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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Grr!

I love Guam, no regrets here yet....But, I do have a frustration I am going to share. I'm hoping that typing about it will help me not wake the rest of the sleepers!!!! I can't get a map with streets! (Even online) I can't use mapmyrun.com either! Everything is located by landmarks. There are no street signs. I say none, but very few! Directions go something like this...... Turn left at McDonalds and follow McDonalds road until you pass the laundromat and go right.....what? I am direction confused. We haven't found an update on Garmin either. Hopefully when I am out and about and trying to find the places that I need to find, I will be able to. I need a visual! I want to see the streets on the map and follow my pen along them to know that I am going the right way. I haven't had too many problems finding my way around yet (It isn't that big) but I still want a good map and be able to look up and see a street sign to know that I am where I think I am! OK, I'm better.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Coconuts in the front, Bananas in the back!

Coconuts! I can't wait to get the spouses briefing of how to get into the coconuts
Bananas in the back. They are smaller, like Vietnamese bananas. I'm not sure what they taste like yet. They may be like plantains and good for cooking.

We were approved for a 4 bedroom house yesterday and decided on the house....it was a hard decision, but I knew that I had prayed for a coconut tree and a banana tree, and that is what sealed it for me. It came down to location vs nicer house. I chose the location and better back yard. It isn't that the inside isn't nice on the one that we chose, just not as up to date. I think it is where we are supposed to live. E-mail me if you need our mailing address valgal820@yahoo.com All of the houses look like this on the outside. They are typhoon proof! We are projected to move in on August 6. It has been vacant for a while and needs cleaned. We were also upgraded free of charge to a suite at our hotel. Things are looking up. We now both have phones. I held out a little longer, hoping to get Dave's stateside one unlocked...Grrrr (no luck). Anyway, we are getting set up.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Adjustments


Here are some pictures of the view as we were driving down to the beach on base. It is pretty impressive. I can't wait to spend lots of time there!

We are adjusting fairly well. There are a few differences to the states that I have noticed

Prices are higher! Have you been to the dollar spot at Target and picked up the foam swords? We did and broke them the same night! Still fun. Well, we were at K-Mart (biggest in the world) tonight and they were $7.49! I am thinking that I will be shopping on base for most everything.

There is a lot of graffiti, stray dogs, abandoned cars, chickens in the front yard....you get the picture. It is a change....oh, and the strip clubs on the strip. It is a change. However, I feel safer than I did in Montgomery at night. It isn't like this everywhere on the island, just pockets.

We are having a great adventure of exploring. We went to Taco Bell and they had Chomorro Punch (instead of Hawaiian) It is a lot of fun to see the differences. We went to Vietnamese food the other night and Dave asked for black coffee. Not the Vietnamese kind and they served him hot water and instant coffee. I was so shocked that I had to take a picture!

Guam

Sorry this one is blurry. I still need to read up on the use of my camera. This is the first night we were in Guam. It is the view from our hotel balcony.
More from the balcony. It hasn't been too sunny here, lots of clouds, but still warm and beautiful.
This is where the girls want to spend most of their time. The pool is so nicely landscaped with a slide. I am hoping to get out to the ocean today and try some snorkeling with the girls. Dave was able to go out on a boat yesterday and got some good snorkeling in.

Dole Pineapple Plantation



We went to the Dole Plantation. It was so fun to see how the pineapple was grown. Who knew that it wasn't on a tree? I always thought it was a tree. I will be planting a pineapple bush asap when I get a house!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

What a Small World!



Dave was boogie boarding in the surf and I noticed that he was chatting with another "friendly" guy. It was Joel from Oregon! What are the odds that Joel would be in Hawaii at the same time as us and end up at the same beach? He dropped his bag at the beach right out our back door. It was such a treat to see him.

Helicopter Tour

For my anniversary Dave purchased a helicopter tour of Oahu for me. Because it was a little pricey, he sent me on my own and he stayed with the girls. It was so much fun. I have wanted to fly in a helicopter for years and now have finally had the chance.
You can see the wreckage of the USS Arizona.
Waikiki Beach

Hawaii


I purchased a new camera thanks to my mom and Dave before we left for Hawaii. You can see the progression of Dave's body surfing.

He broke the girls' board. He was highly dissapointed to realize that there was no body surfing in Guam because the surf breaks at the reef. Nothing like being beaten against the razor sharp coral. I have heard that many have lost their lives by going out too far. It is roped off so we know how far we can go.
Miranda
McKenzie
Arizona Memorial
Sunrise out our back door!
I shared my shower with this tiny gecko. I hear there are lots in Guam too!
McKenzie found a centipede in her bed the first night. This is hwo they slept in our cabin. We didn't know that they stung. Thank goodness he was dead. She would not go anywhere near that bed. I had to check it nightly!

Airplane

This was the contents of Miranda's purse as we were packing up before heading on the airplane. She is a funny kiddo. Complete with playing cards and whoopie cushion.
Miranda REALLY struggled the morning we were headed on the airplane to Hawaii. She was well aware that it would be a while before we were back in the continental US.
Once we were settled on the plane, she did much better and has done well ever since. Now that we are in Guam she has made friends with the fellow chaplain's daughters. The girls are already beginning to adjust and McKenzie had her first babysitting job last night.

On our way up to Seattle to catch our plane to Hawaii we stopped at Roloff Farms as seen on Little People Big World, but they were closed.
Mt. Ranier or Hood...not sure which one now that I have waited so long to post, but one of the mountains on the way up to Seattle....what a sight
The fish market was closed too!
But, we did make it to the first Starbucks just in time. It closes at 9:30 and we arrived in the door at 9:29!

More Friends




Dad, Mom & the girls

Mom, Dad and me
Voltin and Leonard kids
My friend who has been here for me the longest and through everything....thanks Aim!

Trying to catch up a little

John and Nancy
Dave and our prayer warrior Mary Anne.....thank you!
KiKi and Carrots with Miranda
Holly and I....thanks for a great weekend! We loved our time there
Ben Karryn and kiddos

14 years later we still have the heat!

This is one of Dave's favorite lines from Cheaper by the Dozen. We were able to celebrate our anniversary at Smith Rocks...the location of our first kiss.
Isn't it gorgeous?

We hiked to the top and this is the view!