into His world

EDIT!

2009-11-06T10:15:00.000+10:00

I put the wrong date the first time. She was born on 10/26.

Mavis' First Week

2009-11-04T18:34:00.003+10:00

Here are a few pictures from Mavis' first week. We're all doing great. Howie is adjusting really well. Uncle Michael is a big help around the house & especially with keeping Howie entertained.

We don't have very many pictures from the hospital & none from the first few hours. Everything went so fast, we didn't even have time to bring the camera up. Long story short, she was born 2 minutes after we got into the hospital room. The doctor didn't even make it, so the nurses had to catch her. It was a first for at least one of them! Howie did come to visit in the hospital, but Nick forgot to bring the camera back because he was so focused on getting Howie there.

For those who are wondering about her middle name Ha'ani, it's a local Chamorro word that means "day." Now she'll always have a little bit of the island with her.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

She's Here!

2009-10-29T14:01:00.001+10:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

First Stitch

2009-06-30T22:25:00.004+10:00

We were back from our vacation for less than 12 hours & had to take Howie to the hospital for his first stitch. We came home to a house with no food, so it was off to the grocery store. Howie, being his usual energetic self, was running & fell face first into the front of the shopping cart. I was on the other side of the store getting something we had forgotten. On my way back to the cart I see Nick carrying a crying, bloody Howie. Nick was holding the gash on Howie's chin with his thumb, & Howie's nose was bleeding & already swelling up. Nick took our poor little man to the bathroom to clean him up, & I didn't know what else to do but finish our shopping. I went to the checkout line, & Nick brought Howie out with most of the bleeding stopped. Thankfully, it wasn't severe, so we didn't have to drop everything & run to the hospital. We took our groceries home & quickly put away the cold stuff. The cut was too big to be glued closed, so he had to have a stitch. The doctor put some medicine on it to numb it, but he said it still might hurt to have it stitched up. Howie had to be wrapped up in a sheet like a little burrito, which was bad enough in itself. We had explained to him what was going to happen & that it might hurt, & we promised him McDonald's & an ice cream sandwich. We were so proud of our tough little man! He laid right there & didn't squirm or cry a bit while they held his head & stitched his chin. I guess the numbing medicine worked better than expected. We're going tomorrow to have his stitch taken out. It looks like it healed up really well. We are so thankful that it wasn't any worse!

stitch in chin

swollen/bruised nose

It's A Girl!

2009-06-30T21:51:00.004+10:00

We found out Friday that Howie's going to have a baby sister! The first picture is the 3 lines showing it's a girl. The next one is her face from the front. Then it's a side view of her curled up. The last one is her little foot. Sorry the pics are upside down, but we did the best we could with our scanner. We can't wait to meet her!

Oh my, Oh my

2009-04-19T20:35:00.003+10:00

This is the first book that Howie has memorized the whole way through. There's a translation under the video. Enjoy!

Oh my, oh my, oh dinosaurs

Dinosaurs happy, & dinosaurs sad
Dinosaurs good, & dinosaurs bad
Dinosaurs big, & dinosaurs tiny
Dinosaurs smooth, & dinosaurs spiny
Dinosaurs weak, & dinosaurs strong
Dinosaurs singing a dinosaur song
Dinosaurs cold, dinosaurs hot
Dinosaurs cute, & dinosaurs not
Dinosaurs early, dinosaurs later
Dinosaurs crammed in an elevator
Dinosaurs plump, dinosaurs lean
Dinosaurs red, blue, yellow, & green
Dinosaurs looking right at YOU to say GOODBYE because we're through.

The Boys' Valentines Day

2009-02-15T12:49:00.005+10:00

With Mommy off island enjoying her new favorite place (Thailand), the fellas were left to fend for themselves on Valentine's Day. No biggie; there's safety in numbers when multiple Mommies head for the jungle. So we spent our day with the Morrison boys, including lunch at TGIFriday's, a trip to Underwater World, gelato for dessert, and a BBQ at the house to top it all off.

Unlike the Mommies, Daddies are less on top of the picture taking, but considering I had to scrounge through a a drawer in my stateroom to find a camera, which I was able to charge for about five minutes before we left, I'm happy to have any pictures at all. Thank goodness for small miracles.

