Life around the world

I know I’ve been neglectful of the blog lately, but honestly, it’s really hard to come up with anything interesting and relevant when we’re all three in different areas.  So, I thought I would just give a little update on how we’re all handling things and show a few pictures from Jake’s time on the farm.

 I get a lot of comments from other mothers along the lines of “I could never leave my kids that long,” “I don’t know how you’re doing this” or “I can’t even imagine being away from my little ones.”  While I certainly miss Jake with all of my being, I had a conversation with my mother-in-law yesterday that confirmed my suspicions…Jake is thriving being away from us for a little while.  He’s becoming comfortable with his surroundings and all parts of the family – aunts, uncles, cousins, great aunts, 2^nd-3^rd cousins, papas, grandmas, great grand-dads…you name it.  He’s becoming more independent, learning conflict resolution skills, learning how to communicate to people that don’t read his mind (mommy had gotten pretty good at that)…I couldn’t be more proud.  So, while I may be a bit uncomfortable with the distance, I truly believe this is turning out to be a wonderful experience for him while developing a bond with the family he wouldn’t get otherwise.

I think his goal is to get to the top of this huge stump. 

Luke and Jake

Ice Cream!

Keeping cool and helping water something??

The reason I ran 9:31 min/mile...running with
my good friend Ray (he slacked off for me).
Thanks to my other good friend, Glenda for sending
me the pic.

As for mommy, I finally started my job.  I wasn’t sure that was ever going to happen…  I’m enjoying going into the office every day, getting a little socialization of my own, dressing up (except for the heels), and using my brain in a way that hasn’t happened in quite some time (I forgot how large my co-worker’s vocabulary actually was!).  On the after hours side, well, I’m going to start being a grown up next week.  I think without Jake and Andy and any real responsibilities, I forgot I was pushing 40 and not 25.  Aside from my extensive time with friends, I’ve really gotten into my running (I completed a 5K this weekend and actually ran a 9:31 min mile….I’m a slow poke and normally can’t break 10 min.) and I joined a Crossfit Gym.  I’m hoping to dazzle Andy when I get back with my transformation J.

How is Andy handling his newfound freedom?  He’s been to the Rock Islands a couple of times, hanging out with the other bachelor in the anchorage.  He’s done some diving/picture taking, of course.  But I think mostly he’s been working on the boat.  He’s repainted our deck, refinished our countertops, and fixed numerous mechanical issues that have popped up recently.  Oh yea, the list wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t tell you he flooded the water tanks again and has spent a fair amount of time cleaning up (not sure when he’ll learn that lesson!).  Overall, I think he’s doing fine.  He’s kind of the loner in the group so all in all, he might be getting some peace he didn’t know he was craving (or maybe he did?).  He’ll head out in another 3 weeks or so and pick Jake up from OK and bring him back to Palau.

So there you have it, the latest update.  Apologies for the lack of pictures…if I ever get paid, I plan on buying another camera complete with ability to upload pictures.  In the meantime, thanks to my mother-in-law for keeping us posted with pictures of Jake!

It's a different world out here! Or is it?

I know I’m long over due for a post, but we’ve been busy flying!   Jake and I finally made it to the States.  We had a wonderful week in sunny California with my parents (we even got to spend an afternoon with our friends Sue and Ginger that we met in Palau) and we’re now enjoying the solitude of rural Oklahoma with Andy’s family.   

Being here is kind of surreal because in reality, it isn’t that much different from being on the boat and in some ways, its even more isolated.  The nearest grocery store is a 20-minute drive away…if I had to walk like we do in Palau, I don’t believe I would worried about these extra pounds I’ve packed on!  The new cell phone I bought doesn’t get service out here…in Palau we even get service in the Rock Islands!  There isn’t a ton of outside stimulation so for entertainment, you have to either turn inward, or get back to nature.  Jake now knows the difference between a steer, bull, heifer and a plain old cow.  There seems to be a hostile takeover going on by the grasshoppers, so we spent one afternoon counting them in the driveway (well over 60 by the way) and trying to identify all the different kinds and putting a name to them.  We even saw a pair mating.  It’s a very peaceful place and while on the surface it seems to be a lifestyle in direct opposition of our own, it actually didn’t take that much getting used to.  Instead of dinghies there are four wheelers and tractors!

Unfortunately, my time here is coming to an end.  I finally received a start date for my job in Virginia and I’ll be flying out sometime next week, leaving Jake to enjoy the rest of his summer with his cousins, aunt and uncle and grandparents.  I would love to show you some pictures of all of the little people together but I left two key items back on the boat…1) my camera charger and 2) the card reader I use to upload to my computer.  So…those will have to wait. 

