Gift #386- My Teenager!

Jack, welcome to the teen years.  We've been nervously expecting you!

This is my first "selfie"!  Even though I have a 13 year old, I am obviously still so very hip.  

Right Jack?

#happybirthdayjack

#you'llalwaysbemybaby

#ijustlearnedabouthashtags

Gift #385- The Wait is Over

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign unto you: you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will among men".  Luke 2:11-14

Love Came Down and He is the Greatest Gift.

Gift #384- Santa Sightings

You know what is better than Santa in a sleigh?  Santa in an F-18.  You know what is better than Santa in an F-18?  Dad driving the F-18 that delivers Santa.   We had a wonderful time at the squadron children's Christmas party yesterday.  I am thankful for friends and Christmas activities such as this that make Japan feel a little bit more like we are "Home for Christmas".

Gift #383- The Manger

So this might have taken a little bribing. Or maybe a lot of bribing. And the wise man might have wanted his box to say Franken-Scent instead of frankincense. The scene might have even gotten a little ugly when the angel got ticked off about wearing a halo and the shepherd captured Joseph with his hook. But the lovely picture above is how I will choose to remember it in my mind. :0)

Gift #382- Letters from Santa

Sam was so very relieved to learn that he was not on the "Naughty List."  ;)

Gift #381- Decked Halls

We literally Decked Our Halls this year! 

 How do you like our Duct Tape Christmas tree?

Our little Japanese Christmas tree.

Gift #380- Christmas Cookies

Sam and Macy love making and decorating Christmas cookies!  We have made quite a few this year to share with our community.  Which means that we have eaten quite a few as well!  Macy's new favorite song is the Christmas Cookie song on the Duck the Halls CD.  It is a duet with George Strait and Phil.  Her favorite line is...  "everytime she puts those cookies in the oven, there's fifteen minutes for some kissin' and huggin'.  She said that it is too bad that Miss Kay and Phil only get to hug while making Christmas cookies.  ;)

Gift #379- This little 3 month old!

December 14th 2013-  3 months old

November 14th 2013-  2 months old

Gift #378- A KING Sized Bed

This morning, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for this "King-Sized" bed.  I am thankful for the baby boy that came to occupy it.  I am thankful for the example of the mother that simply said "May it be to me as you have said."

Gift #377- Japanese Karooke

When in Japan, one MUST karaoke!  You will not regret it.  Ok.  You might regret it a little bit as you later wonder if you completely disrespected REO Speedwagon with your rendition of "Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore".  But, if you have good friends, they will swear that you nailed it and might even talk you into trying your hand at a little Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Sweet Home Alabama has never sounded so good!  Thankful for making fun memories in Japan!

Gift #376- A Pile of Dirty Dishes and some Potato Peel

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving again this year.  My ladies, along with 2 of Hank's Marines came over to share a big Thanksgiving lunch.  My tiny little living room was packed!  And I loved it.  We spent a few hours being lazy after our company left and then we went over to the Gordon's to have another full meal!  We ate again and played board games.  A good time was had by all.  There is so very much to be thankful for this year.  I am even thankful for the sink full of dishes and the potato peels!  It means that we had a house full of friends and a delicious meal to share together.

Gift #375- A Short Memory

So, this might not really be considered a gift to some, but Sam's short memory can sometimes be so very comical.  It defines him so well.  He can lock many interesting facts into his mind and keep them there forever.  But on Sunday, when he was supposed to remember to make the short trip from our front door to the chapel on his scooter, he got sidetracked and forgot what the goal was.  There was a little party at our thrift store which sits right between our house and the church.  This party had a bounce house.  I could probably just end the story right there and you would be able to guess what happened.  Well, I guess that the bounce house seemed much more appealing  than children's church, because that is where we finally found him half-an-hour after church started.  His explanation:  "I got distracted."   He certainly did.  Well, he got in trouble, but I really found myself smiling about the situation more than anything.  That was such a "Sam" thing to do.  He is such a unique and special kid.  Ok, that might be a kind way of saying that he is a hand-full.  But I sure do love that little boy of mine.

