Catch Up

I can't believe how much time has gone by since my last blog. So much has changed since August. Our close friends that we did everything with moved back to the states in September. It took some adjusting but we made it through the change. 

For Thanksgiving (my birthday), we had neighbors over for potluck. We had turkey, ham, and traditional sides. The usual, we ate too much and had turkey and ham leftovers forever.

My parents decided to come visit in December. We had a great time. The kids could not get enough of them. We had a busy first week with them seeing all the historical sites and the most picturesque spots. The second week was all about relaxing island style; beach and pool lounging. We were sad to see them leave right before Christmas. 

The kids started surf lessons recently and they are already progressing. Both kids have moved up to level 2 and are looking forward to competing in a surf contest in March.  Sienna and Nathaniel are super stoked and daddy is also having fun with them. 

We leave Monday for Chaing Mai, Thailand so another blog and pics to come soon.

Best Waves of the year!!!!!!!

Don't forget to check out videos of surfing
Click here to view videos

First day of school

 

Today, we dropped off our kids at their new school, Harvest Christian Academy. Sienna started kindergarten and Nathaniel started preschool. The kids and mommy were very nervous this morning. Sienna did such a great job going into her class and sitting at her desk. Mommy was holding back the tears. Nathaniel had a little harder time. He had the teacher come out because I didn't give him a hug and a kiss (I did, he just conveniently forgot). I gave him his kiss and off he went. The tears then started coming down when I saw his face. It didn't help that their was a kid nearby waling and holding on to his mom for dear life. 

Overall, the kids had a great first day. They had stories to tell and lots of treats from other classmates. 

Bali 2012

Wow, I was exhausted. Within a week of being back from Cali, we had our vacation to Bali. We arrived in Bali on July 15 and stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua. The hotel was amazing. Day 2, we had our driver take us to Kuda where Andrew surfed and the kids played on the beach. We drove the west coast of the Bukit Peninsula checking out all the surf spots for Andrew. At the end of the day, we arrived at Uluwatu Temple. We were warned about the monkeys that reside at the temple. We left all jewelry, glasses and anything else these monkeys could take in the car. Just inside the temple grounds, we watched another family feeding a couple of monkey. One of the monkeys got a little too close to Sienna and she motioned to kick the monkey. The monkey promptly stole her sandal and ran away. The temple staff showed us that you can trade the monkey food in return for the sandal back (in this case, we traded a banana). The sandal was a little chewed up. The whole experience traumatized Sienna and she did not want anything to do with monkeys for the rest of the trip. We stayed for the sunset which was really beautiful. 

Day 3, Daddy went surfing, the kids went to Camp Nusa and Momma went to the spa for a treatment. Most of our days for the rest of the trip were spent like this. Mommy got a lot of rest and relaxation over the 9 day trip.

Cali trip 2012

What a great trip we had. We arrived in Cali on May 24th. Everyone was surprised by our arrival. We didn't let anyone know we were coming until we were in Hawaii. We had a busy 6 weeks. Lots of visiting with friends, family and of course lots of visits to Disneyland. I stayed with my parents. The kids enjoyed playing with cousins on a regular basis.

Andrew joined us for a week in June. We had a great party for the kids and got to see the whole family. While on vacation, Nathaniel had another visit to the ER for stitches on his chin. It had only been 5 months when we took him for his forehead. I guess I have to prepare for many more. 

I spent a week in Redlands for a week of camp at out church. It was fun to see friends on a daily basis and to watch the kids reunite with their friends. They acted like they never left. We were hoping to spend the 4th of July with family but Andrew purchased our tickets for our flight home. I didn't think it was going to affect me to leave because I was missing Guam  and my hubby.  It was hard for me and the kids. Nathaniel and Sienna were crying in the airport because they didn't want to leave and that got me crying too. People thought that I was crazy or something. I was blessed to have a TSA worker help me get through security and helped me with my luggage all the way to the gate. Every time I felt overwhelmed, God put someone in my path to help. 

I finally arrived in Guam to a nice welcoming from my husband with a nice orchid plant and our friends the Stehpenson's

Mac flight home

On May 22, 2012, I went on my own adventure with the kids. We took off on a C17 military plane  from Guam to Honolulu. The flight was great. We left at midnight and we made beds on the floor and slept the whole way. Unfortunately,  we were unable to get a military connecting flight to the states so I had to purchase a commercial flight. Lugging the kids, a double Bob stroller, 1 large suitcase and 3 carry-ons was a big challenge. It took almost three days traveling but we made it.

