The Van

So here is my new ride. I never thought I would be a mini-van mom but around here it's either a tiny car or a van. Yes there are a few SUV's they are called Toyota Surfs. In the States you would refer to them as Toyota 4-Runners. The thing is they are way over priced here and really not all that big, not when we are use to our big Tahoe. So...mini-van it is.

The boys do think it's pretty cool because the seats can turn around and face each other and there is a huge sunroof that opens up over their seats. There is a sunroof over the driver and passenger seat as well. The van is pretty cool I do have to admit and its got some great get up and go power that the little car just didn't have.

Don't worry, Chasers seat isn't turned around forward I just didn't take it out for the pictures. When his big boy car seat gets here next month I will be able to flip all the seats around and he will be facing backwards but still get to see Bryson and Carter. He will probably be the only kid that actually faces backwards all the way to a year. I was bad with the older boys. I flipped Bryson forward at 5 months and Carter at 4 months. They were both in their big boy car seats at that time and hated being backwards. This time Chase will actually be entertained by his big brothers. They are going to have a blast back there.

All I want for Christmas....

The Tooth Fairy has gone broke here in Okinawa. Bryson has lost his two front teeth. He lost one on Saturday August 1, and then the second one he lost on Thursday August 6. Did you know that the Tooth Fairy pays in Yen? We were totally shocked and so was Bryson. We weren't sure how she was going to pay Bryson, so I guess we have a Japanese tooth fairy here.

The Beach

We went to the Beach on Saturday after car shopping. We didn't stay long because it was so hot and we didn't have our big beach umbrella for Chase. Thankfully I put it in our express shipment and it will be here Thursday.

This beach is very popular because it's netted to keep the jelly fish and larger fish out and it has a huge Pirate ship on the beach. Here are a few photos.

Car

This is a car that we have been lucky enough to borrow. Its a cute little car but let me tell you it has no power to it. Most of the roads here are between 25 and 60 kilometers. Which isn't very fast and people pass me left and right. I can only get the car up to 60 kilometers if I am going down a hill. It I am driving up a hill which there are lots here I can go in between 20 and 30 kilometers. As the cars are passing us by we all just laugh because it feels like the Flintstones that we could pick up the car and run it faster. Though I am not sure what we would do without it. We are very thankful that we have are Fred Flintstone car. We bought a van on Saturday and it should be ready for pick up tomorrow after four. If not it will be ready on Wednesday. Our borrowed furniture gets delivered to our house on Wednesday and we get to move in on Thursday. Yeah!! We are so ready to be out of our hotel.

By the way we are now no longer driving illegally as Joe and I both passed our tests. He made 100 and I made a 95. Joe says I must have marked the wrong answer because they were right next to each other and I was holding Chase so he was my handicap. He is so sweet not to rub it in because had it been the other way around he would not be hearing the end of it for the next few years.

I will take pictures of the new car when we pick it up tomorrow/Wednesday.

We're Here!

We arrived safe and sound here in Okinawa Monday night. The flights went really well and the kids did great. The animals survived the flights and the poor things are still at the kennels until we get our house which we found out should be next Thursday.

About the house. Its tiny, why did I ever complain about my old house. We are only going to be given a three bedroom home. Had Carter been a girl we would get a four bedroom, how does that seem fair? Oh well, we will make it work. We haven't been able to see a whole bunch of the island yet. We still need to purchase a car but first have to pass our driving test. Which is Friday and then I think we get our license on Monday or something like that. Though one of the ladies Joe works with has let us borrow their car so we are already practicing. Shush....don't tell! For driving on the other side of the road we are doing quite well.

Well, I must get going. I am at the community center

The BIG day has come.

I am here once again in the lobby of the hotel writing to you. You see tomorrow is the big day and I can hardly contain myself.

We left Pope AFB, North Carolina yesterday morning to drive down here to Charleston AFB, SC to drop of our car. We can't take our car with us so it must be stored for the next three years. We were stressed for time driving here Friday. The port where the car must be stored closed at 3:30 and Joe's final check out was at 10. Mapquest said it would take 3 hours and 40 minutes and we had to get to our hotel first to drop off all the luggage.

Why did we have to drop off the luggage first you ask? Because you would have thought we brought everything but the kitchen sink with us. I took this photo to show you just how much we had. Though now that I have examined it, I see there are a few items missing from the photo. There was a big debate as to whether everything would fit or not. Joe called around to some car rental places and there was nothing available but a tiny car. We wanted a big SUV or minivan to drive around after we dropped the car off at storage and something to help fit all the luggage in. I asked Joe what the price of the tiny car was and it was going to cost just under two hundred dollars. I told him, I can pack the Tahoe I can make it work. So here is a photo of everything.

