All Good Things Must Come to an End

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a girl who really liked to blog.  As time went on, however, she became so busy living on her tiny tropical island that the blogging took a backseat to all of the fun she was having.  What fun was that, you might ask?  Well, boonie stomping (hiking), snorkeling, running, playing tennis, being a taxi driver, hanging with friends and traveling to Palau, just to name a few.  Who knew this far away land would have so much to offer?  The girl gives thanks everyday for getting to experience such a place.

OK, enough with the third person fairy tale.  Life has been busy but so very much in a good way.  Little did I know when we found out more than a year ago that we were moving to Guam how much I would love it here.  I've made some wonderful friends and done things I never thought I'd do.  We recently returned from a trip to Palau, which was AMAZING!  Gorgeous beyond belief!  Guam is incredible, too, and I look at pictures from my boonie stomps and snorkeling and think, "Wow, I really get to do this?"  For all of the negatives I hear about Guam, I can give you double the positives.  It's all about getting out there and exploring.  My daughter said there is actually a girl in her class whose parents do not want to leave the base, so they won't let her participate in sports off base.  I have so much trouble understanding this, but to each their own.

Any news these past, let's see, 3 months?  Why, yes, there is.  I started this blog last year, right after we found out about the Guam assignment.  I mentioned in that post that we got the phone call on my oldest daughter's birthday.  I find it ironic that we received another phone call on her birthday this year, with news of another adventurous assignment.  Looks like our stay on Guam will be cut short as we head to Kadena AB in Japan this summer.  Kadena is on the island of Okinawa, not quite so remote and not as much of a speck in the middle of the Pacific.

It's bittersweet, really.  I'm excited about living in yet another country, learning about a completely foreign culture and being back in the world of the Air Force.  I'm not looking forward to the actual move, packing, etc., for the third summer in a row, and I hate uprooting my kids again.  They seem to be intrigued by Japan, though, which makes me feel a lot better about moving so soon.  I will definitely miss Guam.  I'll miss the friends I've made, my house (I'm pretty sure the one we're moving to won't even compare), and the beautiful surroundings.  We're already planning to meet friends from here in Tokyo in October.  That's the thing about the military....we have friends all over the world!

If I can get my act together after another round of overseas medical clearances, packing out and running races, I will post pictures and trip info for Palau.  If you are headed to Guam or are already on Guam, you HAVE to go to Palau!  I don't dive, but my husband does, and we were both enthralled with the water.  The kids loved it, too!  It really is a fun trip for the family. 

And, just so you know, we will not be answering the phone on Abby's birthday next year.

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!)

First World Problems

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving!  I know I certainly have so much to be thankful for, and my family and I were especially thankful to celebrate the day with wonderful friends.  I missed being with family, but friends become family when family is far away.  I know I have no room to complain about anything.  That being said, I am in a Rhode Island funk today (this is how I felt all the time in RI, but this is the first time I've had this feeling on Guam), and I feel like ranting.  My problems are so very first worldish (thanks, Kate and Lydia from Rants From Mommyland), so call me shallow or spoiled or whatever other adjective you might think of to describe my whining.  I feel I must do this to de-funktify myself.  Call it a cleanse.

First off, tennis was canceled today because of rain.  We've had great weather lately, so I shouldn't be too upset.  But I am.  I love tennis, and I now have to do something else for a workout, probably P90X.  Oh, and don't ask me how half a box of Nilla Wafers magically disappeared after I got the cancellation call this morning.  The day started off just peachy....or vanilla-y?

Speaking of tennis....a friend and fellow tennis player that I've gotten to know is moving in a few weeks, and that just sucks.  I'm happy for her because she is moving to the place she wants to live forever (can you say Hawaii?), but I will miss hanging out with her.  I just hate saying bye to people, especially those I don't have enough time to get to know better.  Blows.

OK, now on to my husband.  He bakes bread.  Like homemade, from scratch, sourdough starter, kind of bread.  He's weird.  Anyhow, he takes over the kitchen and completely destroys it.  There's flour and crap everywhere, and then he doesn't clean it up.  I am so tired of cleaning up after his bread-making soires.  Yes, I know many of you think it's absolutely fabulous that my husband bakes bread.  It is, and the bread is actually very tasty.  The fact is, though, that I don't eat the bread.  Not a bite.  Because of my whole limiting carbs thing.  I can't take it anymore!  He also keeps telling me to get a job.  We'll be out running errands, and I'll point something out that I like, and he'll say to the girls, "Mom can get that when she gets a job."  We live on Guam, where Guamanians can't even find jobs, and where they are just now receiving tax refunds from 3 years ago.  I did not ask to move here.  Don't get me started on the job thing.  That's a whole other post.

