Operating at 40%

I got up did a full day of school, tried to do a bit of work on Conference, had a quick regional Skype, got dinner in the crock pot, let the kids loose in the hood and collapsed on the couch. I got up in time to set the table, cut some watermelon (a treat for us over here) and serve dinner. 


Akiko San came tonight. She spoke of goodbyes and that made me sad. 


Other thoughts or insights from the day:

• Emergen C and Airborne are now my drinks of choice
• Does anyone else have a child  who picks up a book and starts working anywhere...this causes confusion when mom is suffering with flu induced mania
• Stacia asked to "work out". I shortly heard - huffing, gasping and singing at the top of her lungs "God is GREAT, he Is AWESOME." I guess that's not TOO terrible of an impression for a middle aged mom to leave with her youngest. ::snort:: 
• I'm really tired. Going to bed and hoping to feel 50 or 60% tomorrow. 

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

I don't DO SICK

I've been sick since Monday....but I made it to the main appointments each day and spent the rest of the day in bed. 


Picked Mike up on Monday.


Ten international tickets were purchased  - and $9,000.00 worth of yen purchased (involving many stops).  


PWOC Bible Study was led. 


Volunteer Dinner attended and spoke at (not sure what I SAID as I couldn't read my notes because I was dizzy).


Orthodontist and clinic appointments kept.  And I SLEPT... a lot....today I'm up - but I'm going to spend the afternoon down, I think. 


Today, with nothing on the schedule but school and Japanese tonight....I am able to get up and not throw up.... We've been up, done school, taken care of a bit of business...meatballs are in the crock pot and I plan to nap until dinner time.....


Operaring at about 40% today.

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

We're Rich

Stacia loves to help me!  Today she excitedly showed me boxes and boxes in the dining room.


"We think these are PWOC STUFF!" 

How right she was....she loved opening the boxes....

It was fun to watch her excitement both for the books and for the opportunity to be involved in serving. 

We have started a PWOC library here in Misawa. We of the board knew it sounded like a good idea...we were thinking of the great material we'd like to get to women, but the difficulty in scheduling all the studies AND locating the material up here. Our thought was to stock some books on key topics so if some want that in a session when we AREN'T offering say a study on marriage we can direct them to some good resources. 

BUT we've discovered something more...ladies are EXCITED to have a spot to share their Christian books when they are done with them. Our base library doesn't stock many Christian books. The nearest Christian book store is thousands of miles away. This has been a great way for women to read a book and share with others....and a great way to fill the need as we were blessed with funding to buy brand new books in a variety of genres. 

We've already started the library but having this influx of books will be GREAT.  We have books on marriage, Christian living, parenting, single parenting, step families, church history, study helps, apologetics, fiction, suspense, biographies (for KIDS and moms), a few books for kids......exciting. 

As Stacia excitedly exclaimed as she unpacked box after box, " Books....PWOC BOOKS.... we're RICH WITH BOOKS!"  If you're local check out the selection under the windows in the conference room. There are instructions to borrow a book right there under the window ledge. 


If you happen to live in the states and have current Christian books you are done with, I'm willing to read your book and give it a new home. 


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

Girls Trip....

Here is the Reader's Digest Version of the last few days.  I'll be writing numerous posts about our trip....but here are the facts for those who want it QUICK. 

Girls Weekend.....

Due to Typhoon #15 or Typhoon Roke (depending on which media you are watching) the Express way to Tokyo was covered in mudslides. We had to take a "small detour".....

This was the view on our 6 hour detour....we inched along...the great thing about this is no one got motion sick. Instead of arriving at 3:30 p.m. we arrived at 9:30 p.m. We finally arrived in....

I LOVE this city. I find more to enjoy each time we go. Two local friends, Twyla  and Kristen, were on this trip too....and the P family from chapel....it was a fun time.  It was filled with friend time, family time...

We found  adventures.....

We did our nails, watched movies and ate chocolate.....

We swam....

We played tourists. 

We RULED the subway system! (I did not take this photo)

We Shopped.....picked up Christmas gifts...

I found myself more aware of spiritual undercurrents on this visit and spent quite a bit of time in prayer.  More stories and photos later. Tonight - bed. 

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

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...