Chaplain Spouses of Okinawa

There are MANY responsibilities/events/opportunities that come with being a military spouse on Okinawa. They are all good, but some I enjoy more than others. My favorite has to be our Chaplains' Spouses Group. We have a regular meeting once a month, that is part business/part social. In addition to that, we also get together to provide dinner for the families at the "Stork's Nest" once a month (families who are here from elsewhere in the Pacific to use the Naval hospital's neonatal services for high-risk pregnancies), we put in hours sorting donated clothing and household items to benefit "Operation Goodwill" (these items are taken by Marines for distribution when they deploy around the Pacific on humanitarian assignments), we volunteer hours at the Navy gift shop to benefit American and Okinawan charities, and we get together for cultural experiences on occasion.

What makes this group of ladies so special is our diverse faith groups and backgrounds. We are all different...some of our beliefs differ drastically...but we come together to celebrate what we have in common...loving to serve God, specifically through serving military families. I can truly say that I love each of these women and I'm humbled to be part of such an assembly.

Our meeting this month was just a couple of nights ago, and in honor of our Rabbi's wife (who we were saying farewell to {boohoo!}) we dispensed with the business and just got together to eat yummy Chinese food at Peter's Place...which came along with a demonstration on preparing Chinese tea by Peter's wife, Mary.


Yummy food!
(fried rice, sweet and sour pork, chicken with a dry curry, sweet and sour shrimp and egg rolls)



Mary imparting her tea wisdom unto all of us.

(Trivia: I don't actually drink coffee or "real" tea {for religious reasons}...so in my pantry, I have several unopened boxes of herbal tea. When I'm invited to a "coffee" I bring the hostess some of my favorite herbal tea. If she tries to send it back with me when I leave, I ask her to keep it for next time {meaning..."Please invite me again!"}.)

I had a feeling that wouldn't quite work in this venue...so the ladies next to me were very nice to just take mine for me.



I can't believe I didn't get a pic of Melanie (the Rabbi's wife) by herself...but that's her on the far right with the white hat band around the black hat. She's such a doll. We are a sadder group without her...but Lemoore is TOTALLY lucking out!



The other side of my table. I couldn't get us all in one shot.

I can't wait until next month...except that it's another farewell. I don't know if I can handle two in a row! Last year I think we only lost two total...and we've gained at least a dozen...but this "PCS* season" is going to be a rough one.


*PCS=Permanent Change of Station...in civilian speak: Moving! The vast majority of PCS moves occur between May and August (for obvious reasons...school). The second most common time is over Christmas break...when we typically move.

Flashback Friday...Decade in Review

2010!?

Where have the years gone?! Join me here for a recap of the last 10...

2009-Our kids went back to public school, Cliff deployed to Kuwait, we sold our first home, Cliff was promoted to LCDR and we completed our first year on Okinawa. Troy started football, Patrick started JROTC and cross-country and both of them started wrestling.

2008-Cliff was selected as the Miltary Chaplain Association's "Navy Chaplain of the Year". He and I flew to So. Carolina for the ceremony. We found out we got orders to Okinawa. Troy started taking college classes. I traveled to Vincennes, Indiana for Site Directors' Conference. We put our beloved home on the market. Troy turned 16 and got his drivers license. Cliff left for Okinawa over Thanksgiving weekend...the rest of us followed right before Christmas.

2007-I started a part time job on the base as the Site Director for the college there. LOTS of stress, LOTS of responsibility, sometimes full time hours...not much pay. Learned a TON and felt great about helping Sailors get their associate degrees. We adopted Charlotte the cat. Continued to LOVE living in our new home. We also continued to LOVE shore duty as Cliff stayed close to home. Cliff started teaching at the college as adjunct faculty (psych and speech) and I resumed taking classes.

2006-Cliff reported to NAF El Centro as Base Chaplain and we started out our new lives as trailer trash. We learned we didn't need much to be happy. We slept in the trailer, did wash in the trailer park laundry room, held school in an unused classroom in the base chapel, either ate dinner in the trailer or the chaplain's office kitchen and watched TV in the meeting area outside Cliff's office. We loved our time in "Mayberry" where everything was within walking distance. Sold the trailer in July and moved into a furnished 2 bedroom apt. on the base for the last 2 months when we couldn't take the heat anymore. Cliff turned 40! We finally moved into our first home. Jake was baptized!