Christmas is around the corner, and I don't know what presents to get for almost everyone.  Of course, my kids have lists a mile long, so I am almost done with their shopping.  However, I haven't even started shopping for anyone else.  I love the Christmas season, but I am having a teeny bit of trouble getting motivated this year.  The tree is up, and the house is mostly decorated.  The Elf on the Shelf finally made his appearance, and the outside lights are shining brightly.  The front porch looks like this, though:

Disheveled.  Can't get any kind of hanger to stick to the walls.  Maybe I'll just give up.  Not in my nature.  There's gotta be a way.  Oh, and the Christmas cards....yeah, those might be late because we haven't taken the pain in the butt perfect family picture yet.  I also don't have a lens for my camera because one broke on our cross country trip this past summer, and one of our precious new kitties broke the other.  I guess I'll be getting myself a new lens for Christmas.

On a positive note, I ran my first 5k in more than 10 years last Friday.  It felt good, and I am glad I did it, especially since I haven't really been running.  I also ran again yesterday with 3 great ladies who are motivating me to get out there and pound the pavement.  Oh, and our tennis team now has a name....the Boonie Babes!  Year-round tennis is delightful!

Yes, it was hot.  Yes, I was sweaty.  And even yesser, my face was beet red.

OK, if you actually made it this far, thank you for reading my rant.  Totally first world, totally shallow and totally stupid, I know.  Sometimes a girl just has to rant, though.  

Flashback Friday

I'm not flashing way back....just rewinding to last year at this time.  We were living in Rhode Island and experiencing the change of seasons.  There's not a lot of this happening on Guam, but I'm not complaining.  Happy Fall!

Manic Monday and Tidbit Tuesday....on a Thursday

I've been having trouble deciding what things I love the most lately, which is why I haven't written a Manic Monday post in a while.  I have trouble making decisions...go figure.  You may also be wondering what's been going on lately?  Well, maybe not, but here it goes.  Hmmmm, well, I  succumbed to an energy sapping (or is it zapping?) cold, and I had the privilege of going all ninja party planner and housecleaner in prep for hosting book club at my house (which was fabulous...so happy to be part of a book club again).  I actually got to play tennis twice this week because it wasn't raining, and I am happy to report that I am still manic about the sport.  It is such a great workout and so much fun.  It helps that I "play" with some awesome girlies.  Oh, and the A/C went out in my car, so I got that fixed, and all is now right with the world.  I am in the car driving kids all over this island on a daily basis, and we were all quite miserable.  Let's see...oh, Halloween!  The kids had fun trick-or-treating, and I am regretting the amounts of candy I eat everyday.  Same story, different year.  The hubs has been on a few trips and is currently on his way home from Japan, where he experienced a fairly sizable earthquake.  That about sums up the last week or so.  The kids had last Friday off, and they have tomorrow off as well.  I am thankful to not have to hear the beeping of my alarm in the morning.  OK, I am admitting this to the 3 people who may read this....I love the show Ghost Hunters, and I'll leave it at that (it's on right now).  I totally believe in ghosts.  I'm too ashamed to list it in my Manic Monday top 3, though.  Speaking of, here they are:

ROSS

This is not a store I frequent in the US because I prefer TJ Maxx or Marshall's, but I am at this place once a week here on Guam.  I feel like I'm getting a taste of my two favorite stores, and I always seem to find what I'm looking for there....well, me and the 500 Japanese tourists that stop in to shop there on their vacation.  Did I mention that K-Mart is a tourist stop here?  Anyhow, I love that we have this store here.  It makes me giddy.

LA TORTILLA FACTORY TORTILLAS

Being that I was born and raised in South Texas, I am not a stranger to savory homemade tortillas.  I never knew how bad pre-packaged tortillas could be until I moved to Florida.  I have tried to make my own tortillas in the past, but they just didn't turn out right.  Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the La Tortilla Factory brand tortillas in the deli section at the commissary.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Thank you, Lord for bringing these into my life.  I have been trying to cut back on the carbs for a few months now, and these tortillas fit the bill.  I actually eat the corn tortillas.  The rest of my family eat the flour tortillas weekly on Taco Tuesday.  They are as good as the pre-packaged variety can be, especially the low-carb tortillas.  There are several "flavors" of corn tortillas...one of my faves is the chipotle.  Guammies, find them and try them.  You will not be disappointed.

