Gratuitous Garden Shots

Bugs, rain and all...you really can't beat living here in paradise. I have enjoyed my little yard SO much. You really can't put a price on loving your surroundings, and I love it here every day! All of these pics are from our yard:


The flowers are all maturing nicely. Did I mention that this lily plant was a surprise gift? It just magically appeared from the earth one day. I didn't know what it was at first...just knew it looked purposeful. Soon it seemed to double in size each day. At one time it had over 2 dozen blooms, but I forgot to get a photo at its peak. (Trivia: The lilies smell AWESOME! These little flying beetles thought so, too...they used to gather to mate inside the cones every night. I could faintly hear some Marvin Gaye playing, even...I swear!)


I never get tired of walking past this scene.


I'm so glad I hired a professional who knows what he's doing! I could have never pulled this off on my own.


The LAST lily standing...boohoo! Andrew tells me I won't get any more until Spring. I cut them back, hoping that if I have enough faith and pixie dust, it will surprise me sooner with another round of blooms.


Doesn't Charlotte go nicely? She's such a Southern Belle!



Andrew had to replace the flowers with pretty foilage here (see picture above, behind Charlotte). Apparently, I overwatered and the flowers molded BAD. This area is covered from the rain, so I thought I needed to water it. I just thought of watering it too often, I guess. The water is retained for a long time with the humidity.


We are so proud and honored to display this flag.


The herb garden just took off! Had to replace the sunflowers with lemon grass, though. They just didn't take. Everything else has done pretty well. The parsley is still small, and I keep using it, so that doesn't help. Everything else I seem to have in abundance. Anyone know what I can do with 3 varieties of mint? (Besides mint mojitos?)

There's my favorite, wise-old rubber tree in the background. In the foreground is a lovely plant which is favored by the habu. (A fact I learned from my culture group sisters.) Fortunately, it's also favored by birds and butterflies...so I forget about the snakes.

gorgeous!


just smashing!



This one's for you, sweet Cliffie! (Actually, they're all for you...but I know this is your fave!)



From the back planter bed, which I need to weed, or there'd be more pics of it here!




This new patio awning is a life saver! I'm so excited to finally have it installed. This is my new living room.

(Cliffie...imagine yourself spread out on the love seat, your feet over the chair next to it, getting the best foot massage, ever...for as long as you want, while the birds are singing in the background. A gentle breeze cools you while you sip on an icy root beer. Hurry home!)



Andrew also did these hanging baskets...five of them! What do you think? I think they're exquisite!



He made them red, white and blue (and green, of course!).



Just kidding! We saw this one in Tokyo...I only WISH it was in my back yard...



And for good measure, a naughty doggie. She was being banished for ripping out the contents of my purse in search of a pack of gum (which she ate, wrappers and all). She doesn't seem to be suffering any, though...rough life!

So...when are you booking your ticket?

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.

More boring Stuart accomplishments

In an effort not to BORE you too much with all that the Stuarts are doing (DAD!) I decided to finish up the school year in one condensed post.

So here you have it:

Jake finished another year in Cub Scouts with a District turtle race. What the heck is a turtle race, you ask? So did I! Read on...


Here's Jake hard at work sanding his turtle masterpiece.



It's all in the wrist. Jake practicing to get the movement just right, as to own all the rest of the Scouts.



Jake named him "genetically mutated camo turtle".


Here's a visual example so you can better understand what they are trying to accomplish.



Next up is Coree:


Here she is walking the stage to receive her high honor roll certificate...



Coree keeps VERY good company. Her best friend, Belle, not only received Principal's highest honors (4.0) but was named 6th grade student of the year for their team! Awesome job, Belle!



Way to go Coree!



Patrick made high honor roll...but since I didn't get the notice for the assembly...I have no photographic evidence. So instead of honor roll, you get Patrick on the roof, contemplating his next parkour roll (look it up).



And Troy...what else is new with Troy? He received his Scripture Mastery award in Seminary for the third year running. Three down, one to go. Sweet!



And finally, the annual piano recital. We are so thrilled to have found such a fantastic piano teacher here. We were so sad to say goodbye to Sonia, but Melene has just picked right up with the kids and they are doing great! Here's a shot of each kid introducing him/herself. Some were hammier than others. I'll let you guys guess who...


Jake Bond



Coreena Jellybeana



The ladies man...



Troy Aikman

You'll be relieved to know that the end-of-the-school-year extravaganza is winding down...meaning our blogging should now center around more exciting things.

You know...like what we're eating...and toilet paper!

This is paradise...no creeps allowed!

Do you see anything wrong with this picture?


How about now?


I tried to make a deal with these blokes after my initial run in with one of them on my first morning here. I thought we had come to an understanding. I appreciate them hoovering the bugs and all...but I don't want to see OR hear them! There is nothing cute about their clucky little chirp.

There is a large, extended family of them squatting on my homestead. There are definitely house geckos and yard geckos...and every so often, one of the yard geckos (in the pursuit of a better life) will hover around the door, waiting for his lucky break to dart in. Sometimes things don't quite work out, and they land on people instead.