Great Day

We had such a great day. Mommy and Daddy got to go on a early movie date and watch The Avengers (awesome movie) followed by a great lunch. We picked up the kids and headed to Gab Gab for another snorkeling date. The kids are getting more and more comfortable in the water. Just maybe by the time we leave we will all be scuba diving :)

A day at the park

Wow, we are tired. Sienna’s friend from school had a party at one of the local water parks. The kids had such a great time, but not as much as daddy did. They had a pretty cool wave pool. Every 1.5 hours they would adjust the settings to make a 1-2 foot surfable wave. The kids would line up as the staff would push them into the waves. Daddy set his alarm so we won’t miss a single session. They had so much fun and Andrew just loved watching them enjoy riding the waves. Daddy is already planning our next trip. 

Sienna's Spring concert

Wow, Sienna loves to perform. Another wonderful performance.

Click here to view the video

Easter 2012

We had an amazing Good Friday service at our church. I can’t get enough of the view from Bayview Church. 

We did the sunrise service and spent the rest of the day at the beach. We had a great time. We rented a double kayak and went out on the water as a family. It was a fun little adventure on the water with the kids.

Wow, what a trip. We arrived in Narita, Japan on March 18. The kids did a great job on the plane and the 2 hours to get to our hotel in Tokyo. We met up with our new best buds, the Stephenson family. 

Day 2: We took the Subway to Tokyo Tower. What a sight. We went to the very top. For a person who is afraid of heights, I couldn’t help but love it. I still felt a little lightheaded. The kids could not get enough of the view. Then, we headed to see the platform to see the Bullet Train. Japan really knows how to take things to the next level.

 Day 3: We headed to Kamakura. What a beautiful walk to the Temple. It’s too bad the cherry blossoms weren’t in bloom yet. We went for a long walk to finally see the Great Buddha (Diabutsu). This was quite the sight with an impressive story. Here’s a little background to the Great Buddha. Construction started in 1252 and continued for approximately 10 years. The costs of construction the Diabutsu were met by the priest Joko, who successfully persuaded members of the community to make the necessary donations. 

Day 4: From the serenity of Kamakura, we headed for a crowded but fun day at Disney Sea. We all enjoyed fresh ideas, rides and themes. The kids were excited to finally be back at Disneyland. 

Day 5: Local shopping at Asakusa outdoor market. We thought for our last day in Tokyo we would do some local shopping and hunt out some more local cuisine. We headed to Asakusa. It was about 5 blocks of shops. Nearby was another set of Temples and gardens. We ate at a yummy traditional Japanese restaurant. We took our shoes off and sat in a sunken table. I tried sashimi for the first time. I must admit it was pretty good. We ended the day with green tea ice cream from the street vendor. My new favorite flavor. 

Day 6: wake up way too early and head home. Hanging out in the United lounge makes these trips so much better. We ate sushi and had a beer (for free). I really didn’t care our plane was leaving late. The kids were enjoying the food and entertainment. Again, the kids did great on the flight. They are becoming great world travelers. We are happy to be home in warm weather. Everyone is pooped. 

                          SAYOUNARA

8 Months

My life felt like it was coming to an end when I found out that we were coming to Guam. The idea was depressing but (with a lot of prayer from my friends) things slowly got better leading up to our departure. Our going away party was very hard. I never thought I would have to say so many goodbyes in one day. I was an emotional wreck. I felt like a child kicking and screaming the morning of July 4th when I said my last goodbye’s to my immediate family. 

We are going on 8 months now and I am so grateful that I am here in Guam. God had his perfect plan for us. Living here has allowed for plenty of quality time which has really helped our family grow closer. It has been so refreshing to be able to go on snorkel dates, boonie stomps (hikes), and lunch dates.

The kids are enjoying their adventures. They are learning hiking, swimming, snorkeling, and all about the ocean.

Thank you Lord for knowing what was best for us.

Snorkel date with the kids

We packed up the kids bright and early for a day at the beach. The kids put on their snorkel gear and we went out to swim with the fishies. Previous trips did not go so smooth but today the kids were calm and inquisitive. They enjoyed their time in the water. We had such a great day and we are so proud of our water babies.

Christmas 2011

We spent Christmas Eve, the unconventional way, at the beach. For as long as I’ve been alive, I have spent Christmas Eve at my Nana’s house. This is the first year away from family. Christmas Eve was actually really cool but Skyping the next day on Christmas morning with my family made me home sick. I really miss seeing my little cousins grow up. I can’t believe my cousin baby Levi has grown so big. I left when he was only 2 days old. I feel like I’m missing out on all those fun baby moments.

