four peas in apod

Billy the Exterminator...a check off of Hailey's Bucket List

2011-03-06T20:22:00.044-07:00

You can imagine the excitement that descended upon our house this week as we found out Billy the Exterminator was going to be making a guest appearance at the AutoRama in Salt Lake. Hailey of course was on cloud nine all week, since she is one of Billy's BIGGEST fans. Billy has a reality show that is featured on the A&E channel. His show is about his business Vexcon. Keeping it in the family, Billy runs Vexcon with the help of his brother Rick, who he describes as “just as crazy as me,” his father Bill Sr., his sassy southern belle Mother Donnie, who runs the offices, and his beloved wife Mary. Billy was in the USAF and learned about pest control there and once he got out he started his Vexcon business and has taken a militaristic approach to pest control – and is emerging a victor. In the show, Billy and his family are called out to take care of Louisiana’s worst pest problems. It’s a big business in the swamp-like state of Louisiana, especially since Hurrican Katrina. Although there are numerous other pest control companies in the state, Vexcon is the only team that handles all types of animal removal. From tiny ants, giant snakes to alligators. You name it, Billy and his team have seen it. Hailey and her brothers AND her best friend Brandon all started watching the show over in Japan. They all became immediate fans. Hailey & Brandon had several adventures in our backyard trying to rangle up and catch many of gators that live along the bayou, just like Billy would do it. So, Hailey's so desire in life is to be an exterminator just like Billy and eventually one day go to work for Vexcon. Though my sweet girl loves the color pink, pigtails, pedicures, and dresses, she also loves bugs, snakes, gators & sharks. I guess we'll see how long this lasts...LOL

the kids arriving at the Salt Lake Expo Center for the 2011 AutoRama with special guest appearance Billy the Exterminator Billy just signed his Vexcon Logo and autograph on the piece of paper Rylan is holding. Rylan was so excited and Billy laughed at his excitement.

Hailey was star struck when she finally got up to meet Billy. We had practiced what she was going to say to him Saturday night and Sunday morning before they left. When she was finally in front of Billy, she got very quite, shy and was speechless. Mark had to tell her to move closer to him and put her arm around him to capture the moment. This little girl was so excited that she got to meet her "Exterminator Hero"!

This is Josh videoing Billy sending me a personal video message...just laughed when they came home and told me he sent me a message. You can see it below after the pictures.

Billy has added the rocker look to his business and is know for his
wild hair and black dress.
The Vexcon hand sign

After standing in line, they got out and toured some of the cars

The Volkswagen area, or as the boys called it "Hippie Row"

Hailey loved this little camper, the color and the ladybugs was her favorite thing about it. She asked Mark if we could one like this for camping out.

Hot Rod , one of Rylan's favorites

Mark took this picture especially for me since my new car is a 2010 Chevy Malibu. The on-going joke is I'm driving the Ken & Barbie car, hence the name Malibu, as in Malibu Barbie.

The above two pictures are for Papa. This is a CJ7 Jeep from 1974 that has a trailer you can attached to the back of the Jeep.

The JellyBelly Hot Rod that gave away JellyBelly jellybeans.

A funny car dragster

Video clip of Billy, click on the arrow to play.

Our Angels looking down...

2011-02-26T05:10:00.018-07:00

♥ ♥ ♥ a plain, but simple capture of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, I took when we stopped for gas on our trip to Utah in January of 2010. As we drove through Colorado, my thoughts were with Aunt Mary and Danny and my heart was full as if they were there with me. In memory of them both our angels, Aunt Mary Lane and Danny who are always watching over us. ♥ ♥ ♥

♥ Mary Lane Truax Goolsby December 31, 1945 - February 26, 2010 ♥

Durango resident Mary Lane Truax Goolsby died Friday, February 26, 2010. She was 64 years old. Mary was born to William F. and Kathleen Anna Truax on December 31, 1945. In 1972, she married Gary Lee Goolsby in Palos Verdes, Calif. They were married 14 years when the marriage ended in divorce. Mary earned her BS degree in Education from Louisiana State University and she earned her Masters degree from Adams State College. Mary began her teaching career in 1971 in Venice Beach, Calif. She owned and operated Conroy Flowers in Long Beach, Calif. In 1985, Mary moved her family to her home town where she became an active member of St. Thomas Catholic Church working in the Parish office and became Director of their Capital Improvement Campaign. In 1995, Mary moved her family again to Durango, Colo., where she began substitute teaching at Durango High School. From 1998 to 2007, Mary was the Director of the Kid Time After School Program for the 9R School District in Durango. In 2008, Mary looked for a career change and was employed by Toh-Atin Publishing Company as a Sales Representative. She ended her working career at Tri-County Head Start. as Site Manager/Director. Mary was a devout Catholic and always an active parishioner. She was very talented in her flower business. She loved art, the beauty of the mountains, gourmet cooking and dinners with her local friends and family gatherings. Mary loved to travel and explore and made many friendships along the way. Her talents and accomplishments were unlimited. Mary volunteered locally for the United Way Christmas Bell Ringer and the Red Ball Express annual fundraisers. Mary was preceded in death by her second son Daniel Lee Goolsby. She is survived by son, Jason Patrick Goolsby, San Diego, CA, granddaughter Savannah Elizabeth Goolsby, Biloxi, MS, sisters Barbara Dorman, Fort Walton Beach, FL, Kathleen Graham, Long Beach, MS, Sylvia Newnom, Watkinsville, GA, brothers Billy Truax, Gulfport, MS, Jesse Truax, Kiln, MS, four nieces and four nephews.

♥ Daniel Lee Goolsby November 30, 1979- July 1, 2008 ♥

Durango High School graduate Daniel Lee Goolsby, 28, died Tuesday, July 1, 2008, at his home in Phoenix. The cause of death is unknown at this time. Mr. Goolsby was born on Nov. 30, 1979, in Long Beach, Calif. He moved with his family to Long Beach, Miss., in 1985 and attended Catholic school in Long Beach and Gulfport, Mississippi. Mr. Goolsby moved to Durango in 1995 and graduated from Durango High School with a football scholarship to Colorado State University, where he earned degrees in economics and finance. He began his work career in California with Beneficial Finance. He also worked in Denver and Phoenix. He had lived in Phoenix for a year and was a sales representative for Arrowhead Water. He loved his family and friends, who described him as a dedicated sportsman who loved all sports and sports competition. Mr. Goolsby is survived by his mother, Mary Truax Goolsby, of Durango; father, Gary Goolsby, of Phoenix; brother, Jason Patrick Goolsby, of San Diego; paternal grandmother, Kathleen Sadler Goolsby, of Phoenix; four uncles; four aunts; a niece; and numerous cousins.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock...

2010-12-19T07:42:00.023-07:00

December has finally arrived and we found ourselves cleaning out all of the stuff we have accumulated over the last three years while being here in Japan and getting ready for the movers to come and pack our household goods once again. Our move back to the states has come rather quickly since we decided back in Spring/Summer for Mark to put in for retirement. We didn't really make a BIG announcement because we weren't really sure as to where we wanted to retire. But with a lot of prayer, fasting and inspiration, we feel we have been blessed to head to Utah. Mark has served his country with honor for the last 25 years and if asked to do it all over again, he would PROUDLY say YES! It's hard to believe that we will be starting a new chapter of our lives and doing so with the belief that this is what we are suppose to be doing in our lives right now.

So the movers came a few weeks ago, Mark had a small retirement dinner and the kids finished up school on Friday. Unfortunately, I came down with a stomach bug that is running ramped around Misawa. I am finally back on my feet and ever so grateful for my new friend ZOFRAN that kept me from visiting the porcelain throne every 20 minutes getting sick. Oh, the feeling of a revolving door constantly spinning just isn't my cup of tea. I felt better a little on Saturday, so I helped Mark get the last of our stuff out of our house and moved over to the Inn, where we will spend the next week cramped in a little room celebrating Christmas until we board our plane. It's has snowed a bit throughout the week, not sure if we will have the BIG Misawa DUMP before we leave or a White Christmas...we'll have to see. I can't believe we are slow close to leaving Misawa. The time has flown by fast!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-12-19T07:42:00.020-07:00

I love this time of year! Fall colors are so beautiful here in Misawa. The air is cool and crisp and the holidays are around the corner. Thanksgiving will be our last one here with good friends. The movers will be here on Monday to pick up our first shipment and then be back at the end of the week to get the main bulk of our household goods. I have found myself needless to say running around cleaning out closets and taking bag after bag to the thrift store. It's hard to believe our return back to the states is upon us. We have been ever so blessed with good friends and a church branch during our stay here over the last 3 years. I have endured 2 deployments of Mark being gone and have watched 4 children grow up so fast before my eyes. I am ever so grateful for this opportunity to have experienced living life overseas. I have come to appreciate my life and the Japanese simple way of living. I truly wish I could bottle it all up and just bring it back with me. The on-going joke is that we have been living in a bubble for the last 3 years. I would have to agree with that somewhat BUT truly the Japanese culture is very simple, consistent, and structured. They take PRIDE in everything they do and life here just isn't so FAST pace. I think America can learn a thing or two from the Japanese.

We spent Thanksgiving day hosting dinner at our house with our good friends, the Staceys, the Hermanns and the Barry's. The kids were all wonderful and excited to spend the afternoon with one another. This was one on of the BEST Thanksgivings by far in the Crew household. We will truly miss the friendships we have made here. Happy Thanksgiving!

Two of my very best friends, April and Stephanie

Playing Catchphrase with this group will never be the same...what an awesome time and great memories!

September, October & Daddy has made it HOME!

2010-12-19T07:41:00.061-07:00

Well Mark made it home in September. It seemed like the day would never come with all the changes that were made to the flight his squadron was. It really dragged out over the week. Considering they were just over in Korea and with the number of changes that were made, they could have swam home and made home faster than their final flight. It was really ridiculous that I stopped telling the kids when he was coming because it was always a let down when I said he wasn't. So, he finally made it home September 14, 2010. We had to be at the hanger at 5:30 a.m. His flight was due to land on the flightline at 6:05 a.m. with the hanger doors opening 10 minutes of. So, I got us all up and we drove over to Hanger 949 in a down poor of rain along with the other families that were there to meet the plane. We stood around a little bit and they hanger doors finaly opened. Rylan was just beside himself when he heard and saw the plane land on the flight line. Once it got to the hanger doors, I had to hold him back from running out on the flight line. He was soooo ready to see his Daddy. My best friend Rose showed up to welcome Mark home and to take some pictures of us reuniting with him. We are so proud of Mark's service and all that he does for our family and country. Enjoy the homecoming pictures.

The Crew and Farless kids

Plane arriving at hanger doors

Rylan seeing his Daddy

Hugs

and more Hugs

with a Kiss!

Our welcome home sign we made Mark...

Until we meet again my friends...

2010-12-19T07:41:00.054-07:00

Summer has come and gone once again! School is getting ready to start and Mark will soon be home from his deployment. We spent the end of August hanging out at the beach, spending a week at Cub Scout Daycamp, wishing Hunter a Happy Birthday and saying good-bye to good friends. There is a time and season for us all as we travel along this road in life. We make friends that make an impression on our hearts and lives. It's these friendships that will come back around to each of us again because of the bond that was made at the beginning. They are the friendships that are hard to find and impossible to forget!

Saying goodbye to Marcus was hard to do for Joshua. The two of them were two peas in a pod!

Marcus was became a part of our family as he just lived right next door to us!

My sweet friend Kristine Johnson, don't know what I would have done without her.

The Crew Kids, the Anderton Kids, the French's Kids & the Furqeron's Kids
all making s'mores and roasting marshmallows

My sweet friends that made Misawa so much fun...Ginger, Elaine, & Julie

and all the hubby's Ryan, Ben & Michael...just missing Mark cause he was deployed!

