Day 1
We have left our family in California and ventured out in our RV. After 1 night dry camping I appreciate running water and electricity quite a bit more. We are camped in a Super Walmart parking lot. It seems to be a happening place with several other RV’s camped here also. It makes you feel more secure with other RVers around.
We are all a bit tired and excited at the same time. The older kids have adjusted well to our “new life” living out of the RV and visiting family for the last month. The baby is completely off schedule and now has no idea what a bed time is. The middle kiddos still have a bit more adjusting to do. They are just old enough to realize things are hectic but not quite old enough to easily adjust.
Jason and I will try to get a routine going for our family over the next week. This much I know we are very blessed even as Jeremiah struggles to escape my bedtime grip.
Day 2
We awoke this morning to Bubby and Katie running into our room. “Momma , momma listen there’s something out there” I looked up at the skylight to see the shadow of a fluffy tail. The Walmart squirrel was running back and forth across the roof giving us our morning wake up. The morning routine went well. We ate a great breakfast, stocked up on some supplies. When Grandma pulled up with a new doggy we were ready to head out. Our adventure for the day – driving to Lake Havasu to see great grandparents Papa and Nana Sleppy.
The desert is dry, brown and a bit depressing in some parts. Other sights glorify God’s majesty
We have seen fields of cotton, orange groves and gorgeous mountains. Just enjoying the calm drive and no traffic!!
HOW CUTE – We just passed a Indian Tribe Headquarters and as I pointed it out to the kids, Katie (6) asked “ are they dangerous?” It makes sense since she has studied early American History. I had to explain current Indians the local tribes and how they look today. I am sure as we travel we will have many more teachable moments.
RV LIFE.........Living...Loving...Laughing...
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
RV Life
RV Life--- We are offcially living /sleeping in the Rv. I think the kids have moved around and sleept in different beds each night. They will figure it out. My bed is really cozy with our 3 inch memory foam. The heater cranks - which is good since we will be traveling in winter. The tricky part is getting the boys to settle down at bedtime and getting the baby to actually stay in one place. He has gone from containment to freedom. It will all come in time. For now it makes for interesting nights... Since Jeremiah is a talker/ singer he keeps us entertained as we long to sleep.
Daily Happenings--- We celebrated retirement yesterday with family at Bucca Di Beppo. Jason was totally surprised - we actually pulled it off. I couldn't have done all the planning from Japan without all Kell's help. It was so great to be able to enjoy time with family and the blessing of finishing 20 years of service in the Army.
The kids are enjoying a night of snow and fun here in California. Jason has taken all the kids plus some to a local church for some winter fun. I am awaiting many cold hungry little ones any time now.
Heart Changes---Today I went to the mall to find some "winter" boots. As I walked the mall - I was again taken back by the amount of money and shopping. America , recession..... I thought back to our mission trip to the Philippines and the poverty we saw and the children who endured daily to survive. As I looked around at the clothes and the shoes, I realized none of it was appealing in the way it was years ago when we were living in America. I so long to adopt again, knowing in God's timing it will come. This time not to increase the number of children we have but to claim these children for Christ. To love on them and let them know Jesus loves them. Knowing that God will provide and His provision is always sufficient!!
Daily Happenings--- We celebrated retirement yesterday with family at Bucca Di Beppo. Jason was totally surprised - we actually pulled it off. I couldn't have done all the planning from Japan without all Kell's help. It was so great to be able to enjoy time with family and the blessing of finishing 20 years of service in the Army.
The kids are enjoying a night of snow and fun here in California. Jason has taken all the kids plus some to a local church for some winter fun. I am awaiting many cold hungry little ones any time now.
Heart Changes---Today I went to the mall to find some "winter" boots. As I walked the mall - I was again taken back by the amount of money and shopping. America , recession..... I thought back to our mission trip to the Philippines and the poverty we saw and the children who endured daily to survive. As I looked around at the clothes and the shoes, I realized none of it was appealing in the way it was years ago when we were living in America. I so long to adopt again, knowing in God's timing it will come. This time not to increase the number of children we have but to claim these children for Christ. To love on them and let them know Jesus loves them. Knowing that God will provide and His provision is always sufficient!!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Leaving OKI....
Visiting with our dear friends in Washington
The children with their great grandparents Grammie and Poppa in California
A lone snail I thought was beautiful
North Shore with the Olsons
Aunt Tammie and Bella
Jeremiah enjoying the sand in Hawaii
Surfs Up Zach!
