Grey's Anatomy

I know that Grey's Anatomy is old news in the states, but it has only started viewing here in the last couple of weeks. I couldn't wait in suspense any longer, so I bought the whole Season 5 on itunes. Needless to say, I have been absorbed in the drama that is Meredith and Derek or Izzie and Alex. Last night I finished the series with screams of horror and surprise! How can they leave us with such intensely unresolved events. UGH! Shawn thinks it's the dumbest show ever, which anything that I thoroughly enjoy he finds dumb, so he sat making fun of my emotional turmoil. Crying one moment, laughing in another...I think that makes for an awesome show.

Rock on Grey's Anatomy! I can't wait till September 24th...of course, I'll have to buy the season on itunes again.

Family Fun

This is our idea of a night of family fun.

Aren't we an exciting family??

The cute couple

Aren't they the cutest couple? Jacqueline and I didn't plan for the kids to wear matching colors, but it made for some great pictures.

What is with the funny faces? Caleb wants to make this face in every picture and wants to make this face at everyone he sees on base. Not always appropriate..

Riley did not like being the third wheel.

FRG BBQ

Saturday, we attended the FRG Picnic/BBQ (that I organized). Shawn took over the grill with hamburgers and hot dogs. He's so awesome on the grill!

There was face painting.

Of course, Caleb wanted to be Batman.

The kids played in the water.

They especailly loved the water balloons. Even Riley got in on the water balloons.

There was also horseshoes, volleyball, and a tug of war (which I didn't get pictures of because I was in on it). I used muscles that I didn't know existed tugging on that rope!

My Picnic/BBQ rocked! We had a lot of sailors from the ship come and many families. By the end of the day, we were all so tired. We went home, took showers, and all of us took a nap. We ordered pizza, watched a movie, and called it day.

These were the cute outfits the boys were suppose to wear to the BBQ, but I was glad that they wore their swimsuits instead because they got soakin wet.

Riley is looking more like a little man and less like a baby.

He is such a HAM!

Fun pictures that lift the spirit

I'm trying to get my self out of this funk and what better way than to laugh. And of course , the laughter of your own children can lift your spirits immediately.

This one is my favorite.

This is what happens when you try to take your own family photo...

Of course, the pictures of the boys came out beautifully.

Oh what a funk...

I have been in such a funk lately. I could blame it on the rainy season, or the fact that I am missing home VERY DEARLY, but whatever the reason, it has got to END! I hate feeling this way.

It's PCS (Permanent Change of Station) time here and most people are busy cleaning or packing or saying their good-byes or talking about where they'll be living. UGH, I'm a bit jealous and frustrated. This month marks our half way point; we have 18 months left and it feels like it could be forever. It's not that I don't like it here, because there's really nothing to make it terrible, but I MISS HOME. I have never gone this long without seeing my parents and I think that may just be breaking my heart. I feel more than a couple of countries away, I feel like a lifetime away...I hate to complain because Shawn and I have such a wonderful life together. I love being his wife and I love being a mom, and I know that "home is where your heart is", but 18 more months...UGH!

Anyway, we've been keeping busy. I'm not sure with what...I guess with everyday details. With the yucky rain, we've been doing a lot of puzzles, and watching movies, and coloring books. We did find out that Caleb will be starting pre-school August 31st due to his speech development. The specialists say that he has Oral Apraxia (difficulity anchoring his tongue when he talks) and some speech delay. So he will be in a pre-school with 3-4 year olds who all display a speech delay. He will also be seeing a speech pathalogist for 60 minutes a week. Caleb qualifies for 5 days a week, for 2.5 hours a day, but I think at first we're going to take 3 days a week. He is so excited to go to school and I am so excited to be able to understand him. Although, I will miss some of his words, "nose" for noise and "backman" for Batman. Speaking of Batman, he is Caleb new favorite character. We bought him the Batmobile (which he calls "Batman race car) and the day we bought it, he feel asleep playing with it on the floor...so cute!

Yunessun Hot Springs

I took a day off from being "mom" and headed to Yunessun Hot Spring, www.yunessun.com/english/ which is in Hakone, Japan. By bus, it took about 1.5 hours.

Amy and Tracy were my travelling partners on this trip.

On the way up the mountian, we passed Fujiya Hotel, www.fujiyahotel.jp/english/index.html which was the first resort hotel built in Japan in 1878. Fujiya translated means, Flower Palace. The hotel is celebating it's 130th Anniversary and they have some great deals for us Gaiji, non-Japanese persons. I would love to spend a night there and explore the Hakone area.

We were so excite for a day of sitting in hot springs!!

At this pool, cold water and bubbles were shot out from the ceiling at scheduled times. The kids there got so excited when the bubbles floated down to the water, but I enjoyed the showers of cold water. The pools got a bit hot and the cold water made for a nice relief.

There were all kinds of different pools filled with assorted addittives; Green Tea, Sea Salt, Coffee, Wine, Chamomille...just to name a few. This pool was filled with honey.

Periodically, a staff member would come with a bowl of honey and the Japanese people would gather together waiting for a dose of honey that they than used to lather their bodies with...

Amy and Tracy getting their dose of honey.

Some of the pools were indoors and others were outside. This was one of the areas for kids. I wish I had taken my camera to the other outside pools but I was really afraid of my camera getting wet. I missed getting pictures of the Green Tea pool, which had a large Tea Pot pouring hot water and the Wine pool where there was a large Wine Bottle.

Behind this waterfall, was a large cave with several pools included. It was very exclusive feeling, romantic almost...

We were literally on top of the world.

Built into the side of the mountain was a water slide and this too was feed by the hot springs.

(We look like we're part of a cult wearing the ropes we were given)

The Japanese people would stand at the bottom of the slides waiting for us to come down and they would laugh and clap at us. We didn't get it at first, but after watching several Japanese people (children included) come down the slide, we realized that they make no sound, no splash, no sign of ridiculous fun. Not us, we were screaming as we sped down the slides and when we hit the water we made BIG splashes! At times, our feet went over our heads and the water spilled out of the pool and we stood up with our bathing suits stuck between our butt cheeks. Now that I think about it, no wonder they were laughing at us...

On our way home down the mountain, we passed Lake Ashino-ko, which is a crater formed over 3,000 years ago by a volcanic erruption by Mt. Hakone. Along the lake is Hakone Shrine, built in 757 and marked by the large red tori gate you see in the picture.

It was a beautiful and relaxing day. However, if anyone ever has the chance to go...take some Drammamine. I didn't know we were going to be travelling on butt kissing turns and curves. I got so car sick on the way there and on the way back. I prayed for sleep to take over my mind and stomach.