Our time here in Misawa will be coming to an end soon for us too an we will be saying good-bye once again. This time it will be much harder. Together Mark and I made the decision it is time for him to retire and start a new chapter of our life. We are rather excited and nervous BUT know that this is what we are suppose to be doing in our life at this moment. I have never been so sure of something in my life and it's refreshing to know that we have the Lord on our side helping at every turn and giving us the warm fuzzy feeling that we are heading in the right direction. BUT first, we have to get Mark home for Korea before we can even begin to make final plans! So, let the planning begin...

Halfway through the deployment

2010-11-12T14:56:00.033-07:00

This is our visit to the Korean War Museum in Seoul, Korea. The pictures I have taken show the monument that was erected in honoring all those who gave their life protecting democracy and national peace. Enjoy...it truly gave me an appreciation for being an American.

The front of the Korean War Museum displays 21 flags from the countries that fought in the Korean War.

The tragedy of the Korean War began early morning June 25, 1950. North Korea illegally invaded South Korea resulting in 4 MILLION casualties. The Korean War was fought with UN forces from 21 different nations risking their lives. This war last for 3 years, 1000 days.

These sculpted statues were very detailed and told a beautiful story of the Korean War.

The PKM-357 Memorial pays tribute to 6 heroes who died with honor on 29th of June 2002. This ship is a replica of the ship that actually fought the battle of Yeonpyeong. You can see the battle scars the ship suffered while protecting and defending the waters along the NLL (Northern Limit Line).

My 4 Monkeys...it was very HOT the day we toured the Korean War Museum.

These were items that were found from the Korean War and on display.

This is a letter from General Douglas McCarther. He led the United Nations Command in the Korean War from 1950 to 1951.

These next few images were on display at the museum that showed what inside the DMZ looks like. I was fascinated beyond words to describe the feeling these pictures brought as I walked through the exhibit. I am trying to get back over to Korea before Mark comes home to visit the DMZ for the experience as well as for the photography. The history of the DMZ is below.

50km from Seoul, Korea is the DMZ. The DMZ (the Demilitarize Zone) or the border that the divides North and South Korea still shows lingering images of war, though it is a time of peace. This border is one that is HIGHLY patrolled. There are uneasy glances through a set of binoculars and layers of barbed-wire fences on a daily basis by soldiers from both sides. North and South Korean soldiers are on post 24 hrs a day and search operations along the border are performed daily too. One small move from either party across that line or from any foreigner who is not familiar with the history of this area could set the tone for conditions to abrupt or that foreigner will find himself shot or sitting in a Korean prison.

For now, there is peace!

We headed over to Osan AB, Korea to see Mark July 4th weekend! What an amazing week spent and we got to fly for free. We hopped over on the Freedom Bird and met up with my girlfriend Tami and her kids. Mark surprised us and caught the morning bus to Osan on Wednesday. He stayed until the afternoon and caught the bus back to Kunsan cause he had to work that night. He and Tami's husband, Wes came back up on Friday. Before we hopped the bus on Saturday for Seoul, Tami and I took her girls and Hailey to Dr. Fish to get a pedicure. It was a really cool experience. There was a big jacuzzi tub full of these little fish that would eat the dead skin off your feet, basically they were getting their tummy's filled while exfoliating our feet. My feet were super baby butt smooth except for the areas I had blisters...there ate ate them raw. Oh how they hurt and flip flops became my best friend for the remainder of the trip. So, 4th of July weekend, took us to Seoul. We stayed at the Dragon Boat Hotel which was on an Army Base which was very nice and I highly recommend to stay at if your ever in Seoul. We ate at the dinner buffet Saturday night and hung out at the hotel. Sunday we got up and headed over to the Korean War Museum and was amazed at everything we saw and the history of North and South Korea. It truly made me appreciate the very freedoms I have as an American. Later that afternoon we shot over to the E-market, which is the Electronics Mecca of Seoul. I bought a new lens for my camera and two Nintendo DS's for Hailey and Rylan all for less than $500.00. My lens alone retails for 700.00 in the states. So, I was rather happy with my find. We headed back to the hotel, grabbed some food and then watched the fireworks from there. We got up Monday and went over to the BX and shopped a little and then caught the bus back to Osan. I did some laundry and got our suitcases organized since we were leaving the next day to go back to Misawa. Mark and I headed out the front gate and finished up some last minute shopping. The deals in Korea are to die for and if you went to the right places you were able to get QUALITY stuff for the RIGHT prices if you were willing to barter with the Koreans. Overall it was a wonderful experience for us and we got to see Mark. Enjoy the pictures below from Dr. Fish!

Hailey didn't want to put her feet in the jacuzzi and let all those fish nibble at her feet so she settled on just getting her toes painted. This is Hailey's friend Camille, the two of them had the best time together swimming, shopping, and going to Chili's to eat!

April, May, and June

2010-07-29T07:15:00.026-06:00

So, April May and June has obviously flown by without me making a single post! So to sum it in up in a few paragraphs and pictures, here it goes.....

Hailey lost her first tooth FINALLY...

Celebrating Easter was FUN but quite since Daddy left for deployment...

AND Rylan being Rylan and growing up just way too fast...isn't he just handsome???

It also brought Mark leaving once again for yet another deployment. This time he went to Kunsan AB, Korea to help with the duties of the Pacific keeping an eye on North Korea. We will go over and visit him in July.

Hunter went on his first Boy Scout camp out somewhere in Japan, North of here. I'm laughing that I have no clue as to where he went. But I do know it was cold and Brother Anderton was taking the boys on a 10 mile hike. Hopefully, they will stay warm with a blazing fire!

May brought Mother's Day and kite flying after Saturday morning soccer....

School got out in June, we had awards banquet, field trips and said goodbye to good friends...

Savannah, Natalie, and Abby are the first 3 girls Hailey met when we came to Misawa. We had a girls day since they will all be moving over the next few weeks. We made crafts, cookies, and went to the movies to see Marmaduke. I got them all these cute little purses to take a snack into the movies. The girls had carrots, grapes, a cookie, and apple juice. It was a fun day and Hailey will truly miss all of them.

You are my HERO

2010-03-29T07:06:00.004-06:00

During the week of School Spirit, Joshua & Hailey had a day to dress up as their hero. Joshua's has his life all planned out and is going to be a FIGHTER PILOT for the Air Force once he finishes his mission and college. Papa found him this flight suit and flight jacket. There is not a day that doesn't go by that he is not talking his life dream. Hailey got her little doctors outfit from my neighbor next door and was rather excited to wear it on Hero day not only because Ms. Kristine gave her the outfit but also excited to wear it to honor Grammy Barbie who worked all her life in the medical field.

Basketball is FANTASTIC

2010-03-29T07:03:00.010-06:00

This was Joshua's second year playing league basketball through the Youth Center here at Misawa, Japan. He played the point guard or shooting guard position throughout the season. I have seen improvement from last year with his dribbling and shooting. It's just a matter of time before he develops this sport. He is going to have a hard time deciding what sport he wants to play and concentrate on! Great kid and I am excited to see what he decides to do

Spikey Hair Mom

2010-03-29T07:01:00.006-06:00

My little man decieded that he wanted a new hair style. For weeks, all I heard around the house was, "I want Spikey Hair Mom, like Josh." So after the Pinewood Derby, all the boys needed haircuts so we lined them up at the base barber shop. Rylan hopped right up in the barber chair and he preceded to tell the little Japanese man who barely understood any English that he wanted Spikey Hair, That he (the Japanese man) understood. So as Mark and I sat in the background watching our little 4 year baby change into a little man, my heart sunk because I realized Rylan is growing up. He was so excited and grinned from ear to ear as he watched in the mirror the little Japanese man cut his hair. Once finished he hopped down off the barber chair and looked at us and well, we just fell out of our seat at how much his hair cut changed his looks. So the following day on Sunday after church, I was laying on the couch and he came up to me and said, "Mom I want my long hair back." I just giggled with a smile and said, "Well Rylan mommy can't make your long hair come back. It's going to have to grow back." He just looked at me with a perplexed look and was seriously thinking about what I said. He than replied, "How long is that going to take?" I am glad to report it's been a month and it's grown out quite a bit.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-23T07:00:00.015-07:00

Instead of doing the regular store bought Valentine this year, I remembered a girlfriend doing something like this for her kids a few years ago. So I borrowed her idea and came up with these creations! I'm going to have Josh, Hailey, & Rylan put a piece of candy on as an extra. I didn't do a Valentine for Hunter, well that's just not the thing to do in 7th grade. I told him he at least needed to be in the picture for both Grammy's & Papa's! Enjoy

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Mother

2010-02-23T07:00:00.010-07:00

Just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. I am so grateful that YOU are my Mother! There are so many qualities about you that make you, YOU! You are strong, caring, loving, patient, willing to help, serve, and take care of others at drop of a phone call. YOU, my sweet mother are a Daughter of Heavenly Father and I know he loves you, comforts you and makes you strong in time of need. I am PROUD to be your Daughter and find joy in knowing that YOU are a part of me and I am a part of YOU. Happy Birthday and I LOVE YOU!

Pinewood Derby 2010

2010-02-23T06:59:00.003-07:00

The Three Amigos... Joshua, Marcus, & Levi

Couldn't keep this picture out...Bunny Ears have become quite an issue in our pictures these days, so Rylan thought it would be cute to put his own bunny ears on himself since no one was around to do it!

Pinewood Derby #3 for us her in Misawa, Japan. Joshua's car did rather well but didn't make the top 3. Though the overall Trophy stayed within our building. Our neighbor Marcus won the overall derby. He built his car before his dad left for deployment and Mark helped put the winning touches on it. It was totally cool and very exciting to see his car race. It was really fast. Our other neighbor Levi won his division for his age group also. So next year it will be Levi's turn to bring the trophy home to building 701. Joshua won 2009, Marcus won 2010, and Levi will win for 2011! Really fun day!

Snow Days....

2010-02-23T06:58:00.014-07:00

February brought snow and more snow. This kids were out of school for 4 days straight. The first two days we were snowed in and watched movies. It was really cold! You can see how the wind is blowing outside in some of the pictures. Once things settled down, all of the neighborhood got out and we shoveled snow until it started snowing once again....

On Saturday after the storm passed, we took the kids snowboarding and sledding down the hill at the ski lodge here on the base. Joshua was in Tokyo with a friend watching Summo wrestling. I was watching my girlfriends son Tenny. He is going down the hill with Mark as Rylan gave them a push. Hunter is doing really well getting the hang of snowboarding....

Rylan being his cute self....

and of course the day wouldn't have been complete without somebody breaking their arm...little Miss Hailey fell off her saucer as it went down the hill 20 minutes after we arrived! Fun times though...

Look what I found...

2010-02-23T06:58:00.006-07:00

Miss Bumble Bee

Bobo Fett and Marcus as a Optimus Prime

Monkey See...Monkey Do

Rylan and Madison at their preschool Halloween Party

Rylan outside at preschool.

I found an SD card and loaded it on my computer and LOOK...I found Halloween pictures! I knew I had taken these the night we went to the church Trunk-O-Treat, but couldn't find what I did with the SD card! So here ya go, Hailey was a BUMBLE BEE...that headband didn't make it but an hour into the party. Hailey managed to snap it in two. Joshua and Hunter both went as BOBO and JANGO FETT. Hunter didn't get into any of my pictures because he was downstairs helping with cupcake decorating. Rylan went as a MONKEY. He had a party also at his preschool. I went up and ate lunch with he and his little friend Madison! It was cold Halloween Night. Mark took the kids trick-o-treating and I wandered down to my girlfriend's house (April) and we handed out candy while keeping each other company!

Soccer

2010-02-23T06:56:00.005-07:00

Indoor soccer season came and went...Mark had the opportunity to coach both Hunter & Joshua. It was a GREAT season for them all. Just waiting for Rylan to start playing...he's got one more year and then we will be juggling all four playing SPORTS!