2005-Coree was Baptized! We had to move houses...just within our neighborhood as they were gutting all the houses and remodeling them. We were the last ones to move into a new house. We bought new furniture and fixed it up nice as we thought we would be there another 4 years. Cliff had orders to the Naval Hospital in San Diego. That summer we were "asked" to "prayerfully consider" orders to NAF El Centro instead. We took those orders and bought our first home there without even seeing more than a floorplan on paper. Jake started homeschooling in the fall. We moved out of our house right after Thanksgiving and spent the month of December traveling to visit family. We moved into our new RV home at the NAF El Centro trailer park (while we waited for our home to be built the following summer) on December 30th.

2004-Cliff deployed to Iraq again...in February again! He was there 7 months this time. Jake and Coree went back to public school for the last half of the school year. Coree decided she liked homeschool better, so she returned home for the fall semester. Jake stayed on for another year.

2003-Cliff changed duty stations...this time with the Marines. He checked in in February and within 3 weeks was in Kuwait ready for the deployment into Iraq to begin. That summer he returned and we traveled to my brother's wedding in Wyoming and visited several national parks on a wonderful family vacation. In the fall, we started homeschooling!

2002-Cliff returned from deployment, and I went on a Vegas getaway with Janette. Patrick was baptized! The 3 older children started attending a new charter school, SDCCS. I decided to take another break from school in order to be more involved with the cooperative charter school.

2001-Cliff did his first deployment as a Chaplain. We moved from Camp Pendleton down to San Diego once the kids finished school. Adopted Brownie the dog. The older boys started a new school, I started a new college, and Coree started the preschool there. Cliff was promoted to Lieutenant. September 11th. Cliff deployed with the Stennis Battle Group in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Jake graduated from Children's Hospital "Toddler School" and started a new preschool with the school district. His diagnosis is upgraded to PDD/NOS. We spent the holidays apart.

2000-I worked the census, turned 30, ran several 5Ks and a half marathon and took college classes. Troy was baptized! Cliff finished his Masters Degree, left 15 years in the Marine Corps on one day and was commissioned a LTJG in the Navy (by my grandfather) the next...and went to Navy Chaplain School. While Cliff was gone, Jake was diagnosed with Autism and began an intensive treatment program at Children's Hospital 5 days a week...and my beloved grandfather passed away suddenly. Cliff reported to his first duty station as a Chaplain...DESRON 21 in San Diego.


Cliff's graduation kids w/ Gma Mary and Gpa Mike
(circa 2000)

Wow, how much changes in 10 years!

Christmas Island Style

Maybe that title is misleading. It might make you conjure up images of sipping tropical drinks under a palm tree. While we could do that (it would just be a little chilly with intermittent rain), I meant something different by "island style"...like scaled-down...cramped...condensed.

We had to leave half of our Christmas goods behind in storage due to the moving weight limit for Okinawa (and our cramped living spaces)...but I still brought my favorites:


LOVE these "baby's first Christmas" pics for each of the kids. They make me smile so big every year when I bring them out.



LOVE Christmas books. Children's books...but also the Richard Paul Evan's type...you know the heart-warming, holiday-tear-jerkers you can get through in an afternoon?



Christmas stuffed (and real) animals.



And here's my favorite "Polar Express" stocking holders. They are VERY heavy so they actually hold the stuffed stocking. Troy said we're "ghetto" because I still haven't replaced the stock photos with our individual pics. It's been about...4 years now? Oh well...there's worse things than ghetto, I imagine.



Had to bring the "sea services" nutcrackers...and I just added Marine Santa since we've been here.



And a new centerpiece arrangement I added here with some old, but mostly new stuff. Coree doesn't like it. She says I've confused Christmas with the 4th of July. I believe it's appropriate to put a patriotic twist on anything. In fact, next St. Patrick's Day...if you come to my house and you aren't wearing green AND red, white & blue...I'm pinching you!




This is my new favorite, I think.



And there's the tree...in the only place we could fit it in the entire house. Doesn't make for very easy TV viewing...but luckily we don't watch much (except, we do really like to watch Christmas videos...so actually, this may be a problem).



Remember my little tree from last year? It reminds us of those who are serving in harms way at Christmas...far from their country and family...so that we can spend Christmas in safety with ours. I haven't been able to find a new ornament for it this year...but I'm still looking.