Gift #374- Sweet Smiles

Avery Grace started smiling several weeks ago, but these big smiles are starting to come more often and they light up her whole face.   She is really starting to "talk".  She has to try so hard to do it, but is getting better and better.  I love watching her reach these milestones.  But it also means that she is growing up.  When I was growing up, my mom had a framed poem in our house that read:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow.
For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs.  Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

I never really understood the words until I had children of my own.   I am doing my very best to remind myself that the cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow.  I don't want to miss one smile or one little word.  I want to rock her forever.

Gift #373- A Life-Long Friend

True Friends are never apart.  Maybe in distance, but not in heart.  

Happy 40th Birthday Joy.  I think you are right- 40 is the new 30.  

And you (we) are going to wear it well. When I get home, we must celebrate!  

Gift #372- Chicken on a Stick

I have counted "chicken on a stick" as a gift once before. But it is one of those things that can certainly be counted twice!  The chicken is delicious, but the experience itself is even better in my opinion.  It was a cold day last week when we went.  Each table is complete with warming blankets so you can cozy up while you are eating.  Sam LOVES the sauce and dips his fingers in it long after the chicken is gone.  Macy is CRAZY about the gyoza and gets very grumpy when it is all gone!

The Chicken Shack was already decorated for Christmas!

This was AG's very first restaurant outing with her family!

Do you see what Santa is holding?  Chicken on a Stick!

Gift #371- My brother-in-law Travis

My brother in law Travis is so very kind-hearted.  He is a wonderful daddy and husband.  I hope that, when we are stateside once again, our families will be able to spend some time together!  We are long overdue!  Happy VERY late birthday Travis!  (Sept. 16)

Gift #370- My sis-in-law Amy Thomas!

Happy VERY late birthday Amy (Sept 15)!  We don't get to see Amy and Rob and the girls often enough, but we sure do have a wonderful time when we do!  Amy is always so welcoming and hospitable.  She makes you feel right at home and she doesn't seem to mind if your kiddos wreck the living room or if your dog comes right in her front door and makes a mess on her carpet!  (Sorry about that Amy!)  You are an amazing friend, mommy, wife and nurse!  This Amy Thomas is so very happy to have you in my life!

Gift #369- My Homecoming King

Jack was nominated for the 7th grade Homecoming court.  He did not want to get dressed up and go to the homecoming dance.  But, because his class had nominated him, I felt as though he should go.  He dreaded shopping with me.  He was afraid that I was going to embarrass him by saying something like "Is there plenty of room in the crotch?"  He hates that word!  (So I try to throw it around every now and then.)  He sure did look handsome, but way too BIG!

Gift #368- Treasures Found in the Garden

"Now he wasn't hungry any more- and he wasn't a caterpillar any more.  He was a big, fat caterpillar.  He built a small house, called a cocoon, around himself.  He stayed inside for more than two weeks.  Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his way out and ...he was a beautiful butterfly."

Eric Carle- The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I will blink and a butterfly she will be!

Gift #367- Sweet Friends

Some of my very sweet friends (Colleen, Julie, and Moira) threw Avery Grace and our new little neighbor ,James, a "Sprinkle"today.  We had such a great time together.  These girls have a way of making you feel like family when you are so far away from your own.  

My neighbor, Tiffany, & our friend Nikki.  Nikki is holding Tiffany's new baby, 

James Stephen Featherstone

Shower Guests:  Julie Goodwin, Katie Bayley, Erica Hall, Moira Jones, Colleen Gordon, Michelle Northam, Tiffany Featherstone, Megan Reid, Gary Bernhard, Fatima Boyd, Nikki Baldwin, Jenn Keller

Gift #366- The United States Marine Corps

The Marine Corps has allowed our family to experience one amazing adventure after another.  We have enjoyed the ride and are so very grateful.  Happy 238th Birthday USMC.