With that said, it wasn't quite Valentine's Day without Mommy. Even Howie's shirt is evidence that somebody was missing, as is his face in some of the pictures. We've done pretty good with her gone this week, but the guys are looking forward to having their girl home!!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Gymnastics

2009-02-07T09:39:00.001+10:00

Howie & I started a Mommy & Me Tumbling class on base last month. He loves the freedom of running all over the little gym & using the equipment. Enjoy the pictures!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A Water Park Birthday Party

2009-02-05T12:42:00.002+10:00

Last Saturday we went to Tarza water park for our friend Tyler's 4th birthday party. It was a blast! There's a group of four slides that the littler kids could do all by themselves. They also have a couple of slides that you can do with little ones on your lap. Nick & I did almost every slide in the park, including a couple of pretty steep ones. We all has so much fun & can't wait to go back again sometime. Sorry, I don't have very many pictures because my memory card was full. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!!! Thanks for having us at your awesome birthday party!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Dependents Cruise

2009-02-04T17:38:00.003+10:00

Nick's ship had a dependents cruise on Martin Luther King Day. We invited the Morrison family as our guests. The weather seemed to be ok at first, but by the time we got to where they wanted to anchor, the winds were 30 mph & seas were 4 ft. The wind was so bad the anchor wouldn't even hold. While we were sitting still trying to anchor, the boat was rolling around, making several of the guests sick, including little Howie. Back in the harbor, they tried to tie off to a bouy but were foiled again. So it was back to the pier, much to the relief of the seasick passengers. Almost everybody skipped out on the barbecue, including us to get our sick little man home. Oh well, we'll try again next time, hopefully with fairer seas.

CO in training

The Morrison boys

Driving the ship

Spanish steps from a different point of view

Orote Point

Boonie Stomps

2009-02-02T14:04:00.003+10:00

In January we did two boonie stomps. The first one was the Spanish steps here on base. The steps were built by Spanish settlers about 300 years ago to get water from a well at the bottom of the cliff up to a fort. There actually aren't a whole lot of steps, at least not any more. But there are some ropes set up along the way to help climb down. We went to the sandy beach side first, but we didn't stay long because there was some trash that had washed up, & the water was a little rough. So we hiked through the forest to the nicer coral pebble beach. On the way we passed a big hole with tons of coconut crabs & a small cave. Unfortunately, my camera battery died, so that's where the pictures stop. It's too bad, because there's a beautiful little cove at that beach, which makes the water much calmer. It's a great place for snorkeling, & we saw a couple of small coral heads. But of course we didn't bring our snorkel gear. Just means we have to go back again soon for pictures & snorkeling!

Make a Smilebox photobook

The next Saturday we went on an adventure with the Morrisons. Amy introduced us to geocaching. You get coordinates from a website to a cache that someone has hidden. It's a GPS treasure hunt! We chose what we thought would be an easy one for our first time, but unfortunately we didn't find our prize. Our only clues for when we got there were "tree" & "rock." There were about as many trees & rocks as I've ever seen in one place. But we still got to see Hagatna Springs. Maybe we'll get to try again soon. After lunch, we decided to check out Fonte Dam. It was built in 1910 to provide fresh drinking water to the area. It was a pretty easy hike, which was good because it was hot out!

Make a Smilebox photobook

A Blessing

2009-01-26T18:07:00.003+10:00

We've been saying this prayer with Howie for the past couple of months. Recently he has started repeating it line by line. This evening he was running around while I was getting supper ready, & he started to say the blessing out of the blue! I'm so glad that I got him to say it for the camera.

Two Lovers Point

2009-01-25T21:40:00.001+10:00

We finally made a visit to Two Lovers Point, one of the most popular tourist attractions here on Guam. From the top of this cliff, you get a beautiful view of the Pilippine Sea & Tumon Bay. The ancient legend tells of a Chamorro couple who were forbidden to be together, so they leaped to their deaths from the top of this 400 ft cliff to remain together in eternity. How romantic, Guam's very own Romeo & Juliet.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Pizza & A Movie

2009-01-24T16:02:00.005+10:00

We've started a Friday night tradition of dinner & a movie (oh how my weekends have changed!). This was the first time Howie watched Shrek, one of my favorite movies. He really seemed to enjoy it, and of course he LOVES pizza. He even has his order memorized, as you can see in the video (filmed today).