I left more than half of my nativity collection in storage, but I did bring my favorites. This leaves room for adding more to my collection, though. =^)

Like this lovely Kokeshi set. It is the most expensive one I own now...because it's made by an artist who is considered a "national treasure" in Japan...so he can charge more. At any rate, when tempted by other nativities on several occasions this year, I was reminded of the sticker shock of this one...and behaved myself.

As much as I will treasure the Japanese nativity...some of my favorite sets are of the toy variety. Fisher Price makes one, so does Playmobil. I have a Veggie Tales nativity and other various cloth and wooden sets that are kid friendly. Now if only Lego would make one!

Flashback Friday...Where's Jesus?

This is one of my favorite flashback stories, so I'm surprised I haven't blogged it sooner. It took place during our move from Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA down to San Diego, CA (a little less than an hour away) back in June of 2001.

Jake was 2 1/2 and attended "Toddler School" down at Children's Hospital in San Diego every weekday afternoon. He happily watched the movers doing their thing in the morning (they were like tornadoes whipping through the house) but just before lunch he and Dad had to head down the road to get Jake to school.

When Jake got home around 6 that night, he came into the living room, looked around and said, "Where's Jesus?" I thought for a second, and then beamed with pride as I thought of Jake remembering our picture of Jesus which had been hanging on the wall. You know the one...



I said to Cliff..."How sweet! Of all the things that have been packed up, it's the picture of Jesus that Jake misses!"

My smugness was short lived, as the movers walked in, having returned from their dinner break. Jake ran up to one of them, pointing and shouted..."There's Jesus!!"

Here's some pics of "Jesus" hard at work:






I know His life was a ministry of service...but I don't think I remember any scriptures about Him helping anyone move.

At least the mover wasn't offended. In fact, he said it was the nicest compliment anyone had ever given him.

Flashback Friday...Goodbye Oasis St.

Well, the day is finally here...the sale of our house closed today. While it is such a good thing for us to get out from under this mortgage, and we feel so blessed to have been able to sell it...it is still so sad to let go of our first home. We went through much to make it ours and had no idea that it would end like this.



So today, while I am counting my blessings on this island paradise (number one of which is the fact that my husband will soon be back to share it with me) I am feeling a little sad, too. Truth be told, I have been avoiding looking at pictures of it...which is sad, because we did a lot of living in the two years we spent in that house. I came across one by accident today, and was overwhelmed by a sense of longing for it. It was a great house.

Maybe rehashing the whole process here will help to bring me to a sense of closure. The experience was not all bad, after all. I don't regret it. We learned many lessons...like how to paint (and how NOT to paint), how to lay sod (and how to lay sod in the dark by work-light as the grass rolls lie shriveling in your driveway in the 115 degree heat...at midnight), how to level sand and lay pavers (and how to do it over again), and what plants are truly drought tolerant (and which are more drought "not-so-much").





We learned what we like and don't like in a stovetop, a counter surface, a bathtub...and children's rooms in proximity to ours. Although I suspect by the time we own our own home again...that last one won't really matter. Maybe we'll just skip the family home altogether and go right to the vacation condo? Who knows! At any rate, here are some flashbacks on our journey to home ownership. It was a wild ride...not for the faint of heart, that's for sure!

It all started when we received orders (in July of 05) to report to NAF El Centro (in Dec of 05). This came as quite a shock as Cliff already had orders to stay in San Diego...but that's the military for you! We had really been wanting a home of our own, especially Cliff, who had been earnestly praying for one...but the market seemed to always climb at a rate that just outpaced Cliff's placement on the pay scale. This was an answer to prayer as homes out in the Imperial Valley were less than half what they were in San Diego...and the growth out there was explosive.

We started looking around that very weekend, but soon discovered that everything in our price range that would fit our family of 6 was an overpriced dump as people tried to ride the market wave. Our cheapest option...to get on a waiting list for a new home development release date. This we did, and through a series of fortunate events, ended up calling on a day when 3 homes fell through...a situation that then becomes "first come, first served"...so we jumped in the car and drove the two hours to put our money down. By the time we got there our first choice was gone, but we chose the next least expensive model and wrote out that earnest money check. After that, we only had to figure out what we were going to do in the mean time until it was built...6-8 months after we were due to move there!