MY BED

Yeah, this may seem downright silly to most of you, but I am always so freakin' happy to get in my bed each night.  There is nothing special about my mattress.  I don't have a Sleep Number, or whatever those things are called.  In fact, our mattress is almost 10 years old.  What makes my bed so comfy is the super soft sheets and cozy down comforter.  Who needs a down comforter in Guam?  We do, that's who.  We crank that A/C down at night and sleep like babies.  I love my bed, even more so after moving and being without it for months.  In fact, I'm going to get in it right now.  

Flashback Friday

I am totally stealing this Flashback Friday idea from other blogs.  Ladies that I have swiped from, please take it as a compliment.  Here ya go...my most favoritest Halloween picture of my girls:

This is Halloween of 2003 in Germany.  E was 6 months old, while A was 2.5 years old.  I thought it would be really cute to dress them as Jessie the Cowgirl and her little cow.  E wasn't really digging it.  She's looking at A like, "Don't mess with me, sistah!"  Aaah, the good ole days.  Some things haven't changed.

A was happy.....wasn't she cute?

E was tolerating it.  I have a picture of her crying in this get up in an album somewhere, but this was before I had an operable digital camera, so that would require more scanning (of which I do not have the patience for right now).

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Boonie Stompin'

Boonie stomping, aka hiking, is sort of like a rite of passage on Guam.  It's just one of those things you have to do, mainly because there's not much else to do, but more importantly because there is no better way to explore Guam's beauty.  So, I went on my first official boonie stomp last Thursday.  I joined a group of ladies at Ritidian Point, which is near Andersen AFB at the northern most tip of the island.  It was a beautiful Guam day, and we were given a very informative tour by a park ranger named Ms. Emily.  If you can get past all of the pictures to the end, you will read about the most interesting part of the day.

Ms. Emily

Our group

Here's a few shots from the beginning of our hike/tour...

Cool painted coconuts in the visitor's center

Dead brown tree snake

Here's the point...isn't it gorgeous?

Looking up through the trees of the jungle,
asking the Taotaomona permission to enter

Once on our hike, we saw some amazing caves and encountered an unexpected sight...well, two, actually, but I thought you probably wouldn't want to see a picture of a dead baby pig.

If you can see the holes in the limestone/coral--
those were used for grinding, like a pestle and mortar.

About to enter a cave

Always love seeing a boar skull

Stalagtites/Stalagmites...I don't know
the difference.
I'm sure my oldest daughter could tell me.

Huge toad

Cycad tree...I remember studying these in Botany.
They are prehistoric in nature.

Standing stone

More cave

Then we saw some ancient cave art and fossils, since this area used to be under water and part of a reef....

Handprint

Turtles

More turtles

Antlers

Fossils

More art

This was our reward:

 

  Ritidian Beach

So, the hike was beautiful, but I made a few mistakes beforehand.  First, I did not eat breakfast, but I quickly downed a Clif Bar on the 45 minute drive to the place.  Secondly, I did not have caffeine that morning.  I don't drink coffee, but I always have a Diet Coke (or 2 or 3).  I was out of DC that morning.  I had plenty of water, thanks to my new Camelback, but that apparently didn't matter.  I ended up with a killer headache towards the end of the hike, which quickly turned into a migraine. 

Well, as I rode in the backseat of a friend's car, with 3 other ladies aboard, I started to feel not quite right.  That's when the barforama happened with almost no warning.  Luckily, we were able to pull over before I spewed all over my new friend's car (she may not want to be my friend now).  I don't throw up.  I'll do anything to not throw up.  I hadn't vomited since 2003.  Check out my feelings regarding vomiting here.  Ladies that were in that car, I owe you all BIG.  These girls were so good about it and taking care of me.  If it were me in the spot next to me, I would have been throwing up, too.  Thank goodness for good and caring friends.  Needless to say, I came to terms with the fact that: 1) I am WAY too addicted to caffeine.  2) I have to eat brekkie (I already knew this, but it has to be something more substantial than a bar).  3)  I will never eat another Clif Bar.

Once I made it home, I spent the rest of the day in bed, thanks to the help of my husband and friends.  Please let my next boonie stomp be memorable for a reason other than me barfing.