("pepperoni pizza & olives & mushrooms & no cheese"

A Taste of Home

2009-01-16T19:14:00.004+10:00

We had a few friends over for New Years Eve & decided to give them a taste of Eastern North Carolina. We had barbecue, grilled Pepsi can chickens, barbecue boiled potatoes, green beans, & hush puppies. We used turkey instead of pork for the barbecue, & it turned out quite well. And everyone else contributed with some delicious dishes, too. Even with 12 adults & 16 kids there were lots of leftovers!

We ended with some yummy desserts & fun Wii time.

The ladies even surprised me with a birthday gift! I can't wait for our spa day girls! The card was very thoughtful with this hula cat picture that I LOVE & the cutest little poem.

It was a little tight in our tiny house, but totally worth it! We had a fabulous time & thank everyone for coming!

New hair

2009-01-03T07:39:00.006+10:00

I usually think about things like this for a long time. But it only took me a couple of days to decide to cut all my hair off. I love it! It works great in Guam & is so easy.

But who knew impulses could be contagious? I went out that same night with some friends for girl time. Amy had mentioned that she'd like to get her hair cut, too. So Shelly (who just happens to be a stylist) started trying to talk her into it. We ended up at a salon in the mall, & all three of the ladies got haircuts. They all look fabulous! Stay tuned, cause next girl's night is color!

Before

After

Mamas who really needed some time out!

WEEEEEEE!!!

2009-01-02T08:51:00.010+10:00

Lazy Day

2009-01-02T08:11:00.006+10:00

The day after Christmas:

Playing Pac Man

Nap on the couch

Waiting for the double decker bus in Tumon

On the top of the bus

Howie couldn't outlast his younger buddy Ryland.

Christmas lights, Guam style!

Christmas

2008-12-31T14:24:00.005+10:00

(Sorry I'm late again, more technical difficulties with our computer.)

Like Thanksgiving, our first Christmas on Guam was not as hard as I was afraid it would be. We kept pretty busy & tried to surround ourselves with friends. Christmas morning was all about Howie, & he really enjoyed himself opening & playing with all his presents. In between opening presents we enjoyed a morning snack of rice krispie stars. We broke out some icing tubes & let Howie decorate his tasty little treats. Now Howie keeps asking to decorate, & it has become a daily occurrence! For lunch, we went to the brunch buffet at the Hyatt in Tumon. We met up with 4 other families there, for a total of 22 people! Later, we had some of the guys from Nick's ship over for dinner. Howie had a ball keeping them entertained & stayed up till 10! Overall, a wonderful island Christmas! Hope you enjoy the Smilebox & the video. The song that's playing for the Smilebox is Howie's favorite Christmas song. Every time it came on, a huge grin would brighten his face, & he would start dancing!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

8 Things Tag

2008-12-23T21:15:00.002+10:00

Rules:

1. Post rules on your blog.

2. Answer the 6 "8" items.

3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment.

8 Favorite Shows

1. The Office

2. Scrubs

3. Seinfeld

4. The Golden Girls

5. Everybody Loves Raymond

6. Lost

7. Bones

8. Cold Case

8 Things I Did Yesterday

1. Cooked grits

2. Went grocery shopping

3. Cleaned the refrigerator

4. Talked to my brothers on Skype

5. Walked Clarence

6. Played outside with Howie

7. Gave Howie a bath

8. Ate a big bowl of Cocoa Pebbles

8 Things I Look Forward To

1. Christmas!

2. Seeing my family again

3. Seeing my kitties again

4. Being stationed at a shore unit

5. Having a baby brother or sister for Howie

6. Driving my Jeep again

7. More traveling

8. Starting my Yoga routine back up

8 Favorite Restaurants - this one's tough because of newly discovered food issues

1. McCall's (NC)

2. Bojangle's (NC)

3. good Thai (currently Marianas Trench)

4. Jamaican Grille

5. El Korita (NC)

6. good Mexican (haven't explored this yet on Guam)

7. Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn (NC)

