Happy Medium

I really must work to find the balance between a running escort through immigration up to the gate and a 15 hour layover. 

Narita EX was late....but I ran through ticketing, security and immigration - and on to the plane...amazing really how fast that CAN be done if you have airport employees with walkie talkies by your side.

Fun day of people watching

Safe in Dallas and waiting to board for the last leg of this trip. I think I'm home free now. lol


Edit - Susane picked me up as I walked to the baggage area....successful completion of travel day. 


We spent the evening talking, went to dinner, and enjoyed an American onsen (aka hot tub).

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fun Cookie

From a local vending machine....

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Yuuki Photo of the Day

Taking a nap on Stacia's futon. Yes, she DOES roll up in the blanket like this....and I swear she hacked up a giant hair ball this week.....strangest thing. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Where Have I BEEN?

No, not traveling. 

In fact the Gherkins and I have been fairly well stuck in the house. It's been a snowy, icy week and the Gherkins mounted an insurrection. They let Michael know they don't want me driving on the roads and they don't want to ride with me either. ::snort:: I'm a kept woman, totally dependent on a man to drive me around....yeah - OK - I'll let them get used to being STUCK in the home for another week (while I'm in VA) and then I bet they'll be ready to take their chances with me again.

Worked GREAT for me. Michael drove us in on Tuesday and we did PWOC, meetings, hair cuts and Bible studies...and we were HOME the rest of the week. I love home.

We baked. We cooked. We got 3 weeks of school done in 3 days of school - how's THAT for child labor? ::snort::  I missed two events I really wanted to be at...but as I'm gearing up to be gone all this week - it was NICE to be grounded.

All this staying at home is hard work!

I know - I can hear the question...."If you were SITTING at home - WHY didn't you blog?" ::grin::  Well.....read above - 3 weeks of school with the younger set in 3 DAYS of school...gives me great peace as I travel. They'll do table school and we'll be fine with couch school.

• I updated our PWOC regional blog and moved it to blogspot. 
• I deleted thousands and thousands of emails from the yahoo group which was the main forum of  Asia Region Board discussion from 2009-2011. 
•  I added new board members to the yahoo list. 
• I hosted a Skype with Asia Region's presidents
• Interviewed a new board member
• Had several other regional ministry Skypes..... 
• Waded through email traffic you wouldn't believe
• Sent in an International blog post
• Collected, edited and sent in Conference testimonies and photos to PWOCI
• Spent hours creating a Slide and graphic for Asia's TnT (which we didn't use in the end) ::snort:: 
• Began making sense of 300 Conference evaluations (Conf and Workshop)
• A host of local odds and ends 
• Played with kids
• Built a sledding hill
• Made dozens of English muffins 
• Continued reading the Word chronologically as well as the New Testament with family and region
• Worked on grading 
• Updated Jared's transcript
• Emailed friends
• Wrote a board report for next week's International Board Meeting....and then had to pray through the fear of leaving home after remembering what happened soon after the LAST board meeting. ::snort:: 
• Walked with Yuuki

Did I mention we did  lots of snuggling, reading, schooling and living? And....Oh yeah.....

Jared got glasses! 

Don't judge me....this IS my baking drawer...and it WORKS for me this way.....but I don't usually find Krista's (24) nerf gun in the drawer! Zander is thrilled she mailed this to him.  Guess he figured it was a safe spot.

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Mail Call

It's always fun when Michael comes home and needs help unloading the van.....and Tuesday was a good mail day.... Cards from G'ma Mary and G'Pa Earl.....a missionary newsletter (Love ya, Tammy)....

A package from Krista FULL of Cosmos Corn....really if you live where it's easy to get this stuff you need to try it. Even Zander can eat it. Nothing fake in it at all...not necessarily HEALTHY (does have needless calories after all) but not fake.  There was also an ipod cover for Michael's classic ipod and a PURPLE survivor bracelet  (do you know what those are?) for me....The bottle in the back is NAR. It's a pomegranate syrup from Turkey. Krista - did you say they mixed it with oil for salads and marinade for veggies and fish?

My Emeril Al Clad pans arrived too! They do everything but mix the dinner up. ::grin:: Yep - happy with the choice and glad Michael pushed me to order some regardless of the price....

NOW if he'd just push me to buy an ipad3. . .


Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

School Daze

The older three children are pretty much doing "Straight up Tapestry of Grace" - which is an honors program if done as written.  


The younger two are doing Tapestry of Grace - Tweaked. ::snort::

Two things we've added to our recent school schedule are:

Crunches, planks and bridges before couch school.  Why? Because Zander and I can use the toning up, and it's never too early for Stacia to stay fit.  Zander does twice as many as me - NOW.  This also sort of helps Zander deal with wiggles and transition into couch school.

Stacia wants to learn the books of the Bible. Christie L sent  this link to Go Fish's  Bible Book Bop. I watched it, ripped it to my hard drive (is THAT the right terminology?) and we're listening to this each a.m. between table and couch school too. Stacia is winning this competition....seems she's had some outside help from Michael...memorizing old school.  Memorizing Acts 2 is how Michael and I developed a friendship which turned into a 28 year marriage...and counting....the man is good at memorizing. ::wink::

Zander is doing GREAT after our extended traveling and Christmas break. I was worried he would have lost ground but he's actually reading BETTER.....I'm praying this is the light bulb moment we've come to expect somewhere between 8 - 10. Have I mentioned lately, "Better Late Than Early," by Dr. Raymond Moore lately? Wow - THAT'S an OLD book. I remember hearing he and Dorothy when we lived in Portland in the 80's. ::grin:: In any event he and his studies gave us the courage to "wait" for the moment with our children that didn't "take off" at 3. LOL

I do believe the older set are going to get a full week of school done....and the younger set are going to get 2 1/2 weeks done. NOT BAD for a 3 day school week!  The older ones are caught up - younger ones and I are about 4 weeks behind due to our 8 week traveling/Christmas break....but we're closing the gap quickly.


Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Winter Warrior - Year 3

Two years ago, nearly to the day, the older boys were home and saw a news clip about the Winter Warriors of Korea.  That led to this.  They did the same in 2011, but I can't seem to pull up that post. 


Yesterday, someone said, "It's about time for the annual winter photo." I knew...but was still surprised.....living life in the Testerzone.....with plenty of T-Poisoning going around....and think TWO of them are missing. LOL

The girls and I dutifully bundled up to brave the cold so we could document this....

Oops! No Flash (twice)... maniacal laugh

Zander even agreed to take his shirt off this year - Goecker Tough! 

Love Zander's push up style....bet he and Nolan are wondering if growing up is all it's cracked up to be!

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...