The Air Force Family

Yesterday when Kenny came home from work I hugged him a little tighter, sat at the dinner table talking a little longer, sat a little closer to him on the couch & cuddled up to him a little closer as we went to sleep.  Four C-17 crew members from Elmendorf Air Force Base were killed into an routine training flight.  They were training for an air show that was to take place this weekend at their base.  I am so saddened for the families, friends & Elmemdorf community.  I can not even imagine what they are going through.  We truly are a family in the flying community.  In some way everyone knows everyone.  We have friends and family that fly on C-17s as well as other aircraft all over the Air Force.  I know Kenny's job has some inherent risks, but the reality of those risks hit me yesterday.  Our time here on this earth is not guaranteed.  Remember to tell the ones you love how much you love them.  Please join me in praying for the families of these 4 crew members as they mourn the loss of their loved ones.

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In my effort to do better about blogging, I figure I should do it even when I don't have anything fun to report.  So here goes...this past week definitely was not the best week we've had here in Japan.  I was sick with a summer cold for about 9 days & Kenny was on a trip that kept getting extended.  It just kinda sucked!  Kenny's trip was supposed to be a 7 day trip that turned into an 11 day trip.  Oh well, at least he's not deployed!  As you know, I tend to be quite social, so being sick in the house for that long with Kenny gone was brutal for me.  I was so bored & lonely, but didn't feel like doing anything.  Thankfully I'm feeling better now & my hubby is home!!!  Glad that week is behind us and we can move on!

They are shutting down the power on our side of the base on Saturday to replace a transformer that was destroyed in the flood we had about a month ago.  So what did a few of us girls over here decide we should do with a day of no power????  We're heading to IKEA!!!!  Kenny decided he'd rather stay here to catch up on work (his office is on the other side of base).  I can't imagine why he wouldn't want to go spend a day at Ikea with us....  =) 

That's all I know for now, nothing much right?  It's almost time for me to start the countdown for getting to go to Arkansas!!!  32 days, but I'm not paying much attention to that yet, ok maybe I am!  =)

PCS Season

Well, it's that time of year here at Yokota....PCS season. It is a very bitter/sweet time around here. For those of you that don't know PCS means Permanent Change of Station. It means while we are sad to say "bye" to friends, we are happy to welcome new friends to our Yokota Family. A lot of people move during the summer in the military, so that kiddos can get the new school year started at their new base.
I've had the pleasure this week to get to show 2 of our new families around Japan a little. Eight months ago I never could have imagined that I would be comfortable enough in Japan to show new people around! I've had so much fun getting to take them around. I got to take one family on the train to Tokyo yesterday to teach them how to navigate the JR (Japan Railway) system. The 1st time Kenny & I took the train by ourselves, I thought that I was going to have a nervous breakdown!!! Now, I get around on them pretty darn good, & can even teach new people a thing or two. Today I got to take the other family to Joyful Honda for their 1st adventure eating off base in Japan. (Yes Mom, we had some gyoza!) The 1st time Kenny & I went to Joyful Honda on our own, we got lost on our way back to base! I thought for sure we were never going to make it back, but thank goodness we did.
After having the crazy experiences of Japan on our own, it's funny now that I am the one showing people around. It's fun for me to see how far I've come in such a short amount of time. Don't get me wrong, I still get a little confused at some of the bigger train stations every once in a while & driving off base is always interesting, but I know enough to get by. I'm so thankful for the people that took us under their wing when we got here, & I love that I now get the chance to give some of that back to the newcomers.

Sorry!!!!!

Yes, I'm still here! I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted! I got behind when my parents visited & then just felt too far behind to catch up. This is my attempt to get going again....

We had a great time with my folks here! I'll post some pictures later. After their trip, Kenny was gone for 3 weeks, and then it was time for the 4th of July. We had a great time with our Yokota Family for the 4th. Although, I did seriously miss the lake & my family!!! I think it was the hardest holiday for me to be away from my family since we've been here. I love summer & the lake so much, it was hard to not be there with them. But, we made the best of it & had a fun cookout with our friends.

Other than that, there hasn't been much going on around here. I'll try to do a post with some pictures later, but I promise I'll do a better job of blogging. Have a great week!