8. California Tortilla

8 Things on my Wish List

1. Healthy family

2. All our family members to know the Lord as their personal saviour

3. To be out of debt (again!)

4. Howie to sleep all night

5. Run a 5K

6. New living room furniture

7. Go to Australia/New Zealand

8. Better recycling on Guam

8 People to Tag - only know 6 people with blogs, & 3 have already been tagged, so I guess it's my cousins!

1. Aubrey

2. Bridget

3. Morgan

Hong Kong Day 5

2008-12-20T21:25:00.004+10:00

Day 5 was our last day in Hong Kong. Our flight didn't leave until 6 pm, so we made the most of the day. We had a few last photo ops at Disney, then it was off to see the Big Buddha. We took the Disney Line train for part of the trip, & it didn't disappoint! Then we took the Ngong Ping cable car up to see the Tian Tan Buddha, which is the world's largest outdoor seated buddha. There were a lot of stairs to climb! But it was nothing compared to the people who climbed the mountain up to see the buddha instead of taking the cable car. Hope you enjoyed coming along for a taste of our Hong Kong trip. There are tons more pictures in our web album. You can also check out Amy & Dot's blogs.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hong Kong Day 4 - Disneyland!

2008-12-20T20:11:00.003+10:00

The fourth day was our Disneyland Day. It was a lot of fun, & it would have been nice to have had an extra day to go back. We rode some rides, saw a couple of shows, & watched the Christmas parade. The Christmas decorations were beautiful, & they had glasses you could look through & see angels in the lights & fireworks. I held them up to the camera, so you can see the angels in the pictures & the video. After the parade, it started "snowing." It was actually soap. And we ended the night with an awesome fireworks show!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hong Kong Day 3

2008-12-20T19:26:00.002+10:00

The third day of our vacation was mostly spent shopping in the Ladies Market. We found lots of fun souvenirs & haggled for prices. It was pretty funny, & Dale even got hit by one of the ladies! Later that evening, Dot helped me buy a new digital SLR camera with more price negotiating. Then we moved over to Disney's Hollywood Hotel for our next 2 nights.

Make a Smilebox photobook

Hong Kong Day 2

2008-12-20T16:44:00.002+10:00

On the second day of our trip, we took a half day bus tour of Hong Kong Island. Our first stop was Victoria Peak, which is the highest point in Hong Kong. From there you can see Victoria Harbor & Kowloon (where our hotel is located). After that we went to the Aberdeen Fishing Village & took a sampan ride. Then we went to Stanley Market for some shopping. Unfortunately we only had 45 minutes here, but still enough time for me to spend some $$! We did only a half day tour so we could get back in time for naps. When Howie woke up, we went to the Hong Kong Science Museum. There was lots of hands-on stuff for Howie to try, but he was too young for most of it. Later we had a girls night out for some shopping, but the battery on my camera was dead. =( We saw some lovely Christmas decorations at the Harbour City shopping center, but it was extremely crowded! We also walked down the Avenue of Stars & saw Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan's stars!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hong Kong - Day 1

2008-12-20T08:50:00.002+10:00

We left for our trip to Hong Kong bright & early (3 am!) Saturday morning with a sick baby boy. Thankfully, he got better quickly. Most of the first day was spent in transit. We had 2 flights with a short layover in Manila. When we arrived, we took the Airport Express train to Hong Kong & the free shuttle bus to the YMCA hotel where we stayed the first 2 nights. All the kids did really well with the travel. We did venture out for an interesting dinner at a food court. Nick's beef balls were pretty much raw, & his chicken wasn't cooked through. I was glad I avoided meat that meal! The Y is right on Victoria Harbor, & we had a decent view of the skyline all decorated for Christmas. Every night they have a Symphony of Lights, the world's largest permanent light & sound show. We were able to see the light show from our room & listen to the music on the radio.

Make a Smilebox photobook

PRAYER REQUEST!!!

2008-12-12T19:04:00.002+10:00

A close friend of ours who is in her second trimester of pregnancy has received some possibly devastating news about her baby. Please keep them in your thoughts & prayers as they continue further testing.

