It's a little late, but... Happy Guam-o-ween!!!

I had the opportunity to meet Cliff in port in Guam for a few days including Halloween, and even though I was still quite sick we had a BLAST! I didn't know much about Guam before going there but I learned a lot in the few short days that we had.
Guam is a tropical island in the pacific that is part of Micronesia. It is a very popular Japanese tourist destination because it is much less expensive than Hawaii and closer too! It is a U.S. territory, but because of all of the Japanese tourists and the local Chemorrans sp? (I'm probably going to be shot for spelling that wrong,) you get an interesting tri-cultural experience. Think exotic tropical island with both a Japanese and American twist. The beaches were absolutely gorgeous, though and we had a spectacular view from our balcony (or where I stayed with Chrissy until Cliff got in,) and our hotel/resort was right in the thick of things. The only downside to Guam, in my opinion, is you have to watch out for some of the massage parlors unless you want a "happy ending" and the island is a a little dingy in some areas because of the depressed economy, oh and it smells a little like Japan in some places but that is just me being ornery and pregnant...
This was the beach we went to
Another shot. Isn't that water gorgeous!?
From the balcony of the hotel room...
Inside the hotel room. Very soft bed, by the way. Chrissy and I flew in close to 3:00 am the first night so this bed was a dream come true.

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes....er... hmmm.... I can't seem to remember (pregnant brain.)

I thought about titling this entry "I'm going to go take a nap -wake me up in about 6 months" or "Not feelin' the Love, Jelly Bean." Obviously I decided on something a little warmer and fuzzier.
I was telling my friend the other day that it is one thing to move to a foreign country with your husband, it's another thing to move to a foreign country and then have your husband gone for months at a time. It's an ENTIRELY different thing when you move to a foreign country, your husband is gone, and you are pregnant and miserably sick. I had a hard time keeping this pregnancy a secret because I have been so sick. I think everyone and their mother has seen me puking in the grass by my apartment or when I am getting out of my car. Even Cliff's OIC has seen me throw up. Yeah... that's not embarrassing... I want to say it's not all bad, but... Ok, well today I had my 10 week appt. and I really do have to say that seeing that little Jelly Bean on the computer screen was pretty cool. I guess it hasn't really seemed real until I got to see the little guy/gal and the heartbeat. I mean, yes, It has been all too real with the way that I have been feeling, but seeing little Jelly Bean INSIDE ME makes it a little better :)

These past couple of months have been some of the most trying that I have experienced in a while but I am trying to remain optimistic and I am really looking forward to seeing Cliff again. I don't want anyone to think that we aren't excited because we are absolutely thrilled! I guess I just needed to rant for a second and it feels good to let all of this out. I just want to say that anyone that has ever experienced ANY degree of this so-called "morning" sickness (more like every minute of the day or night sickness) my heart truly goes out to you.

Mark your calendars for May 21st! That's right!! A May baby in May!!

There's a Saying...

That in the military your friends become your family. I am so incredibly grateful for the friends that I have made out here in Japan. Especially with Cliff being away for ... "a while" my friends really have become my family out here. I really don't know what I would do without them right now and I just hope that I can be a good friend too. Speaking of friends, I am just grateful for all of my friends. Whether they live in Maryland/Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Japan...etc. I love all of you guys and you will never know how much you have meant to me. I truly appreciate all of the phone calls and the knocks on my door and the Halloween Hauntings and the e-mails. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!

I am alive...mostly

I noticed that I have not written anything for a long time! It's not that nothing has been going on around here - quite the contrary... I just haven't really wanted to sit down and gather my thoughts. I promise that I will write more soon and I may even post a picture or two. I know you are all on the edge of your seats! Ha!

