Promotion to Major

It's always an exciting time to be promoted. It means more pay and a little more respect as we climb the military ladder. Colonel Mears and Captain June from the Army Base at Zama traveled all the way to Yokosuka to promote him to Major. Colonel Mears had some great things to say about Mike and it was nice to finally meet him. Mike was excited about this promotion and invited many of his colleagues from the hospital to attend. I think about 15-20 of them showed up. That says something about Mike and what kind of person he is to have such a great support group from the other physicians at the hospital. Anyone who knows Mike will tell you that he is such a nice guy who is always willing to help out and work hard to make good changes. He frequently squeezes in walk in patients and will go out of his way to accomodate someone when they need help, including some of our friends from church. He really cares about his patients and he has dedicated himself to making his work environement a good place to be. When he arrived at the hospital last summer he was shocked to find that little effort and care had been taken to make sure that their supplies were up to date and well stocked. He made great efforts and worked with the Head of Surgery to get the supplies that he needed for his surgeries even though there had been some financial cutbacks. He never stopped working hard to make sure that his patients were well taken care of both in the clinic and in the OR. We are so proud of Mike for all that he has accomplished but most of all we are so proud of what a great physician he has turned out to be.

33 Things About Mom

Another year older, hopefully a bit wiser, not much taller but maybe a bit wider (something I am trying to remedy with all my crazy running), a teeny bit more patient than last year, and just happy to be in my 30's. I remember right before I turned 30 I was told that I was just going to hate turning 30. Well, that time came and went and I honestly didn't get that depressing feeling to turn 30. For me the 30's has been absolutely awesome. Yes, I do have to work harder to keep my body in shape and I have to really watch what I eat now because my metabolism has slowed down. I have more noticeable wrinkles and my face is starting to show signs of aging, but I am happy, healthy, young and vibrant. I have learned a lot over the past couple of years and I am better for it. So, on with 33 things about me.

1. My favorite colors are porcelain blue, lime green, and daffodil yellow. I have always liked different shades of blue.
2. When I was younger I always wanted to be a mom. After I got married at the age of 20 we decided to wait 3 years before trying to get pregnant and that was really hard for me. I initially wanted 6 kids but changed my mind after delivering Andrew, Peter, and Emma all natural.
3. I am a business girl by degree but my heart really belongs to photography and nature.
4. I have so many freckles and that never really bothered me as a kid. I actually tried to count them all one day. I didn't get very far. I have a big freckle on my left point finger and I call it my freckle ring.
5. It was always my dream to have 2 girls so that I could see what sisters were like since I never had any.
6. As a child I was very hyper and energetic and had curly strawberry blonde hair.
7. I am a very determined person. I had to study really hard to get good grades in school but it was very important to me that I did.
8. I love chocolate and cookies way too much. I have no off button when it comes to cookie eating so I have to be very careful.
9. When I was in elementary school my mom would always make me cinnamon toast as my after school snack.
10. My favorite teacher in elementary school was my second grade teacher. Her name was Mrs. Patterson.
11. I got my first pair of glasses in 2nd grade and contacts in 7th grade. I made my mom put in my contacts for the first month until I was forced to do it after one fell out at school. She was sweet to do that for me.
12. I was never much of a girly girl when I was younger. I loved legos and GI Joe, nintendo and sports.
13. I still consider myself a bit of a rough and tough girl but now I love to dress up and wear jewelry. I love clothes but my real loves are shoes, hats, necklaces and fun coats. I wish I could spend all my money on accessories.
14. Since I don't have any sisters I find comfort in finding good girlfriends. I think of my friends often and care for them dearly.
15. I have always loved pictures. I got my first big camera when I was a Junior in High School after taking a black and white photography class. It wasn't until after having kids that I really developed my true love of photography.
16. I love climbing mountains and being in nature. Sometimes I get impatient when I am climbing and just feel the urge to break into a run.
17. I have climbed and summitted two mountains over 12,000ft--Mt. Rainier (2007) and Mt. Adams (2009) and plan on hiking to the top of Mt. Fuji this summer with Mike and the boys and race up it next year.
18. Running has been part of my life since I was 12 years old. I have run 4 marathons (Nashville, TN; Richmond, VA; Boston, MA; and Pheonix, AZ) and a handful of half marathons. My slowest marathon was my first one at 3:38:01 and my fastest was my last one at 3:24:00.
19. I got braces as an adult while I was pregnant with Abby. I felt like a pregnant teenager but it was one of the best things I ever did.
20. I love to sleep in but I rarely get the chance to do it. When I do get to sleep in I can only sleep until 8am.
21. I love to play the piano but I hardly practice anymore because of the lack of time and commitment. I love playing songs written by Jon Schmidt and some of the classics like Clair de Lune and Moonlight Sonata.
22. It is my greatest joy to watch my children play. I love their creativity and the funny things they say. I can't get enough of their sweet faces and their love for life.
23. I love to be creative but I find myself using someone else's ideas and making them my own. Every once in a while I get a clever idea all on my own.
24. I always liked the look of old cameras and I feel lucky to have inherited a couple from both sides of our family. Photography is fascinating to me and I can't wait to be able to devote more time to learning.
25. I married the man of my dreams and every day I am reminded why I love him so much. I couldn't have asked for a better best friend and soul mate. Our marriage is like good cheese and wine...it gets better with age!
26. I love to be organized and have a clean house. Sometimes I am a bit OCD with certain things but when I can tame it I really think it is a blessing.
27. I was always self conscious as a kid because of my light features. I hated having blonde eyelashes and eyebrows. My dislike is not as bad as it was back then but it still bothers me every once in a while.
28. I love sleeping on a really good mattress and I am kind of a sucker for really nice sheets.
29. I hate folding laundry but I love the smell of freshly laundered clothes.
30. If I could take a vacation anywhere in the world with my family it would be on a secluded island with clear blue water, white sandy beaches, nice pools, waterfalls, comfortable lodging, and a great place to order virgin strawberry daiquiri's.
31. I love all kinds of flowers but my favorites are tulips and white calla lilys.
32. I love food but I am not really good at spending my extra time cooking. Someday I hope to be able to devote more time to trying new recipes.
33. My favorite movie of all time is Goonies.