A Feathered Visitor

2008-12-12T07:14:00.003+10:00

I was standing in Howie's room one afternoon last week & heard the sound of an animal squeaking. I freaked out thinking that a shrew had gotten into the house! Then I heard tapping on the window, so I peeked through the blinds & saw this bird, which I think is a bittern. Howie & I ran outside to go get a better look at it. It was pretty funny, because it wouldn't let me get a side view of it. It just kept stretching it's neck out & following to face me whenever I moved. I finally did get a better view, but only because it was distracted by Howie & Clarence. It's been living in the bushes outside of our house & our neighbor Meredith's house. I've seen it a couple of times on our front porch.

Our Busy Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-09T17:19:00.013+10:00

I know I'm a little late with this, but I need to get caught up before our trip to Hong Kong next week.

The day after Thanksgiving, Nick & I ran the Turkey Trot 5K. I was so proud of myself for running the whole thing with only a very short 30 sec. walking break. But come to find out, the course was half a mile short, so my balloon was busted! Later that night, we went to the Pleasure Island Dance Festival in Tumon. There were dancers from Guam, Japan, & other parts of the world. We didn't stay all that long, but it was a lot of fun anyway.

Howie on one of the Carabaos on Vacation

Dancers from Guam

More dancers from Guam

Dancers from Japan

Of course it started to rain

Howie watching from above

This same night was the first night of the lighting of the Christmas lanterns.

On Saturday afternoon, we gave Howie a much needed haircut. He did really well & sat still pretty much the whole time. Of course it helped that his favorite movie Madagascar was playing.

Later that day we went to the Japan Autumn Festival. It's basically a celebration of the Japanese culture put on by the Japan Club of Guam. It was really crowded & parking was a mess! But it was still a good time.

We ran into the Morrison & Ramirez families there.

There were Japanese dancers. . .

yummy corn on the cob. . .

fresh (huge!) tuna being cut into sashimi. . .

and a shrine being carried by a bunch of Japanese people.

We only stayed for a couple of hours, then it was off to the Annual Christmas Festival at Skinner Plaza. We saw some beautiful Christmas lights and more island dancing, including fire dancers! Santa was there, too, but we didn't take the time to visit cause there were much more important things to do:

Riding the carabao!!!

Fire dancers!

Sunday was a little more relaxed. After church, we came home & decorated the Christmas tree.

Now I Know My ABC's. . .

2008-12-07T07:34:00.002+10:00

Flashback Friday

2008-12-05T23:07:00.001+10:00

I'll pick up where I left off before Thanksgiving with our busy summer. After our visit in Florida, we took the train back to NC. My dad picked us up, & we left that same day for Carolina Beach, NC. We spent a wonderful week there with my parents & 2 brothers. We rented an awesome house right on the beach, so that's where we spent most of our time. Howie is a little beach bum, & every morning he would run to the door & then down the walkway saying "Go bye bye." He loved the waves splashing on him & wasn't scared one bit. We definitely had to keep hands on him! We went to the aquarium one day, & it was pretty nice. Howie watched the fish every once in a while, but mostly wanted to run around. We went down to the boardwalk one night, but we were too late for the fireworks. So we just hung out at the arcade for a little while. We also rode the carousel at the mall one day. It may not have been the most exciting vacation, but it was a fabulous way to spend time with our family before we left for Guam!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A Little Christmas Cheer

2008-12-01T23:17:00.004+10:00

I was going to blog about our weekend, but when Howie did this, I just had to put it up!

Howie's 2nd birthday

2008-11-29T12:03:00.003+10:00

Sorry I'm so late posting about Howie's birthday. We had some technical difficulties.

His birthday was on Tuesday, Nov. 11th. We started of the day with a junk food breakfast of hashbrowns from McDonald's. Then we let Howie have his big presents: a trampoline from Mama & Daddy & a tractor from Grancy. He loved them both! He immediately knew what the trampoline was for (he's always been a big jumper). And he even wore the hard hat that came with the tractor. Later that morning we had a playdate with Ryland, Jojo, & Isabelle. The trampoline was a big hit! We also had Howie's ride-on Thomas out. Then we went out to lunch at a Thai restaurant. Howie digs spring rolls & noodles! We spent the afternoon at Gab Gab beach, which is here on base. Howie has always been a water bug! He's a little too brave for mama sometimes. After that, we went out to the playground for the evening, which is a regular thing around here. We usually run into our neighbors out there.

