New Addition to the Family

Last week, my brother, Steve and his wife Courtney had a baby. Her name is Adelaide Rose, she is so cute. I wish I could meet her in person but I will have to wait until she is older.

So that is some big news.

This week has been super busy at work, I am starting to get the hang of things and a lot of people are on leave, so it is CRAZY. I have to fend for myself, which is a little scary but I am learning a lot!!!

No news on housing, or pets. I had a bad dream that Munson and Rocky were sad and sick, but then I woke up and realized it wasn’t true and they are happy on the farm!!!

Brad passed his big test with really awesome score 118, he needed a 110. So he will have everything to put in for a warrant officer so that is our next goal. Hopefully he will get this wonderful career promotion and then I will plan a family reunion in Washington DC for his promotion, and some tourist events!!! We will also get to see our favorite friends (Adam and Mary and big boy Logan). Who is also a cutie!!!

This weekend we have a big one planned, tomorrow we are going to a zip line course, Brad and Rob will be wearing head cams so we should have some interesting stuff for you. Also it will be our 1st anniversary and the greatest sister-in-laws birthday!!! On Sunday we will probably celebrate a little. We are going on the zip line for a celebration with our friends here and Jeremy’s Birthday. Also we have a triathlon scheduled for Sunday, I am not sure if I am ready to run one, but we will see. I also do not want to pass it up either. I will keep you all posted!!!

Also i had lunch at King Taco, GREAT PLACE!!! it is a taco rice and cheese place.  Someone a long time ago mixed mexican food with Japanese rice to make an Okinawan Orginal.  It is very good, rice, taco meat, and cheese.

 I went there for lunch and took a  30 min lunch. Well when I was on my way back which should be a simple drive home, I had to take a one way road.  Here in Okinawa you are never lost because it is a small island (BUT YOU CAN DEFINATELY BE SOMEWHERE YOU DO KNOW) so my lunch quickly became an hour lunch due to my lovely detour that brought me right back to where I started!!! ha ha gotta love driving on a no-name streets, with signs in a different language and on very skinny roads!!!! Yikes!!! I made it!!!

Thoughts and Updates

Hey Everyone,


So I am not good at the updates, but I will get the hang of it, I have three years to get it really good!!! Well I feel like I have to write something SUPER interesting every time I write, and I am realizing that is not the case. I also do not have to write pages and pages off information either, but I thought I did. Instead, I need to just write like journal for everyone to read even if my life is not super exciting!!!! So the last week, I worked a lot and I relaxed. I guess we are now officially settling down. We are getting ready for the long haul of living here. We are not feeling like we have to do something at every second of everyday, which is actually pretty nice. Well work is going well, I am just putting out fires as the come up. But it is going well, my boss only has 2 weeks less with us and I am very sad. He is a wonderful boss and definitely brightens your day.

We do not have any updates on dogs, we had another meeting last week with the Inspector General, he is the guy who wants to keep everyone behaving and happy, so that is a good step. Sgt Maj Rew, is great he was there and I got to meet him, and he really cares so that is nice to know there are people out there fighting to help us. Also one of my Col Buddies is helping to with converting our tower to an integrated pet tower, which means pets are allowed but everyone does not have to have one. We also got a call from housing about maybe moving. Brad does not want to move, he likes our friends and wants to stay near them and he does not want to give up the guest room, because Right now we have 3 bedrooms, our bedroom, the guest bedroom and the “man room” aka an office. It only has a desk in it, and a tv. I said if we move I will give up the guest room to keep his man room for the pets!!!! We will see what happens, I do not really want to move away from our friends but maybe we will get an offer closer or that Brad really likes, because it is for 3 years (unless Brad gets Warrant Officer…hopefully). So that is the status with that. Munson and rocky are doing very well at the farm. Rocky is B-Pa (Brads Dad)’s best friend and has attached to the farm very well, and loves living there. Munson loves it too but still has pouting fits. I do not know what I would do about moving them over here, because they seem so attached, but I am attached. Or maybe it will be better for them to stay and them get a new little brother. I have no idea, I guess I need to wait to worry.

We have started going to a new church. We really like it, we have been 2 times now, and went to Sunday school yesterday which was great as well. I think we have found a good fit and a good community.

Brad and I will be celebrating our 1st year anniversary this weekend. I think we are going to go to a zip line course with our group of friends. We will also be running a triathlon as well. So it should be an interesting weekend, Brad should have some good pics and videos for me to add. I cannot believe the first year flew by so fast. And I cannot believe that it is almost April.
I think I am going to wrap it up now, so that I can add my thoughts each day. Not something great and wonderful. I will get pictures of our house and cars up but I think deep down I am still thinking something will change so I have not updated pictures of the house, but we will see.

I miss everyone!!! Love you!!

Pet Status

Keep the prayers going, I have not changed the pet policy, but I think we are close!!! Thank you eveyone for the nice comments and prayers, it is lonely in another country!!!

My First Earthquake

My first earthquake....well it was a big one. Well you want to know how big...picture this, you are sleeping in your new wonderful bed that makes you feel like you are sleeping in heaven, when all of a sudden you feel like Brad has grabbed the end of your bed with both hands and starts to shake the bed. At first you think what the heck is he doing, why is brad shaking the bed (your eyes don’t open). Then he is shaking the bed with all his might and all his strength, which those of you who know Brad, this could be pretty crazy. By this point you are holding the edge of the bed eyes opened as wide as possible, thinking, "BRAD WHAT IN THE H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICK ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?!?!" You then realize since your eyes are open now, that Brad is not the one shaking your bed. Well not being from a place that has ever had an earthquake, or even a possible one, you think....natural disaster...what do I do during this one...oh wait...we didn’t learn this one in school...OH SH*T!!!!!!!!!!!




By the way my husband is still sleeping during all this!!!



So at the point where I am shaking like crazy and it is not Brad pestering me I think, what could this be....Well some lady had talked about earthquakes the week we got here and that suddenly popped into my head. I then realized it was an earthquake, my first earthquake, with the pots and pans rattling, the pictures falling, and now my crazed husband running down the hall. Well after I realized it was an earthquake I thought of the Saved by the Bell episode where there was an earthquake....they tell you to get into the doorway, so I went to the doorway. While I am in the doorway, is when the crazed Husband comes down the hall, get in the doorway, get in the doorway. I said I am here. Brad then says not that it really matters if the building falls because we have 5 floors above us. That was a very happy thought. By this time, the building has stopped shaking.



So when in an earthquake, run out of the building, if you cannot make it out run to a doorway, if there is no doorway lay down beside a large object (bed, table, dresser...) this will hopefully provide protection if things fall, whatever you do, do NOT get under anything!!!! It could crush you!!! I have now learned all the safe things to do. But this was the largest earthquake here in 100 years. Lucky Me!!! I was very glad that the US Army Corps of Engineers built my building because we had no damage and were perfectly safe!!! WHOO-Hoo for engineers!!! So hopefully you learned something and found my natural disaster funny, especially now, since everything is fine.



Also after earthquakes you have to watch out for Tsunamis, the waves caused by earthquakes, so we had a warning and evacuation for those too!!! But everything is FINE!!!!