sweet shot: hotel flora

While we are itching to get out of this hotel room and into our own place, I do appreciate the small touches in the common areas... like candles at night and new flowers every morning.

I should make more of an effort to do this in my own home... y'know, just as soon as our stuff gets here and we get to move on up. :)

Hooking up with Darcy's Sweet Shot Tuesday. Week 59! She is so not a quitter.

saturday confessions: week 10

1. I have seen the sunrise here in Guam every morning. This is the view from our balcony, overlooking the hills where the sun rises and clouds roll over every day. Beautiful to behold but it makes it very difficult to stay awake until the sun sets in the evening. I'm glad that my boys know how to be quiet when they wake up at 5:00 in the morning! And that they are zonked out by 8pm!

2. The only acceptable kid channel that we get at our hotel in Guam is Animal Planet Australia/New Zealand. At least we still get a taste of home through Animal Cops Houston. (For the record, we watch it because it is there, not because I particularly like it.)

3. Due to #2 above, y'all should have heard the excitement from my boys when The Price Is Right came on TV! Hooray for a non-animal show!!! Where you can win MONEY!

4. I watched the local news this morning in hopes of learning how to pronounce the names of the different villages around here. (Guam isn't mud hut villages or anything, but villages as in little towns.) The slow speech, lack of murders (although there is crime on the island), and the less-than-slick appearance of the broadcast made me smile. What a difference from the news we'd see in Houston-- which is also why I stopped watching the news altogether years ago.

5. We are now owners of the iPhone4. So far, I am only irritated. While the iPhone has a better camera (see pics in this post), I much prefer the ease of use and larger screen of my DroidX.

6. Last night's supper was yum. I give you the French Terrier-- chili, cheese and french fries stacked on an all beef Nathan's hot dog.

I am linking up with Melissa's Saturday Confessions... just disregard the fact that it is already Sunday here in Guam. (I need to figure out how to change the clock settings on my blog.)

50mm friday - first flight

David flew from Guam to Cairns, Australia last night-- his first flight as CAPTAIN!

I am so proud of him. Not only of his hard work and skill, but for the fact that he has sat as First Officer for YEARS when he could have upgraded to Captain long ago.

Why would he give up the prestige, pride and pay of Captain to sit as F/O for so long?

FOR US.

Family, quality of life, many extra days at home that we wouldn't have together if he had upgraded sooner. Thank you for that, baby.

I'm linking up with Hallie Westcott's 50mm Friday. Feel free to join us!

matthew 24:36

50mm friday - boys and toys

Guns, tools, dirt, and noise... That's what little boys are really made of!

I'm excited to link up with Hallie's 50mm Friday. Want to join us?

i heart faces: yellow

{This little guy makes the funniest faces!}

Saturday Confessions - the mobile upload edition

This is my first time participating in Melissa's Saturday Confessions. I can't believe she's on Week 7 and I am just now jumping in-- what a sorry excuse for a friend I am (am I?)!

1. I am so thankful for being able to see and hold my newest nephew Hudson on his birthday! A month early!

He is so precious and adorable and beautiful and channeling a little popeye in this photo.


2. While I was visiting my sis, our trusty vehicles began the long trek to Guam.

3. The rest of our stuff left two days ago. We are going to be eating off of paper plates for the next 2 weeks when it will be our turn to go.

4. I visited with one of my most favoritest bloggy friends-- Amy from Peru! This is our second time getting together but this time she brought her fun familia with her. If y'all don't know Amy, you should visit her blog A Pilgrim's Project where she writes about faith, family, and life as a missionary in Peru. And she shares some great stuff about homeschooling at Fisher Academy International Teaching Home.

Thanks for driving so far to see me Amy! I am so thankful for the gift of your company, even if it was all too brief.

5. This doesn't seem like a fun or complete post with only 4 points... but I ran out of mobile uploads. So here's a non-mobile snapshot that makes me happy.

6. What have you been doing the past couple of weeks? I plan on spending the next 2 weeks playing with my friends and hanging out with my family.

7. Do you take a lot of mobile pics? Why does the iPhone take such better pics than my Droid?

8. Doesn't prom usually happen in April? I saw kids in tuxes and prom dresses tonight. When did high school seniors start looking so YOUNG? I am so glad that I'm not in high school or college or newlywed-ville anymore. There is something to be said for being settled, confident and wiser!

9. One thing Amy told me was that she packed only 3 outfits per person for her roadtrip from Oregon to Texas. While I can't imagine traveling so light (and yet not so light since they have 5 children), there is FREEDOM in packing and toting less.

10. I always seem to have more questions than answers.

proverbs 3:24

Happy Mother's Day to:

...the mommy, the mom, and the MAAAAAW!
...the tired mom, the new mom, the expecting mom.

...the veteran mom, the empty nest mom, and the grandmom.

...the mom-in-love.
...the mom who loves and cares for you, even though she never gave birth to you.
...the moms with empty arms, the moms who sorrow, the moms who miss.

May your sleep be sweet tonight.

history (again) and a haircut

So I have decided to NOT study Texas History with the boys next year. Thanks for all of your (y'alls?) input! I think we will focus on Guam and WW2 history found there and in the surrounding islands. I can't wait!

Speaking of history, I revisited an old hairstyle from several years ago. Here is my new do:

A little sassier than when it was long.

My hair was last cut like this back in the day...

August 4, 2008

The boys and I were trying to figure out my new laptop webcam. We took some snapshots and even a video clip to send to David while he was on a trip. :)

It's strange how I even associated my haircut with that time period. I never thought grief would extend its fingers into so many small details of my life and that something as simple as a haircut would require emotional preparation.

I am thankful for an understanding family and a husband who loves me enough to walk through the details with me. {I'm glad he likes my haircut too!}

P.S. I have no idea what "related" video links are going to display at the end of the video clip... so just ignore them.

sewing, siblings and the subject of history

Want to see what I have been sewing today?

Not just one...

...but TWO blankets for my sister Bobo's baby.

Her husband is in the USAF and flies the C-5, hence the airplanes (even if these are a bit old school).

I still have one more blanket I want to make, but the sewing machine, fabric and notions need to be packed away. The survey person with the moving company is coming tomorrow to see what we're planning to take with us to Guam!

My sister needs to have her baby just a little early. She is due in June and we are moving in June... so end of May would be very convenient for me. And it's all about me, right? *snort*

Baby boy is already over 6 lbs! Definitely great with child. :)

My brother was also at Bobo's shower. Stephen and Debbie (aka Bobo) are less than a year apart.

He and Debbie do look a bit like twins, don't you think?

And now completely off subject, I have a HOMESCHOOL question for y'all.

Shocking, isn't it. Me? Write about homeschooling?

Austin will be starting 7th grade in the fall. That is typically the year that a student will learn about TEXAS history. However, we will be moving to GUAM next month.

Do we have him study Texas history anyway (since we will be back in 1.5 years to stay)? Or should he study something else?

A little background info: Our history this year is Sonlight's Core F: Eastern Hemisphere, which is culture and history in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. We have studied American History the previous 2 years. Regardless of the history, we will be focusing on geography this next year using Mapping the World by Heart and digging deeper into the countries we plan on visiting.

So tell me, what would you do? Texas History? Guam History? Something else? Just Geography and extra readers?