This will be the first time I’ve left Jake for more than two weeks.  I’ve no doubt he’ll benefit from the experience (I’ve already seen that happen in some of the ways the he’s resolving his conflicts), but I have to say, this mommy is going to need a few extra prayers.  I’m lucky that I’ll be distracted by a job as well as some old friends.  Now I guess I’ll get a taste of what Andy went through all those years on deployment (and vice versa…I’m sure he’ll be hearing a lot more “daddy, daddy, daddy” than usual ;) ).

Peaks and Valleys

We've had some highs and lows this past week or so...

The lowest part of the week was when I received an email from Andy telling me that three of his coworkers were shot and killed by an Afghan security guard.  He was a bit shaken up as they were great guys and they worked fairly close together.  I can't imagine what their families must be going through. So I ask anyone reading this, that you keep the families of these guys and all of the guys and girls over there in your thoughts and prayers.  This one hit a little too close to home for me.

More time with Jett....making brownies.

The highs of the past two weeks were numerous.  Jake went to Vacation Bible School with his friend Arlie.  They learned about a mechanism called LifeStraw that purifies drinking water.  The church was trying to raise money to buy these devices for the people in Africa.  Well, the kids didn't think they raised enough through the offerings so they decided to have a lemonade stand to help.  They ended up selling enough lemonade to buy three LifeStraws (about $60)!

These movers gave the kids the jump start they needed.

I took Jake to his first minor league baseball game!  He had his first cotton candy (thankfully and surprisingly, he didn't like it) and he came home with a foul ball (notice I didn't say he caught a foul ball).

Fun at the Tides game.

Balloon man made Jake a snake.

Early this week, Jake and I went to Washington DC to visit a few of the Smithsonian Museums.  We saw the Natural History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and then we went to the new add on to the Air and Space (I have no idea what it's called) out by Dulles airport where we saw the Spaceshuttle "Discovery," the Concord, numerous WWII planes, The Spirit of St. Lous, and too many others to count.  Remember the Pegasus rocket we found on the beach in the Marshalls?  We're pretty sure we saw that there too.

While in DC, we also spent some time with one of Andy's old high school friends and her two kids.  Jake had a blast and it was nice for us to catch up as well.  I'll tell you what, though....I am exhausted.  I need to go back to the boat to get a break from my vacation.

Remember Chili Dog?

We go back to California tomorrow morning and will stay there a bit longer before heading back to Pohnpei.  I've been trying to think of something to write to keep all you boaters interested (if yore still reading) but we've just been so busy, I haven't had a chance to put all of my thoughts down.  I can say it has been an eye opener for me to spend so much time back in the states.  It really puts things in perspective (in more ways than one) and makes me appreciate all that we have and what we've created in our little bubble out there on our 40 ft island.  The time with family and friends has been so nice, there aren't even words to describe it.  I've never felt so welcome and loved.  But I miss Andy terribly and am looking forward to things winding down.

BUT...not just yet....more to come from Sunny California!

Happy 4th of July!

Cousins...

It's really great being in the United States on the 4th of July.  We've spent the past two years in other countries and tried really hard to have a nice celebration, but there's nothing like actually being here.  We didn't do anything super special, but that's what made it nice.  We spent the day at my brother's in-laws house swimming in their gorgeous pool, eating bar-b-que, and ended the day with fireworks at the local college.

I took the opportunity to try out the underwater feature on my new camera.  I bought a Pentax WG-1 and it's supposed to be able to go to 33 feet.  So far, so good.  With Andy gone, I thought ya'll might be missing the exciting underwater wildlife.  First up....the mysterious mermaid....

I never knew mermaids had to hold their noses???

Isn't she cute?  Evidently, the new thing here is mermaid tails.  I thought it was a joke, but no, one of Caitie's friends actually paid big bucks for a tail.  Caitie's grandmother is pretty handy with the sewing machine so she made one for her.  I wasn't able to get the whole thing in the picture.  I suck at taking underwater photos...but you get the idea.

When the professional is away the amateur will play...with her camera.
As if...

Not the most flattering picture ever but I was impressed that Jake took it.
I've never been known as photogenic anyway...thought you might enjoy.

On another note....I've been able to hear from Andy more days than not and I guess he's doing pretty well.  He's struggling a little with the lack of efficiency (which is a little surprising considering where we came from), but he's getting paid and staying safe so all is good.  He sent a few pictures as well, more of the quality you're used to ;).