Retirement is good..........
The kids really enjoyed our time at Bellows - no snakes , it was so nice!!
The Space Needle
The view from the Space Needle - breathtaking..
Our Crew going from Hawaii to WA -what a climate change.
Hanging out between one of our 5 flights
Shaved Ice after our hike at Diamond Head
Roasting yummy marshmallows!!!
A visit with my grandma after almost 8 years!!!
Jeremiah turns 2 - with a day at the ER , poor little guy!
The kids really enjoyed our time at Bellows - no snakes , it was so nice!!
The Space Needle
The view from the Space Needle - breathtaking..
Our Crew going from Hawaii to WA -what a climate change.
Hanging out between one of our 5 flights
Shaved Ice after our hike at Diamond Head
Roasting yummy marshmallows!!!
A visit with my grandma after almost 8 years!!!
Jeremiah turns 2 - with a day at the ER , poor little guy!Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Retirement
We have officially begun this thing called retirement. So far it feels like just another vacation - not a bad thing, it just hasn't sunk in yet!! Jason is sporting some serious facial hair, the kids realize we are officially "homeless". But we are all enjoying the adventure.
Exciting happenings- one child who will remain nameless called 911 from our hotel in Okinawa- thankfully it was on base and the MP who arrived at our door was very friendly. Jeremiah found a new sport of egg tossing to be enjoyable, we only had 3 casualties before he was stopped.
Our airplane ride went pretty well, we flew from Okinawa to Tokyo and onto Honolulu - we were actually "freezing" on the shuttle, some of you might appreciate what I am talking about - no humidity and really cold air. Quite chilly after leaving Oki. We happened to be flying in the same weekend as the APEC conference - so many roads and highways were shut down. but we actaully did not get stuck in any of it!!!
Our first stop was Jamba Juice- a little deprived or just missing some old favorites. Then we stopped in on some old friends who had no idea we were coming, Mariah + Ellen!! Good times -
We spent our first couple nights at the Olson's - it is always good to be welcomed (those of you with more than 2 kids no what I am talking about) hosting a family of 7 makes some people nervous. We almost departed without leaving any damage behind. I am probably not helping us be invited anywhere else by sharing this:) Jeremiah got into my purse and found a black permanent marker - he began to display his artistic talents on Cheryl's light colored berber rug. At the top of the stairs in plain view. I was mortified! We loaded our car as Cheryl so kindly continued removing the marker with hairspray and a rag. Thankfully it worked and our damage was not permanent. I still felt I was doing the walk of shame as I left their house. By the way did I mention, they got us in our best state. Totally jet lagged , falling asleep at any given point and random napping.
Onto Bellows - The Little's joined us our first day for BBQ chicken . The guys did a great job ( if you like black chicken with red meat) no seriously they really tried. Not sure what went wrong, but once you got below the charcoal it was great! Jason + JJ good job!
We decided to hike Diamond Head - the kids were great. After hiking Mt. Fuji it was a breeze. This was Zachary's Mt. Fuji of sorts! Jeremiah hung out in the carrier most of the way and walked at other times. The bonus at the end of the hike was Shaved Ice and big sloppy burgers from the gut truck! We enjoyed our last night at Bellows with roasting marshmallows and awesome weather. The kids loved playing in the forest and building shelters. Our surprise guest Mr. Centipede showed up uninvited into our cabin on our last night- the kids managed stay calm while mommy caught it and sent him back outside.
Our last night was spent at The Littles house. What does a family pf 8 need on a work/school night ???? A family of 7 sleeping over, doing laundry, keeping them up late and getting them up early! We love you guys!!
Onto Washington State - Flights went well. Kids did great. I would write more but who wants to relive flights # 3 + # 4 in less than a week, I don't. Just thankful we made it !!!! Washington is gorgeous, we are surviving and enjoying the cold. Our blood is a bit thin but doing well. We arrived at our 1st hotel before 11pm. Great welcome after a long day. Nice room and good heater. Our first morning came quickly- packed up shuttled to the rental car and off to the Space Needle. Pretty cool, I really enjoyed seeing Washington from the aerial view. Gorgeous time of year and a really clear day! Jeremiah loved the elevator ride and would yell "fun" each time. We got out of the city before the traffic hit and into our hotel in Poulsbo. We enjoyed a great Italian dinner and stayed at a familiar hotel that we have come to appreciate when we pass through here. Now if we can only get the kids to sleep!! Tomorrow brings more adventures and fun. Off to sleep... Pictures will have to come tomorrow....
