Ho, Ho, Ho and Happy New Year!

Excuses, excuses.  That's all I have for not blogging, other than the month of December was over in the blink of an eye.  I hope you all had a fabulously joyous Christmas!  Welcome to 2012!  Gees, where did 2011 go?  I had some time to reflect on that when writing the annual Christmas letter.  The letter, however, didn't make it into the envelopes with the cards this year.  Those cards may have never made it to the post office if I actually took the time to tweak, print and stuff the letter.  It isn't a catchy or witty letter, either.  It's something I wrote on the fly, thinking I could somehow make it work.  Nah, didn't happen.  So, without further adieu, may I present to you our year in review.  It's not bedazzled or sappy or glossy.  It was a year full of action, surprise, hellos and goodbyes.

First, though, I have to say that I'm sad because a more-than-awesome friend left the island today.  It's a bittersweet feeling when a military family you know and love moves.  I'm happy for them and their new venture, but I'm also really disappointed that I won't get to play with them anymore.  Guam won't be quite the same without you here, Meg!

Meg and I

Here's the picture we really wanted to use for our Christmas card.  This is how we usually feel about taking that picture each and every year.  My Grandma would not have appreciated this, though, so we opted for a picturesque shot of our sweet little girls.

 OK, on to the letter-that-was-not-sent:

Warm Christmas Wishes from Guam!

Hafa Adai, family and friends!  It’s funny to think that at this time last year, we were freezing our toes off in Rhode Island, and we experienced our first blizzard the day after Christmas.  Here we are now, on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  I still find it hard to believe that we live here, mainly because it is so far away from home, but also because it really is a tiny island….30 miles long and 8 miles wide at its widest point.  It does, however, take over an hour to drive from one end of the island to the other.  Such is life on Guam.

It’s been one of the craziest years we’ve had in a long time.  We kicked off 2011 with a trip to New York City, and we spent the rest of the winter bundled up and shoveling snow in Rhode Island.  We found out in March that we would be moving to Guam.  After the initial shock and awe, we started the massive amounts of prep work that go into an overseas move.  April brought a reprieve from the cold, with a trip to Florida to visit friends and family.  Ellie made her first Holy Communion in May, and we explored the great outdoors and camped at Acadia National Park in Maine at the end of the month.  Before we knew it, June arrived, and Mark graduated from the Naval War College.  We also drove to New Jersey to ship our car, and we took the opportunity to visit the Statue of Liberty while in the area.  Our belongings were packed and shipped, the girls finished their school year, and we waved goodbye to Jamestown at the end of June.  We also said farewell to Abe, our cat of 13 years, and Piper, our overly anxious 4 year old cat.  We miss them and hope they are happy in their new homes.  

With a boat in tow and a vehicle filled to the brim with “necessary” possessions, we proceeded to drive across the United States, from Rhode Island to Idaho.  We had fun sightseeing along the way, with stops at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Niagara Falls, Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone National Park.  We were also lucky enough to visit some of our favorite friends in Ohio.  We made it to Spirit Lake, Idaho in 8 days, and we then spent a relaxing 10 days playing on the lake.  I ventured off to Las Vegas to say hi to some of my very best friends, and then THE day arrived and the long journey commenced.  How long does it take to get to Guam?  Well, we flew 2.5 hours from Spokane, WA to San Francisco, then 5 hours from San Fran to Hawaii, then 8 hours from Hawaii to Guam.  Throw in a few layovers, and you’ve got one really long day.  We were greeted at the airport in Guam by our neighbors, who took excellent care of us and taught us how to be Guamanians.

We’ve loved checking out what the island has to offer.  The locals are very friendly and welcoming, and we’ve enjoyed learning about the Chamorran culture.  We live in military housing, and the girls attend a Department of Defense school on the Navy base.  The time difference from here to the States is sometimes brutal.  We are basically a day ahead of the US (14 hours ahead of CST and 16 hours ahead of the west coast), so phone calls aren't always easy.  


Mark is working at the Joint Region Marianas, where he deals with the joint operations of the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps on Guam.  He’s had the pleasure of traveling to Japan, Hawaii and back to the US for work.  He has started scuba diving again, golfs when he has the chance, and he just bought a used surf board (although surfing here is a bit precarious because the island is surrounded by reefs).  

Abby (10) is in 5th grade and settling in to another new school.  She continues to participate in gymnastics and piano, and she is getting ready to play softball again with a local team.  She still loves reading, hates math, adores cats and wants to be a veterinarian.

Ellie (8) is in 3rd grade and loves to sing.  She is also taking gymnastics, and she recently started swimming on the base swim team.  She loves music and playing the violin and piano.  She really likes math and cooking.  Both girls are fascinated with snorkeling.  The ocean life here is so amazing!

I continue to be a stay-at-home mom.  I do a lot less volunteering at the elementary school, but I’m excited to be playing tennis and doing other outdoor activities.  I’m still trying to find my niche here, and I’ve met a lot of great people.  Life in the military certainly has broadened our horizons.  We hope to continue to explore the Pacific by taking some trips off island in the new year.

We hope you have a glorious Christmas and a blessed 2012!  Please keep those who are serving our country and away from their families in your thoughts and prayers.  We are always ready for visitors…hint hint.  We miss you!  God Bless!

Lori, Mark, Abby & Ellie 

(and Snickers and Tallulah the cats, too!)