Ramblings. Just - Ramblings.

I'm in the mood to blog, but I'm also having one of those, "Bleh - nothing to write about" days. I'm hoping that by just typing whatever comes to mind will help get the creative juices flowing.  

I want new workout gear. 

The dogs are being annoying today. 

The rest of my household is sitting on the couch playing Xbox. 

Nothing interesting so far. Well, as far as workout gear goes, I signed up for The Color Run in my state, so I'm excited about that. Hence not really needing, but wanting new workout gear. New shoes I'm thinking. Those are my new high heels. Perhaps some compression shorts.  A friend from Japan who just got here is going to run it with me! Yoko besties UNITE! I'm trying to talk her in to wearing a tutu but so far the odds are not in my favor for that one. 

Another little update, Baby Girl lost her first tooth a few nights ago.  She allowed her Dad to pull it out, which is something I could NEVER do.  No sir. No way, no how.  But once it was said and done, she said it was the best day EVER! The Tooth Fairy came, left her all the cash she happened to have on hand, which was four measly dollars but to a 5 year old, it's like a million.

We just rented a home in Va Beach. We'll be moving soon'ish to get my girl enrolled in school.  It'll hopefully be an improvement to our house now.  It's a 4 bed, 2.5 bath house, with a fireplace, fenced in back yard, with an attached garage in a really cute little subdivision. The only thing we aren't looking forward to is it being attached to a....*Gulp*....Homeowners Association.  And cue Wilhelm Scream and creepy music.  I suppose we should be used to that kind of thing, living in military housing for so long, but I'd be lying if I said we wanted to get off base housing to avoid all the rules.  Having to get an approval from a HOA to have a bird bath in my FENCED back yard is a bit much, but hey, it's only for a little while so I'll play along.  Plus the kids and the dogs are going to love the back yard. Who am I kidding?  I'M going to love the back yard.  Kids being too loud?  GO OUTSIDE!  Dogs being incredibly annoying?  GO OUTSIDE! It's going to be...A-MAH-ZING! I've already gotten a few boxes packed up. Productivity points for me! 

I'm out of topics again. Shoot.  I have one thing I want to talk about, but I feel that if I do, I'll somehow jinx the outcome we're hoping for, so I'm REALLY trying hard to not type it all out.  And no - we aren't expecting, or hoping to expect.  Don't you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby. I'm done with all that noise.  Literally.  Kids are noisy.  They're all cute and cuddly but when they're in the mood, they could bring the walls down.  I feel like this thing of which I won't speak is the reason I felt the need to blog today, but me being superstitious is just preventing me from writing about it. 

So - unless I just start rambling the odd, off-the-top-of-my-head things again, I'll just close this one out. Maybe if I go lift weights I'll get my mind off this...thing. Real women lift heavy you know.  

We've Dropped Anchor!

America.

Sweet, sweet America.

PEACE OUT, JAPAN!!  It was real, but we're HOME!

We arrived on April Fool's Day and are now settled in Virginia for the time being!  My husband is in school, the kids are growing like weeds, we have two dogs (what were we thinking?!), two new vehicles and I have only used the Japanese language when I accidentally bump in to someone at Wal-Mart.

Ahhh...Wal-Mart.  Never thought I'd miss that place until there wasn't one.

Japan was great, don't get me wrong.  It was an amazing place to live, the culture is so steeped in history, the country was beyond beautiful...but we're 'Murican's.  We're back in the land of restaurants that have a menu we can read.  No more pointing at pictures for us!  No sir!  Back where road signs make sense.  Back where I can have a full on conversation with someone in public.  It's wonderful.