Exciting happenings- one child who will remain nameless called 911 from our hotel in Okinawa- thankfully it was on base and the MP who arrived at our door was very friendly. Jeremiah found a new sport of egg tossing to be enjoyable, we only had 3 casualties before he was stopped.
Our airplane ride went pretty well, we flew from Okinawa to Tokyo and onto Honolulu - we were actually "freezing" on the shuttle, some of you might appreciate what I am talking about - no humidity and really cold air. Quite chilly after leaving Oki. We happened to be flying in the same weekend as the APEC conference - so many roads and highways were shut down. but we actaully did not get stuck in any of it!!!
Our first stop was Jamba Juice- a little deprived or just missing some old favorites. Then we stopped in on some old friends who had no idea we were coming, Mariah + Ellen!! Good times -
We spent our first couple nights at the Olson's - it is always good to be welcomed (those of you with more than 2 kids no what I am talking about) hosting a family of 7 makes some people nervous. We almost departed without leaving any damage behind. I am probably not helping us be invited anywhere else by sharing this:) Jeremiah got into my purse and found a black permanent marker - he began to display his artistic talents on Cheryl's light colored berber rug. At the top of the stairs in plain view. I was mortified! We loaded our car as Cheryl so kindly continued removing the marker with hairspray and a rag. Thankfully it worked and our damage was not permanent. I still felt I was doing the walk of shame as I left their house. By the way did I mention, they got us in our best state. Totally jet lagged , falling asleep at any given point and random napping.
Onto Bellows - The Little's joined us our first day for BBQ chicken . The guys did a great job ( if you like black chicken with red meat) no seriously they really tried. Not sure what went wrong, but once you got below the charcoal it was great! Jason + JJ good job!
We decided to hike Diamond Head - the kids were great. After hiking Mt. Fuji it was a breeze. This was Zachary's Mt. Fuji of sorts! Jeremiah hung out in the carrier most of the way and walked at other times. The bonus at the end of the hike was Shaved Ice and big sloppy burgers from the gut truck! We enjoyed our last night at Bellows with roasting marshmallows and awesome weather. The kids loved playing in the forest and building shelters. Our surprise guest Mr. Centipede showed up uninvited into our cabin on our last night- the kids managed stay calm while mommy caught it and sent him back outside.
Our last night was spent at The Littles house. What does a family pf 8 need on a work/school night ???? A family of 7 sleeping over, doing laundry, keeping them up late and getting them up early! We love you guys!!
Onto Washington State - Flights went well. Kids did great. I would write more but who wants to relive flights # 3 + # 4 in less than a week, I don't. Just thankful we made it !!!! Washington is gorgeous, we are surviving and enjoying the cold. Our blood is a bit thin but doing well. We arrived at our 1st hotel before 11pm. Great welcome after a long day. Nice room and good heater. Our first morning came quickly- packed up shuttled to the rental car and off to the Space Needle. Pretty cool, I really enjoyed seeing Washington from the aerial view. Gorgeous time of year and a really clear day! Jeremiah loved the elevator ride and would yell "fun" each time. We got out of the city before the traffic hit and into our hotel in Poulsbo. We enjoyed a great Italian dinner and stayed at a familiar hotel that we have come to appreciate when we pass through here. Now if we can only get the kids to sleep!! Tomorrow brings more adventures and fun. Off to sleep... Pictures will have to come tomorrow....
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Summer Comes
Summer time for miltary families brings many changes. For some it is saying goodbye to friends and for others it is facing the challenge of another move and all the details that come with that. This seems to be a big moving summer. We will say goodbye to many friends and soon ourselves be the ones packing again.
Moving from state to state is so easy now after living overseas. Trying to make local planscfrom the other side of the world is always fun. Thankfully our God always provides and works out the details.
We are also entering a season of iuncredible heat and that brings its own challenges. Mosquitos from the jungle that eat you up. Cicadas that sing a glrious song and humidity that can moisten the dryest of skin:)
We face many challenges this summer as we prepare to move. Our dog is 15 1/2 years old and each day is a blessing to have her. Will she live 5 1/2 more months? Will she be able to fly back 1/2 way around the world? These are all things we think of and talk about and have to trust and wait. All in God's timing.