• 11 suitcases
• 1 duffel bag suitcase
• Pack and Play
• Stroller
• 3 carseats - 3 children sitting in buckled carseats just in case you think we just shoved them in ;)
• 1 dog and cage
• 1 cat and cage
• 1 litter box
• Chaser's bouncy chair
• 2 kid backpacks
• 1 adult backpack
• 1 Bumbo seat for Chase
• 1 carseat duffel bag
• 1 plate of brownies

Quite a bit huh?  I wish I would have taken a picture of it all in the car but like I said we were so strapped for time that Bryson burst into tears before I would stop to let him pee.  We did make it in time and had to take a taxi from the port to the airport to pick up our rental car and now we are driving in style.

We are driving the new Ford Flex and the kids love that they have a sunroof over their heads.  The back compartment has a button that opens that back so Bryson likes to sit in the third row so he can use it has a door.  We will be sad to turn it in tomorrow.....Tomorrow...I still can't get over it.

Well, I must get back to our house and finish collecting our stuff again.  I guess the next time I post we will be on the other side of the world.

3 months

Boy has a lot happened this past month. It was your most important one yet. With the most important being that you met your daddy for the first time and you actually liked him. Then the rest as follows:

• Meeting daddy for the first time.
• Visiting family in New Mexico
• The movers coming and moving us out of our house.
• You giggle but not often
• Your smiles are contagious
• Your not overly vocal yet
• But you do talk a little more than last month
• We bought you a bumbo that you like
• You love your play time with your daddy
• Daddy knocked you on eye with his elbow and you cried hard for the first time in your life
• Then I almost impelled your neck with the long, clear, plastic turning part of the blinds and you cried hard for the second time in your life.
• You went to three movies this month. Ice Age in 3D, Transformers, and UP. You liked them so well that you slept through all three of them.
• Your brothers still love you a whole bunch.
• Your daddy and I can't get enough of you.

I am sure I am missing a whole bunch but we have been homeless for the past 9 days and I am borrowing a computer really fast.  I will add on as I remember.

Birthday Party

Like I said in an earlier post we had the boys late and early birthday parties last Saturday July 11, 2009. They had a Star Wars party and invited all their friends. I think they had a blast.

Have you missed me?

Boy have I been busy. I thought I was busy before but this past week and a half have been crazy.

First and foremost we have loved having Joe back. We have been to see Ice Age in 3D and then to see Transformers. Joe has taken the boys to the pool to many times to count and we have been taking him out to eat at all his favorite restaurants.

We had the Carter's late and Bryson's early birthday parties this past Saturday. We of course rented out the pool and it was a blast, though I am pretty upset that the slide wasn't working. The kids didn't seem to mind at all.

Then Sunday I spent all day packing. Joe had it easy and just packed himself and I packed Bryson, Carter, Chase and myself with enough stuff to last us until we get our express shipment August 10th. Wow, that was a chore. I still feel like I didn't send enough in the express shipment or pack enough in our suitcases. Though I don't want to be walking through the airport and trying to get through customs with three kids a dog and a cat and 50 piece of luggage. In total I think we have 7 rolling suitcases a car seat bag and a stroller. I might have to buy one more suitcase to fit all the extra crap I have, that or start sending stuff to myself....I think it will cost about the same to send the stuff as it would to buy a new suitcase. We shall see.

Monday and Tuesday we had two packers show up to pack or entire house. They did a great job considering we had forgot about our fryer in the kitchen and it was packed. We couldn't remember if it had oil in it or not and I barely got any sleep thinking about it all night. The next morning we asked her to look for it and she wasn't to happy about that. I don't blame her, she got her bosses approval and we were able to find it. Though it did have some oil in it, it wasn't completely full. Regardless I feel so much better about it.




Today they loaded it all up on the truck and did an alright job. What can I say they split some wood on the boys bunk beds just taking them apart. I was pissed. We filled 11 crates and I am hoping we don't go over our weight limit.


Tomorrow they will come and take the rest of the stuff into storage. Then we will paint the rooms back and clean out the house. We have hired a cleaning lady to clean the house Saturday morning and then we check out of the house Monday. After that we will finally be able to relax for a few days before we head to Charleston on Friday and the flying out on Sunday.

Here is how Chasers spent most of his day. Looks comfy huh?

He's Home!!

After 271 days he is finally home for good. Joe got in yesterday and the boys have been attached to him at the hip and have barely let him out of their sight. He has jumped right back into daddyhood and has taken the boys to Starbucks, the commisary, and the pool while Chase and I hung out here at the house.

He is getting use to changing diapers and is quickly learning what Chasers likes and his dislikes are. He is a quick study. I will post some photos and try to give a longer update later. As the boys said in the car on the way home "We are a family again!", and we are enjoying just that.