Christmas Morning

2009-12-25T23:02:00.015-07:00

As much as I would have liked to have had one more day, Christmas morning finally got here. Joshua was the first one up at 6:30. He waited patiently for Hunter, Hailey & Rylan to wake up. We turned on my laptop to Skype with Papa and Grammy Barbie. I took it downstairs and set it up across the room in our family room for Papa and Grammy to see all the kids expressions and hear their comments once they came downstairs to see what Santa brought. Rylan was first and his expression is priceless as well as his comment....

Holy French Fry, I got a bike from Santa!
Here he is on his Race Car bike!

Hailey was next and was rather quite and shy when she saw her bike, but the smile on her face in this picture speaks for itself. She has just itching to go outside to ride it but the weather hasn't been that great for her to do so.

Josh was after Hailey and as you can imagine there was much excitement and jumping up and down. He too asked Santa for a bike.

Finally it was Hunter's turn. He asked Santa to bring him a new DVD player. Hunter loves to watch movies and the one he had finally broke after all these years of using it. This one has a 9 in screen that he doesn't have to hold in his face like the one he previously had.

Joshua got this cool flight suit from Papa Dorman. I have had him looking for one for months now and he just came across one at one of the thrift stores he goes by. Joshua wants to be an F-16 fighter pilot once he is done with high school, his mission, and college. We Skyped Papa back to show him the flight suit and had the opportunity to talk with Uncle James. That was one of my highlights of the day. We haven't talked with him in over a year. Uncle James is still Uncle James and made me laugh with his jokes. I really miss seeing him on a daily basis!

This is Hunter later in the afternoon playing the Wii.

Rylan and I escaped upstairs for a nap. I couldn't believe how the week finally caught up with me and how tired I was. Though the anticipation and preparation is over, this was one of the best Christmas's we have had as a family. Mark was home this year and the older kids were great examples in teaching Rylan what Christmas is about. We had many activities and were quite busy but we did take the time of getting a box together for my nephew Jeff who is on his mission in Texas. We bought a few toys, hats, and mittens for Jeff to hand out to the kids in his area that may not be getting much this year. It was wonderful seeing my children serving and giving to others AND understanding the meaning behind it. I'm so proud of them. They truly magnified the example of our Savior when he was here on the earth. Merry Christmas and Have a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T04:08:00.021-07:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! A New Year's card and letter will be coming your way. I just ran out of time of getting it written and mailed out before Christmas without feeling like I was rushed. Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday, you are always in our thoughts and prayers. We truly have been blessed with the wonderful gift our Heavenly Father gave us centuries ago. The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ is truly a gift He wanted to have. I love this time of year of remembering and celebrating his life!

Breakfast with Santa

2009-12-25T04:08:00.017-07:00

We took the kids to have breakfast with Santa last Saturday at the club. We couldn't get over how many families showed up and needless to say the line to see Santa and Mrs. Claus was so long that we didn't get to see him. The coolest thing happened though as we came home before heading to Hunter's soccer game for the morning. Santa was walking in our neighborhood and Hailey & Rylan got to see him and tell him just what they wanted him to bring them from the North Pole! It was very exciting for Rylan and he couldn't wait to tell his Daddy when he came home. Joshua's best friend Daniel went with us to breakfast and I got the cutest picture of them both wearing reindeer antlers and a cherry lifesaver on their nose. They walked around the club and got a few good laughs from the other kids that were there. Daniel and Joshua have know each other since we got here 2 years ago. They have been in the same classes together since 2nd grade and both play indoor and outdoor soccer. Daniel's mom coaches their team. It's been really exciting to go to their games and see the both of them play. The two of them are asked all the time if they are brothers and they just grin and say no. Even though these two aren't related, they do have a friendship that bonds them together as brothers.

Happy Birthday Josh and Marcus

2009-12-25T04:05:00.006-07:00

Joshua and Marcus, who is our neighbor both have their birthday's the first week of December. So Kristine (Marcus's mom) and I thought it would be fun to celebrate both of them together. We had it over at the Weasel's Den. I made their cake, which turned out to be YUMMY! I'm getting really good at this cake decorating thing that I may go into business here in Misawa. LOL It beats what you get from the commissary bakery. They are usually dry and the frosting is just not that good. Anyways...it was a fun day...Happy Birthday Josh & Marcus!

Joshua turned 10 and Marcus turned 8

Blowing out the candles....

A few of Joshua's friends that he invited to his party.

Squadron Party

2009-12-25T03:59:00.007-07:00

Mark and I attended his squadron Christmas Party this year. It was rather early to 'Tis the Season given that his squadron was notified the Friday of that they were having an inspection the following Monday with UCI team from Hawaii since they were missed back in October due to deployments. So needless to say, the entire squadron worked all weekend but was able to take time out from work and attend the dinner if you had bought a ticket. It was nice to get dressed up and see good friends at this event, but as usual the food wasn't that great as well as the door prizes and games that were played. Mark and I were bummed that our ticket number wasn't called the entire night. Though we did get a call from Joshua to come home early. He was complaining of a headache and not feeling good. Needless to say it was the beginning of ALL the kids getting sick and starting off the following with all of them home with the flu. It's that time of year!

Gobble Gobble

2009-12-25T03:56:00.006-07:00

Rylan and I went and had Thanksgiving lunch with Hailey. The whole first grade put on a Thanksgiving play. The kids were divided up in groups and assigned a part. Hailey asked Mrs. Crawford at the beginning of the week if she could be a pilgrim man. Mrs. Crawford told her, she could be whatever she wanted to be. So, the day of the luncheon I looked for her and found that she was the only girl among the group of Pilgrim Men (which was all boys)! I just laughed and thought it was the GREATEST thing she could have ever done! I asked her while we were eating lunch why she wanted to be a pilgrim man and she said, all her friends were in that group and that's where she wanted to be. That's my girl...loves to be rough & tough, but a girly girl too!

My Pilgrim Man caught the Turkey...one of my favorite pictures of Hailey & Rylan

Happy Thanksgiving....Gobble Gobble!

Fall Colors

2009-12-25T03:42:00.011-07:00

Just a few pictures of a farming area here in Misawa...very beautiful in the Fall

Rice Fields
Got Milk???

Cows in the fields

Flat Stanley came to visit

2009-12-25T03:36:00.005-07:00

Sydney and Lauren sent Flat Stanley to Misawa, Japan. We enjoyed having him. Hailey & Rylan got a kick out of taking him around Misawa and fixing a box for Sydney and Lauren's class about the things Flat Stanley did while he was here.

This is us leaving to head out to Miss Vedol's Beach.

At Miss Vedol's beach, we got some sand and put it in a bag to send to California

This is Hailey by some flowers on a Japanese farm

This is the 100 yen store which is like the American $1.00 store.

Of course, we couldn't miss going through the drive thru and getting and ice cream cone at McDonald's. This employee had no problem letting me take her picture at the window holding Flat Stanley!

Thanks Syd & Lauren this was a lot of fun

Monkey turns 4

2009-12-25T02:36:00.015-07:00

My little monkey Rylan turned 4 in October...I can't believe how much he has grown up in the two years we have been gone from the states! He started preschool in September and absolutely LOVES it! In the 3 short months he's been going, his handwriting skills have really picked up. This kid loves to write and always has a little notebook and pencil with him everywhere we go. I think he sees me with my list when we run errands that it has rubbed off on him! I made Race Car cupcakes and we took them to school where his class sang Happy Birthday to him. I have to say that being 4 is an awesome age for little ones. They are becoming little people that can think for themselves and have an opinion. Sometimes those little comments can just make your day. I have really enjoyed being at home with Rylan over the last two years. We truly have had some great little moments together.

Here are some random things Rylan has said this year....

Just this morning....Holy French Fry, I got a bike from Santa!
Asta wa we sta Babe, (Asta la vista, Baby)
Mom we need more Hookers! Hookers...as I laughed...yeah you know hookers for the Christmas ornaments!
I love you Mommy.
Who wants to ride with Daddy? I don't !
No it's a bird, no it's a crow !

Rylan's Favorite things to do....

Play with his Geo Trax train and Thomas the Trains.
Play with all of his Disney Race cars.
Loves putting jigsaw puzzles together.
Having books read to him and reading them himself.
Cuddles with mommy on the couch when watching Sesame Street.
Riding his bike
Likes to cook in the kitchen and just be a good little helper
Loves monkeys and being a MONKEY!

Happy Birthday to ME...

2009-12-25T02:02:00.006-07:00

October brings my birthday and this year I turned the big 38...and the goal I had set for myself last year was to strengthen my endurance in long distance running and to have better health. I am proud to say I achieved both of my goals. I lost a total of 35 lbs starting October 2008, and by the time December rolled around I lost another 5! This was really huge for me and I have my eyes set on another 25 for the upcoming year! It did take me a year to work myself back into running. I owe my motivation to some GREAT ladies, Janeen, Ginger, Belinda, Rose, & Taryn and of course MARK! They were my rock that kept going when I asked myself...why am I doing this? So to celebrate my birthday, instead of going out to dinner, I asked them to run the Breast Cancer 5K with me on the base! It's hard to believe that a year ago, I was so out of shape and could barley do 5 minutes on an elliptical. Now, I am able to run 3.1 miles! Going to the gym is part of my regular daily routine. Even if I can't stay to lift weights I do make the attempt to get there and do cardio for an hour! My goal for this race was to finish in 37 minutes and I finished in 35! Excited to see what 2010 brings.

Me and Belinda ran the 5K together

Finished in 35m 35s

Other great friends who came out and ran the race

Me and Ginger after the race

Are you ready for some F O O T B A L L

2009-12-25T01:43:00.007-07:00

Joshua played flag football for the first time this fall. It was fun to see him excel at another sport! This kid has truly been blessed with athleticism. No matter what sport this kid plays, he is a dedicated player and gives 110% every time. I will say, I do have to humble him at times and bring him back down to earth when show boats. But for the most part, he is great team player, leader, and go getter. He knows how to light the fire under his team mates and get their heads back into the game. It truly is going to be a highlight for both Mark and I to see where his athleticism leads in life. His team finished the season only winning 3 games out of just playing 10. It seemed like the last 5 games, the team started to gel and they were all comfortable playing with each other. In Joshua's last game he scored 2 touchdowns, a 2 point conversion and rushed for 160 yards all from the center-sneak position. Now...what that all means in the world of football, I have no idea...but his last game was exciting they won and did it in OVERTIME!

What happened to October & November?

2009-10-22T00:43:00.014-06:00

Well I guess you have figured out that I have been a busy lady lately. I am so behind on my blogging and with the year is ready to come to an end. I had to get a few last thoughts written before my memory expunges them all. I have promised myself with 2010 upon us to be better about keeping it updated. October and November came and went...though we were really busy, I did manage to capture a few pictures. October brought International Scout Day. This is a big day here in Japan. Being the Committee Chair for our Cub Scout Pack it put me on the planning committee along with my leaders to help plan, coordinate and execute this day. I have to say it was a GREAT day for the time and energy we put in to it. We were in charge of the registration table and 4 games. There were 600+ scouts and their parents/leaders and 100 girl/boy scouts from Misawa. Most of the Japanese scouts came from Northern Honshu.

The day began with registration and opening ceremonies to include the Japanese and American anthems sung by some brave little scouts. The American scouts greeted the Japanese scouts at the door with waves and smiles.

Here are a few of our boys from Pack 9 waiting for opening cermonies to get started.

We had rotating game stations every 10 minutes for about 1 1/2 hours. There were lots of fun games and everyone enjoyed interacting with the Japanese. It is amazing how much fun we can have despite the language barrier. Smiles and laughter were generous at game time.

Lunch offered a traditional American hot dog, chips, a drink, and a cupcake. Lunch entertainment showcased the American Taiko performers from Misawa and some of the Japanese troops .

After lunch we exchanged trinkets, food, and uniform accessories. Joshua made out...he was able to exchange his American Bear slide for a really cool Japanese Slide.

This is Joshua and his friend Marcus with one of the Japanese Scouts they met in their group.

Just thought the Japanese Girl Scout uniforms were adorable and these ladies graciously let me take their picture.

