Begin Anywhere....

We continue to tackle boxes and bare walls. ::snort:: Today we made  "skinny shakes" and took a mid-morning break in the backyard.

Poor Mr. Moose always sits on this speaker....but this speaker has never been mounted above a screen before. ::snort:: 

We found the calendar. Arielle opened it to August and LOOK....hilarious. A much needed message.

Nolan was a big help hanging things

Stacia's big job today continued to be to stomp paper and flatten boxes

We decided to go ahead and move these three cases into place. We are trying to get the history cycle of  Tapestry of Grace books onto these shelves....and we'll unpack the rest of the books when our storage shipment arrives. We're working hard to do EVERYTHING we can during our delayed school start.

Now here's a unique way to flatten boxes...where did I put my moving whip....get crackin! 

I don't know that I've mentioned on the blog how I dislike hanging things. I never get them even or in the spot they should be in.....and well....take a look at my "tea bar."  This is one side of the butler's pantry.

Michael got home from work and put up the first of our "wall decals." Unfortunately, it's going to be a bit tricky on our walls.....

But I.LOVE.IT. This has been an unwanted life verse which I finally learned to embrace in all it's facets last year...and I need this reminder....it's on my kitchen wall.  I know I've blogged the verse over the past 8 years...and while I believe the verse speaks to vulnerability and intimacy, an attitude of rest while going about life....last year God clearly told me it also means, "Stop, desist, cease activity." Stop means stop!  I did. I loved margin. I had time to fight strongholds...I'm not sure what the next two years hold...but I sense I'm to remember to carve out time to BE STILL and experience deep intimacy with Him in the silent solitude. Though chaotic people are still my natural realm.

Ah - Nolan hung the shelf - he even used a level. I nailed up the other stuff.... ::snort:: I can live with it. THIS is why I like to use tacks to hang things...but I'm using little picture hangy things this time. They make bigger messes if you have to move them - so I won't.

I planned to write about Tuesday and Wednesday but this is long enough. I'll write about today - tomorrow....

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Mondays Happen in CA Too!

We woke to dark day. It perplexed us. It LOOKED overcast, grey, sort of cloudy.....but it was HOT. Triple digits. It had been grey the day before come to think of it..... Yep - Swede Wildfire - 20 miles north of Beale. I guess we'll quit tracking earthquakes and begin tracking wildfires.

Photo courtesy Jason HalleyChico Enterprise-Record

Another day of sorting through boxes, flattening boxes, crunching paper and hanging things on walls.....

 The smoke alarm kept going off...nothing was ON....the dog was howling...and Zander commented, "It's because Me and Nolan are working so hard we're smoking."

I MUST lay things out to see how I want them on a wall...Yuuki thought all the wall quilts were for her benefit.

I love finding the kids in the nook in our room looking over the "lost years." 

Tonight was LIFT (Ladies In Fellowship Together) at the chapel. This was the kick-off to the PWOC ministry year. It looks to be a great group of women.  I have many thoughts which I may or may not share - later. ::snort::  I'm struggling...but I know where the answer lies.

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

First Sunday - Again

It felt like a first Sunday all over again. We attended chapel one week, traveled to TX over the next two Sundays, and were back at Beale THIS Sunday. Michael preached. Stacia was looking forward to Children's Church...but she'd been throwing up the night before...so I told her she needed to stay home. Arielle drew the short straw and stayed home too.

This was fellowship Sunday (not sure what it's really called) and lunch was served after chapel. We enjoyed the chance to visit a bit more with some of the lovely folks who attend chapel. OK - so lunch was chili cheese dogs - which I love but can't eat....so I had fruit at the lunch and came home and made myself a fantastic eggplant/roasted pepper/onion/mushroom panini.

Michael went to a dorm dinner in the evening. I went along and visited the Launderette. I REALLY wanted to find an off base option that would be clean, have air conditioning and more than four functioning washers....BUT we have one car and need to maximize our gas usage. Off I went...

When I arrived a gentlemen I'd met on our last trip to the launderette (and at the gym) greeted me. He helped load the mounds of laundry inside. He surprised me by remembering our trials with yip and yap. We had a good laugh and I explained why I don't think calling the police is our best option.

This happy fellow kept me company - I decided not to disturb him. Michael had a different plan when he arrived to catch a ride home.