Will we go back overseas? Probably not.  If we do, it will be for a shore duty and it certainly won't be back in Japan. Why go overseas if you're just going somewhere you've already been you know?  Perhaps Spain?  We have to get through the next few years of sea duty, then we can decide on all that jazz.  Maybe leave it up to the kids, who knows?  All we know is that we love being home.  Landing in Chicago was pure bliss.  Cars drove on the right side of the road.  There wasn't a teriyaki burger in the McDonalds. Hello Kitty! wasn't plastered on everything in sight.  Then we got to Texas and Alabama. Ugh - big jacked up trucks. Actual BBQ joints.  Ah-may-zing.

Meet Monroe, our Texas Heeler and Roland, our yellow lab!

We have a backyard where our kids can play, in fact Kaylee is now riding a bike with NO training wheels! Props to her.  We have a smoker again, an actual house instead of a horrible apartment.  It's good to be home. Kendall is up for advancement, we're just waiting to hear the word on the exams.  He says it's unlikely he'll advance this cycle, but we'll see.  I, unlike my usually arrogant husband, am hopefully optimistic.  If it doesn't happen this cycle, we'll work on the next exam.  (Side note: Exams for advancement? I've always hated that notion.) Things will be pretty busy over the next few months, with his school and us having to PCS again when he graduates, but hey!  At least we're back in the USofA!

Murphy's Law Strikes Again!

Every military wife knows all about Murphy and his damn law;

* Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

It's not just reserved for Deployments, as is the common thought on Murphy's Law. Apparently it can strike during or before a PCS (Permanent Change of Station for all you non-military folks out there) as well. 

First PCS:  I was pregnant, sick as a dog and following a massive U-Haul that was swaying just enough to make me...even sicker.  It wasn't pretty. 

Second PCS: While finishing up after the movers left, I somehow managed to throw both of our cell phones in our trash can.  Then I managed to throw nasty leftovers on top of them.  It was horrendous. FUN FUN FUN digging those out when we finally found them.  What was even more fun was the fact that my phone smelled like Italian dressing for the next 2 weeks.  

Second PCS, take 2:  I was struck with a sudden illness, and we still have no idea as to what it was.  However, I was laid up on my Mother's couch, unable to move, so exhausted (almost like Mono, but we don't think it was mono. We aren't doctors though,) for the rest of the time we had left in Alabama. Literally started feeling better 8 hours before we left.  So uncool.   

Third and current PCS:  Kaylee......has a buckle fracture on her tibia.  

A round of applause for the winner of the Murphy's Best award - my 5 year old daughter!  She takes the award after her performance in Plays Too Rough With Friends where she placed her feet on the slats under a mattress while her friends jumped on the bed, causing her knee to slam down on her tibia! Congratulations, Kaylee!  

Not.  

She'll be in cast for 6-8 weeks.  We PCS in 6.  Can you imagine having to take a 12 hour plane ride with a CAST ON YOUR LEG?!  DAMN YOU, MURPHY!!!  

At least she's still adorable! 

We'll know more after her appointment with the Orthopedic doc to get her actual cast, but for now she's hobbling along in a splint and baby crutches.  She's taking it like a champ though and I'm thankful for that.  She even thinks it's cool. Her dad and I certainly don't think it's cool, but as long as she's happy, we're happy.  She's even taken to delegating out little tasks as far as her crutches go.  

"Mom, you have to follow me and keep an eye on me so I don't fall down."

"Bubba, you bring the crutches to me when I need to go potty, okay?" 

"MOM! What did the doctor say?  I need to practice!"  

But, it wouldn't be a PCS without a little bump in the road now would it?  Am I right?! 

Photo Tour

 Because once again, I have been a horrible blog lady...it's time for a photo tour of what's been happening in our lives lately.

Summer Time

I just like this one from a night on the town with the old man.  

Another one of CF DIV's many picnics

Kaylee turned FIVE.
Pass the tissues please.

Got him home for one night on this day.  One day is better than no days!

More. Tissues.  My babies started pre-school! 

No tears on their first day either, just happiness!

Family Shot! 

FALL

First ever school production of,
"Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey, RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!" 

He wouldn't let me fix that dang crown to get it off his ears.  That just can't be comfortable.