Kabul

Shooting the shooter.

I have to say, the beard is quite becoming.  

My very handsome husband :)

Girlfriends

Jake, pretending to be a Knight.

We’ve been here in Atlanta a few days and I’m sorry to say I don’t have many pictures to show for it.  Jake has been on a whirlwind with his cousins.  I think he might be driving Carter a little crazy, but true to form, Carter just takes it in stride and does whatever Jake wants.  Caitie has played hostess and made Jake dinner and she’s made him muffins twice for breakfast.  They are great kids and it’s been really fun to get to know them a little better.

Carter had a baseball tournament this weekend (and won!) so we spent a little time at the ball park but we also took some of that time to visit a really close friend of mine and her family.  Jake took to her oldest son the minute we got there and they had a blast.

Seeing Cayce reminded me of one of the things I miss most being out cruising…girlfriends.  Don’t get me wrong or read too much into this, I love my family.  Every time we come home, that’s who I want to see.  But if you think about it, we haven’t lived near our family in 15 years (for Andy, longer).  I guess you could say that we’re kind of used to missing them and having to make time to visit and go see family.  But friends, well, you always have friends wherever you move…you have neighbors, work friends, other parents, etc. that you talk to day in and day out.  THAT is what I miss on the boat.  Not just people in general, but people you really like and chose to be with.

After going to a potluck with a ton of cruisers one day, we got back to the boat and I started to “debrief” Andy J.  He said to me, “wow, you’ve gotten caddy!”

“No, I haven’t ‘gotten’ caddy….I’ve always been caddy.  I just had girlfriends to be caddy with.  You didn’t have to hear about it.  Congratulations!  Now you have to be my girlfriend too. “

While this was all done in good fun, it was true.  We each have to play new roles with each other that we may or may not have thought through before hand.  With all that said, Andy and I are closer than ever and I wouldn’t trade it for the world….just something to think about if you’re considering embarking on a similar journey.

Here's what Andy misses the most...
our Big Green Egg (lovingly being taken care
of by Cayce and Mike)

Here are some pictures of Jake and his new friends getting to know each other.  I'm not sure they could have packed any more fun into one day.  Enjoy!

Busy Busy Busy

We’ve been keeping busy here in California while visiting Papa and Gigi.  We’ve gone to the Heritage Gardens, visited some boating friends in Thousand Oaks and yesterday we went to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.  Now you might think that we get enough of the water animals but the fact is, Jake and I (and Andy) love aquariums.  This one was pretty cool as aquariums go.  We were able to pet sharks, stingrays and bat rays…see some penguins and show Papa and Gigi all the fish we get to see on a regular basis on our snorkeling adventures.  We also got to see a lot of the sea life from Australia…something we’re really looking forward to seeing in person.  It's nice to keep busy but when you're used to the slow pace of life that we are, it can be exhausting too!

The Cactus Garden was Jake's favorite

Jake, Papa and Gigi stopping to cool off...it was a hot day.

We make our much anticipated journey to Georgia later this week - our third flight since leaving Pohnpei.  It’s been two years since we’ve seen my brother and his family so I think we’re all pretty excited!  Georgia is also where I grew up and went to college so I have a list of friends I hope to catch up with.  I'm not telling Jake because I don't want him to be disappointed if it doesn't work out, but I think his boat friends from Mexico, Christian and Abby are there as well...  It should be a fun filled trip with lots of kids for Jake to play with.

On to Sunny California!

Luke, Jake, Jamie making "crystals"

Well, the tour bus has moved on…  we’ve left Oklahoma and made it to California.  In the meantime, we dropped off Andy for his weeklong training in Indiana and then ultimately, on to Afghanistan.  That was a bit emotional and harder than I expected, although I did have quite the déjà vu.  I assumed since I had sent him off many times before (pre retirement), this would be ok, but in hindsight, I guess it was never easy…  To be fair, Jake wasn’t six years old at the time either.  He understands what’s going on this time.  We took a trip to Target afterwards and he got the “mommy feels guilty and wants to cry too but please don’t be sad” present and all was better.

So here we are now, in sunny California, working on our tan!  My dad is a member of the YMCA here, so Jake and I were able to get a free week’s pass and we’ve been going to the pool every day.  It’s perfect for kids and lazy moms…it’s brand new and the deepest part is 4 feet (and it’s not crowded!).

