SNOW

We have been discussing what Christmas looks like. This, because I commented to the kids as we drove through the snow, "It's beginning to look like Christmas."  They noted it was WHITE - but gone were the store lights, decorated homes and such....and they are right. LOL  Now we're asking ourselves which says Christmas more to us - decorations of the US or the Snow of Japan?  I think the children were a bit "bummed" at the lack of Christmas finery in our home....but really....there just isn't TIME to decorate AND travel. LOL 

Just a few shots of  our morning......

Enforcing my will to stay home today....

View from the side of our home

View from our patio

Guess those daisies are ready to move

UNDER our patio roof....

from the back yard 

I do find myself wondering how folks in the temporary housing a bit south of us are doing this season. 


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

Gherkins in Transit - Part 2

It's always disconcerting to completely lose a day - but there you have it. It happens each time we fly back to Japan from the states. LOL

Uncle Sam in Christmas Clothes? 

We DID get on the Space A flight back to Misawa. I'm not sure WHY these flights are always louder than any others...parents seem to figure we're all family and will understand...which we do...but really *I* am tired too and don't want to watch your children run up and down the aisles while *you* nap! Ah well - the price is right and you do meet some nice folks on Space A. LOL

If only I could master this talent - I did slip him some purple meds as he was about to puke and I thought maybe it would help - it knocked him out! 

The kids and I traveled 26.5 hours from the time the wheels went up in San Angelo until we arrived at our door in Misawa. What a shock to see all the snow. It was a bit of a zinger to discover our van had been moved - or at least it wasn't where we expected...but logic said it had to be somewhere close...and it was a couple of parking lots over. ::snort::

Somewhere between WA and JPN

We napped. Then we headed out to pick up Michael and Jared. They were due in at 6:45 p.m.  The roads were icy, the snow was blowing...and I was wondering where TX went. ::snort::  We saw a terrible accident in front of us. The whole front of the car was simply sheared off and it was spouting gas....and cars were still trying to squeeze by. I executed a 10 point turn and headed "around the block." I had forgotten that going "around the block" in Misawa is not always as simple as one would think. ::snort::  We DID find our way back to the airport road and though we were late...the plane was later still.  They did a couple of approaches and landed about 40 minutes late....

We slept well....Today the agenda calls for slowly easing into life....self-care. I'm remembering Victoria telling me "Self-care is not selfish," and had determined to take it slow this week....I HAVE been gone for 6 weeks if you take conference into account. LOL  Somehow self-care is morphing into decluttering and cleaning the fridge.....The kids are enjoying wii and will head out to the snow soon.

You know, as much as possible,  I think we'll just spend the time between now and the New Year savoring being together in one home in Misawa. ::snort::

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

Gherkins in Transit

It had to happen. It's o.k. Hard but good! Time for us all to get back to our "normal" lives. I woke up with Day 4 of a migraine. Michael took the kids bowling, to see our old home, for lunch and I slept....then we all went to Chick Fil A to catch the boys....and everyone had shakes (except me - still didn't feel like eating).

We made it to the airport. They were incredibly helpful and fun. The TSA men had a lot of fun with Zander....state your full name "Alexander  the GREAT Gherkin."  He had tried to hide a water bottle and that made for some extra teasing...he handled it well.

In San Angelo they treated us like royalty...."Gherkin (not our actual name) family of 5 please report to the desk"....and they boarded us first. They even moved seats around and got us all in one row on the flight from DFW to SEA TAC.....funny thing happened THERE....I was dealing with security when the ticket agent ran up with new boarding passes and seats for us.  I boarded the plane in Dallas. A young airman came for the same seat...checked the passes and we didn't have one for ZANDER....we had one for this airman.  They worked it out - I offered to let them bring Zander on the next flight. ::snort::

The older three kept busy with books and Monopoly....

Stacia's first nap....

 We'd not even gotten over Lake Nasworthy and she was saying, "Is that Dallas, are we there yet? I think that's Dallas." I was glad when she fell asleep on this flight from DFW to SEA TAC.

Sleep had more appeal than games

 We've marked oursleves present. We visited the USO and dropped our big bags. We grabbed sandwhich and cookies from the USO. There is not even one seat left there...and I really don't like the movie selections....so we made a home near the baggage claims. I'll update the blog, synch ipads, ipods and laptop....try to stay awake for 4 more hours to see if we can make the 0800 flight to Misawa.

Bre and Krista are safely home. Michael and Jared will fly commercially to Misawa tomorrow. If all works as planned the younger set and I should arrive about 8 hours before them....We hope to have an 10 hour layover here....but it may become 58 hours. LOL


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

Another Full Day

Friday....Bre leaves today....we stayed up last night and did nails. 