On the Saturday after his birthday, we had a pool party here at the house. It was small & relaxed, but lots of fun! We had two pools out, so the kids liked running back & forth jumping into them both. Howie preferred the inflatable one with the slide cause it was low enough for him to jump into. It's nice having the playground right in the backyard, & all the kids ended up there eventually. And, as you'll see in the video, plastic slides & wet swim trunks make a fun mix (although maybe not the safest). Then we had a good old fashioned barbeque & tractor cake for dessert! The cake looked more like a jeep to me, but all the kids knew what it was. Howie opened a couple of his gifts that night (with some help), but we saved most of them for the next day so he wouldn't get too overwhelmed.

We missed all our family & friends, but I'm pretty sure Howie still had a wonderful birthday.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Flashback Friday

2008-11-28T22:25:00.004+10:00

For Thanksgiving week we're going back to Howie's first Thanksgiving 2 years ago. Howie was only 12 days old, & we'd only been home from the hospital a little over a week. My parents, grandparents, & brother came up to visit. And to keep all the stress off of the new parents, they even brought all the food! We had a nice relaxing day just spending time together.

Howie & Great Granddaddy Nelson

Howie & Great Grandma Mavis

Howie & Granddaddy Reed

Howie & Grandma Vicki

Uncle Micheal with Vixie & Gus

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T11:30:00.002+10:00

Our first Thanksgiving without family was not nearly as hard as I was afraid it would be. We got together with two other families for a fabulous feast & lots of laughs. The Ramirez family were wonderful hosts! Everyone ate too much, as it should be, & then played Rockband on Xbox 360. Howie was too busy to eat & only wanted to play with his buddies Mia & Ryland. He even helped Mama & Daddy play the drums. We have a video of that, but it's rotated so we have to try to edit it. We had such a great time, & we can't wait for our Hong Kong trip with this same group!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Our First Boonie Stomp - Haputo Beach

2008-11-17T20:46:00.005+10:00

Sorry I've been slacking on the blog. We've had some computer issues, but they're all straightened out now.

We finally made some time to get out & explore the island. Haputo is a small, secluded beach on one of the Navy bases, so access is limited. You have to hike down a fairly steep set of steps to get down to the beach, but it's well worth it. The water was a little cooler here than the beach we usually go to, but it was refreshing. We saw a coconut crab for the first time in it's natural habitat, although it was a small one. Coconut crabs are the largestland arthropod, & are actually a type of hermit crab. The young ones usually have a snail shell, like the one we saw. Older ones adapt so that they don't need a shell. We also saw lots of "regular" hermit crabs, which really entertained Howie. He kept reaching out & saying "Come here crab" & "I'm gonna get you crab!" Then he wanted us to catch them, but he got freaked out when they came out of their shell while we were holding them. We had to escape into the forest when a big rainstorm came over right before we were ready to leave, but it didn't last very long. On the drive back out, we saw a deer on the side of the road, but it darted off before we could get a picture. We had a great time & can't wait to go back. There's also an ancient Chamorro village nearby, but we weren't sure exactly where, so we're going to try to find it next time. Enjoy the video & the smilebox!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Flashback Friday

2008-11-14T22:58:00.002+10:00

For our second edition of Flashback Friday, we'll cover our trip to Florida to visit Nick's family in July. This is where our journey to Guam really begins, because it was important to spend some quality time with family before we moved so far away.

We spent most of our time just hanging out. We took a day to go tubing down the Itchitucknee River with Grandpa Van. Grammy Michele couldn't come because of her cast. Howie had fun, but the water was freezing, so he mostly wanted to snuggle with Mama. We also took a Jungle Cruise on the Wacissa River with Grancy & Pappy Scott. Unfortunately we forgot our camera that day. Howie seemed to enjoy the cruise, & he could even see the fish under the water & the mullet jumping. We spent a little time on the beach there, and the freezing cold water didn't seem to bother Howie as much this time. But we had to drag him away when his lips turned blue. On our last day there, Grancy & Pappy took us to a local farm where they get eggs to see the chickens, goats, & other animals. Howie was most interested in the family cat. But the baby chicks were cute, too. We took the train back up to NC, which was lots of fun, except for the 4 hour delay that left us departing at 2 am. Now you'll understand the last picture in the smilebox.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Flashback Friday

2008-11-07T21:42:00.005+10:00

I was planning to start with our trip over from the states, but since Howie's birthday is coming up next week, I'm gonna flashback to his first birthday instead.