Eight loads of laundry, $17.25 later...we headed for home...and got stopped for a random vehicle check. WOW those skeeters are BAD at night at the Wheatland gate. I felt bad for the guards...they felt bad for us...we had no skeetter spray and were NOT covered. ::ouch::

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Grindstones and Albums

photo credit: Hjem via photopin cc

As a matter of fact it WAS another day with our noses firmly planted on the grindstone....our goal was to be as done as we can be when Michael goes back to work next week. Oh well. 

We are almost to the spot where we can't do more until the rest of our things arrive.  Another full day would do it. BUT tomorrow is Sunday and Michael is preaching. This week chapel fall programs are kicking off...so I think it may take a week of partial days...and then our storage shipment will arrive and we'll be buried in boxes again. 

We CAN hang things on the walls in two bathrooms and three bedrooms. We may do that. 

The kitchen and family room are our beach head. They look great. Our room is coming together nicely. 

The books we need to start this school year are STILL in storage. I found out they will NOT arrive on the 20th - they will leave TX on the 20th. I need to resign myself to feeling "behind." This is simply life this year.  I would love the time to get the house "done," but the shelves, piano, hutch, garage shelves, appliances are coming at the same time the school books arrive. ::snort:: 

photo credit: Hjem via photopin cc

Some of you remember my Goodfellow Photo project. I spent lots of time taking all my childhood photos out of magnetic albums and putting them in safe albums. Those albums were lost. We went through every box that arrived in Japan and simply couldn't find them. It made me sick to lose all my childhood photos, dating photos, early family life.....we had talked about taking them with us rather than shipping them so they'd be safe. We assumed they'd been stolen with the van as they weren't in Japan. 

I tore the study apart today looking for a couple of missing boxes from our room. One would have some photos albums from 2000-2002.   A bit more back story is we took three years of  school with us when we went to Japan. We stored two years in a closet and kept one year out.....we used the boxes they were packed in from GAFB to store the school books. This has been handy as we can tell which boxes are from GAFB and which are from Japan...different size book boxes.  I found a box from Japan which said "master/ photo albums" and grabbed it. Sitting on top of it was a smaller box that said nothing but "photo albums" on it. It was taped and had never been unpacked. We opened the first box and it was the albums I was looking for from 2000.  I realized this box of photo albums was from GAFB and I began to hope...sure enough....the lost albums!!!! Photos from 1964-1988....the younger kids had great laughs seeing the elder gherkins as young uns......I think I'll be motivated now to finish 1988-1999 and 2002 - 2013.  I'm seriously thinking I will only do albums up until 2004. At that point we began blogging and the stories and photos are printed. All the photos are on hard drives.....

Still can't find the box from our room which would have wall art and my jewelry.....maybe tomorrow. 

Pssst...yes, I WAS too focused to take photos today! ::snort:: 
Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Officially Eight

Before anything else is written - this is Stacia's OFFICIAL Eighth Birthday. This is the day we spend six months of the year counting towards with great accuracy. . . She chose pizza to be delivered and a movie in for the evening. She was ill by the time it arrived....I'm glad we celebrated her birthday with family in TX. I suppose I should get those photos blogged.  Stacia (aka Princess Chatterbox) is a delight and has blessed our family with much joy. From the rough pregnancy to this day she has taught us about choosing joy....thus the name Anastacia Joy (Resurrection Joy). 

I began the day early spending sweet time with Jesus...followed by an hour of unpacking. I then woke up Michael and he, Nolan and I headed for Yuba City. Nolan discovered off base labs really DO draw blood painlessly. He approves. We really liked the dermatologist we saw.

The three of us had lunch at Chipotles and then headed to the base to drop off the first load of Michael's pro gear.

We've been looking for a bed for the girls' room. Arielle has had several ideas but finally settled on a metal loft bed which will give Stacia a bed AND will allow them to utilize the floor space under the bed. We picked it up today.....we knew it would make the "official day" special for Stacia.

 Stacia will be able to store her toys under the bed....currently it seems to be serving as overflow closet space...I was surprised how many kimonos and yukatas these girls collected.... For four years Stacia has slept on a Japanese futon. She is happy to have a mattress and Yuuki claimed the futon.

The rest of us continued to unpack while Michael and Nolan put the bunk together. I lost count at 43 book boxes....and that is not counting the pro gear....and the invoice shows more books in our storage....