Downhill Skateboarding

For most of the winter the skateboard just sat under the cabinets in our entry way/mud room.  The other day the boys were out at the zipline park and they watched as a very brave little Japanese boy rode his bike down the grass turf hill at the park.  The turf was put on the hill intending it to be used for the kids to go down on sleds or whatever else.  We have seen other people bringing their roller slide seats to go down it but this was the first time we saw someone riding down it on a bike.  Andrew and Peter got the idea to use their skateboard to ride down the hill.  At first they both just sat on the skateboard to go down and then Andrew got brave enough to go down on his feet.  They had a blast and came inside to get me so that I could watch them and their new tricks.  It was hilarous to watch them but also joyful to see them having so much fun together.  They are lucky to have each other and I am lucky that they get along so well.  

Mother's Day

We had a unique Mother's Day this year as we headed up to Yokota for District Conference instead of having the typical Mother's Day with our normal church meetings.  The drive was stress free with little traffic and we made it there early which guaranteed us a row in the main seating area.  The speakers were wonderful and I especially enjoyed listening to Elder Choi from the First Quorum of the Seventy and his wife.  The kids were extra reverent which was all the mother's day gift I needed.  Afterwards we headed into Tokyo to spend the afternoon and stay the night in Tokyo at the New Sanno Hotel.  We spent a good deal of the afternoon at Arisugawa Park across the street from the Temple.  We walked around the park enjoying its beautiful paths and ponds and played in the waterfall area.  The kids had fun finding and playing with the small turtles.  They were so cute.  We eventually made it up to the playground area and played for hours.  The park had a good mix of people from many different nationalities.  It was a great place to people watch.  The kids made friends quickly with some of the other kids and it helped that most everyone there spoke English.  What topped it all off was the perfect weather.  It was not too hot or too cold.  It was so mild you didn't even realize that you were outside at all. 

My Favorite Moments:

-soaking our feet in the waterfall area and finding turtles to hold

-watching the kids faces radiate with pure joy on the swings.  Peter was on the swing constantly. 

-timing Andrew and Peter as they ran their made up obstacle course around the play area

-watching Emma discover that she could in fact climb up the big jungle gym and hang upside down

-watching Abby run up the stairs and down the slide a dozen times in a row

-watching the girls make friends with some of the other kids

-sitting next to Mike enjoying watching our kids play on a beautiful spring day and feeling lucky to have the best family in the world. 

Future Missionary

Our future missionary photo tradition started with Andrew after he was baptized. I got the idea from a friend in Washington and I will be forever grateful to this friend. I love the idea of having something that the boys can see in their rooms that will remind them to stay clean and worthy to serve their missions when they turn 19 years old. I love the ones where Mike is putting his arm around them because to me it is a reminder to them that we are here to help them along the way as they prepare to receive the priesthood and prepare for the future. I am grateful for a husband who faithfully served a mission in Sao Paulo, Brazil almost 14 years ago and for the missionaries who were faitful and patient in finding Mike's Dad and who converted him while he was living in Taiwain many years ago. I know that missionary service will bless the lives of my boys and the lives of many others. These pictures stand as a reminder to me to be a better missionary to others. When you love something so much you want to share it with others. This is the message we try and teach our kids, especially our boys. They will make great missionaries someday.