After the exchange, we did a tug of war....

The Japanese really get into it and practice- you can tell. Traditionally the Japanese adults beat the American adults..... except for this year. We won it!!!

At closing ceremonies, we did a gift exchanges and kudos. We gave them insulated mugs with "Misawa" printed on them and the two country flags. Also we included a Christmas ornament and some chocolate. One of our scout leaders did a great job stamping the card and bag.

While we were cleaning up it started to pour rain and then stopped almost instantly, like a black cloud passed over. When me & my girlfriend left the building, we both saw this beautiful rainbow. Of course my camera was put up, so I borrowed her picture to share and have as a memory of this day...thanks Ginger!

More to come.....

2009-10-02T08:58:00.006-06:00

Yes, yes, yes I know...I'm behind...still have more pictures to post from our summer and we are well into Fall...I'll get caught up, just wait and see! I think I have been busier more in the last 5 weeks then I was over the summer....time is flying by and the days on this assignment are getting shorter...so hard to believe! Stay tuned

It's time for Summer Break...

2009-07-28T12:46:00.031-06:00

What a great year for Hunter, Joshua, & Hailey. I had the opportunity make a slide show for Hailey’s kindergarten class of their entire year of activities. One of those activities was a fun day on the playground with me and my camera. As you can see from the pictures above, we had quite a fun time taking our group pictures. I was glad I had the opportunity to make a special memory for all of them of their first year in school. Ms. Turner was a fantastic teacher! Joshua and I spent the last few weeks of school working on Miss Piggy. Miss Piggy was his end of the year Pinata project he had to complete for Spanish. I’m sure you all can agree with me that when these projects come home usually we are the ones finding ourselves doing the project for them. With this one though, I have to give credit to Joshua for coming up with the idea of Miss Piggy after he paper mached his balloon. Though, I was the one that ended up hot gluing and burning my finger each time I glued a piece of pink tissue paper onto her body. She turned out rather cute and we had a few laughs while working on her. Joshua also participated in his 3rd grade Spelling Bee and got 2nd place overall! Hunter graduated from 6th grade and was awarded for his time serving on Safety Patrol. I realized this year was a growing year for him and I think we can all agree that we had one of those years in elementary school. I know mine was 4th grade when my dad was gone to Turkey for the year. Man how I hated him being gone! I think Hunter’s year was somewhat like that with Mark being deployed. I am really proud of how he persevered and got through the few bumps he had. I know he learned a lot about responsibility this year and is maturing into a remarkable young man. I know he is ready for the year to be over and just have a nice relaxing summer!

City Life in Tokyo

2009-07-28T12:46:00.014-06:00

DISCLAIMER: please do not copy, reproduce, or sale any pictures from this album. All rights are reserved and owned by Melissa Crew.

Coach Mark

2009-07-28T12:45:00.004-06:00

Coach Mark....a great FRIEND, a great MENTOR, a great COACH, and a great DAD! Great memories for Hunter & Mark...finished the season 10-1, what else could you ask for!

Hailey and the Blue Spys

2009-07-12T09:22:00.008-06:00

Hailey trying to get that ball...

Hailey scoring her first goal ever...

Coach Ryan coming to give her a high five!

Hailey and her friend Savannah, Coach Ryan's daughter! Savannah was one of the first girlfriends she met when we moved her to Misawa.

Hailey had a GREAT soccer season with Coach Ryan and the Blue Spys! She scored her first soccer goal ever and was quite proud that her Daddy was at her game to see it. Mark was not able to be at a lot of her games because he was coaching Hunter's team and their games overlapped. Hailey's confidence and skills has improved since last season when she would just sit down in the middle of the game if she got tired or just walk off the field. I think playing indoor soccer helped as well as she has matured quite a bit and starting to understand the basics of playing! She definitely has her brother Joshua's drive and seriousness about playing. She's a great little hustler and is not shy about getting after the ball! It's going to be exciting to see her grow up playing this sport. I know her Daddy will be pleased! Thanks Coach Ryan for being a great coach this season. We are looking forward to next year!

Joshua's Soccer Season

2009-07-12T08:13:00.016-06:00

Hunter's Soccer Season

2009-06-05T22:33:00.007-06:00

What a great soccer season for Hunter! They finished their season 6-2. Mark was able to coach Hunter's team. It was a group of boys & girls ages 11-13, that were very talented. Mark is looking forward to coaching them all again next year. Hunter played defender and had a few break aways towards their goal and almost scored. Above is one of those break aways that my neighbor's son captured for me since I was sick with bronchitis. What a great capture of Hunter in mid-air!

Why a 3 year old doesn't need GUM

2009-06-02T05:52:00.002-06:00

Rylan's new "big boy" thing he likes to do is to go in my purse and seek out GUM, and it can not be what he calls "HOT GUM" (cinnamon gum). A mother's worst nightmare is discovering it in inappropriate places such as hair, the back seat of your car stuck to the seat, the carpet, or in between the bed sheets. Better yet, Rylan's favorite, his tummy! He likes to swallow it no matter how many times I tell when he is finished chewing it to spit it out. I think the best I have experienced with him was on this day at the Spelling Bee finals for Joshua. Reluctantly letting him have a piece, thinking he would swallow it he discovered that he could pull it out of his mouth and make it like a "long piece of spaghetti" (his words not mine). I just laughed when I capture this moment of Rylan playing with his spaghetti. Needless to say, he eventually dropped it on the floor, picked it up and put it back in his mouth. My girlfriend Belinda was with me at the Spelling Bee and saw what he did and made him go and spit it out! Let me assure you, life with this 3 year never has a dull moment.

Miss Hailey Sueanna

2009-05-30T23:34:00.006-06:00

Hailey let me take some pictures of her Mother's Day weekend out by my girlfriend Belinda's cherry blossom tree. It bloomed late after the snow we had the weekend of the Cherry Blossom festival. Most of the trees that had blossomed didn't stay blossomed long so I missed getting pictures this year. I guess there's always next year. Belinda and I had been talking about her tree and how pretty it was so I grabbed Hailey and capture the moment. I can't believe she is at the end of her kindergarten year here in Misawa and will be 6 in September! She has grown up so much since we left the states. Even though she is the ONLY girl among her brothers and the boys that live here on our corner, I love that she likes to be a girly girl. I will mentioned Mark had lunch with her the other day and they sat down with all the boys she plays with at recess. Mark thought for a moment and laughed, "What is wrong with this picture?"

The Training Wheels are Off...

2009-05-27T08:43:00.014-06:00

The training wheels came off of Hailey's bike on Monday. We had gone to Hunter's soccer game on Saturday and her little friend was there with her bike. Knowing Hailey like I do, she just wasn't going to settle knowing her friend was doing something she wasn't doing. So, she took upon herself and got on Iris's bike and just began riding it like she had been doing it for the last year. I looked down the soccer field as to where she was and all I saw was this big grin on her face from ear to ear. So, Monday came around and with much persistence from Hailey, Mark took her training wheels off and she has been non-stop riding it ever since. It's the first thing she wants to do the minute she gets out of school. Can't believe my little girl is growing up!

A Poem From Me to You

2009-05-23T19:44:00.008-06:00

Melissa My Mother

Mother of four
Everything I need
Loving parent
Incredible Mom
Safe to be by
Super Mom
Access to a hug

Mother

Your name is Melissa and you like to love
To me you're like a dove
You're really kind
And you always speak your mind
You're the best and that's no lie
But sometimes you ask me why, why, why

Melissa

A mother is a happy person
She loves me in lots of ways
A mother has lots of things
I need to live each day

Wind

A walk in the fall
With wind whistling
I come home to my mother

This a collection of poems Joshua wrote for me for Mother's Day 2009

Changing things Around

2009-05-23T19:03:00.016-06:00

Hey there, well I've gotten bored with the design on my blog, so I am designing my own. It's been real interesting reading about "html" codes and how to design your own background. It was something I became interested in after seeing other blog pages with cute designs on them and I wanted to teach myself how to create one. So, it's become something that has consumed me and is a process in the making. I am going to have to put it aside this week and finish working on a slide show that I am doing for Ms. Turner (Hailey's kindergarten teacher) of her class this year. Mark was a bit disappointed that I wouldn't do pictures for his soccer team this year. I did explain that I just have too many other projects on my plate and didn't want to deal with the editing & proofing of the pictures, ya know that can be time consuming. He understood as a loving husband should...LOL. Though with the busyness of our schedules these days, I did have one of the best Mother's Day weekend and we did manage to get a family picture taken! The kids took Mark shopping and they came home with a beautiful arrangement of flowers, some new workout clothes, & Joshua came downstairs Sunday morning and made me breakfast and gave me a book of poems that he wrote all himself. I have to give thanks that I was blessed to be a mom to these four wonderful children Mark & I have. Yes, they all have their growing pains and their days I have stood in my kitchen at the very moment I'm having a growing pain with one of them and remember how my mother handle ALL the growing pains I gave her. She has always been a wonderful example of a Mother, a Leader, and A Strong Woman. I am ever so grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me with my Mother. She is the best Mom. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to give her a big hug & kiss in person this year on Mother's Day! That's the hard part about being overseas!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T05:47:00.018-06:00

Indoor Soccer

2009-04-25T23:32:00.004-06:00

2009-04-25T23:29:00.002-06:00

Hunter, Joshua, and Hailey all played indoor soccer this winter. They actually played this before basketball. I was sure glad they had something to do during winter since it is bitter cold and we have tons of snow. It also kept us busy and passed the time away while Mark was gone. They did have a tot league for Rylan but it was up to parents of the kids that were playing to run the practices and they didn't play any games. It wasn't worth the cost of $45 plus I didn't have the time to put into the practices. So, Rylan tagged along with me mostly to Hailey's practice and I would practice kicking the ball with him over on the slide lines while waiting for Hailey's practice to get done. I have to tell ya that if he could have gotten out there to play with Hailey he sure would have. He is not far behind them all! Hunter and Hailey had a pretty good season but Joshua's team dominated his age group and Joshua had an exceptional season of scoring 13 goals over seven weeks of games. The Galaxy Dragons were undefeatable. As their last game approached, I think they got a bit cocky and thought they didn't have to play as hard as they did all season. The first half they found themselves behind 3-0 and had to come out after half time and play catch up. It was a VERY exciting game! I felt like I was back in high school at a basketball game when we were down by one with 30 seconds left on the clock and it's tense, the crowd is screaming and parents are sitting on the edge of their seats biting their finger nails. I couldn't sit still and eventually had to get up and walk around. Once the buzzer finally sounded, the excitement that electrified the gym, quickly dissipated at our end of the sidelines for I knew and the kids knew they didn't get that last goal to win. They fought their way back into the game and lost 3-2. The disappointment on all their little faces was a sad sight to see. Though it was a good learning experience for them all to taste the sting of lose. The good thing is, they are all back together again with Coach Knolla and Coach Ryan for spring soccer and already are 2-0 for the season.

It's just a "Barrel of Monkeys"

2009-04-25T22:42:00.009-06:00

We were at the Pinewood Derby this year and Rylan found a group of girls he sat down with and began playing with their "Barrel of Monkeys". I don't how many times he rebuilt the monkeys connecting each arm ever so carefully to see how long of a monkey chain he could make. I love his concentration and the fact it occupied him for a little bit at the derby.

