Making a Room

Yuuki loves to sit and lay on the steps leading to the spa

Culture shock - ordered this YESTERDAY and it arrived today. We don't even have a mailbox key yet. 

Michael and I ran to the post office to pick up our mail. We had a HUMONGOUS stack....turns out they were to eight different people who supposedly lived at this address. Hmmm. We DID get a few fliers to the current resident and I'm counting that as mail to our new home. ::snort::

When we got home the kids took all the seats out of the van. We had spent the day packing. Yuuki seemed to know something was up.

 It was. We took her to visit her new vet. We really liked the group of ladies and the vet loved that Yuuki was just in from Japan.

Vegan meals like this too many more days and I'm bound to get fluffy! 

We stopped by Sam's and loaded a futon and two recliners into the back of the van. The timing is odd with us leaving...but we had decided a futon would be good to have when our parents visit so they don't have to navigate the stairs. Bre is due ANY TIME and will need to sleep somewhere tonight.

Arielle got really silly. We expected Bre about 8:00 p.m. It is now 9:19 p.m. She called at 7:45 and was two hours out. 

Yep, the silliness led to this....

Nolan enjoys the benefit of his work

I had commented to Mandy that I hoped the younger two would love all the boxes when we unpack but may be too old to enjoy on our next move......look at this...."Mom, I made a sword and a shield!"

Arielle tries out the Grannie Bed - note all the furniture is gigantic and I can't touch the floor any longer. I'm not in Japan any longer. 

See the pile of boxes......they are dreaming of what they're going to build. Zander (Alex) asked if he can bring some on the trip. They are going to love all the boxes in a couple of weeks. ::snort:: 

Still waiting for BreAnne to arrive. Moving cardboard to garage, bracing windows, packing suitcases...waiting for Bre. 

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

Arielle's Handiwork

Arielle must be feeling a bit better the last couple of days - she's doing Stacia's hair again. This one is a bun, wrapped in a lace braid.

This one has four braids which meet at the bun.....and she tells me she can't do my hair! 

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

Huh???? - Culture Shock....

Things that make me go "Huh?" here in America. Look how close these carts are to the cart corrals? Two different days....

It would be too great of an inconvenience to walk 20 feet so your cart doesn't damage another's car? This sort of  what - self-centeredness? Lazieness? Lack of thought? is stunning after living in Asia for four years.

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

Bit of Humor

Arielle found this online and the dog barking sounded so familiar.....we shared on FB but I know some aren't on FB. We are thinking this may be fun to do.....we haven't yet....but we HAVE found great humor in this as we face our challenge with dog noise....and I HAVE done the "hey, hey, HEY," thing when Yip and Yap are getting loud...and they quiet down to listen. It makes me smile.

 

When we get home, we'll make more of an effort to get to know our neighbors. I'm sure that will help. They HAVE turned the light off that was shining in our windows.

I figure they are having to put up with new kid noise in the back yard - they probably think the dog noise levels it all out. Maybe it does. As long as the dogs go inside before 10 - 11 p.m.

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

It's ONLY Wednesday?

I drove with Michael to base today and kept the van. I was able to go to the fitness center and get a work out in....which was nice. 

The kids and I  decided to take advantage of having wheels and go explore our area. We didn't find a thing we set out to find. We did discover the Yuba City Airport, a big amphitheater, lots of corn and cows.  We found THESE on our doorstep when we came home for lunch. Thanks, Valerie. We're sorry we missed you and the girls. 

Our big goal for the day was to go back to base and get our laundry done before we picked up Michael.  It was hot and run down...but functional. We have clean clothes.

We saw our first coyote as we left the housing area. Unfortunately, a truck hit it just as we saw it. 

I said earlier today on Facebook I really needed a date night but didn't think it would happen until after our trip. When we got home Michael asked where I'd like to go. We put  pizzas in for the kids and headed for Chipotle. YUM - vegan bowl....very good. 

There was a little store next door which sells and repairs phones. We went in and discussed phone options....we really don't want a two year contract....burned too often on those with our lifestyle.  You don't WANT to know how much it cost us in Japan to leave at the "wrong time". LOL Still researching. 

We stopped at Sam's club and decided we'll go back tomorrow night and pick up some furniture. I want a futon before Bre gets here. She needs a mattress and we plan on getting one anyway.

We hit Lowes and came home.....This cracked us up....doesn't show up well - but our 15 pass parked next to a really tall truck. Michael said, "We aren't in Japan any longer are we?"  He suggested you could drive many Japanese cars under the truck. ::snort::

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

Yip, Yap and Ugly

Woot! Today I met Laura. Laura has been a Facebook friend since we found out we were moving to Beale and is the local PWOC president. She came bearing home-canned spaghetti sauce made from her freshly picked tomatoes, SHOWER HOOKS (my children rose and blessed her name), a gift from PWOC and her vacuum and long-handled duster for us to borrow until Thursday. 

It was a great way to start the day. 

I called several places and was finally able to find an indoor, place with room - and friendly folks - to board Yuuki for a bit.  It's a vet hospital in town and they'll  most likely become our vet. Two birds with four phone calls. LOL 

We learned today that after-lunch walks are not predictable in CA. Arielle is not sleeping - she's sun bathing. ::snort:: 

We found yet another park.....

Yuuki pulled up to a tree, laid down in the shade and made it clear she didn't want to budge. Luckily we were a block from home. I was thirsty as she drank all my water.

Summer Reading

Nolan did what I could not do. He climbed on the camp chair and was able to reach the cobwebs in the bottom of the high window. He couldn't reach the top - but that appears to be unreachable until ladders are unpacked. ::snort::

In Family Circle we read Luke 14:26-35 and discussed what it means to be a follower/disciple of Christ and what it means to count the cost. It was a good discussion.....

However, the best mommy moment came when Zander shared, "I think if God shut the mouth of a lion for that man in the Bible, he could shut Yip, Yap and Ugly's mouths too."  We prayed the dogs either shut up or our ears are shut up. ::snort::  It's 10 p.m. and they are still yapping.

We need to get to know our neighbors...which we will do when we return. We need to know the dogs' names, maybe that will help to settle them.

After family circle Michael trounced Zander in a game of Acey Deucy. He had won Nolan the night before. I joked  I would play him and win....and I did. I rolled about 8 Acey Deucys and many doubles. Great fun.

The kids taught me a Japanese card game they learned on their trip south last month - Dohoku or Dofuku....It was pretty fun. (South in Japan that is).

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

Spa People....

The pretty purple colors tell a story. The first night in the spa, I felt sting-y and got a bit of a red burn. My silver Japanese courage necklace also turned black where it had been in the water. 

We adjusted. 

The next time I noted Stacia's new purple suit had lost its color.

We added more water tonight...and I need to buy a car over the phone so I can find a pool store and buy something new for this Gherkin soup. ::snort::

Maybe we aren't spa people....no, we can figure this out. We'll figure it out by Thursday because Bre - the elder Gherkin - is coming to visit and is bringing her suit. She's going to drive to the WEDDING with us. ::grin::

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