We schemed our way through many scenarios...of which, the most far-fetched fell into place. We purchased a travel trailer, put most everything we owned into storage, and lived in the base RV park for 6 months. For real. With 4 kids and a Rottweiler. And home schooling. Yes...we were like something out of a bad National Lampoon film. But, I'm sure Cliff's status as the Base Chaplain bought us some slack initially (you know those "religious" types) and after some time, I think we managed to debunk that first impression we made. When we just couldn't stand the heat anymore, we moved into one of the temporary lodging units for 2 more months...until that happy day when we picked up the key.



It seems so nice and neat when I type it here like that. Trust me, it was anything but...and I think everyone around us was just as sick of it as we were. The construction delays, the financing options, the VA requirements, the painting...it was always something! But we were so proud to be painting our own home.





Cliff's mom even came out to help us. The kids jumped in...even friends stopped by to take a turn. It was a lot of work...but so rewarding to see it come together (even though there were a couple of accent walls that we never did finish...but we left the paint for the new owners and they can have at it).

Even more frustrating, when it was time to receive new orders, was the way the bottom fell out of the market, houses sat empty and developments folded. Who would have known that things would get this bad? And that our Imperial Valley would be one of the hardest hit? We thought we could ride it out...maybe take orders to Yuma or San Diego and have Cliff commute...but there was nothing available for him in either place, and as gas prices went through the roof, our options became more limited, anyway. It seemed like the perfect economic storm and we were caught right in the middle. We couldn't even rent our house out for half of our mortgage payment...so we really had to sell. It was a painful choice, and the day the realtor brought over the listing papers, I cried and cried.

The biggest lesson that I learned through all of this was really not to get caught up in the hype. I'm not saying that a home of your own is not a righteous desire or even a wise investment. What I'm saying is that for our family in particular, it needs to be the least of our worries. We are blessed to be provided a home wherever we are sent. It might not have a kitchen island or a master suite with a closet large enough to fit a home office...but it will be home no matter what the layout, for it will contain everything that is most important in life. Our family is so blessed to serve in the capacity in which we do...no matter how nomadic the lifestyle or the sacrifices required.

Sometimes you have to experience loss to truly know gratitude. Having to let go of this home helped me to focus more on what matters...a wonderful husband; healthy, fabulous kids; the Gospel of Jesus Christ...and the opportunity to serve while living the adventure of a lifetime.



So, goodbye fabulous first home on Oasis St. Goodbye epoxied 3 car garage and upstairs laundry room. Goodbye maple cabinets, Corian countertops and kitchen island.







Goodbye automatic sprinklers and great big bathtub.



Goodbye spacious square footage conducive to epic nerf gun battles.









Goodbye formal living room and powder room with pedestal sink.



Goodbye themed bedrooms and custom paint colors.











Goodbye Jack and Jill bath.



For now I have this fabulous, 4 bedroom, 2 bath, cement bungalow complete with "one-butt kitchen" and complimentary gecko bug patrol service...surrounded by beautiful green hills and tropical flower gardens. I have a neighborhood culture to rival all others. I'm even getting my khaki colored walls back...just as fast as I can paint them (as long as I paint them back, government white, when it's time to go). But most importantly, in 2 weeks' time, I will have everything that matters in life back under one roof...a roof that keeps the love and warmth in and the typhoons out. I am a rich woman! Goodbye Oasis St. Thanks for the memories...and the lessons, too!

Goodbye Kretschmers

The day that I have been dreading finally came. The Kretschmers had to leave for North Carolina today, so we got together at their hotel to say our goodbyes last night.

I knew way before we got here, that we would only have six months together...but it came too soon, still. They had been here six years, and it was time for them to move on to something new.



Something you'll notice in these pics, is that for a bunch of sad people...we sure look pretty happy. This is so typical of Julia. You can't be down for long when you are around her. Her sunny disposition is contagious. I know she will be happy no matter where she goes, even if it is so hard for her to leave her beloved Okinawa.

But even though I have a smile on my face here, my heart was hurting SO much! When I see Julia on Facebook, I'll just pretend she's still here.




I can still close my eyes...and these two are toddlers again!






And of course, the boys are unfazed. (A new bed to jump on? Woohoo!)

Goodbyes are so hard. In order to make it bearable, I have to remind myself that if I hadn't moved to wherever I am, I never would have met all the wonderful people I have such a hard time leaving when it's time to go. The hope is, that you will mean enough to the ones you care about, that they will want to make the effort to keep you in their lives. In the military community, there's always the hope that a PCS* will bring you together again...even if it is half way across the world...and only for six months.