The Geography Bee

2009-04-25T20:48:00.006-06:00

While Joshua & Hailey were playing basketball, Hunter was concentrating on the Geography Bee. Sollars Elementary participates in the National Geographic Geography Bee each year. Hunter was one of the 3 finalist from 6th grade to make the finals for the school this year. There were three rounds that he had to compete in to determined who would be the final winner and go on to the next level which would compete against all of the DOD's schools here in the Pacific. That winner would then go to Washington and compete their nationally. There were a total of 8 finalist from 4th to 6th grade. Hunter won the first two rounds and got an automatic in to the final round. The final round came down to him and a 5th grade girl who barely escaped being able to advance to the final round. In her round it took 30 minutes to determine who would go up against Hunter. Oh it took forever! Finally, the final round started. They were each asked 3 questions. The girl won the first question, both attempted the second question and missed it. The third question, she couldn't answer and passed on it. Hunter answered it and would have gotten it right if they were asking for the name of the island Cuba and not the name of the civilization that resided on the island of Cuba back in 750 A.D. He misunderstood the question. He did ask them to repeat the question, but said afterwards, he knew he was in the ballpark but wasn't 100% sure so he guessed. We both don't remember the actual question and how it was worded but he did know he could have answered it either way. So he guessed Cuba. The final answer was the Aztec Civilization. I have to say I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was very nerve racking but a proud moment to hear his classmates cheer his name and to see him excel in a subject area he loves. History of any short has always been interest of his. For coming in second place, he won a $15.00 gift card from the Base Exchange, 1 free movie pass, and 1 free meal from the food court. (I do have pictures coming)

The San Antonio Spurs

2009-04-25T20:18:00.004-06:00

Joshua played basketball again this season. He moved up to the bigger league this year because he turned 9. As a mom I was a bit concerned at first because he's still growing and not very tall, but of course that was not an issue at all for him. I learned rather quickly that Joshua can hang with the big boys. He rotated playing positions between point guard and shooting guard. His quickness and agility allowed him to get back on defense quickly and block a few shots by stealing the ball or standing tall and taking the foul. The team as a whole played and gel together very well but did have a losing season, I'm sad to report. Joshua had two great coaches that took the time to teach them all teamwork, sportsmanship, and all the basics of basketball. It too was a fun season as they did rally back a few games.

Basketball...our first season

2009-04-25T20:00:00.003-06:00

Hailey played basketball for the first time this winter. I was excited to see if she inherited any of my basketball genes and happy to say she does have potential. At the beginning of the season, she complained she did not like playing for the most part because she did not understand how the game was played. But by the time daddy got home and was able to see her last game, she said she liked playing. She learned to play all positions, defense, dribble and shoot! Though her team lost every game, they tried hard and made drastic improvements from the scoreboard being turned off once the other team reached 30 to getting at least 15 points on the scoreboard during a game. It was a fun season!

My AIG Rant....

2009-03-18T07:56:00.003-06:00

...when Pres. Reagen signed his $750 billion dollar economic stimulus plan in 1981, it SNAPPED the US economy out of it's recession. When you hire a man who was not paying his taxes to be in charge of the IRS, and Treasury Dept. what do you expect? I don't think our economy will be SNAPPING back anytime soon…what a great first 57 days in office Pres. Obama! I think NOW it’s TIME for CHANGE!

Tagged...I'm it!

2009-03-15T22:28:00.014-06:00

Yes, I appreciate getting "tagged" among the blogging world, but man it makes you think! This was hard.

20 years ago......

1:I had reconstruction knee surgery on my right knee for a torn ACL.

2: I graduated from high school and was figuring out where to go to college.

3: My mom & dad bought me a brand new car, Volkswagen Fox.

10 years ago......

1: I had Joshua on December 1, 2009

2: We moved from McClellan AFB, CA to Hill AFB, UT.

3: Worked for the Department of Education scoring State Assessment Test in Sacramento, CA.

5 years ago.......

1: We were stationed at Shaw AFB, SC.

2: I met my best friend April Schmidt.

3: Started thinking about building our house, which we did the following year.

3 years ago......

1: Mark made Master Sergeant...nice pay raise!

2: I had, have & DONE having 4 children, Hunter, Joshua, Hailey & Rylan.

3: We were living in a new house we built.

1 year ago.......

1: I left the United States for the first time ever and moved to Japan.

2: Accepted a calling as the music leader in Primary knowing that I couldn't sing a note, months later released to teach the CTR 7s.

3: Hired a mamsan to come and clean my house & do laundry each week for 50 yen.

This year so far......

1: Survived being a single mom for six months while Mark deployed to Iraq.

2: Met my neighbor Belinda who was my rock while Mark was gone.

3: I was hospitalized for strep throat...an abscessed tonsil is not fun to have!

Yesterday......

1: Washed & Folded Laundry

2: Made Pork Chops for dinner

3: Laughed with Rylan

Today.........

1: Helped Hailey with homework

2: Drove Mark's car to run errands

3: Saw Hunter & Josh playing on the playground when I drove by the school

Tomorrow........

1: Go to the gym

2: Attempt to clean out "old toys" in the toy room

3: Will see the kids off to school

In the Next Year.......

1: Decide if we are going to extend another year in Japan

2: Get my tonsils out in June

3: See my family

I tag Tiffany, Amy N., and Cece....have fun!

Welcome Home Daddy

2009-03-12T07:55:00.003-06:00

Waiting Patiently....

They see the plane landing....

The plane pulled right up to the hanger...Rylan said, That is the biggest, biggest, plane EVER in the WORLD Mommy...we were front row!

2009-03-12T07:48:00.006-06:00

Mark's plane landing and pullling up to the hanger.....

The previous picture doesn't do justice on how big the plane was...you can see why Rylan said, That's the biggest, biggest, plane EVER in the world, Mommy! We were front row, just right behind the group of guys in the picture ready to go out an greet the plane.

Our good friends Chris and Simone Hudson. First time Chris has seen his daughter. Simone had Dannica September 30, just 10 days after they deployed!

2009-03-12T07:39:00.009-06:00

On the couch later that day, Mark & Rylan napping and Hailey hanging out watching tv...all the kids were excited to see their daddy, but I have to say Rylan was beside himself that his daddy was home and not getting on that BIG airplane again...at least for awhile!

We are soooo HAPPY to have Mark home safe and sound! He deployed on September 20, 2008 to Joint Air Base Balad, Iraq and returned home to Misawa AB, Japan on March 1, 2009. What a sweet homecoming it was....

Where did February go???

2009-03-11T07:23:00.004-06:00

Yes, February has come and gone, but it is a month that is not FORGOTTEN! It's a month that I am blogging to be the worst month of sickness in the Crew household to date. The end of January started off with Josh having strep throat...he got over his rather quickly, but the germ bug linger needless to say and decided to stage a war in my left tonsil that hospitalized me for 4 days! Life literally stopped for me when I was in the ER being told I was being admitted because my left tonsil became abscessed and they needed to drain it. I was just beside myself when I thought, how has this happened, I just came here to get something stronger then the normal Vitamin M (Motrin) that is handed out for pain and now I am being told I'm being admitted! Good friends are so hard to find, but I will have to admit I have found the best while being away from family and best friends in the states. My neighbor Belinda and girlfriend JoAnne along with friends from church all came to the rescue. I owe my life to this group of people who willing just stepped up to help! Knowing that the kids were in great hands it put my mind at ease for the four days I was getting better. The doctors decided to try stronger antibiotics through an i.v. for 24 hours to see if that would grab hold of the infection before attempting to drain it. And what a great blessing it was that they tried the antibiotics first...I responded really well so they didn't have to knock me out to drain my tonsil. I just hung out at the hospital until Monday with an i.v. in my arm as it pumped drugs into my body. Once I got home, it took me a good three weeks to get back on my routine and to get my strength back. The antibiotics I was taking when I got home, 2000 mlg a day, yes that's 2000, really knock me on my butt that I found myself napping in the afternoon and going to bed at 8:00 when the kids went to bed. So with that being said, I have now become a candidate for getting my tonsils out since I have such a bad history of strep throat. I'm looking to do that sometime in June when Mark is on leave.
Once that ordeal was behind me, I came home to Hailey having a head cold and Rylan with a nasty, nasty sinus infection and Josh came down with strep throat AGAIN the following week. Hunter was the lucky one and has escaped any type of sickness this entire winter. As you can imagine, the month went by rather quickly and before we knew it Mark was calling us to tell us he would be home March 1, 2009. How exciting was that breath fresh air of news....FINALLY the Light was at the end of the TUNNEL!

It's Me

2009-01-05T09:07:00.006-07:00

OK Dad, this is for you...Josh was playing around with my camera and snapped a few pictures of me since I'm always the one taking the pictures. They turned out pretty decent so I thought I'd post them since you didn't get to see me on the family Christmas card and if I had a recent picture of Mark I would post it too. Not much has changed in the year I have been gone except probably my hair color...a little more grey and I've gone with red highlights and think I'm going to stick with this color for awhile. I really like it! I am back to running in the gym on the treadmill...up to 3 miles and have to say I'm REALLY excited about that accomplishment...before you know it, Stephanie and I will be running a marthon together when I get back to the states!

The Crippled Lamb

2009-01-05T08:32:00.007-07:00

My girlfriend Joy told me about this Christmas story a few Christmas's ago. It has become one of our favorites to read during the Christmas season. It's a wonderful story about the birth of Christ as seen through the eyes of Joshua, a lamb that has been crippled since birth. Not only does the author focus upon the true meaning of Christmas, but he teaches yet a simple but very important lesson about life...we all have a purpose. You will love this book, it too will become one of your favorites to have during the Christmas season!

Christmas Morning

2009-01-05T08:15:00.004-07:00

Joshua was the first up Christmas morning...7:30 am...which was nice, though Hunter, Hailey, Rylan and myself could have slept a bit longer. I went down first to get the camera and eventually called them down. You can see from the video the excitement of them all! They played for a good 45 minutes with their toys from Santa before we started opening gifts. It was fun to watch Rylan open his, he took his time and would open one gift at a time, check out what he got before moving on to the next. This was a fun year for him because he is beginning to understand who Jesus is and why we celebrate his birth. Enjoy the video, it's not the best, I had to put down the camera in the middle of it because Rylan fell down and started crying, but I was able to catch Hailey say a cute comment about her "Pink" dollhouse. If you listen closely over Rylan's crying you can here it.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-05T07:09:00.008-07:00

Christmas Eve was exciting and fun as you can imagine. After running around most of the morning and making cookie dough for Santa's cookies in the afternoon, I quickly found myself making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, which is one of the kids favorite meals. Hailey couldn't eat fast enough and get in the bath so she could open the one present we let them open on Christmas Eve. So, after cleaning up and baths, we gathered around the Christmas tree and Hunter, Joshua, Hailey & Rylan opened their Christmas PJ's they get every year. This year, I let them open their gift from the Given gang in California who sent Webkinz. Webkinz are the new beanie baby from my generation. It's a virtual reality stuffed animal. Hunter got a peguin, Josh a dolphin, Hailey a "PINK" a poodle, (notice the word PINK...it's her favorite color) and Rylan a golden retriever who he named, Duke! Now realizing my mind was elsewhere, I didn't take any pictures of them in their PJ's with their new Webkinz before they went to bed...maybe I can back track and reenact Christmas Eve...I still have the tree up! Anyways, we read a book which has become one of our favorite Christmas stories, "The Crippled Lamb" had hot chochlate, cookies, and a Christmas movie before they went to bed. Joshua, Hailey, & Rylan were out the minute they hit the pillow, but Hunter on the other hand had a hard time settling down. I left him in his room watching a movie and threaten Christmas morning should he go downstairs. He FINALLY fell off to sleep and all of a sudden I heard Santa's sleigh and 8 tiny reindeer. I sat up in the bed, I heard a bit of a scuffle at the door of Santa trying to get in, that darn magic key just wasn't his friend. So, I went downstairs to help him in and stepped aside quickly so he could begin. Santa brought a"PINK" dollhouse and furniture for Hailey, a Wii for the boys, and a Geo Trax airport & two trains for Rylan. The stockings were filled, the cookies were eaten, and the reindeer were fed before Santa got his sled and flew out of site saying Merry Christmas to All and to All of Good Night!

Snow....More Snow.....

2008-12-28T08:44:00.003-07:00

And Even More Snow!