While enjoying our next two weeks here I’m also trying to plan out the rest of the summer.  My plan was to rent a car in Atlanta and drive to Virginia, but when checking one way rental cars I’ve discovered that the rental car agencies have insane drop off fees ranging anywhere from $300 - $500!  I can get a car for $650/month but I will pay $700 in fees and taxes!  I will have to rent a car in both cities regardless so even if we fly, it only ends up being about $200 less, but the idea of paying a useless fee like that makes me crazy.  I’ve gotten used to walking up to a window at someone’s little house, renting a car for $35/day, MAYBE showing our drivers license, signing our name on a one page form and driving off (albeit with a car with an empty tank of gas).   Well Dorothy [Monica], you’re not in Kansas [the islands] anymore!

Regardless of what we decide, we are thoroughly excited to be here and are still having a great time.  I bought a new camera today (mine has been randomly deleting photos and running through batteries like crazy) so maybe I’ll get a little more inspired and take more pictures… stay tuned.

Where's your tan?

This is not the most inspired blog in the wolrld, but I’m trying to keep it somewhat relative….hang in there with me.

One of the most popular comments I’ve gotten since arriving in the states is, “I thought you would be darker.”  And they’re right…We’re extremely white for people who live on a boat.  Since it is such a popular subject, I thought I would explain.

Reason #1:  It’s dangerous to have a tan….but you know that.  I come from a long line of white folks and unfortunately, Jake got my skin as well so we lather up every chance we get.  But that’s not the real reason we have no tan, I just felt obligated to put that in here.

Reason #2:  If you’ve been reading the blog for any length of time, you’ll know it rains where we are now.  And rains.  And rains. And rains.  Not real conducive for lying around in a bikini.

Reason #3:  This one will surprise you… the places we have been traveling for the last 7 months are extremely conservative.  Women are to wear skirts below their knees (or at least to the knees) and cover their shoulders.  They even swim in this uniform.  To hang out in my bathing suit and prance around in my short shorts would just be insulting to the locals.  We try to fit in as much as possible and respecting their conservatism is key.  This doesn’t affect Andy too much (although he can’t run around with his shirt off as much as he used to), you’ll find he’s always darker than me…it’s in his genes.

So there you have it…why we don’t have a tan.  It’s not all palm trees, bikinis and margaritas.  Sometimes it’s rainy while wearing too many clothes and drinking hot beer.

More pictures of our travels for the family...

Jake, learning how to shoot an air pistol with his daddy and papa.

Andy, his father and Grand dad

The three stooges

Getting acclimated...

Jamie and Jake acting silly

Coming to Oklahoma first was a good way to transition from a tiny island in Micronesia to the big ole USA.  We’re staying in a small town in southwestern Oklahoma and in some aspects, it’s not all that different than what we’re used to.  The electricity has gone out, the phone lines have gone down and we wake up to pig squeals in the morning (not because we’re on a farm but because Aunt Shannon has a pet pig)…and I’ve learned by the way that all that squealing we hear in the islands are not necessarily because they’re being slaughtered, they’re just moody animals.  We had to drive down to Texas to get my drivers license replaced (the one thing I forgot to bring with me) and found out the DMV wasn’t in that particular city any more.  So we had to drive another 45 miles to find a place to get it done.  That’s a very typical experience in the islands and I’m happy to say we went through the whole thing with a lot of patience.

The things that are very different in that we have to get used to is the astronomical leaps in technology that have occurred since we left and the overuse of this technology by everyone under 50.  There is more texting and facebooking and communicating going on in one day than we have done in 6 months.  Conversations are intermittent between texts.  The TV is hooked up to the internet so you can buy movies from your lounge chair.  There is an app for EVERYTHING.  There is even an app for keeping track of your menstrual cycle….are they serious?  My kid, who I thought was already addicted to the iPad, cannot get away from the games.  Every kid we’ve hung out with is proficient on the iPad, iTouch, and iPhone.  I’ve already downloaded 3 new games (I know, that’s my own fault).  I’ve learned all of this by being out here in the middle of nowhere.  I cannot imagine what I will learn when I get to Georgia and Virginia and hang out with all of my technical friends.  It’s all really quite overwhelming.

In between all of this technology though, we’ve managed to have a really good time (and spend a fair amount of time outside in this beautiful weather).  Jake has been able to get to know the whole family and has really cut the ties.  We went a good three days without even seeing him.  We’re off to the city for some good old fashioned grown up fun with Andy’s sister and her husband so I’m going to close with some pictures from our past few weeks….  Enjoy.

Jake got a chance to change his first flat tire.

Tightening up the screws.

Granddad has lots of tractors on his farm.

And a unique tire swing...

...and an apricot orchard where Andy had to climb
the trees...

...and LOTS of cows.