Holy Chimp POOP!

Yesterday was a beautiful day and so I decided to take the kids to the zoo. Ethan was out of school so it worked out great. I was in an especially chipper mood so we took his friend Jacob along too. There was hardly anyone there so we basically had the zoo all to ourselves. Lainey wasn't too sure about the animals and kept telling me "mom, STINKY, STINKY, go go go!" I totally agree with her, the zoo stinks! While this zoo is a bit run down and the animal care is a bit questionable, it was a fun time had by all.
So, you are probably wondering why my title is "Holy Chimp Poop". WELL, here is a fun story for ya: We were walking down to this chimp who is quite old, he was born in 1978! Apparently we startled him or something because as we came over to look at him (remember we were the only ones around) he was at the back of his cage and came running toward us like a bat out of hell and flung his poop at us!! He must have been having a crappy day(Ha ha, I am so PUNNY!). It scared the living daylights out of me and luckily there was a net to catch the poop. Ethan of course thought it was the most hilarious thing ever and Lainey won't stop telling people about "The monkey poop, the monkey poop, no no monkey!" After that fun event he went up to a pole in his cage and turned around and wouldn't look at us. Grump!
About 15 minutes in my camera decided to tell me that I only had a bit of battery left so I only got a few pics. None of the grumpy chimp or his poop. Oh well, better luck next time!


The Bengal Tiger. I think this is such a beautiful animal. Poor guy just sat there pacing back and forth in his cage. I noticed that a lot of the animals were doing that. The cages aren't big enough for the animals. It's really quite sad.



I had to get a picture of this hippos butt!

Aren't they just so ugly!!


These guys have seen better days:

Here is a horrible shot of the kiddos checking out the giant anteaters. I only got once chance before my camera shut off.

Here is an Okinawan bat close up. When I say close up, I am talking like I could have easily stuck my fingers through the net and pet this little guy. Okay, I am not sure if it is an "okinawan" bat, but they are the bats that are here, on this island, called Okinawa.




I had taken the above picture of him when all of the sudden, out popped his head!! I was just waiting for him to smile for me. Isn't he cute?!! Really!The day ended with me taking them to the little run down amusement park in the zoo. Lainey got to ride on the choo choo train which she loved. The boys thought is was SOOOO lame and I had to remind them that it was a toddler ride and to just enjoy the scenery! After the awesome train ride the boys got their own private viewing of a 3-D dinosaur video which was much more up their alley. All in all, it was a great day... even if we had poop thrown at us!

Could she get any cuter?!!

I know that she is a "big girl" now and shouldn't have a bink, but that is the last thing of the baby stage that she is still holding on to. I figure that we will get through the move and settled before I take it away. She usually just has it for naptime and bedtime, but lately she has been sneaking them downstairs :).

Recent Pictures...

The other night Andy got out the camera and took some random shots of me and Ethan:








We had some of Andy's friends over for dinner the other night and the kids were SO excited to have them over. Here they are waiting and waiting for them to arrive:


Lainey got a new Tiger towel. She LOVES it!

I know that this is about the most boring post ever, but that's all I've got! Hopefully there will be something interesting to post in the next few days :).

We FINALLY know!

So we found out where we are going next.....drumroll please......
California! While it isn't Hawaii like we had planned, we can't beat being in nice weather and we are finally close enough to visit family. We are headed to Lemoore, California which is south of Fresno. It is a small, rural town with not a whole lot going on, BUT it will be a great place to raise the kids for the next 4 years. There is a Target and Walmart 15 minutes from the base so really, I am set. I have lived this long in Japan without major shopping and have been just fine :). I am looking forward to some great farmer's markets (cross my fingers) and am elated that Mio will be able to live with us. The base has no restrictions on "aggressive breed" dogs so we are able to live on base. Wahoo!! I have been checking out schools for Ethan and we found two great ones that we can choose from. As far as school goes for me, I will have to attend a junior college since there isn't a major university close, but that will be okay. I will still be able to get my BSN, but it will just be a bit trickier. I am just excited to FINALLY know where we are going. YIPPEE!! I know I have been slacking on the posts lately, but I have been in kind of a funk. Now that I am not so stressed out, I will be posting pics soon :).