2008-12-28T08:40:00.004-07:00

Well these pictures don't even begin to tell the story as to just how much snow we have had since December 22. It only tells the beginning! These are pictures from the beginning of the week. The kids and our neighbors had a blast playing out in the snow and making snow forts that eventually led to being their hide out as they preceded to engage in a snowball fight with the other neighbor kids across the street! It was quite a site to watch...needless to say, Hailey & Rylan got smart and came inside. Well, it continued to snow again into the night and pretty much throughout the rest of the week. Yes, it was nice to have a white Christmas but these last three days it has been non-stop and unbearable weather conditions to even go out in. The high has only been 28 degrees F with a windchill of 13 degrees F. We have had at least 2 feet of snow and it's still coming down and doesn't look like it's going to let up at all next week. After checking the weather report, we have a chance of snow everyday. I guess as the addage goes when you arrive here in the winter...Welcome to Misawa, enjoy the snow...you'll have it until March!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T04:11:00.006-07:00

今日は, Konnichiwa, Hello and greetings from Misawa, Japan! We hope this letter finds all of you doing well and enjoying the holiday season with your family. We have had a very busy year ourselves and can’t believe we just hit our one year mark of being here in Misawa. Time has flown by so fast. I will admit it’s been a little tough especially during this holiday time being away from Mark, family and friends. Though we are very grateful for the opportunities and blessings this assignment has brought to us for it has opened many doors that may have not gotten opened if we had not accepted this assignment to Japan. This truly has been another testament of how the Lord has a plan for all of us and will plant you where he wants you. There is a time and season for everything; we just have to be patient as things unfold.
Well if you haven’t heard, Mark has been away from us for the last 3 months. He is currently doing a tour over in Iraq and is due home sometime next year. Thank you to all of you that has kept him in your prayers, sent him cards, letters, and packages. You don’t know how much that keeps his spirits up. Though he has to be away during the holidays, we understand and our grateful he is serving our country and protecting the very freedoms we all cherish. Hunter, Joshua, & Hailey understand why he’s gone, but to hear Rylan say when asked, “Where is Daddy?” and replies, “In Iraq, helping.” just makes my heart melt that he has a sense as to where and why his Daddy is gone! Mark is able to call twice a week. He has also been sending home a package about every other week of him on DVD reading a book. The USO sponsors this program called United Through Reading where it gives troops the opportunity to read a book and be recorded reading it. Then the DVD and book is mailed home to their family. So, Mark has been going over to the USO trailer on his day off making us DVD’s. The kids have really enjoyed getting a new book in the mail from him as well as being able to see him and hear his voice on a regular basis. I have gotten enjoyment seeing their faces light up when they see him on the DVD and follow along in the book as he reads it to them. Especially that little Rylan, he tries so hard to keep up with turning the pages!

The kids are growing up so fast…Hunter and Joshua are now 11 and 9, Hailey is 5 and Rylan is 3. They are all enjoying school! Being in a DOD’s school has brought great educational opportunities for the boys and Hailey. Hunter was selected from his class to compete in the Geography B finals in January. Here he will compete among his peers and continue on to District should he win. He is looking forward to the competition and has been studying and reading the newspaper in his extra time. I laugh to myself when I see him reading the newspaper because he reminds me of my mom, Grammy Barbie when he reads it…lies on the couch and has 3 or 4 newspapers to catch up on! (LOL) Hunter completed all of his requirements as a Weblos Scout and has crossed over to Boy Scouts and still playing soccer. He’s enjoying his season playing in the 11-14 year old league with this being his first year of playing in this league, he is learning a lot and having fun!
Joshua is playing indoor soccer too! It is such a treat to watch him play soccer as well as any sport because everything comes so natural for him. He is on great team this season and they are currently undefeated. Joshua was elected Mayor at school in November by his peers. We had weeks of campaigning and Hunter quickly stepped up and said he would be Joshua’s campaign manager since he knows so much about history and had just completed a unit on the electoral college. I just laughed when standing in the kitchen making lunches the morning of that conversation! Joshua is also learning Spanish as well as Japanese. He can speak both languages rather well and always has a hand in helping me with my Japanese when we are off base He has a few laughs at my expense when I say the wrong thing in Japanese…and let me tell ya I have made my share of mistakes!

Since moving here and starting kindergarten, Hailey has come out of her shyness bubble and knows everyone she sees wherever we go! She’s become my little social butterfly. I spent the summer working on her reading skills and was so proud of her starting the school year reading. All of her hard work has paid off and her teacher just moved her up to the next reading level before the Thanksgiving break! She was so excited to show me her new reader that had more than one sentence on the page to read! She grinned from ear to ear when she came home. I also signed Hailey up to play indoor soccer. Her Daddy would be so proud to see how aggressive she is going after the ball and how good of a goalie she is. Just last week the team they played scored a lot of goals and the only quarter they didn’t score a goal was the quarter Hailey was the goalie! I love that she can be rough and tough but also a little lady when she needs to be.

Mark will be coming home to a different little boy then what he knew when he left! Rylan is now a “big boy” like his brothers. He walks like a big boy, talks like a big boy and he lets you know, “I’m not a baby, I’m a BIG BOY!” He really has become “the” 3 year old toddler. After Mark left, Rylan learned how to go potty on the potty, climb the cabinets, make water messes whether it’s in the sink or the bathtub, ride his bike, started preschool, knows all his numbers, is learning his letters and letter sounds AND would play soccer if they had a league for 3 year olds. Maybe I should start one and be his coach! He loves Thomas the Train and could tell you everything and anything about Thomas along with Lighting McQueen and TowMater from Disney Cars. The kid just doesn’t miss a beat and tries so hard to keep up with the other three. Even though he’s now a big boy, he will always be my baby!
As for myself, I have taken up the hobby of photography and enjoying every minute I have behind the camera of capturing those special moments of the kids. Those moments are priceless memories that I will have forever. We are ever so busy as you can imagine, always on the go…but I am truly enjoying just being a mom and having the opportunity of being at home raising my kids. They are growing up before my eyes way too fast! With Mark being gone I have had ample time to reflect over the many blessings we have received over the last year, and there just isn’t enough words to describe how very grateful we both are. I love this time of year because it allows us to not only reflect upon the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ but also our own personal lives and blessings. We wish all of you the very best with the upcoming New Year. May all of you find Peace, Joy, Love, and Happiness as you celebrate this holiday season.

Love,
Mark, Melissa, Hunter, Joshua, Hailey & Rylan

Sweet Sweet Baby D

2008-11-21T05:25:00.007-07:00

Well I am just now getting around to posting these sweet pictures I took of my girlfriend, Simone's little girl that was born in October. Simone's husband is deployed with Mark and just missed Baby D being born. She is the first newborn baby I have ever photograph. I was rather surprised that she stayed awake through the entire time I took pictures of her. I still have got to find out what the trick is to get those cute pictures of newborns while they are asleep. Simone and I had a few laughs and tried everything to keep her asleep once she fell asleep! But the minute I would move her or put her down, those big beautiful eyes of her would pop open. Anyways, I know it will be an exciting day when her Daddy comes home and see her for the first time. What a special day that will be to capture through the lens! Thank you Simone for letting me be a part of this special time of your life. You sure do have a sweet princess!

Hey, If you see Jeff today...

2008-11-19T16:28:00.003-07:00

If you see Jeff today....wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you have a wonderful day....love the Gang in Japan!

May the Force Be With You....

2008-11-01T05:15:00.011-06:00

May the force be with you again this Halloween...as you can see the kids went again this year as Luke Skywalker~Hunter, Anakin~Joshua, Princess Leia~Hailey, Master Yoda~Rylan! Star Wars costumes were really popular here in Misawa this year...we saw alot of Storm Troopers and DarthVader's just missing was Chewbacca! I think we will see him next year if the kids go again as Star Wars characters...I am going to try to find Mark a Chewbacca costume...how fun will that be? We went trick-o-treating for about an hour through the neighborhood. The weather was perfect...a little cold but just enough that you could wear a light jacket. And if I can quote Hunter for the night,"It was a great Halloween!" We hope yours is too!

Simple and Sweet

2008-10-29T07:35:00.006-06:00

Ok Stephanie just as you asked...simple and sweet...Happy Birthday and I love you! Enjoy your day...and I'm counting down the days that we see each other next summer!

Apple Orchard

2008-10-28T18:24:00.007-06:00

2008-10-28T18:03:00.008-06:00

The kids were out of school on Columbus Day so my girlfriend Rose invited us to tag along with her kids up to Rokunohe Apple Orchard. Not sure of the town where it is located but it's about 30-45 minutes from Misawa. It was a gorgeous Fall day and fun for the kids to be together. Rose & Tyler have 4 kids too, 3 boys & a girl...Chole her daughter is her oldest, where Hailey is my 3rd...otherwise we would have the same birth order. All of our kids are about a month/two apart in age and just have the best time when they are together....Yes it's loud and can be overstimulating at times but Rose & I manage to hold the fort down when we are all together! We have had some really good laughs about the things our kids do. When we got there everyone was excited, especially Rylan & Tenny because they saw Thomas the train & James the tank engine. The train was actually a tractor decorated with Thomas & James on the front of it and it pulled a tram cart. Once we boarded and left, Rose & I thought we were getting a ride out to the apple trees instead our ride just took us around the perimeter of the farm...got to see great scenery but too short of a ride. We quickly arrived back to the front of the farm and the Japanese workers walked us out to the apple trees where the kids got to pick 3 apples a piece. So for 400 yen per kid (which is $4.00 US), we got a tractor ride, 3 apples a piece, great company & fall atmosphere! Though it was a short trip around the farm...it was a fun, especially for Rylan & Tenny to have bragging rites that they road Thomas the Train! We also packed a picnic lunch and stopped at a park on the way back. Rose brought a Halloween book to read to the kids as well as we sang a few Halloween songs before we let the kids loose to go play. I have pictures of the park that I still have to edit and hope to have them posted soon too. It was a beautiful park and enjoyable scenery. I am so glad we went!

Scobby Doo, Where are You?....at Hailey's Birthday!

2008-10-25T23:31:00.012-06:00

It's official Hailey has finally turned 5! Her birthday was September 26, 2008. She had her party on Saturday the 27 and it had to be a Scooby Doo birthday party! When I ordered her cake the cake decorator at the bakery was excited to decorate a Scooby Doo cake. She said, it's not a very popular cake that is ordered! I was glad to see she had a Scooby Doo cake kit cause it would have been the end of the world if Hailey didn't have a Scooby Doo cake. We played Scooby Doo bingo, made bracelets, and pass the balloon. It was a busy time here at the house I must say. Hailey got a lot of nice gifts from her friends but one of my favorites was the Scooby Doo purse she got from her little friend Savannah. It was a fun surprise to open and Hailey has gone anywhere without it since she has gotten it. I asked Savannah's mom where she got it and she had gotten while they were in Taiwan on clearance and had it in her birthday box to give as a gift. How cool was that!

Anyways, my baby girl is now a little girl who is growing up into a beautiful young lady. I appreciate so many things about you Hailey that I want tell you how proud I am of you and the things you that make you YOU:

I love that YOU learned how to read before starting kindergarten.
I love that YOU play with, read to, and help your little brother Rylan.
I love that YOU are learning how to ride your bike.
I love that sweet smile YOU have and goofy little laugh.
I love that YOU are a girly girl and like to fix your hair, paint your fingernails & toenails, wear dresses, and yet still be rough and tough with Hunter & Joshua.
I love that your a Daddy's girl and will always be.
I love that I am YOUR mommy and we are BEST FRIENDS!

Happy Birthday my sweet girl...YOU are my only one!

I'm so behind...

