Tristan....

Tristan and Logan spent the night at Kari's last night and today when the boys came home T-bo's hair looked different...so while I was packing for our trip back to Japan tomorrow I asked him...
Me: "Tristan, did someone cut your hair??"
T-bo:" NO....maybe some fell off."
He answered with a straight face! I swear I will never understand him but he keeps us laughing! Sometimes it's hard to believe he's my son...it just reassures the idea that babies are born with their personality because I know he didn't get his from us!
And I'm still not sure if one of his cousins gave him a hair cut or if some fell off! :)

Playing dress up...

Look at him all dressed up...pretending to be a grown up! :)
Chad is in the NCO academy for 6 weeks and he didn't have to leave the island to go to the academy! So at least I still get to crawl in to bed next to him every night but... he's putting in REALLY long hours and I hate it. :( He gets up at the crack of dawn to go running and do pt, comes home to shower and then goes to school until 5 or 6 at night.He usually has some extra activity after school and then comes home and does homework all night. He's exhausted from all the long hours he's putting in and I hardly see him...and the boys hate it because they don't get to spend any time with him either. He's not here to help out as much as usual and he's not able to go to any of AJ's appointments so it's just me with 3 boys in tow... to the appointments, commissary, library, to check the mail...with 3 boys....THREE BOYS! We've been spoiled because Chad usually gets to go with us to the appointments or at least keep the older boys for me. And either I go to the commissary by myself or we go as a family. We just do everything together...we like it that way. He's my best friend and we like to hang out...at the commissary. :)
The boys go back to school in 2 weeks which I THINK will help my sanity but then I'm going to have to entertain AJ ALL day by myself again. He can be a little demanding sometimes and the boys have helped me out by playing him the last few weeks. I don't know which is worse...1 rowdy boy whom I have to entertain or 3 who entertain each other...with my hangers... as weapons. I'm tired of my living room being a wrestling ring but on the other hand there's only so many Lego's a girl can put together!! I know this is all for Chad's career but I feel like a single mom. :P We're on week 3 of 6 but I can't wait for it to be over! It feels like everything falls apart when our routine gets out of whack! But enough whining from me! I am VERY proud of him! I guess I should have mentioned that first. He still tries to help me when he gets home... mows the lawn...takes out the trash and helps with the dinner dishes. :) I haven't heard him complain and I haven't had to ask him to do any of it! He's a good man and I'm a very lucky girl! :) I just get selfish sometimes. I have to remember he's building his career and not just playing dress up. He sure looks good either way though! :) I just miss him... that's all.

sneaky vending machine...

a couple weeks ago we were driving along when Logan and I saw this...

at first I'm sure you don't see what we saw so how about you take a closer look...

do you see it now? You can only imagine Logan's excitement!! He couldn't WAIT to try this drink!!!

I didn't feel right about trying it without Chad so I made Logan wait while we went to pick up Chad. And then with a car full of VERY excited boys, we drove back to get this...

Logan dropped his 200 yen in the slot and pulled out this ICE cold drink...

and then waited for what I'm sure felt like an eternity while I took pictures.
And then the disappointment hit... I tilted this ice cold glass bottle and Chad saw this...

I think he felt a little cheated and ripped off

when he realized we just paid 200yen for this...

and these...

but the boys each ate their kitkats and we drove home with a chocolate smile on their face and about $2.00 less in my pocket. It wasn't what they thought but they were all happy because they still got candy. :)
and on the way home I was able to snap a picture of this as I drove by...

It's a parking garage... with an elevator!

It's no kit kat drink... but it's still pretty cool! :)

My support group...

We're family. A really great family. Weather I am feeling happy, sad, scared, excited, disappointed, or worried...no matter how big or small...they are the first numbers on my speed dial.
I would not be who I am with out them and I don't think they have any idea how much I need each and every one of them. Living in Japan is amazing! I love it...I get to experience new things everyday and live the island life at the same time. I can visit the beach at any time and see the most amazing sunsets everyday. I love it, but this is what I miss the most about "home". Of course Target and Arbys rank at the top of my list :)...but my dad, my mom, my sister and my husband... they share my smiles, my tears and all of my memories. They are my support group. They listen to me ramble on for hours on a regular basis and when I'm upset they always seem to have a way with filling the silence with what I need to hear and put my worries to rest. I hurt when they hurt and I know they hurt when I do. My heart smiles when when they do and I know they are genuinely happy when I am happy. They are my very best friends.I have such a wonderful family. I am so grateful for each and everyone of them and their friendship. I love them for the role they play in my life and for the role they play in the lives of my children. They are amazing...truly amazing people. I love them more than I could ever express.

Nana...my mom and Nana to my children :)



my daddy...and papa to my children :)


(he got my oldest brother with a "shocking" pen... got him so good to! HAHA)


my sister and second (much nicer) mother to my children :)



and of course my husband and daddy to my children :)


Thank you guys... I love you!

Hello Blue Eyes!

Well... no more hiding these baby blues!!!

Because Logan got contacts! He's pretty excited about it! Normally they won't fit kids for contacts until they are 12 but Logan does Judo and can't wear his glasses so... the eye doctor decided it was time for him! I happen to think he looks really cute in his glasses but he's really excited he's going to be starting fourth grade this year with out them.