Gift #365- Sugar Comas

Halloween here on MCAS Iwakuni is BIG!  The local Japanese children come aboard and trick-or-treat along side the base children!  It is so much fun.  Sam and Macy have their own different strategies for collecting candy.  Macy likes to walk to each town house and deliberately avoid anything that looks scary.  She likes to go with some of the bigger girls in the neighborhood.  Some of the dads like to hide out in the drain pipes and gutters and jump out when the kids come by!  Macy doesn't love that!  Sam likes to RUN to each house (even the scariest), and then hit all of the mid-rise apartments.  He likes to go out on his own as another person might slow him down.  Both of them like to hurry to the chapel fall festival afterwards to add to their loot.  Macy uses a very polite "trick or treat" and a nice shy smile to get her treasures.  Sam goes for volume- as many houses he can hit in the shortest amount of time.  Both strategies seem to work very well judging from the mountain of candy that they each bring home.  Once home, they always dump out their candy and immediately start trading.  My siblings and I did the exact same thing.   The boys hung out with their friends and had a great evening as well.  They did a little trick or treating, but not as much as the twins.  Jack is usually pretty quiet, but when he came home after treating, he was so animated and chatty.   I loved it!

Now, I know that too much candy before bed is never a good idea.  I have heard that some moms put their children's candy bucket outside on halloween night and the "Great Pumpkin" picks up all of the candy and leaves the children a very nice toy.  I really do like that idea.  But I just always let the kids HAVE AT IT!!!!  And yes, they do go into a crazy mode for an hour or so, and I usually begin to regret my decision.  But before too long, I start to see that glazed over look in their eyes and the slight downturn of their mouths.  And before you know it- Sugar Coma!!!!  And they are out like little light bulbs for the rest of the evening.  This is when I can  dig through their candy and steal all of the Peppermint Patties and Almond Joys.  Oh--  and the Peanut M&M's and maybe a Milky Way or two.  I am really not that picky now that I think about it.

We had about 500 trick or treaters this year!  About 60% of them were Japanese children.  They come to the door, hold out their bags and say "Trick or Treat-A".  They always add that "uh" sound to the end.  After they receive their treat, they always say in a very scripted, but sweet voice "Thank  you very much".  One of the little Japanese boys (he was probably about 4) came up and pushed the babies hat off of her head just a little ways, bent down, kissed her on the forehead, and walked away.  It was so very sweet.  I wish that I had recorded it somehow.  But it was just one of those moments.

Macy dressed as the Pinky the ghost from Pac Man.  Sam went, once again, as a handsome Blue Angel.  Jack was Charlie Brown.   And, for the third year running, Josh was the red Angry Bird! I wore my Cinderella costume once again.  It is the one time of year that I can pretend to be a princess.  The silly costume must have shrunk two sizes this year though!  The baby wore her "Very Hungry Caterpillar" suit.  She was a big hit!  The Japanese ladies kept touching her head and saying "ka-wa-ii"  (cute).

It was a wonderful evening.  And now we look forward to another Thanksgiving here in Japan.  We have so very much to be thankful for!

Gift #364- My Max

Max- October 2009

My little nephew Max has always held a special place in my heart.  When I saw him several months back, he introduced me to his Sunday School teacher and to his new little friends from church.  As I was walking away from his class, he called out over the noise, pointed to me and said "Aunt Amy, I am taking you to lunch!"  That was one of my very favorite lunch dates ever! Happy Birthday Mr. Max

Gift #363- My Brother Ted

Happy Birthday to my Baby Brother.  I remember the night that Ted was born.  We were at the Panama City Christian fall festival when we learned that he was on his way.  Kim and I spent the night at Mikki and Amy Thomas's house and we woke up the next morning with news of a new little brother.  He had the fullest head of dark black hair!  I remember thinking that maybe someone had given mom the wrong baby.  I loved him from the moment I laid eyes on him and I treated him like he was my baby until he was at least 10 years old!  Maybe a little longer.  :0)  Now he is all grown with a family of his own and has become an amazing husband, father and minister.   I am very proud.  Happy Birthday Ted.

