It's Official!

Well, we finally got my diploma in the mail this week! I have officially graduated from the University of Maryland with a Masters in Nonprofit and Association Management...and I have the paper to prove it! Actually, Chris has it in Japan, but same difference. :)

So what am I going to do with this degree, you ask??? How about stuff it in a drawer for two years? I think I'm going to take a friend's excellent advice and get another Masters...

In Beach Bum. ;)

Cheers!

~Amanda

Cheerleading Dad...

Here's a commercial that played on AFN (American Forces Network) while I was living in Japan. As far as commercials go, it's my absolute favorite! Funny, endearing, a little humiliating...an example of fatherhood at its best. ;) It makes me smile to think Chris could one day have a daughter to do this with...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb2iWSae5HE

So, I was tickled to see it here again in the States. It's funnier to me still that I'd actually look forward to seeing anything I once watched on AFN. I must REALLY like this commercial!!

Cheers,

Amanda

Arrrghhhh! I thought I had escaped these when I left the South!

http://www.kitv.com/news/18694092/detail.html

TORNADOES! $%@#!!!!!

Anyone who knows me well also knows that I am DEATHLY afraid of tornadoes. Thankfully, I didn't cross paths with this one today.

I Made a New Friend!!!

...and she's Japanese! :) Go figure! My English teaching partners-in-crime (hello Jamie, Gwen, and Keli!) will get a kick out of her name. It's Akiko! What a coincidence, eh? :)

When I met her in the parking garage this evening, I was pretty tickled. First, I heard her speak to her husband (who is an AF Captain, BTW--it was getting better by the minute, especially since we were stationed on an AF base in Japan) from a distance and I immediately recognized the language as being Japanese. I thought, "AH-HAH!" So I immediately walked over to introduce myself and that's when she told me her name was Akiko. I thought, "Wow...could the signs be any more obvious???" For those of you who don't know, Akiko was the name of the Japanese lady that Jamie, Gwen, Keli and I taught for in Hachinohe.

So back to Akiko # 2 - She's originally from Tokyo and she and her husband, Brian, live in the townhouses just behind us. They are very nice people and I think they're expecting, although it was hard to tell and I didn't want to ask. Japanese women are so small (and carry so well) that it's hard to be absolutely sure in the early months. She and I chatted it up for a few minutes about the area, the community, etc. and told each other where the other one lives. Just friendly conversation that flowed easily and smoothly--you'd think it was meant to be or something. ;)

Anyway, as soon as we're all settled and actually have furniture, I plan to invite them over for dinner. Heck, I may ask her out to lunch/coffee sooner than that! I'm soooooo excited! A new friend and she's not even attached to the command - Yaaaaaay for me! :)

~Amanda

Jon and Kate Plus 8!!

I love this show! Anytime I think I've got reason to complain about the difficulties involved in raising a toddler, I tune into Jon and Kate. Watching them, our family's "issues" seem so miniscule...either that or I suddenly feel very silly gnashing my teeth over the antics of one little boy, when someone else can juggle eight! I also love that their faith is such a predominant part of their lives...I guess having six miracle babies would strengthen (or often test--ha, ha!) a couple's relationship with God. :)

You can also check out the Gosselins at: http://www.sixgosselins.com/

Tonight on TLC: Potty Training! What fun! ;)

~ Amanda

I've Come to the Realization...

...that it is pretty sad to be 30 years old, currently living in a beautiful location, but my best friend here stands less than three feet tall, dribbles milk when he drinks, and thinks it is scientifically essential (and great fun) to attempt to measure the distance from the upstairs bathroom to the downstairs livingroom using an entire roll of toilet paper. He also gets me in a lot of trouble in the supermarket when he screams "YES! YES! YES!" in rapid fire succession, doesn't pronounce the "y," and earns me a lot of dirty looks from other parents. Yes, my kid inadvertently curses, but at least it's not "NO! NO! NO!" right?

