Ya Vamos: December 2010

2010 was a big year for us, in fact, so much has happened that it's hard to believe it's only been one year! At the beginning of the year Tyson was sent to Haiti to bring water and supplies to the people on the island of LaGonave. While he was gone we was given his new orders to Sasebo Japan. Nathan and I prepared as quickly as possible, and it still didn't look like the Navy was going to approve my entry into Japan. We waited in limbo for a couple weeks while we camped on the beach in Coronado. We made some really cool friends on our campout, and we were lucky enough to be present when one of my best friends got engaged. On our drive to Modesto we got the word that I was approved for entry into Japan, and we couldn't have been more happy. While none of us wanted to live in Japan, we were glad that our family would get to stay together. After one last visit with my darling nieces, and a quick visit with the rest of our families we flew into Japan on June 17. We were able to find an adorable Japanese house to live in, only to move out a month later when a termite infestation led to the discovery of mold and rot under the floors. No wonder that mildew smell wouldn't go away no matter what I did! We took the first home available to us, which is base housing in the middle of nowhere! We felt like the firework show the first weekend we stayed here was a sign that we had made the right decision. We discovered my pregnancy the very last Saturday in July, and are looking forward to the spring and the arrival of our little star. We visited California in November, and had an excellent time at Disneyland. Nathan's Amma took him for his birthday, and we tagged along. The visit was incredibly helpful in a very important way, it helped me to realize that I was far too attached to my extended family, and that I would never be able to be happy living so far away if I didn't learn to let go a little. I was also able to see that maybe I was attached to ideas of who people were, not who they actually were. The people who matter most, my husband and son are my biggest source of happiness, and I am better able to appreciate just how good they are for me. Plus Ty and I finished up some much needed marriage therapy this year, and we are living quite happily in a much more loving and respectful manner than ever before. It sort of feels like a turning inward, the way we've folded ourselves into a more comfortable family. After we returned to Japan, we decorated for Christmas, and enjoyed a lovely holiday, just the three and a half of us. Nathan didn't get out of bed until I told him that Santa and his reindeer had eaten all the cookies and carrots overnight! I'm told this sleeping in trend won't last, so I'm appreciating it while I can. Today is the last day of the year, and last night it snowed six inches all over our base! We started the New Year's celebrations with a happy romp in the snow and we made a frightening looking snow man with some red water balloons we found on the ground and a bottle cap nose. Tonight we will stay home, play games and watch movies. We're looking forward to another busy and fun year. Our goals are definitely to deliver a healthy baby in April, to continue learning the language of our current land, to commit to a healthy lifestyle and lose the extra weight Ty and I are carrying around. We also plan to save up enough money to travel to Singapore for New Year next year! We hope your New Year is happy and blessed, and that you have fun celebrating.