This guy lives behind the computer desk. I forget that he does (the way I like it) until he either starts chirping, or darts up the wall while I'm quietly surfing the net. Usually he sees me right off and darts back to his lair. Today was a rare photo-op, so I chose to put my feelings aside, and seize the moment.



You'd better run...



because tonight...when the cougar awakes...



let's just say this is how we might find you tomorrow. I'm just sayin'.




Here's another guy with a previous guest appearance on this blog. Thought you'd like to see the little creep in action.



What's that you say? Lilies aren't creepy? I agree, but look a little closer...


I nearly smooshed this guy while pruning. Jake was so excited by this rare find. The crab spider likes to adapt to its environment...which is why I almost squashed the bugger whilst it was against the white of my lilies. Jake wanted to add it to his menagerie...but the thought of him adapting to my beige carpet caused me to deny.




Then there was this guy...


and he's actually tiny compared to one we found on our back porch one evening...but we just couldn't subdue him. I've been urinated upon by a giant toad in the past, and wasn't eager for a repeat performance.




I don't always think (or get a chance) to grab the camera. Jake has brought home all sorts of treasures. A rare fat-tailed gecko, a rhinoceros beetle, several tadpoles, and a crab. Not a sand crab, not a hermit crab...an actual crab...about 4 inches in diameter. He found it in a drainage canal here in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, he left it in a shoe box out on the back patio and it escaped before morning. Darn. Good luck, Mr. Crab...it's tough out there.

Flashback Friday...How did this happen?

Isn't it funny how, when you don't see other people's kids for awhile...like years...you just picture them the way you remember them most? Maybe it's just me. I know that my kids are growing and getting older (and that's hard enough to accept), but I'm always so dumb-struck when I see how much other people's kids have grown. Like I expected they were living in some sort of time warp.



That's the way I was feeling as I looked at these Wild Animal Park pics from 10 years ago. A lot changes in ten years!



My friend Deana and I had 8 kids with us that day. Jake isn't pictured because he was probably asleep in the stroller, but of the rest of these kids...3 have now graduated high school (and one is an Army Ranger) and 3 are in high school. Little tiny Coree is a middle schooler!



Sweet little Buff has always been baby crazy. She LOVED Coree and Jake. I saw her on Facebook the other day lamenting about how she was ready for high school to be over so she could get on with her life, get married and have a family. The perspective that experience brings makes all the difference, but just the same, even if she wouldn't understand, I tried to encourage her to enjoy every day of every stage of her life...she'll blink and have a family of her own...and wish they weren't growing so fast.



I'm amazed at the people these kiddos are becoming...and proud, too.
Yep...I think our future is in pretty good hands!

Handcuffs....decoupage...all in a day's work

Can I just say that we have the most amazing Relief Society here on this island? We are such a diverse group. I LOVE these ladies!

Tonight at Enrichment Meeting, we started out with an inspiring lesson, focusing on our Relief Society Declaration, which highlighted pioneer women as examples to make us all feel like we have nothing to complain about, ever!

Then...in the crafty department, we busted out the Modge Podge and made our own wooden copies of the declaration to hang on our walls to remind us of the awesomeness we should be striving for each day. I have to say, I wasn't feeling the most enthusiastic, because I'm a little remedial in the decoupage department, but it kind of grew on me. Once I got all the paste rubbed in (with a minimal amount of smearing of the text), I realized the holes where the ribbon are supposed to go, were full of the goo. I was attempting to clean it out (to no avail), when my brilliant friend (let's just call her B...for Brilliant) asks if I needed something to clean it out. I replied in the affirmative, since otherwise, my organza ribbon is going to get slimed (and that just wouldn't do).

B reaches for her purse, and pulls out her keys, with this thing attached:


Knowing what she does for a living, I ask (being totally facetious) "Is this some sort of 'forensic' tool?" B looked at me, and without blinking replied, "Handcuff key" ...which sends me into spasms of laughter...foot stomping included. (I love B!)


How cool is that? Solving crimes...and crafty conundrums. Now THAT'S well-rounded!



B even used it skillfully to pull off this double-ribbon technique. Show-off!

Mr. Conspicuous...

So, I got an invitation from the high school, stating that Troy was going to receive an award and I was invited to the ceremony. It also said, that this was an occasion for dressing nicely. So, I had Troy wear his sport coat and khakis. Sounds reasonable to me...how about you?


Troy seemed fine with it, too.



Well, apparently, "dressing nicely" has a different definition in high school these days. Troy was the only one in a sport coat...there was one other boy (someone we go to church with) wearing a tie...and jeans and 2 girls out of all the 11th and 12th grade wearing skirts. From looking around I gathered that "dressing nicely" means your jeans with a maximum of 2 holes, or your non-cut-off shorts. For girls, it also meant wearing whichever t-shirt fit you most like a second skin.



When it was all over, I apologized to Troy for making him overdress. He said, "Uh-huh, ya...I wasn't conspicuous at all!" But I took the opportunity to point out that this day most likely would parallel his life. He was already dressing the part.



Oh, and his award...(besides getting a 4.0) was highest academic achievement in English.

Way to go Troy!