I would like to say that I've had the opportunity to really enjoy my first three weeks in Hawaii, but I honestly have not had much time to do so. Things have been so busy here, as alluded to in my previous posts, that I seriously have not spent more than fifteen minutes on the beach...SERIOUSLY. (Actually, I did it today to see some humpback whales--that was pretty cool.) I told Chris this morning that between car buying, registering two cars in three different locations, registering myself and Noah on base for medical and housing, and doing MAJOR move-in repairs (we won't get into that here--that deserves its own special post), that the "cafeteria lady," "janitor," and "errand runner" are feeling a bit worn out. I'm SO exhausted and this is suppose to be Hawaii...land of fun and relaxation. I guess not if you actually trying to live here. ;)

So back to my "best friend" comment. I'm really thankful I have Noah with me--he truly works overtime to keep me on my toes these days--but I think if it weren't for the fact that I've been so busy these last three weeks, I'd be a lot more bummed about the fact that loneliness is a very real factor for me here, masked by a busy schedule and beautiful surroundings. I think if I weren't in Hawaii right now and couldn't walk outside on my lanai every evening to do the "what do you have to complain about?" reality check, I'd be depressed. Maybe next week I'll get out with Noah and dig my toes in the sand...a day at the beach sounds grand!

~ Amanda

Happy Groundhog Day!!

February 2nd...what a great day to celebrate this year...if you're a snow baby. Punxsutawny Phil, the country's leading "authority" on the timing of the winter-to-spring seasonal change, predicted that the U.S. will have six more weeks of winter. Bummer.

Having been here in Hawaii three weeks now, I've actually discovered that Oahu DOES experience a winter season...with more rain. Instead of the 15-minute afternoon showers that are commonplace to this area, you receive a gullywasher of a rain shower--cars and buildings flood, the beaches are empty, and some roadways can become vast rivers too dangerous to navigate. But...only in Hawaii would such heavy rain showers bring a enjoyable visual bonus for being placed on indoor restriction. Here it is:

WATERFALLS!!!!

Here's to being stuck inside on this very rainy Groundhog Day! :)

~ Amanda

Home Sweet Home...

Breathtaking, isn't it? :)

Well, we made it!!! That is...Noah and I made it to safe and sound to beatiful Kailua, HI. Chris is still stuck back in snowy Misawa, counting the days until he can plunge his feet into warm Hawaiian sand and slowly sip on a Mai Thai with the glorious sun on his face while all memories of cold, unforgiving winters in Northern Japan become a distant memory. We had a great time in Misawa and think fondly on all the wonderful (and hopefully lifelong) friendships we made while stationed there, but we are NOT snow lovers. Period. For that reason, Chris and I are grateful we'll experience only one season for the next two-three years--SUMMER! Shorts and tanks, flip-flops and shades...Life is good. :) The photo above is Kailua Beach, located approximately two blocks from where we live. Nice, huh? We like it! :) Since our household goods have not yet arrived, Noah and I are pretending that we're roughin' it in the great outdoors (what a hardship!) and living on bare essentials right now--air mattress, pots and pans, Pack-N-Play, small TV, and a lone camping chair. My sister, Johnna, came out to help us get set up the first week and let me just say she she couldn't have been of any greater help. While traveling with a one-year old can be stressful, moving with one can drive the most patient, easy-going parent to the brink of insanity. When I'd almost find myself there, teetering on the edge, I have my sister to thank for pulling me back. Thanks Johnna!

For now, I'm hanging out and staying pretty busy--working on nonprofit stuff, buying outdoor furniture, raiding the local library, buying/picking up/registering vehicles, setting up accounts, visiting the DMV, meeting those already a part of the command, etc. Funny how I thought returning to the U.S. would be easier than leaving...it's not. A three-year absence requires that you almost reinvent yourself upon your return. Crazy!

Well, I'm off to bed. Another busy day tomorrow of cleaning, making phone calls, and wrangling a toddler. That part hasn't change... :)

Love to all,

Amanda