2008-10-25T23:27:00.003-06:00

As you can imagine since Mark left, I have gotten behind on my blogging. Shame on me...so I have spent this afternoon going through all the pictures I have taken since he left and hoping to get them posted and get caught up with this month! Life as a single parent has a whole new meaning for me these days.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2008-10-01T07:04:00.062-06:00

Even though you have been gone to various parts of the world over the last few years as well as spend many long hours at work and get many phone calls at all hours of the day and night...
And sometimes you can't tell us what is going on or where you are going when you have to suddenly leave...
We want you to know that we understand.
We want you to know we are grateful to you for serving our country and protecting the freedoms we so dearly cherish...
We want you to know how much you are loved not only by me, but by the four children who yell "daddy" and run up to you to give you a hug the minute you step foot in the door no matter what time it is...
You have many days that things weigh your mind, yet you are able to put your work behind you, come home and take the kids out back and start playing soccer with them or come in and ask "what can I do to help?"...
Not only was I blessed the day I met you, to see the wonderful man you are, but our children have been blessed to see what a wonderful father you are and showing them how a father and husband should be...
Thank you for all that you do...
Thanks for just being you!

We miss you, love you, and are praying for you!
Come home safely...
Melissa, Hunter, Joshua, Hailey, & Rylan

I had a Good day...

2008-09-13T07:31:00.008-06:00

CLICK on the arrow button TWICE in bottom left corner to PLAY

Last Friday, Hailey got a special box from Grammy Barbie. On Monday, which started Hailey's 2nd week of school, Hailey came home and told me all about how she had a good day. She wanted to call Grammy and tell her too the time difference didn't allow her to call. I suggested that we call her later in the evening our time but that didn't sit to well with her. After thinking about it for awhile she came to me and said she couldn't wait to call Grammy later so we came up with this idea to send Grammy Barbie a video message. She is wearing one of the outfits that was in the box Grammy sent her. Grammy picked out some really cute clothes for Hailey to start school in. They fit just PERFECT and yellow is such a pretty color on Hailey. Grammy's are just the BEST!

Watch how I ride my bike....

2008-09-13T05:50:00.017-06:00

CLICK on the arrow button TWICE in bottom left corner to PLAY

Rylan has finally learned how to peddle his three-wheeler...he so proud of himself and loves to go fast around the corners. I realized when I uploaded this he didn't have his bike helmet on...I promise he usually wears it!

Are you READY for some FOOTBALL?

2008-09-06T19:53:00.017-06:00

We have a household of FANS of the SEC football conference and sooooo EXCITED that we are getting the football games.

Gotta Love them Gators!

Orientation & the First day of School for Hailey

2008-09-05T06:33:00.006-06:00

Hailey had orientation last week and her first day of school was Tuesday, September 2, 2008! So hard to believe she is a kindergartner this year. Hailey has her friend Natlie from church in her class, as well as they sit at the same table! We both were excited for her to have somebody she already knew on the first day. It made things a lot easier when I dropped her off at her line. We couldn't be any more happier with Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Eberhart, & Mrs. Ford. They all seem to be on top of it and have tons of patience for kindergartner's. Hailey has already started off the school year reading. She has such a love for books that reading came easy for her over the last year. She is still trying to get adjusted to the long day and finds herself coming home really tired. I'm sure it will take some time for her to get her new routine down. I am dropping her & the boys off in the carpool lane each morning and the boys walk her to the place she lines up for her class. Hunter picks her up from her classroom in the afternoon to make sure she gets to the carpool lane for pickup. He got the nicest complement today from my girlfriend who has seen him all week picking Hailey up. He is just so sweet with her. He asks her how her day was and holds her hand while they are walking and talking just like a big brother should. Josh on the other hand picked her up from her classroom on Wednesday and he left her behind once he saw his buddy! He such a typical boy...of course Hailey told on him the minute they got in the car that Joshua left her! Oh the brotherly & sisterly love...great memories!

Hunter's Birthday Party

2008-09-05T06:25:00.002-06:00

Well as you can see...Hunter made out on the cash at his birthday party! He is going to put it towards a new PSP (portable playstation). Hunter had a great party with his friends eating pizza, cake, & ice cream. They finished up the party bowling a few games and taking a few pictures! Once again...the kids just don't cooperate when it comes to taking a family picture!

Summer Fun

2008-09-02T06:13:00.005-06:00

So proud of Hailey...the first time she has actually got in and played in any ocean! Out of all the vacations to the beach at Papa & Grammy's in Florida and our visit to Aunt Stephanie's & Uncle Jeff's in California, she would never get in the water. She would just hang out and play in the sand building sandcastles!

2008-09-02T06:11:00.006-06:00

These pictures I took on two separate days....the pictures of the beach are at Hachinohe. We were excited to find this beach because you can actually camp out on this beach...see picture 2. We will be back next summer camping here...the whole area was just breathtaking and the Japanese people were really nice. We felt like it was Spring Break...just missing all the American college kids...LOL! The pictures I took of the black-eye susan flower were at the entrance of the park at the Kitayamazaki Cliffs. The flowers in the garden were beautiful and reminded me of all the flowers you see in the Spring at Temple Square in Utah. Just couldn't pass up taking a pictures!

2008-09-02T06:06:00.015-06:00

These are the Kitayamazaki Cliffs....I promise the water is this blue...it's just like Hawaii...breath taking aren't they? These cliffs are south of Misawa about 3 hours away. We made it a day trip...had a little trouble finding the park, but it was so worth the wait! We had to hike down into the park to get to the cliffs...oh was that ever a workout...next time I will remember to wear tennis shoes and not flip-flops! We also heard if you drive another 1 hour south of here there is an actual beach that you can swim at and enjoy the same view...that will have to be a trip next summer!

2008-09-02T06:02:00.014-06:00

These are pictures I took when we were driving through a few fishing villages along the coastline while looking for the beach. Not sure which village this was, but the view from the highway was something I couldn't pass up!

Well our Summer fun has come to an end...it's hard to believe November will be our 1 year mark and we have survived! Though summer has come to an end...we realize and are ready for school to start. July started off with our 4th of July camp out and Mark's birthday...I was so excited at how well his cake turned out that I made for him. We celebrated his birthday having a barbecue here at the house with friends and singing karaoke...that in itself was a site to see! August brought travel outside the Misawa area to the Kitayamazaki Cliffs, the beaches in Hacinohe, the beaches in Misawa, driving through a few fishing towns, Scout Camp, and tons of cool weather and some rain which is unusual for the month of August. We had tons of fun when Mark took leave and made some special memories of our family time together before he leaves for his deployment. Yes, summer has come to an end and I am somewhat sad to see it go, but ready for the excitement and fun that's around the corner of school starting for the boys and Hailey!

Happy Birthday Hunter!

2008-08-26T07:49:00.005-06:00

Hello all...well we have hit another milestone in the Crew family today! Hunter has turned 11 and is the big man on campus...6th grade! Can't believe my oldest is almost a teenager. Does that mean I'm getting old? He said the funniest thing on Sunday to my girlfriend as she passed around a picture of herself when she was 8...he replied out loud..."I didn't know they had colored film back then!" It was the funniest thing...that I missed as I was teaching my class. This is twice now that Hunter has gotten Ginger...she was the one that fell for the "missing contact" back in April. Hunter has the funniest sense of humor. We will be celebrating Hunter's birthday this Saturday at the base bowling alley. He has invited a few friends to his party so it should be a fun event. It's good to be back blogging...this past month has been so busy that I just couldn't keep up. I have tons of pictures though from the past few weeks to eventually post. I figured once Mark leaves it would give me something to do. School started back yesterday for the boys and Hailey will start kindergarten next week. So, it will be just me & Rylan! That in itself is hard to believe...have a good day and enjoy the few pictures I did of Hunter from the past year. If your wondering who he is dressed up as on the first page...he is James Cook...a famous explorer he did a a book report on!

Happy Birthday Papa

2008-07-30T09:20:00.008-06:00

We are so glad we got to talk to Papa on his birthday which was July 26, 2008. Papa turned 67! All the kids got to talked to him. Hailey told him about her big secret...not sure what that was about. Rylan told him all about his trains and sang Happy Birthday to him and Hunter and Joshua told him they heard from Cash Register Jack...(a story between the boys and Papa that started in SC) and He got a promotion, he is now Manager Jack! His promotion has him no longer working in our attic. His new job is now at Walmart...go figure! So, they wanted to know if Papa had ran into him yet, since Papa is always going to Walmart? This story has been ongoing for the last three years between the boys and Papa about their "make believe" friend Jack, who lived in attic of house in South Carolina. You put the three of them together and their imaginations can wander and have you laughing on days in! Can't wait to talk with you again Papa and get the latest update on Jack! Happy Birthday Papa...we hope we get to celebrate next years birthday with you in Hawaii...wouldn't that be fun! Love, Mark & Melissa and the four peas in a pod!

Another Earthquake!

2008-07-24T03:44:00.021-06:00

Well, we had another earthquake in the middle of the night! I have to say this one made me a bit nervous as my entire house shook and things were falling off the walls and out of cabinets. Hunter & I were the only ones up burning the midnight hour. Joshua, Hailey & Rylan slept thru it all and Mark was at work! Out of all the cities that reported feeling the effects, Misawa felt it the most and it is was listed as a Type VI earthquake. (see chart below) The base had no major structural damage. Not sure of damage that may have occurred off base.

The following report listed below was released by the United States Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center:

An earthquake occurred about 25 km (15 miles) east-northeast of Morioka at 9:26
AM MDT, Jul 23, 2008 (Jul 24 at 12:26 AM local time in Japan). The magnitude
and location may be revised when additional data and further analysis results
are available. The Felt Reports indicate Dozens of people injured, landslides
occurred, roads closed, train service and power disrupted in northern Honshu.
Felt widely in southern Hokkaido and in Honshu as far south as the Tokyo
area.

The information and maps I have below will give you a better idea of the intensity and where we are located. And yes for the record, this one has reminded me to get our 72-hour emergency kits ready!

Selected City Exposure:

Measure of Intensity City Population
VI Misawa 42k
V Ofunato 35k
V Miyako 51k
V Morioka 295k
V Shizukuishi 19k
V Rifu 35k
V Ichinohe 15k
V Akita 320k
V Aomori 298k
IV Sendai 1,037k
III Niigata 505k

Earthquake Details
Magnitude
6.8
Date-Time
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 15:26:20 UTC
Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 12:26:20 AM at epicenter
Location
39.807°N, 141.467°E
Depth
111 km (69.0 miles) set by location program
Region
EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances
30 km (20 miles) ENE of Morioka, Honshu, Japan75 km (50 miles) S of Hachinohe, Honshu, Japan120 km (75 miles) E of Akita, Honshu, Japan485 km (300 miles) NNE of TOKYO, Japan

Landscape Series

2008-07-19T05:40:00.005-06:00

Landscaped pictures done in black & white are one of my favorite types of art you can photograph! I don't know what it is...but if you are able to find that perfect landscape and invite the viewer into your photograph, you create an appreciation for that particular moment of beauty. This is the second series of the area I have done here in Japan since we have been here. I have to say the last picture of the fence reflecting off the water is one of my favorites. I have a few other favorites in the winter series I did December called City Life. I'm not sure what I am going to do with these photos just yet...I think for now I will just admire their beauty.

I Miss You Grammy Barbie

2008-07-18T07:26:00.004-06:00

Hi Grammy Barbie...I picked these flowers for you the other day. Mommy took my picture since I'm not able to give them to you in person. I am enjoying my summer and have been working on writing my letters and reading. Mommy said, "We will be buying school supplies soon." School starts in one month and I will be going to kindergartner! I miss you and miss talking to you before I go to bed at night. I told Papa to make sure he tells you that I love you when he talks to you again. Call me soon, Love Hailey

Golf Camp

2008-07-17T19:48:00.004-06:00

Well I am playing catchup on my blogging! I got behind at the beginning of the month...and it's good to be back. The boys went to a 2 week Golf Camp that was sponsored by PING and the Jr. PGA Golf League. It cost the boys $125.00 to attend and it was soooo worth it! Look at all the FREE stuff they got and their PING Golf clubs are custom fit! They got 6 golf lessons with the Golf-Pro Instructor Mr. Appel. Joshua was excited when he found out that he is the husband of his third grade teacher Mrs. Appel, who Joshua just adored! As you can imagine, Mark is just on top of the world about the boys getting their own clubs and having such an interest in the sport! For the rest of the time we are stationed here, the boys get to play for free when they show their Golf card they got from camp as well as get a free bucket of balls if they go to the golf range just to hit. As I picked them up each day, I was impressed to see the number of GIRLS attending the camp also. Look out BOYS...it's not just a game for you anymore! When Hailey saw this, of course she asked when can she go...I told her it will be next summer...that she has to be 5 to attend the camp! How cool will that be? Mark has made me promise that after he deploys I still take the boys out to the golf course to let them play. He said, "I will have 2 good months before the snow sets in and to get a babysitter for Hailey & Rylan and just go and walk the golf course while the boys play." So, I guess that will be the plan!