This a.m. the youngest four Gherkins and I headed to the A's home for our "goodbye" visit.  As we drove to the base, Zander said, "Can we play with Everson tomorrow too?" Um....

De'Etta and Deja (AKA Larry cuke and Bob)

We met up with Josiah at Schlotzkys....the clerk there REMEMBERED us. Said she thinks of us on Sundays and wondered how we were doing in Japan.....this visit home really showed me how you may impact folks and have no CLUE....I was SHOCKED at how many clerks at restaurants, walmart etc remembered us.

We fit in a walk along the Concho River and a visit to Kid's Kingdom - happy memories.....

About this time I gave in to the migraine....the headache had progressed to many other symptoms and I went to Bed. Michael and the kids took Bre to the Airport and sent her back to OR.

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

Thursday in San Angelo

Geocaching

Recreation at South-side Recreation Center

Ultimate Frisbee Outside the Rec Center (Reconnecting with Jonathan and Penny C)

Games, cookies, Tim Hawkins and fun at the boys' home


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

The Fourteenth

We got an INCREDIBLY late start. To be accurate Michael and I got up early but the children slept in VERY LATE. It's been fun and funny to watch Michael morph into a morning person due to jet lag. ::snort:: We enjoyed 5 quiet hours this a.m. to talk and laugh before we woke all up.

On the agenda for today was SHOPPING. Both Jared and Arielle were given $ to buy what they'd like before returning to Japan. Arielle hasn't found a thing. Jared found quite a few nice things. The rest of us wandered around Academy.....we do a lot of wandering as actually making a choice is overwhelming. I tried on 9 pairs of jeans and decided to keep my favorite pair and just add another round of patches.

I promptly got a migraine after going into one of my favorite stores. Evidently fragrances of all kinds in concentrated doses without proper ventilation will cause that and not just lit candles...but you know- Bath and Body - lots of smells....small area.  So....I laid down with meds at the boys home while they all went and played some ultimate Frisbee.

The Winning Team 

 Bre amused herself this evening by reminding Arielle of the 12 years between them and how she used to hold her and pinch her chubby cheeks etc.... ::snort::

I'm going to give Jared the chair that turns into his bed (by the either net modem) and go enjoy a nail session with the girls in their room.

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

The Thirteenth

WoW! This little airport takes their security seriously. That's a good thing...but a bit frustrating when the airline is insisting they will take off if the 3 passengers in security aren't cleared. ::snort:: Yes, one of them WAS Krista. I had given the girls each a little antique cast iron tea pot from Japan....and Krista travels only with carry-ons....but the little round metal thing with the spout caused quite the delay. She DID make it back to OR and was picked up by grandparents. We miss you honey! We are so glad you could get the time off to come down - even if it was short! It was PERFECT! 


I have stacks of airport farewell photos and simply wasn't in the mood to take more.  


Eight Gherkins left in TX.....it was COLD and drizzly - so we went to Mr. Gattis. We were pleasantly surprised that you now ORDER the pizza you want and it is FRESH - tasted much better. Josiah and I came up with a business plan that would save them....but you know how that goes. ::snort:: 

Stacia had begged for "chucker cheese" since she saw one in Eugene over a month ago. I had told her we'd try to go to Mr. Gattis in TX when we were all there and Mr Gatti's had BUMPER cars. She was ecstatic when she saw them. I think these would be a great addition to Misawa. LOL 

After lunch we went to watch the new Muppet movie. It was a nice diversion...."Are you a man or a muppet?" - Or a manly muppet or a muppet of a man? ::snort::

We rounded out the evening with dinner out at the Hardings. The Harding family was part of the GAFB parish when Michael was the Sr. Prot. chaplain here.  Steve taught the boys' youth RE class, our boys were friends....their son Michel and Jared are both Seniors this year. I didn't take any photos at dinner....but there is one of the family in the graduation post. Steve and Debbie have "adopted" our college aged sons. They've had them over for holidays and dinners, called and kept up with them.....it was pure joy to visit together again as families. Jared stayed after the rest of us came home and played games with their boys and Josiah and Jamin. He spent the night at the boys' house.  Jared enjoyed spending time with Steven and Michel. Jake, Josiah and Jamin's roommate, came home and so Jared got to reconnect with him as well. 


We're very aware we have 2 days together before Bre leaves on the 16th and the kids and I will begin our trek back to the West Coast and Asia on the 17th.  I've chosen to live these moments FULLY HERE. 


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