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Still WAITING...

For all of you who don't know what has been going on, here is the recap:
We got orders to Hawaii, but they came back and told us that it cost too much money to move us there and that we couldn't go. The detailer then told Andy that he could put in for a "high cost" move to see if it would be approved. We were told to call back the second week of January and we did, but the papers are still being looked over (i.e. sitting somewhere on someone's desk). We were then told to call back in a week, which Andy did last night and again, there is no news. We were told that there is a slim chance that we will get approved for the high cost move, but here we sit, still waiting. I HATE to wait. I would just like to know YES or NO and get on with our lives. I wouldn't have such a problem with not knowing where we are going to spend the next 4 years of our lives, but now that Ethan is in school I need to research areas and get him in a good school BEFORE we move because he will have to go to school as soon as we arrive at this unknown destination. Not to mention I still have to apply to a university and get approved, transfer all my credits, etc. before the deadline for Fall Semester comes and goes. Oh and then there is the Mio issue. Since she is an "aggressive breed" we are unable to live on base with her. So, in a span of say a month, we have to find us a place off base in a good neighborhood with good schools that is relatively close to Andy's work and a university. I know that it is doable, but it is already giving me anxiety. I start to get super stressed out if I think about it too much. So, here I sit, packing all our stuff, so that I have at the very least SOMETHING in my control. Now all we can do is wait some more.....

Go Team Falcons!!!

Ethan is playing his first season of Flag Football! He is the quaterback and is really enjoying it. I know I say this about all the sports he plays, but it is just so much fun to watch kids this age play. They still don't "get" the game very well so it makes for some hilarious moments! Here are some pics from his first game:

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Some park in Naha.

I HATE VONAGE!!

To Whom It May Concern:
I promise you all that we are NOT screening your calls, our Vonage just blows. When the internet is not fast (which is most of the time) our phone decides not to work. We have had such troubles with it lately. If you do by chance happen to make a connection with us after about 15-20 times of trying to call each other back and forth, our connection is horrible. It sounds like we have call waiting on speed. Oh how I can't wait to have a NORMAL connection....
Speaking of, we still don't have any news on where we are going. Andy called them on Tuesday night and they still hadn't gotten the paperwork back. So, he will call again this coming Wednesday to see if there is any news. NEVER MIND that we have less that 8 weeks before we are supposed to PCS. Grr...
I have been getting the house ready though and have starting packing boxes of things that we don't need at the moment. I love to pack and organize so it has been really fun and quite cathartic...there is something about getting rid of the crap that you don't need and organizing that stuff that you do. Ahhh...
Well, off to go and hang with the kids. It's Andy's morning to sleep in..mine's tomorrow, yippee!!

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Butterflies

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Such a boy!

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Sunset

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Sorry about not being vigilant with the daily photo. I have been feeling under the weather and going to bed early. I promise I will do better at updating now. Anyway, how can this picture not make you smile and think how precious little kids are?

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!!

No people, I am not pregnant :).



LAINEY IS POTTY TRAINED!! She is 2 years and 29 days old and diaper free! Well technically she still uses one at night, but that is just so mommy doesn't have to get up during her much needed time of "hibernation". Yippee for Lainey Bug!

Lainey video

Here is a fun video of Lainey girl..

Lainey's New Horse!

Grammy Barb's present arrived a few days after Christmas, but I have been a lazy blogger and haven't put anything up since then. Lainey loves her horse and she has aptly named it "Miso". She did it all her her own too, I asked her "Michelle??" "NO mommy, MISO!"

Andy got the horse all set up while Lainey was napping. She got a fun surprise after nap time!





Abbie and Lainey trying it out:



Lainey wanted to go to work with daddy and this is what she wanted to wear:







Chillin watching some Elmo:



Here is a little clip of her first ride on Miso:

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Another of Ethan at Katsuren Castle

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Sorry about not posting a daily photo the past couple days. I have been deathly ill and lived on the couch for two days. I thought I was going to die, but I didn't. So here is Sweet Lainey Baby.