CHEERLEADER!!!  

Now this one....  >:|
He had made face, after face, after face and finally I decided to give up and join in the dark side of photo taking....
then he decided to take a good one.  That's the usual when it comes to photos with my husband.

At least the offspring are cute.

SEE?!  HOW ADORABLE! 

Spoke too soon! She's just like her Dad. 

Fun night of camping at our sister base, Ikego.  Which apparently is haunted.
From ghosts of war prisoners during WWII.
That were buried in mass graves somewhere on the base.
After they were tortured.
Great time for a family photo huh?  

This is how my girl looks after a day of "roughing it."

And this is my son.  All boy that one.

 WINTER

Kaylee made her Dad a sandwich all by herself and got the ultimate seal of approval.
The highest of fives. 

Love those people.  

OH!  For heaven's sake I forgot to mention that Kendall hit is 12 year mark!
He got to put on Gold for 12 years of good behavior in the Navy.
The gold looks fantastic against the blue! 

See. What. I. Mean?!  

Never fails.  He says he hates taking pictures so much and yet he prolongs his torture by making faces.

FINALLY! 

AAAAAAAAAND he's a punk again. 

We are a bunch of good lookin' mofo's.  

Trying on some Christmas clothes.  

It snowed in Yoko!!!!
We almost never get to see snow, so this was a ton of fun. 

Last Alabama game we'll ever see in Japan!
And we won ANOTHER BCS National Championship!
ROLL TIDE ROLL! 

Kendall reenlisted for another 4 years! 

I even got a special certificate from the CO for being the most awesome Lassen wife EVER!
And for baking my awesome goodies for the crew.
And for being the best at everything.
Seriously though, it was thanking me for my "service" and support of my husband throughout his Naval career. :) 

Picture with Dad!
Ship in the background!

Yes, we did that photo for our Christmas cards this year.
Can I keep them like that?! CAN I? CAN I? CAN I?
No?  Okay then.....

SPECIAL NEWS!

We got ORDERS!  It was a crazy awful experience to get them.  Apparently a lot of people are having issues with orders lately.  Not sure why but it sucks and puts a lot of stress on the service member and their family.   I won't get off on that soap box though.  We are going back to AMERICA in April! Japan has  been fun and definitely interesting, but it's not for us.  I'm glad we did it, but it's time to go back home now.  I've been so busy planning our PCS, de-cluttering the house, running kids back and forth to school, etc, that the time has really flown by lately.  Not that I'm complaining one bit.  I'm ready to put my feet back on American soil.  And go to Chipotle.  The family can meet us there. Hugs will have to wait until after I devour my chicken burrito.  Weight loss success be damned on that day.

Other special news:  We had family come and visit us over the late summer/early fall!  I never thought my parents would really come over here.  Dad has done a few overseas trips with work, but my mom has never flown longer than 3 or 4 hours at a time.   My mother and brother-in-law and his girlfriend came to visit first and that was a fun, almost non-stop trip there!

All of us eating at 12 Frogs.
If you're ever in Yokosuka, find it and eat there.
They give you raw meat and veggies and you cook it yourself at your table.
AMAZING!

My awesome mother-in-law in front of Great Buddha in Kamakura. 

Taking a break at Kurihama Flower World 

Ann's reaction to an authentic Japanese toilet in the ground.
Those. Are. Interesting.

And for prettiness, a shot I got while at Flower World.
Pretty good huh?
Not even edited.  

My parents and I!
Can you tell we're big Alabama fans?

AWW!

Photo op on the walking bridge across Rt. 16! 

Enjoying their first ever Chu-hi at the outdoor Chu-hi stand. 

Again, in front of Great Buddha

Me and my mom at the Hard Rock Cafe in Yokohama, the night before they left.  :(  

So much fun!

 Now you're up-to-date on our adventures lately, through photos. :)

*I really will try to do better from now on.  Scouts honor!*