We were up until midnight Christmas Eve putting together the kids gifts including a train table for Nathaniel and a giant Barbie house for Sienna. I was so excited about this year. 

Christmas day was a lot of fun. We woke up and brought the kids out see what Santa had brought them. They were so excited to see all their cool gifts. We later went to a Christmas service at church. The evening was spent having dinner with the Stephenson family and their friends. 

Merry Christmas from Guam.

Sienna's Christmas Performance

Sienna was awesome. She was so excited to see her daddy in the audience. She was beautiful playing the part of Mary. Click here to view the video

Nathaniel's Christmas program

All week Nathaniel was looking forward to singing his Christmas songs. They practiced everyday and when I would pick him up his teacher would have a new story to tell me. Nathaniel would sing the loudest and would be the most into his songs. We were all looking forward to it. But on the day, he got scared and cried. We were all bummed but when we got home I got him to sing his songs. Have fun watching my boy. Make sure you watch it until the end where he finally sings at home.

Click here to view the video

Black Friday at Gab Gab

This was my first year that I didn’t go Black Friday shopping. We decided to spend the day at the beach. It was surreal. It was one of the most peacefull days we’ve had in a long time. We literally spent the whole day at the beach. We even skyped family from our beach chairs on the sand. I am so grateful for the memories we are building as a family. Andrew has worked so hard for our family and after many years of school and training we are finally enjoying all his hard work.

Thanksgiving

We spent the morning of thanksgiving watching Andrew and some other men from our church play flag football. We spent the day with the Stephenson family.  Wow, what a meal. We had the best turkey (a fried turkey) with lots of sides and just great company. We had a great time but missed our families. 

Denise's Birthday

We celebrated my 33rd birthday with some great friends. We tried out a bar & grill on the beach. The food was horrible but the views and atmosphere was awesome. On my actual birthday, we went bowling with some of our close friends. We had a great night. 

Sienna's Thanksgiving performace

This is really for the grandparents. Here is a video of Sienna’s Thanksgiving performance. Enjoy!
Click here to see the video

Sienna's Pre-school pictures

I can’t believe that my little girl is 4 years old and now taking her first school picture. She looks absolutely beautiful. 

Ague Cove boonie stomp

Today was our first real Guam adventure and first boonie stomp (thats what they call jungle hiking in Guam). Our adventure took us to Ague Cove with the Hwang family. Ague cove is located on the northwest coast just south of Anderson Air Force Base and is considered moderate in difficulty. The combination of intermittent heavy rain with steep muddy trails made for some slippery and challenging conditions particularly with the kids. The upside to the gloomy and rainy conditions were cooler outside temperatures with a nice breeze. Sienna did an awesome job walking down the trail while Nathaniel enjoyed being carried in the backpack by daddy and taking in the scenery. At the cove, we had lunch and enjoyed the scenery. Later, we took turns going out snorkeling where we saw coral reefs varying in color from deep purple to gold and a host of different reef fish. Overall, it was a great trip but man are my legs jello right now. 

Conquered

Today, I overcame my fear. For as long as I can remember, I have had a fear of the ocean. Wow, have I been missing out on Gods amazing creation. Over the course of three days, I went from snorkeling with a floatie while being pulled around by Andrew to getting out there on my own. It was such an amazing feeling to share this experience with Andrew, Nathaniel, Pam (our friend) and her daughter Jazzie. Poor Sienna is missing out on all the fun while she’s in school

Happy 3rd Birthday Nathaniel

He’s all grown up. Well, not quite yet, but he corrects me everytime I tell him he’s my baby and tells me “no mommy, I’m a big boy.”  We celebrated his 3rd birthday with a few of our new friends here in Guam. Nathaniel had a great time. 

A perfect Saturday

It was a perfect Saturday, cool breeze with cloud cover and no rain. We spent the morning at swim lessons and built up a pretty good appetite. Afterwards, we tried out a local burger joint called House of Brutus which has a pretty good selection of specialty burgers including an “In-N-Out burger” (a tribute to the real thing back in CA). The rest of the day was spent at Gab Gab beach swimming, collecting shells and making sandcastles with our friends, the Reynolds. It was a nice lazy Saturday.

On a Sunday afternoon

After church we meet up with the Murphy family at the harbor to watch Andrew surf. We had a great time getting to know each other better and watching the kids play. Andrew had fun surfing. We are looking forward to more afternoons like today.