Sometime in the day my hand started throbbing...I had burst a blood vessel. Arielle grabbed me ice and then quipped, "Let's take her to ER at least we'll get a break." ::snort::  

Michael is tired of the dangling suicide lighting in the living/dining room.  We aren't going to put a table on the new carpet.... He raised it....

Enjoying our first pizza/movie  night in CA

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Unpacking

Nope, haven't found that "Christmas feeling" yet. ::snort::  It's o.k. I will love this area....I will make friends...I will grow in this "pause."  Opening the boxes makes it  all so "final."  We really have moved...and yes, moving from AK was hard as well.  Loving well leads to a glorious sorrow...quite honestly, I find myself wondering if I have the emotional reserves to love deeply knowing I'm leaving in 2 years....I suspect God will grace me with the energy to love well - that's my life mission.... 

I spent 13 hours today unpacking.  

Michael and Nolan ran to town - which turned out to be two towns - to find all the supplies they need to put up the projector and such. Wow...it's going to be nice. We'll get the family room put together in no time when the projector and speakers are up. BTW conduit is WAY more expensive in America than it is at Homac in Misawa. 

The kitchen was my priority.....all the boxes are unpacked, widgets are stored etc. I  will not hang things on the walls until our last shipment gets here and I can eyeball everything! Michael got home about the time we were finishing the kitchen. He came bearing a roast which right into the crock pot. 

This kitchen IS huge....I think I burn calories preparing a meal in it. Arielle and I put EVERYTHING out on counters before we started stowing it this time. We want functional. I think we've got it. 

While the men were gone I kept the other three busy....it takes a lot of effort to keep Stacia and Zander moving in the right direction. Yuuki hid in her kennel. Silly dog. We also organized the garage and made progress on bedrooms...a bit. 

Arielle got all the games put away...and I think I have a chest coming which can house the blankets.....table clothes can go in the BUTLER'S PANTRY - why didn't I think of THAT before? 

Stacia and I painted conduit for Michael and Nolan's project

Mid-afternoon nap in the family room

These two were so worn out I gave in and let them soak...

Michael and Nolan continue to work 

I'm disappointed in how much damage I am finding. The desks that can't be reassembled....I knew my floor lamp was taken apart and put in a small box...but this was a surprise. 

My step tansu....

I suppose I'll finally submit paperwork and get "something" as all the little things are adding up...

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Christmas - I think NOT - well Maybe!

*Note this post may sound like whining. If it does, show us a bit of grace! I have a need to be 'real' as future generations of Gherkins need to know that WE weren't ALWAYS perfect. 

I COULD simply say, "Bre went home to OR. The movers arrived with all our things from Japan." Simple and short...accurately documents 14 August 2013 for family posterity....

(Fuzzy photo but I snuck out of the family prayer circle to get a photo as Yuuki cracked me up - she seemed to think we gathered for her benefit!) We wished Bre God-speed as she headed up the interstate. It made me happy to know she has friends in Redding and stopped to visit with them.

Everyone has been reminding us today would be "like Christmas."  I've said that myself in past moves. Traditional Christmas - eagerly waited  and prepared for,  full of expectations, a bit chaotic, a bit messy...but all in all exciting.

12 crates today - more in a few weeks

These guys were GREAT 

We had expectations of moving day. Of course we expected our things to arrive. We expected a thing or two to be broken. We expected a crowd to feed. We expected chaos and clutter. We expected long days of hard work to follow the advent of the movers.  We expected no remorse as we said goodbye to house camping and slept well on our own beds for the first time since May.We expected the youngers would be happy to find their old toys and widgets.

We also expected when our things arrived we'd feel the excitement of "home." Arielle notes  we are a military family  and wherever we are IS home (she was born months after we entered and knows what she speaks of). This happens quickly....not so much this time. It's more than the  Ninevah thing.... We KNOW God moved us to CA. We have been warmly welcomed. We look forward to getting to know folks better. However, we love Japan. We know God is calling us back to Japan. This two year assignment feels like a "pause" and we've yet to discover what God would have us do in the pause.

I recognize my sense of adventure, my attitude, drives the family atmosphere and ready acceptance of  change. I, and the family, are consciously choosing joy. Oh, no PYOC or Club....God has something new for us to explore. Oh, very limited crunchy food at the commissary (which is only open 4 days a week)....we are justified in exploring local stores. Oh, it's HOT here...praise GOD for warmth.  Even in the midst of choosing joy I've observed a dogged stubbornness not to write or voice CA as "home" in myself and a couple others around here.  We LOVE what we are seeing. We ARE excited to explore further.  It seems disloyal to call CA home. Home is Japan.