Gift #362- The Way Her Eyes Cross

20 Blessings
20 Things That I Never Want to Forget

1.  The way you smile when you are drifting off to sleep
2.  The smell of your soft head
3.  The wrinkles in your forehead
4.   The way your bottom lip pokes out when you are about to cry
5.  The way your cry sounds like a little lamb
6.  Your dark hair (like your daddy's and Jack's and maybe even Nana's)
7.  The way your eyes cross when you try to focus
8.  The way you stick out your tongue
9.  The way you look when your eyes are crossed and your tongue is sticking out
10.  The way you make an O with your sweet little pink lips
11. The way you love laying on your daddy's chest
12.  Your long thin fingers
13.  The way your arms hang down and your hands relax when you are sleeping on your daddy
14.  Your soft neck
15.  The way you look in your Very Hungry Caterpillar suit that Aunt Beth made for you
16.  The way your sister holds you
17.  The new "talking" sound that you are starting to make
18.  The way you sound when you yawn
19.  Your heavy breathing just before you fall asleep
20.  The way your fingers wrap around mine

Dear Time,

Please slow down.  I want to stay in this season forever.

Gift #361- Complete Chaos

cha·os  

/ˈkāäs/

Noun Complete disorder and confusion. Behavior so unpredictable as to appear random, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions.

Synonyms confusion - disorder - mess - clutter - muddle - welter A few weeks back, I posted about having time to mosey.  I knew that the time would be short lived and did my best to take advantage of my moseying days.  As predicted, those days are over.  We are back into the full swing of crazy around here.  And I wouldn't have it any other way! I have not done the best job of keeping up with my posts as of late.  It is not due to a shortage of things to be thankful for.  It is the exact opposite!  So many gifts, so few hours in a day!  I will try to do better.

Gift #360- Having a Sister!

Having a sister has been one of God's greatest gifts to me.  Having two has been more than I could have ever hoped for or imagined.  I am so happy that Macy has a sister of her own.

Gift #359- Avery Grace Elizabeth Thomas

September 14, 2013 7:29 am JST

8 pounds 14 ounces

21 inches long

Perfectly Perfect in Every Way

Baby girl arrived one day after her daddy arrived in Yokosuka.  We were hoping that she would come on September 13th (her Nana's birthday), and she did in a way-  it was still September 13th in Panama City!  It was 5:29 pm CST on September 13th in PC.  My family had gathered together at Luigi's to celebrate mom's birthday when Avery Grace did finally make her entrance into the world.  Her daddy delivered her and he did a very good job.  Of course he is a fighter pilot you know.   He likes to remind me of that from time to time.  :)  We had such a wonderful experience with the doctors and nurses and corpsman.  We couldn't have asked for better care.  We stayed in the hospital for just over 24 hours.  We were released shortly after our Celebration Lunch which included shrimp and lobster!  A typhoon was set to come through the very next day so the base shut down completely.  Because of the base closure, we were unable to take care of the details that would allow us to return home.  So we were given an extra day at the Storks Nest to get to know this new little Thomas and to spend the day together being lazy.  We enjoyed it very much!  We arrived home on Wednesday the 18th to pink balloons, a decorative clothes line complete with sweet baby clothes and wooden flowers hanging from our tree branches.  Macy and our very sweet neighbors had decorated.  It was such a happy return!  Avery Grace  brought presents for her brothers and sisters including a chillow for Macy who had been  begging for one all summer since we saw one on an infomercial in Okinawa!  We have been home for a week today.  Avery Grace is 11 days old.  She is fitting right in.  We said goodbye to Mimi and Papa this morning.  It was hard to see them go and I am not sure if we could ever thank them enough.  God has been so very good to us and my heart is overflowing with  thanksgiving.