Nick was underway for Howie's first birthday, so Howie & I were in NC with my parents. The 4 of us had a small birthday party breakfast, complete with chocolate chip pancakes & birthday cake. He was pretty surprised when we let him dig into the cake, but he made the most of it. We went back home to VA pretty soon after the celebration so we could be there to meet Nick the next day. We had his actual party the following Saturday. My parents, maternal grandparents, & brother Spencer came up for the party. We let him go on the cake again, & he almost choked cramming a chocolate cupcake in his mouth. He really seemed to have a good time. I hope this year will be even better!

Giddy up!

cupcake cake

the decorations

Party favors with Granddaddy Reed . . .

and Great Granddaddy Nelson.

Those adorable early steps!

Smashmouth

2008-11-05T22:26:00.009+10:00

We decided kind of last minute to go see Smashmouth tonight. It was Howie's first concert, & he had a blast! And it was the first concert Nick & I have gone to since before I got pregnant with Howie. The music was pretty good & even had Howie dancing. But mostly he ran around & played with a ball, until he got so tired he could hardly walk. He fought it off though, & stayed awake the whole time. And best of all, it was free!

Howie dancing

More dancing . . .

and really getting into it!

Howie & Alex

Howie watching the concert

Playing with Daddy

Taking a break . . .

and having some water.

Getting so sleepy!

Our Sunday

2008-11-02T20:18:00.003+10:00

We had another big day today. The biggest news is that Howie pee peed on the potty for the first time this morning! Woo hoo! We clapped & cheered & were all 3 very proud. He also went on the floor a couple of times, but that's ok because we just started potty training. We're just going to take it slow.

Then we went for our first visit to what will likely be our new church home with our neighbors, the Morrisons. Like most things here, it is best described as "island style." The service is really laid back, which is nice for an unpredictable 2 year old. There's a beautiful view of the Philippine Sea, and thankfully a nice breeze since it's outside (because of the frequent power outages). But we felt very comfortable there & look forward to our next visit. After church we went to eat & then to the aquarium, Underwater World. Howie was a little scared of some of the bigger fish & the eels, but he really liked the turtles. Then we went for ice cream at Haagen Dazs. I'm really only mentioning that because while we were there we felt a pretty big earthquake that lasted several seconds. I've felt a couple of small ones here before, but nothing like this one. We thought it was some huge truck or something outside. Apparently earthquakes are not uncommon here. Kinda freaky!

What a big boy!

Howie & Tyler dancing & spinning

Halloween

2008-11-01T20:23:00.003+10:00

We took Farmer Howie trick or treating last night for Halloween. His love of tractors made his costume choice an easy one. And he even had his very own tractor & cow to drag along. He would only say "trick or treat" once in a while, but he did say thank you for the candy every time we reminded him. He was even able to stay out & walk around for almost an hour. I think the suckers helped keep him going.

Right before we went out trick or treating, we ran the Trick or Treat 5K here on base. It was my first one ever! I was able to run the first half, then after that I had to take a couple of walking breaks. Nick was pushing the jogging stroller, & I still held him up. But I'm working on it! We finished in 34 minutes, then rushed home to shower & change.

It was a busy day, but we had lots of fun!

Moo, moo Clarence!

Daddy's Home!

2008-10-31T21:04:00.007+10:00

Nick's ship came home Tuesday (10/28) morning after being in Japan for 5 weeks. We made welcome home posters, but Howie would only hold it for a few minutes. When he finally figured out what was going on though, he was really excited to see his daddy. After the ship was moored, we went on for a tour, and even Clarence got to come. It was nice to get out of the blazing heat & humidity (and it was only 8:15 am!). The ship is really small, especially compared to his last one. But Nick loves it! We're all very happy that he's home again! Now we can really explore our lovely island home.

High five!

Clarence!

Howie & Ha'ani holding the welcome home signs

Coast Guard Cutter Washington

The pumpkin the guys carved for Halloween on the stern light.