We expected our "things" arriving would make this feel like "home."  It was to be like Christmas....and like Christmas we had unmet expectations.

Arielle and I decided it felt more like Halloween and we'd been tricked! ::snort::  I realized with sudden clarity I am TIRED of packing and unpacking. We've been living out of suitcases and UNPACKING to repack since May.  In the best of times I don't really enjoy packing and unpacking.  I unpacked the first box and expected the rush of, "Hey....look at this...." but felt instead, "Oh, LORD, how many boxes are there to unpack????"  I seriously began a pile of stuff to take directly to Goodwill.

We did NOT expect to find customs violations - popcorn in the cushions.

We did NOT expect to find International stow-aways - dust bunnies all the way from Japan.

We did NOT expect to find two great eating spots with amazing customer service right up the road!

Nevertheless, Christmas or Halloween, it's the day the Lord had made...and we rejoiced.

Our movers were AWESOME....they respected the home. They respected our things. They worked hard - and it was hot. Several told me we were "great"  and they were thankful for everything we did to make their job easier.

They were interested in our story... the younger two made sure they knew ALL our family stories....even down to the fascinating tidbit you can hear everything Mom and Dad say in their room throughout the house (vents).  Stacia was happy to point out Mommy and Daddy can take showers at the same time in this house.  (Um...she seems to think the dual shower heads makes this possible and that it was impossible in other homes.)::snort::

They laughed with us about how WELL the Japanese packers take things apart. DESKS in small, tiny boxes....and along that note....it appears several of the desks will have be replaced because they took off the hardware for the keyboard  to slide in and out and it can't be put back together again according to our mover and Michael.

The first unexpected event of the day was when THIS small piano (as opposed to the big one which will arrive in a couple of weeks) would not fit in it's designated spot. Measured wall to wall just fine...but the devil is in the baseboards.....I told them to leave it that way and we'd think about it.

Love the kid that made it functional....

 Games - not sure they will all fit in the two  high cupboards...but maybe...

 ACK forgot the black container is full of games too

The love seat DOES fit in its designated alcove in the "master suite."  But it really feels awkward there and cramps the entry way.....so the Gherkins and I decided to move it...and our dressers, bookshelves and bed....while Michael considered the challenges of the projector and surround sound. They explained the love seat could be shaped into a "V" and moved through the narrow doorway.

 Yes, I did EVENTUALLY suggest they stand it on end to move it through the doorway...but first we enjoyed laughing and I enjoyed the break.  Nolan would like to find a spot to place it where we'd have a reading nook. I had a recliner at the top of the stairs in Misawa and they enjoyed reading there away from all. I don't want to buy another chair....but maybe we can find an isolated reading nook for the love seat. Until then it sits in the master bdr.

We made sure all beds were assembled and made.

Michael and Nolan installed blinds in the boys room. They look great. 

The rest of us began unpacking boxes in the kitchen. Arielle and I are visual. We opted to unpack it all and set it out so we can SEE how much space each item will need. We really need that hutch to arrive - not sure how we collected so much China in Japan.

I left Arielle alone for a few minutes and came back to this.  I do plan on taking her to a doctor to make sure this is "normal teen sleeping,"  and not narcolepsy or lack of iron.

We unpacked from 3:00 - 9:00 p.m.  We'll spend the next few days with our noses firmly attached to the grindstone.

It IS fun to watch a home unfold.  We enjoyed about 20 minutes in the hot tub together at the end of the day. Stacia is turning into a great conversationalist. She really curbed her desire to talk non-stop and asked each of us to share a story. It was fun.

I went to sleep last night still disturbed at my reluctance to use the "home" word.....and God gently reminded me this a.m. Japan is not my home....Jesus is my home. "Lord, YOU have been our home in all our generations!" Psalm  90:1

He is about good things in the "pause."   I can't even imagine all He has planned at this moment in time. I won't rush the pause.

Our family word of the year is "Courage." This year's verse spoke loudly and clearly this a.m. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Trick or Treat? Halloween or Christmas?  It's an attitude we can choose! ::wink::

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...