We love you, Kretschmers. God be with you till we meet again.

Fair Winds and Following Seas...

(And don't worry, as long as I'm here on this island, I'll send you all of your old favorites, anytime you want!)

*PCS: Permanent Change of Station orders...a big move.

We're here!!!

WOW, what a ride! There are really two ways we could look at the process of getting here...we could focus on the insanity and the fact that the best laid plans will always implode...or we could recognize how blessed we were that no matter how crazy things got, there were always people there willing to help.

From the starting block this experience was nuts. The kids and I stayed up all night long doing laundry and last minute packing. Part of that was purposeful (we wanted to get a jump on the time change...Cliff said it worked for him) but part of it was just the natural consequences of having too much to do, wanting to squeeze in too many goodbyes, and the harriedness of Christmas. We were still stuffing things in suitcases at 4:00 AM when the first of our caravan arrived. The Elliotts, the Mitchells and Deb all helped us get ourselves, the animals and 20+ suitcases to the airport.

She has no idea what's in store!


Yeah...those are all ours!

Because things seldom go smoothly AND our situation was full of complications, we had to RUN to all 4 gates (including the flight that was canceled!). I'm sure we were quite a spectacle...especially in the Japanese airports. Our first flight was canceled as we were taxiing away from the terminal, due to a malfunctioning instrument. They managed to get us on the next flight to San Fran, which gave us less than 20 minutes to catch a bus and get over to the international terminal...and we had to sprint from the bus to the gate. There were people with walkie talkies along the whole route asking "Stuart?" and relaying our ETA to the gate. I was so worried about the animals being transferred properly...but they were taken care of. We had been ticketed in seats totally separate from each other...but when we got to the gate, they had upgraded us to a nicer section with more leg room and ALL of us sitting together. (Trivia: Even as stressful as the whole ordeal was, this was the only time I cried!) What a blessing this was for the 12 hour flight...and I didn't even ask! Yeah, United!

Can you see the Golden Gate Bridge?


For each flight, we were handed these cards to let us know that the animals were safely aboard


Troy brought 3 books for the trip. That should get him started...


"Should I start with Karate, kick-boxing or Japanese sword fighting?"


They fed us...not once, but twice on this flight!

Once we got to Osaka, we had to get all of our bags AND take custody of the animals to go through quarantine and customs...and then go through the whole check in process again. This time it was the animal quarantine that held us up. We had done all the proper paperwork and then some, but they wanted a copy of Cliff's orders (even though it wasn't on the list). During all of this I'm of course looking at my watch, thinking we are never going to make our flight. He speaks VERY limited English, I speak NO Japanese. As if this wasn't enough, Brownie stood up in her cage, causing the entire thing to slide off of the cart and sending the cat cage (which was on top of her cage) flying through the air, catapult style. (hehe, I just got that...CATapult!)

While it is funny now (only because she was fine) at the time it was awful!

Their water dishes all spilled everywhere...and out of nowhere, a secret team of janitorial ninjas appeared to mop up the mess...and sprinted off into the shadows. It was mind-blowing!

Finally, the nice man gave up and let us go...again, with about 10 minutes to spare. Once again, a team with walkie-talkies was standing by to relay our movements. When we got the the check-in counter, a team of 12 airline ninjas was there, all over our luggage. We got through so quickly my head is STILL spinning, and we once again sprinted to the gate, the last ones to board.

Our first taste of Japan...riding the train between terminals in Osaka.

By this time the kids had pretty much had it, but we were SO close we could feel it. Coree said she wanted to go home. At first I thought she was kidding, but she started crying and saying how everything was so different and she couldn't understand anyone (How is that different from El Centro?). I felt for her.

It was SO great to see Cliff! He brought an entourage of his own (another chaplain, a Marine and 3 RPs) to get us and our stuff to our house. This was waiting for us:


I'm going to like these neighbors!


This was the scene the next morning. They didn't skip a beat. The animals are their usual, happy selves, the house is great, and the landscape is gorgeous. Today we went to the exchange to do some last minute shopping. I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas already! When we got home, there were more welcome baskets from more neighbors. As homesick as I am, I think Cliff was right...this is SO going to be worth it!