Samantha and I are preparing for a missions trip to the Philippines. We will visit Gentle Hands orphanage for 8 days. I know God will use this time to grow us, stretch us and mold us.
We also plan to hike Mt. Fuji in Late July. This is a family goal with the older kiddos. Excited for all these adventures and looking forward to what they bring.
Birthday wishes to our 2 May kiddos - and praying for many more blessed years with them...
Moving from state to state is so easy now after living overseas. Trying to make local planscfrom the other side of the world is always fun. Thankfully our God always provides and works out the details.
We are also entering a season of iuncredible heat and that brings its own challenges. Mosquitos from the jungle that eat you up. Cicadas that sing a glrious song and humidity that can moisten the dryest of skin:)
We face many challenges this summer as we prepare to move. Our dog is 15 1/2 years old and each day is a blessing to have her. Will she live 5 1/2 more months? Will she be able to fly back 1/2 way around the world? These are all things we think of and talk about and have to trust and wait. All in God's timing.
Samantha and I are preparing for a missions trip to the Philippines. We will visit Gentle Hands orphanage for 8 days. I know God will use this time to grow us, stretch us and mold us.
We also plan to hike Mt. Fuji in Late July. This is a family goal with the older kiddos. Excited for all these adventures and looking forward to what they bring.
Birthday wishes to our 2 May kiddos - and praying for many more blessed years with them...
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Last Time around..
We are beginning what should be our last "long separation". Jason will be heading out this weekend for three months. We are geared up and ready to take these 3 months head on. We are grateful for the past year God has given us.
We faced 2 major deployments last year. The first one had Jason heading out to Iraq in May 2010 for a year long deployment- by GOD's hand these orders were cancelled and we faced the year with confidence that God's protection was over us. Fall came and so did more orders another year long deployment , this time to the Philippine's. Again, the Lord was with us. These orders were also cancelled just weeks out. We again give all glory and praise to God. We fall before the one true living God and continue to daily pray for His protection and provision. This 3 month "deployment" has been a blessing and a covering of sorts. This has kept Jason from a 3rd tasking that was to come with the New Year. We now wait as Jason prepares to leave and His retirement paperwork slowly makes its way through the proper channels. We will seek the Lord and His will for our family and wait to see what He has for us.
Our desire is to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He has for us. We wait and pray for direction and open doors. It will be another adventure in the coming months to see where we will end up and what we will be doing. Thank you God for keeping our family together!!!!
We faced 2 major deployments last year. The first one had Jason heading out to Iraq in May 2010 for a year long deployment- by GOD's hand these orders were cancelled and we faced the year with confidence that God's protection was over us. Fall came and so did more orders another year long deployment , this time to the Philippine's. Again, the Lord was with us. These orders were also cancelled just weeks out. We again give all glory and praise to God. We fall before the one true living God and continue to daily pray for His protection and provision. This 3 month "deployment" has been a blessing and a covering of sorts. This has kept Jason from a 3rd tasking that was to come with the New Year. We now wait as Jason prepares to leave and His retirement paperwork slowly makes its way through the proper channels. We will seek the Lord and His will for our family and wait to see what He has for us.
Our desire is to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He has for us. We wait and pray for direction and open doors. It will be another adventure in the coming months to see where we will end up and what we will be doing. Thank you God for keeping our family together!!!!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Cleaning House
It is time to dust out this site. I started a few weeks back and tonight I am attempting to clean and update a bit more. Life has been very busy and to be honest I fogot about my blog for awhile. I appreciate the opportunity to share and write but I do not often have the time to keep up with my extra hobbies.
Life in Okinawa is never dull and life with our 5 blessings is never dull. We are still homeschooling and loving every minute of it. The kids have all reached new stages and that is what keeps us going. They like to change as soon as you get a routine. I guess that is what happens when you feed and water them. Their spiritual growth seems to match their physical growth. We are so grateful for the opportunity to train them at home and watch CHrist take hold of their young, bold hearts!!
Praise God for his blessings. I am sure the coming months will bring adventure- as they always do....
Life in Okinawa is never dull and life with our 5 blessings is never dull. We are still homeschooling and loving every minute of it. The kids have all reached new stages and that is what keeps us going. They like to change as soon as you get a routine. I guess that is what happens when you feed and water them. Their spiritual growth seems to match their physical growth. We are so grateful for the opportunity to train them at home and watch CHrist take hold of their young, bold hearts!!
Praise God for his blessings. I am sure the coming months will bring adventure- as they always do....
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