Things that have happened recently:

- Cliff came home (Sept. 26)
- The hard drive on our desktop computer died
- My mom came to visit... oh how I have needed her lately...
- Cliff left again (Sept. 30)
- Before Cliff left, my mom and I got a tour of the George Washington (yes he is on a carrier now)
- I have gotten lost driving in Japan and survived
- I went to the Yokohama Zoo
- I have been to the IKEA in Yokohama twice (it's ginourmous)
- My diet has changed significantly
- I am still teaching English and I really enjoy it
- I have decided that Japan has more spiders than the whole south eastern us combined...
- I have made a lot of new friends


I really will write more soon...

It Starts...

What a goof.
So Cliff left this past Sunday on his first cruise. It's not for very long but it was still a little tough on both of us as this sort of the start of a new chapter in our lives. Thus far in Cliff's career in the Navy he has been in flight training and consequently he has been home almost every night. This is obviously unusual for others in the Navy. Deployments are just a fact of life. Well that hadn't been so much for us but now it has started. Cliff won't be gone long this time around but our days of seeing each other all of the time are drawing to a close. The first 4 days were rough because the ships' e-mail was down, but I finally got to hear from him last night and now I don't feel so bad. Actually I have been too busy this week to think about it that much. I have potentially picked up 5 English classes! I'm gonna be a sugar mama! Yeah... we'll see. Nights are probably the hardest time for me. It's just weird going to bed alone. I really feel for the wives that have to go 6 or more months without seeing their husbands! I don't know how they do it! I guess you just make it work. I get to stay up later now and cook whatever I want :)

I have been really lucky to have made so many friends quickly and I started driving off-base right away too so that has helped. I don't know... I seem to be doing well right now but check back with me in a few weeks ;)

Curtains! and... more dishes...

I went to the famous "China Pete's" on Tuesday with a friend and This is what I got. They carry a little of everything there from fine china and a lot of Noritake and beautiful serving dishes to everyday ware vases and figurines.
I got 1 dinner plate and 4 salad/desert plates but I have a feeling I will be back for more....
I love that these dishes have a little bit of gold to them as they will go with my china that I got for our wedding. I got a really simple pattern (It's actually called Simply Anna (Anna Weatherley,)) with the plan to mix and match down the road. I think it's fun to play with different combinations, what do you think?
I got a package in the mail yesterday with some fabric I had ordered and I was so excited about it that I got my sewing machine out right away on got to work! Here are some curtains I made for one of the windows in my kitchen. I've yet to tackle the larger window but I might get started on that today. I know it's very pink but I love it and I am going to be here a lot more than Cliff is ;)
I have my sewing machine here but I didn't have any of my rulers or even any measuring tape! I had to use Cliff's leveler. How awesome is that.... I think I mostly made it work, though.
I had to start over once on the second panel because I didn't measure it correctly but it's only noticeable if you are really looking. Anyway, I am excited about these curtains. Military housing can be very sterile so anything to liven it up a little, right? Now that I have gotten my sewing machine out I CAN NOT WAIT for our household goods to get here. Of course they are coming right after Cliff leaves - but at this point I don't care. I need my rulers and my rotary cutters and the rest of my fabric!! Cross your fingers that it comes this next week!

Bad Girl Ball

This past Friday I went to my first big event put together by the various wives' clubs here on base. It was called the "Bad Girl Ball" in tribute to the "Badman Ball" that usually takes place around this time every year. Most of the husbands are still out to sea with the carrier so we had a ladies' night instead. Every squadron had a theme and ours was "classy Vegas." I didn't know that there was such a thing! I thought we looked great though! The Lady Warlords really pulled it off! Other squadrons were police officers, cowgirls, hula dancers, and there was even an entire squadron of Britney Spears.... which was a little much....
When we walked into the Officers' Club we had fake money that we threw in the air. Our table was decorated with poker cards and a miniature roulette table. All of the guys from the squadron had their pictures taken with a message for their wives. (See above.)
Me and Angela. Her husband went to GA tech also.
My neighbor, Nancy. She and her husband live right above us.
Some of the Ladies.