4th of July Camping Trip

2008-07-16T07:25:00.003-06:00

Rylan

Hailey making a S'more with Daddy's help

Joshua and his friend Jen

Hunter

Mark catching up on his sleep!

2008-07-16T07:13:00.002-06:00

Japanese Couple Fresh Water Clamming

More Clamming

Tree Frog the kids found, we named him Greeny

Making S'mores

2008-07-16T07:01:00.007-06:00

The Immaculate Japanese Putt Putt course

Japanese Fisherman out clamming

Stairs up to our campsite

Our Campground

Playing freeze tag and our friends we camped with playing croquett.

We went camping for the 4th of July weekend with the Webster Family to a campsite that is offbase on the other side of Lake Ogawarka. It was sooo much fun! We had a little bit of rain to contend with but overall it was great seeing another part of Japan even though it's 30 minutes away from the base. We were able to view the fireworks show that the base did from where we were and later let the kids do sparklers while Mark shot the bigger fireworks. It was an impressive campsite and are looking forward to going again. Thanks Webster Family for asking us to camp with you!

Daniel Lee Goolsby November 30, 1979 - July 1, 2008

2008-07-14T04:59:00.007-06:00

Don’t think of Danny
as gone away~
his journey’s just begun,
life holds so many facets ~
this earth is only one.

Just think of Danny
resting, from the sorrows
and the tears
in a place of warmth
and comfort where there
are no days and years.

Think how he must be
wishing, that we could
know today, how
nothing but our
sadness can
really pass away.

Think of Danny living
in the hearts of
those he touched…
for nothing loved is
ever lost ~
and he was loved
so much.

Dear Danny, I have thought so much about you over the last few days. I have so many memories of spending the summers with you, Jason, & Aunt Mary over in Mississippi. I helped your mom with babysitting you when you were younger, going to karate lessons with you, going to your little league baseball games, borrowing money from you to buy a new pair of jeans...and Aunt Barbara was the one who had to pay you back! I remember putting on our swimsuits and swimming in Grandpa's jacuzzi tub and flooding the bathroom with water...oh did we ever get in trouble! I have many more memories of you tucked away of our time together that will keep me laughing and alway smiling of you. It's going to be a long road for my heart to heal from missing you...your laughter...your smile...your sweetness. And though I may not understand why and why it had to be now, I find comfort in knowing that you are watching over all us from heaven above and that I will see you again someday! You will be missed so much...I love you Danny...I love you!

That Rylan...he just makes me laugh!

2008-06-25T07:24:00.007-06:00

Rylan did the funniest thing today! I had some visits to go do for some sisters here at church. So, we arrived at my friend Michelle's house and she is dog sitting all summer for her neighbor. The dog...never caught it's name, looks exactly like my sisters dog Duke, who Rylan just fell in love with during our visit with them in November of 2007. The minute Rylan saw this dog he looked up at me holding my hand and said, "Mommy, Look, Duke". He was so excited but yet a little anxious. Michelle ended up putting the dog outside on her front porch while we were visiting her. To give you an idea of her living room (she lives off base) it's very open and she has this huge bay front window. I think it may have been a sliding glass door now that I think about it. Anyways, sitting in the living room you could see the dog sitting on the front porch just hang'n out doing his own thing. So as time went by while we were talking, out of the corner of my eye I see Rylan going over to the Kleenex box getting a tissue and then walked over to the window where the dog was outside. I called over to Rylan and asked if he needed help thinking he needed tissue for his nose. He replied, "No, Duke". So then we all looked at the dog and he was standing right in front of Rylan outside on the front porch starring at him through the window with these "huge strands of drool" hanging from each side of his mouth. We just laughed and laughed! Rylan saw the dog with the strands of drool hanging from his mouth and thought the dog could use a Kleenex. In his own little world of thinking, he just walked over to Michelle's tissue box and got the dog some tissue. I can only imagine if the dog had been on Rylan's side of the window, Rylan probably would have wiped the drool from the dogs mouth. Rylan....it seems like these days he is always doing something to makes us laugh.

2008-06-20T19:10:00.003-06:00

Aubrey, I know it’s a little late to wish you a Happy Birthday . . . so I’ll just wish you all the happy things in life! Hope Your Day Was Wonderful and all your birthday wishes will come true!

Love your cousins in Japan,
Mark, Melissa, Hunter, Joshua, Hailey & Rylan

Happy Birthday Hagen...I owe you ONE!

2008-06-20T07:07:00.008-06:00

Hagen, I read somewhere that each birthday is a chance for us to start anew, to think about the things we've done… and those things we want to do… A time to put aside our cares & worries we have known, and count the joys & blessings that are ours and ours alone. But most of all, thank... Heavenly Father for the joys and blessing of his love! I want you to know how special you are and how much your sweet spirit adds to our family!

H is for always being happy...
A is for being adorable!
G is for being a very giving young man
E is for enjoying what life has in store for you! And...
N is for never giving up on your dreams.

It's a wonderful day to celebrate you Hagen...Happy Birthday! And.....I owe you one...your picture that is! Unfortunately, my laptop is on vacation right now...where all my photos are stored! (I can hear Grammy Barbie right now saying, "I told her to back all of her photos up."..shh shh shh, I just haven't gotten around to it!) So, once Dell sends me a replacement battery I will post your picture....and backup all my photos!

Hunter & Josh wanted me to tell you Happy Birthday too and sure wish they could be there with you to go surfing and motorcycling again! They were just talking about yall's trip to the desert in November today and all the fun you guys had! Hailey & Rylan wish you Happy Birthday too, and Rylan wants to know "Where is Duke?" Have a great birthday and summer too! We sure do miss all of you and wish we were there celebrating this special day. You guys are always in our thoughts and prayers. Have fun and enjoy your time with Papa & Grammy...make sure you have a piece of cake for us! Hugs & Kisses....Love, Aunt Mimi

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T08:12:00.031-06:00

Well here it is....as much as I hated uploading my slide show this way...This is it! My apologies to Mark, Dad, & Earl if the viewing is not "QUALITY". It is a tad grainy, which has to do with the technical aspect of uploading video, so it's not your screen. With that being said, I will to burn it to a DVD and mail it to both Papa's, so they can view it better. For the rest of you this is as it good as it gets! For some reason, the site I usually upload to just isn't working correctly. The slide show is of pictures from Hunter, Joshua & Mark's last game of the season. They played a Japanese team from Towada. This is the same team they played the first game of the season and lost 6-1. This game they were pumped up to play them and ended up tieing 2-2. Mark did a great job coaching the team this year! Everyone could see how much they improved from the beginning of the season which started the end of April. They had one loss the whole season! Hunter had an awesome game playing defense down by the goal. Josh played offense most of the game. He got off 4 beautiful kicks and had two one on one's with the goalie but never got the ball in the goal! He was slow close! Hailey finished up her last game as well and I have a few pictures of Rylan too. Enjoy...oh yeah...here are extra Father's Day wishes from the kids for Papa Crew & Papa Dorman!
Happy Father's Day Dad and Earl!

Love, Melissa, Mark, & Kids

Tuttie...Tuttie....Tuttie...

2008-06-07T05:59:00.005-06:00

There are some very special people in this world and I think I can speak for everyone that Ms. Sylvia Newnom...aka "Aunt Tuttie" is one of those special people. She has a comfy way about herself that makes the time that you spend with her important and all about you. She has that best friend and a second mom quality all wrapped up in one. She loves to chat, watch movies and stay up late when she comes to visit, as well as have a good laugh or cry with some type of "YUMMY" dessert. She loves to "SHOP" and "SPLURGE" for little extras. She tells the most amazing stories of long ago! She would stop everything at the drop of a hat if needed. She doesn't forget a Birthday, Valentine's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas! And if your good you might get a visit at least sometime during the year...Yep, that's Aunt Tuttie...one of those very special people in this world! Happy Birthday Ms. Sylvia Newnom! I am so grateful for "YOU"...all the laughs...the cries...the phone calls...the visits...the MEMORIES! We have many don't we? Have a wonderful day....you don't look a day over 20! Love you and Miss you tons, Melissa ~PINKY SWEAR

Happy Birthday Sydney and Lauren

2008-06-01T01:43:00.003-06:00

My two nieces Sydney and Lauren celebrated their birthday over the weekend. I can't believe 6 years have gone by this quick. I can remember the day my sister called me and told me she was having twins! I remember the first time I got to see them they were already 9 months old. I just cried when I held them on my lap for the first time. The thought of not just one little princess BUT two sitting on my lap looking at me with these big blue eyes and smiles just left me full of happy tears and I was speechless. I was soooo proud of my sister. So, on this day I wish you both Sydney and Lauren a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Know how special you the two of you are and how much SUNSHINE you bring to the lives of others where ever you go! Hope to see you both soon, Love Aunt Mimi

The BumbleBees

2008-05-24T07:39:00.004-06:00

These are pictures from Hailey's first soccer game a few weeks ago! She is having so much fun. Today, she had a game and she almost scored her first goal. It rolled right passed the goal. She was grinning from ear to ear. Besides almost scoring a goal, she had control of the ball moving it up the field 3 times. She so funny to watch because she gets so excited when she gets the ball and has this huge SMILE on her face everytime. She have made great improvements since the first game from sitting on the field and picking the grass. She is the youngest on her team. This is the first time she has ever played an organized sport. Mark and I are so excited at how fast she has caught to the game. It's been a good season so far and the Bumblebees did win today...3-0.

Cherry Blossoms Upclose

2008-05-20T06:40:00.004-06:00

We missed heading up to HIROSAKI CHERRYBLOSSOM FESTIVAL at the end of April so we caught the Cherry Blossoms here in Misawa and on base. They truly are a sight to see when they are in full bloom. Hopefully, we will make it up to Hirosaki next April. It could be sooner, we hear it's just as beautiful in the Fall as it is in the Spring.

Catching Up!

2008-05-20T00:22:00.005-06:00

Hey there....sorry I've been away from the blogging world for soooo long! My schedule for the last few weeks has been really busy with the kids. At the end of April we got to view the cherry blossoms around Misawa which was just beautiful. The boys and Hailey have been playing soccer with practice twice during the week for the boys and once during the week for Hailey all on different nights, having scouts, after school club, playgroup, potty training Rylan games on Saturdays and finishing up Hunter's Science Fair Project, you can see just how busy I have been. I was excited when I found a day last week to fit in taking pictures of my girlfriends babies! That was the highlight of my week! Anyways, we are all doing well and keeping busy. Thank you for all your Mother's Day wishes, they were very sweet. You all have been in my thoughts. It's just been hard to pick up the phone to call or send a quick email. Let me get going, here are a few pictures of the cherry blossoms...Enjoy! Love, M~

Sneak Peak of Baby G

2008-05-20T00:12:00.005-06:00

I also got to photograph this little lady too! Baby G is just 10 weeks old...and really had the cutest personality for the camera. She did get tired out, so I told her mom we would do another day of pictures one day next week. I want to thank my girlfriend Laura too for letting practice my photography skills on her new little one.

Sneak Peak Baby L

2008-05-19T22:09:00.010-06:00

How lucky am I to have gotten to photograph this little lady! I took some time last week and photograph "Baby L" here in my backyard. This was my first photo shoot that I have done of other kids outside of my family. I really had TONS of fun photographing "Baby L"...isn't she adorable! Thank you Elaine for letting me photograph your little one...she's too cute!