Not to make you jealous, but this was the ride today..

Dave

Sawyer keeps begging me to click on the blog and (ee Parkar mommy, ee Parkar mommy!). Also, he loves his dinosaur "Roar" book. We have to read it before every nap and sometimes I can hear him in his room reading it to himself with all of the "Roars!" Miss you all!

Sometimes I forget that I live on an island. I am accustomed to seeing the ocean as I drive down the hill to the commissary and don’t even notice it anymore. We haven’t actually been to the beach in a while. I get so frustrated that I can’t buy the things I want, I feel so limited and think things like “What is this? It’s like I live on an island in the middle of nowhere!” Yes Tracey, you do. Last Saturday Tom and I took advantage of free babysitting for military families (offered the first Saturday of the month if you sign up.) With our free day we took a bike ride together out to a lighthouse, about a 30 mile ride. It was a fantastic ride and the view was great. As I looked out over the rocks at the deep raging water below I was reminded again that in deed, I do live on an island, surrounded by a gigantic ocean. It was breathtaking and very humbling.



So much has happened lately making me realize how fragile life is. I struggle to fight off fear and anxiety and replace it with a sense of peace and making the most of what blessings we currently enjoy. My good friend here just returned from the states where her mom died of cancer, my college roommate and best friend is pregnant with her 4th girl and helping her husband fight testicular cancer, one of our good friends from Cleveland was diagnosed with cancer last week and just had surgery and is waiting for answers. I know so many others dealing with trials and then there is the earthquake in Haiti...so much heartache...I understand that it is all part of “life” and a necessary part of God’s plan but it doesn't change my desire to somehow take away the pain. The friend who was just recently diagnosed with cancer says she is grateful that it is her and not her husband or children because she knows she just couldn’t watch and at least now she can fight. I admire her courage and outlook. I am constantly surrounded by so many people full of strength, faith and courage, I hope some of it rubs off on me. And I hope, that while I feel guilty enjoying such a feeling of fullness and joy in my life, I can help ease the burden for someone else.

On a more positive note, we are looking forward to visiting next month. If all goes right, Tom is flying into Portland on February 11th and staying until the 20th. His is guaranteed, he has tickets. My visit is shorter but will still be great, the kids and I will be there from the morning of the 13th or 14th until the evening of the 17th. Unless we don't get on the Space A flight and don't come at all, or if we can't get on the flight coming back we will be there an extra week! It would be great to have family dinner/game night on Sunday the 14th and then go and do something special on Presidents Day, anyone have any ideas on something we can do? Also, we do plan to come out this summer, and would love to join everyone at the lake. What are details on that trip? Are all the cabins/rooms spoken for? When are people leaving to drive down there? Sorry, just getting excited and in the planning mode!

Thanks!

So even though I have no exciting or interesting news to share, I feel I have been a non-blogger for far to long. So here goes my "exciting" update on our happenings...

For those confused about what an Army guy is doing at a Navy school in Monterey, CA...Well, actually right now it is a lot of math classes but we are starting to get to the fun stuff. Didn't mean to bump Marnie's post but I just found the video.

I recently started putting out feelers for a job and I have been offered a part-time clinical dietitian position at Southwest Washington Medical Center (where Buffy works, where Parker went for his 2nd broken arm, where Isaac went for his dislocated hip...). Originally, I was doubtful that I would get it. I have been out of the game, so to speak, for 8 long years and coming across professional references was not an easy thing. And the position was for 32 hours a week, which caused me some serious anxiety. After much thought and prayer, I apologized and told them I could not get any more professional references (which they needed) and that I was really looking for a 24 hour/week position. They came back and asked for one more reference, didn't have to be from a past employer, and said they would reduce the hours to 24/week. Voila!

The photos above are of the Firstenburg Tower - the most recent addition to the hospital. The position is pretty much a floater - I will work in all departments, which means I have a lot of training to do. But I am excited and I am ready. The kids are a bit skeptical, as is Dave (now that me being gone for 3 days a week is a reality), but we will manage.

On another note, Dave and I have our road bikes. They are all put together, but we still need to be fitted. We geared up this last weekend and are looking forward to our first real ride. The clipping in and out has me nervous, but I'll get the hang of it. Thanks to Tom for his endless help. I am hoping to ride to work every once in a while - I can pretty much take the old Evergreen Highway almost all the way there.

Kids are home from school - I'm off...

Adina

Pretty good new today. I found out that we won a lift station rehab project in College Place, WA. I was able to help in sniffing this one out on a marketing trip I took back in November with a coworker. It is not a large project, but will get us exposure in the Columbia Basin (Walla Walla area).

New Year's resolution- buy a new car (it's already bought by the by, 2007 VW GTI).


Yeah, two fire trucks. It was exciting. Flames were leaping 12 feet into the air, I tried to take a picture from the house (where I was keeping Ellyn and Sawyer safe from our potentially explosive vehicle) but you can't see the flames through the foliage.

They think animals chewed the wires. It started smoking as Mike and Sawyer drove home from getting a haircut.

Goodbye White BMW. Thanks for not burning on the freeway, not exploding, not hurting my dear sweet son and my husband that I love.

The car is still sitting out in front of our house. Just keepin' it real in the Carmel hood. It had to be inspected by the appraiser where it burned and it should hopefully be towed by Monday. We know how to class things up.

Brooke (and who ever else),

Here is the link for the superhero cape that I made.

http://pukingpastilles.com/?p=57

-Anne

Dave had each of us sit down for FHE and write out our personal goals for 2010, then share them. While there were many worthy spiritual, academic, fitness & career-related goals, some just stuck out in their own category, and I decided to share. They are recorded here as they were written, errors and all.

ISAAC

• Get a haircut.
• Be a nicer brother.
• Run a half marathon.

• To get strait (straight) A's in all of school.
• Find a way to get money.
• Get to bus elyer. (earlier)

• Don't struggle in tests.
• Write more nicely. (written in barely legible scrawl)
  

• Always make Dad feel special.
• Teach Taylor how to spell.
• To have fun all the time.