Erika....we're still debating which one will be which and why....stay tuned.

OK - still not a puppy - but we're all excited to have pets again.....though Zander has mentioned several times that our fish only live two days. NOT SURE WHY HE THINKS THAT!

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

L....L...L...Letter!

After Stacia's recent infamous phonics lesson, we were thrilled to pick this up on base.....

It's writing on paper, in an envelope, with stamps on the corner and we picked it up at the post office. It's a L....L....Letter!

Grandma G came through.....and I'm looking for ways to be sure she receives more "letters".....for those who asked....as a matter of fact all her birthday cards WERE electronic or given to her by family here. ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

I Said No

Life always gets a bit hectic when Michael is gone. I pick up some of his commitments (teaching Sunday School class),  the kids are home alone (which makes it harder for me to be out and about as I feel much better about them having Daddy time than I do about them being alone), I don't sleep as well......


I knew going into this week, it would be a crazy one. I have something every night of the week on the calendar AND the girls and I are leaving for a 4 day trip at 0 dark thirty on Thursday. Regional Conference Prep pace has picked up. Many new things have begun (school year, Bible Studies, ministries, Sunday School). Hair cuts, doctor appointments.... I should have known I couldn't keep this pace with Michael gone....but I'm nothing if not valiant (and a bit dense).


I've been determined to blog more - this meant saying no to hourly FB updates. ::snort::

I'm determined to keep a steady pace in school  - this means saying NO to hourly email checks.

I'm determined to keep a balance of relationship and  service...this meant saying YES to onsen....and restructuring my FB time.  ::snort::

Last night I was up until 12:30 a.m. answering emails that collected all day.

This a.m. we headed in to the base for Bible Study (20 min drive), as we neared the base I realized I'd left my ID at home. This added 40 min to the a.m. and made  us  late. Thank GOD for lovely women who realized I hadn't shown up when I would normally show up and set up my study (it was GORGEOUS) as well as the homeschool room (Arielle runs it).  Later I forgot to pick up my thyroid meds. I began to suspect it was time to say no to tonight's outing and stay home.

The thing is I LOVE our monthly book club. This month's book was quirky, silly, and yet had some profound thoughts in it and I looked forward to sharing with all. {The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow}

I scrolled through status updates and caught one titled, "I said no." I thought - "Yeah, maybe I should read this, I probably should stay home." I read the linked article. Good thoughts. I decided I really wanted to go and would go anyway.

 As I continued to debate tonight's activity a friend who is moving called. We are adopting her fish. We need to get them tonight or tomorrow. Tomorrow already has 3 appointments and 2 trips to base....as I went about figuring out how to add getting fish to the schedule....I clearly remembered, "I SAID NO."  I could say YES tonight (something I dearly wanted to be able to do) but it would add craziness to tomorrow.

I SAID NO! It was downright liberating! muhahahaha  I know it's a small thing, but it was big for ME to say no to a women's activity...afterall I love my PWOC Peeps. I'm also a bit of an extrovert and am recharged by spending time with these ladies...but I knew early this a.m. I should say no...and I'm thankful the Holy Spirit stayed with me until I followed through.

The truth is saying no at appropriate times allows me to say yes to more of my 5% activities.

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Youth Mission Trip

Misawa's PYOC/Cross Training (Protestant Youth Group) took another trip to Miyako. Their mission was to take 1000 kilos of rice down to the area, and to play with kids - displaying the love of Jesus in action to an area stricken by the earthquake/tsunami. 


They ran into an unexpected delay on the way down. Evidently the rice got the better of the tire. LOL

The kids amused themselves while waiting.  (Nolan in green, Arielle in tie dye and Jared in the brown.)

Unloading rice in Miyako.

At the school the kids played ball.....

...worked on crafts...

...told a Bible Story, Lance speaks Japanese.....

  

Miss Kim to the right is the kid's youth leader and is really getting them involved in some great things. 

and loved on kids.  (Jared has a new friend)

We wondered, as we were shaking so often here in Misawa, if they would be feeling them even more as they were "in the zone."  The kids report that they didn't feel them at all. LOL 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...