Another update on the typhoon

It looks like the typhoon is going to pass us thank goodness! But the weather outside is crazy windy and rainy!!! Here is a video I took earlier not ever expecting to post it on here, but it was all about the timing! Watch the top left corner of the video!


That trampoline that goes blowing by is actually my friend Eleina's trampoline! At the beginning of the video I'm telling T-bo no because we are going inside soon. He had asked if he could ask if the girls could come out and play (Eleina's girls). She called me a little while later to tell me she saw us outside playing and taking pictures and that it was her trampoline I was taking pictures of. I was taking video of the kids and not pictures of the trampoline...I didn't even realize it really was a trampoline because it happened so fast. Tristan said it was a trampoline but Logan thought it was a ball... and to me it sounded like a metal trash can...I had to come in and watch to see if I got it on video...turns out I did! When she called I ran out side for her to see if it hit anything (she didn't want to have to go get it until her husband got home)...it did! the neighbors CARS! Thank goodness no one got hurt! The boys were right in front of her house when it went blowing by! Needless to say, I will be keeping the kids indoors until the wind dies down!

TS Morakot update...

I made it to the commissary(grocery store) today and I survived with the 3 boys in tow! Of course there were no carts when I got there and had to park at the very back of the parking lot, but I expected that. When we got inside I went and asked a girl unloading her cart if I could help her unload and then have her cart. It's not something I would have usually done, but if you would have seen the place you would understand. Surprisingly they weren't out of everything like they were last year with the typhoon warnings. This year they were out of the nursery water but had plenty of other bottled water. I was good on water because I always try to have at least 6 jugs of nursery water (there is no fluoride in the water here) in the pantry at all times during typhoon season anyway. They were out of batteries and all canned chef boyardee things, were running low on tuna and I had to wait in line 10 min for (they had to restock) bread. But it actually wasn't as bad as I expected or remember from last year. The line was wrapped around the store and about a 15 min. wait to check out, but it wasn't much worse than trying to go on a payday Saturday (it's always a mad house). I've tried to keep the pantry well stocked with canned foods and batteries and things since typhoon season started so we were pretty much prepared anyway. I was mainly there to buy things for our normal dinner menu for the next couple days just in case this typhoon does miss us. Last year when there was a typhoon warning (our first) I went out and spent $200 on canned goods, water, and batteries for the flash lights. Then the typhoon never came and I had to go back for normal food for dinners. I learned my lesson. I try to keep the easy stuff stocked like water and canned goods, but I honestly have no idea what to plan for a Typhoon. Some people say to make sure to have enough for at least 3-4 days while others say why bother stocking up when it usually only lasts a day or two. Of course the over reactive mom in me says "what about hurricane Katrina?! I'm sure they didn't think it was going to be that bad, and you just never know..." and then I look in the pantry and think to myself...seriously?! I REALLY don't think we are going to need all this! And what if the power doesn't even go out?
When we came out of the commissary the sky had gotten noticeably darker and the wind has picked up. The breeze cooled it off which is great since the humidity is so bad you can hardly breathe anyway! It's starting to look like a storm is on the way! But when I got home and checked the weather, it looks like it's going to pass just to the south of the island. Of course it has changed projected directions 3 or 4 times already so that doesn't mean anything. At one point they said it would be here Friday... then Thursday... then Friday again and now it's back to Thursday. But I think the slowing of the storm is causing it to build because now they are projecting that it's going to be a Category 2 when it passes or hits us.

I'm kind of hoping it hurries up so Chad can stay home with us tomorrow. Since we've been home from the commissary I've got a really sore throat, my ears are hurting and I'm pretty sure I'm coming down with the flu. AJ laid down for a nap after I gave him some medicine for his fever and runny nose. :( I'm thinking we picked up some germs either at the commissary or the hospital when we were there for stitches. Either way... it's time for me to lay down while AJ is napping!

Tropical storm Morakot

It's supposed to turn in to a Catagory 1 Typhoon and be here Thursday night.
I REALLY don't want to go to the commissary now, but I guess like everyone else, it's time to stock up... just in case.

We had two warnings last year, but they turned so we just got a lot of rain...
we'll see if this one decides to turn or not. But I really don't feel like going out to fill/move sand bags and clear everything out of the yard and patio just for rain...

He hit the floor and the floor hit back...

But he's still smiling!


Well AJ did it again.




We spent 7 hours last night at the ER getting this stitched up...



The ER was so busy last night that it was seriously standing room only and it seemed like everyone there was sick. So we waited outside the waiting room in the lobby of the hospital so AJ could watch the fish and try not to pick up to many germs.


Bryan came and picked up brother #1 and brother #2 for us so they could go home and get some sleep. We finally got a room and continued our wait...





We didn't get out of there until around 3:00am.
This morning came WAY to soon!
Here he is 15 hours and 3 stitches later...




originally I had thought AJ had tripped and hit his face on the carpeted living room floor. Chad and I were standing in the kitchen cleaning up dinner when AJ went to play with these...




but once I looked a little closer, I think I have a little better idea about how he cut his head... I think there may have been this toy between his face and the floor...

More pictures from Easter