Every good and perfect gift is from above.  James 1:17a

Gift #358- A Familiar Face

(A "selfy" of the two of us the day Hank arrived)

Hank arrived in Yokosuka! It was so nice to see his face after 11 long weeks apart.  

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Gift #357- Cinnabon!

Cinnabon is truly a gift from God.  Although I am not sure that having one within walking distance is.  If this little girl decides to hang on for too much longer, she is going to be a 10 pounder!  

Gift #356- Time to Mosey

 mo·sey  

/ˈmōzē/

Verb Walk or move in a leisurely manner.

 This evening, as I was out walking, I realized that I was mosey-ing.  The air was a little cool and there was a nice breeze.  I smiled when I realized what I was doing.  I can't remember the last time that I moseyed anywhere!  It is usually rush to the commissary, to practice, to get the towels folded, to get to the next thing on the to do list.  And, although I would trade the moseying for the crazy rush any day, I will do my best to appreciate this time of "walking or moving in a leisurely manner".  Knowing that the crazy rush of every day is about to get even more wonderfully crazy!

Gift #355- An Outing With Your Grandparents

Mimi, Papa, and the Thomas Kids at the Kintai Bridge. 

Gift #354- Homecomings!

As far as deployments go, this was a short one.  Only 10 weeks.  But it sure did seem long.  Hank sent this picture today.  He is on his way home!  If we didn't have these deployments, then we wouldn't get to have all of these happy reunions!  Homecomings are a gift!

Gift #353- 14 Years

14 years, 8 moves, 4+ kiddos, countless adventures, and you're still the one for me!  

Happy Anniversary Hank!

Gift #352- My Home Away From Home

I am here in Yokosuka- waiting!  I am staying at a little hotel right beside the hospital.  The accommodations are not 4 star by any stretch.  But, I am thankful nonetheless.  My shower is stainless steel and the water only runs for 30 seconds before you have to push a lever to have it run again.  The toilet seat is way too small so your legs rest on the bowl!  Yuck.  The TV is ginormous, but doesn't have a single channel.  A big family of ants show up every time I drop a crumb of banana bread.  And my view is of the hospital loading zone and the biohazard waste shed.  It sounds as though I am complaining, but I promise that I am not.  I actually find all of these things quite humorous and I want to remember every detail of my time here.  All of these things make for a much richer story to share with baby girl someday.  There are many good things about the room.  There is an ice machine in the lobby that makes ice like Sonic!  And with a little rearranging and a few small purchases, the room has even become a tiny bit cozy.  The absence of TV has drawn me to read my Bible a little more and wouldn't you know that the passages that the Lord has led me to each day have been about being still and about waiting patiently.  He always shows up doesn't He?  I miss the kids, and this silence can be so loud at times, but I will do my very best to embrace this time of waiting- knowing full well that I am not alone in the wait.  I have the ants to keep me company.  Just kidding! I have the promise of Joshua 1:9 and in that promise is where I will rest.  

Gift #351- Grilled Porkchops and Great Company

Gift #350- Making Happy Memories with Grandparents

Making Cookies with Mimi.

At the Skatepark with Papa

Triple Trouble

Gift# 349- Being One Step Closer...

To meeting this little girl!   I arrived safely in Yokosuka yesterday evening.  I had my first appointment this morning.  The doctors were wonderful.  Baby girl appears to be healthy and happy.  The rest of the gang are back in Iwakuni having a big time with their Mimi and Papa.  

Gift #348- The Birthday Boy

Jack made Josh's birthday cake!  It was a little over the top with sweetness, but it sure did look pretty!

Happy 11t Birthday Josh!  You are such a gift to your dad and I.  You are always the first to say 'I love you" and are always so quick to give a heartfelt "thank you".  You are kind and funny and so very smart.   We love you.

Josh's Birthday Dinner!   Kikutei with Mimi and Papa

Josh asked for a Burger King crown to wear all day on his special day.  Burger King was all out.  I tried.  This Happy Birthday sticker on his forehead was the next best thing.  Crazy Kid!