Entry for December 06, 2006

So many exciting things going on. 

• We go pick up our new car today.  I am really geeked. 
  
• Melissa is coming to visit in January!! eeeeee
  
• I am half done with the quilt top I started last winter!  I think it looks really nice so far
  
• I started Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich.. Its  a hoot so far
  
• Our tree is up and the house is pretty and I have all of my Christmas shopping done.

That's really it but it feels like a lot of good things.  I am really excited about Melissa's visit.  We were starting to think maybe no one was going to come to Japan to visit us. ( I know Sandy and Sean came to visit but they didn't have to go very far)  I really hope i can get this quilt finished before Melissa comes to visit.  Her favorite color happens to be purple and it would look really pretty at the end of her bed.... Well we don't actually have a bed for her to sleep in yet, but you know what I mean.  We will probably go shopping for a fold-away bed very soon.  Dave will be leaving on the 2nd or 3rdof January for his Vegas TDY so he will be back just before Melissa flies in.  I am sure the three weeks he is gone I will get the quilt finished. 

I have started scrapbooking 2006.  I am to July 4th so far.  I have been going really slow and taking my time.  LOL I only do a two page layout every few days.  The book is turning out really swell so far.  I like it a lot!! 

Well, think that's it. I just really wanted to post a picture of the half of a quilt top I have finished.  What do you think?? 

quick FFFB update

Well, I was just able to finish 5 more pages of the FFFB.  I am really excited.  Here is where I am at.......    

• I have 31 of the 38 pages for my book done.   
  
• I have 12 of the 19 pages for Melissa's book done. 
  
• I have 16 of the 18 pages done for the book I am making for Chuck and Ruthann. 

eeeeee I am so happy I am getting so much closer.  Only waiting on 4 resposes now (7 for melissa's book).  yippie.    I have finished 59 of the 75 pages!!!!  More than three quarters of the way done!!! eeeeee

Scrap-cabinet

I was able to finish cleaning out my scrapbooking stuff this weekend.  I am so happy with it.  I went through my paper and embellishments and took out all of the stuff I will never use.  I am thinking that Melissa might be able to use some of the stuff.  I hate to throw it all away.  I still have plenty of 'stuff' leftover as  you can tell.  I have more scrapbooking to do this week.  I am still working on the Family Fun Facts Book.  I am sure working will be easier now that my supplies are organized better.

We went to Hach today like I had hoped.  Nice to get out of Misawa.  We stopped at the Statue of Liberty and took some pictures.  I posted a new photo album.  Check it out. 

Take Care.  Hope your Monday is great!!

Rainy Day

Its Saturday already I cannot believe it!  This week went fast!!  I did some scrapbooking this week and I am really happy with what I got done.  I am planning to clean out my scrapbooking supplies and organize everything.   I sorted my scraps last night.  Man what a chore!! 

It has been raining here.  It rained all day yesterday, today and tomorrow are supposed to be more of the same.   There is a typhoon nearby and it is dumping a lot of rain on us.  Windy too.  The windows are whistling.  Yesterday was a great day to curl up with a book.  So that's what I did after I cleaned house.

Today we plan to run up to the bazaar and hopefully finish our Christmas shopping.  (Yippie.  We only have a couple people left to buy for. ) Tonight is Bean Night.  I woke up early to get them in the oven.  I had too cups of coffee and so far my 6 hours of sleep seem to be enough.  Dave has a cold, I feel bad for him.  Crossing my fingers I won't get it. 

Today is my step-sister's wedding day!!!  I am so sad that we are missing it.  I hate missing stuff like that. I'll try not to think about it.  Well, this has been a boring entry eh.  I'll end it quick.  Take Care!!  Have a great weekend!!

Feeling Better

Well, I am still alive.  It has been four days since I had my Wisdom Teeth removed and everything is going great so far.  No complaints... well, just that I'm hungry.  Dave had last Thursday and Friday off so he could take care of me.  I think he was sorta bored but he did a good job.  I haven't had a lot of pain and hardly any swelling.  I am so relieved that it is done and over with.  Now just have to be sure not to get dry sockets. 



SO not much else to write about since we've just been bumming around the house for the past four days.  I felt well enough to do some scrapbooking today.  Got 4 more Family Fun Fact Book pages done this afternoon.  I am really excited about getting the last 6 responses.   Hopefully soon. 



I decided to start watching The Amazing Race.  I have never watched it before but since there isn't a lot on right now thought I would get into it this time.  Man, that show is crazy to watch.  I could never do that sort of thing.  Every second I am watching them do that crazy stuff  I am so thankful that my behind is on the sofa WATCHING.  Dave told me he thinks he and I would be good at that sort of thing.  I however think it would send us to marital counseling.  So I was wondering....  Do you watch The Amazing Race?  Would you like go on an adventure like that?  How do you think you and your spouse would do??

Just some random stuff

Well,  the weekend is already over!   I have been working on my Family Fun Facts Book.  It is going really well!    Here is how the book is coming :  

*   I have 18 of 38 pages totally finished  *

*  On my side of the family I have 16 of 16 questionnaire responses  *

*  On my side of the family I have 9 of the 16 photos I need  *

*  On Dave's side I have 11 of the 22  questionnaire responses  *

*  On Dave's side I have 19 of the 22  photos I need   *

I am currently STUCK!!  I am hoping I will get the missing responses from Dave's family this week.  I really have no clue how I am going to get the pictures I need of my family.  It has been so fun doing this book.  I really like reading every one's responses.  I knew this book might be a huge challenge to gather the answers and the photos of our huge family.    I am sure it will be well worth it when I am finished.  I am also making one for Dave's Mom and one for his Dad.  I am just making nearly exact pages for their book. Each of their books will be 18 pages!!  What have I gotten myself into???  I have 7  pages in each of their books done though so they are nearly half done! 

Here are the questions I asked everyone for this Family book:

*  Birthplace* Current residence* Favorite thing to do* Name one odd fact about yourself* If you could spend one day with anyone alive or dead who would it be and why* If you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be*

I have been really impressed by all of the different responses to these same four questions.  It is really cool!! You can check out what I have finished in the FFFB album. 

So, this week is going to be a little crazy.  Dave has to work Monday then is off the rest of this week.  I like having him here but I can't get much done.  On Thursday I am having my oral surgery.  YIKES!  I am really hoping I won't let myself chicken out.  It is a real possibility though.  haha  It seems like there are a lot of things we want to do around here before Thursday, so I am sure Thursday will be here before I even know it.    After I am all healed up I am planning to do a really good cleaning before winter gets here. I get to use that really neat Spring Cleaning Checklist again. I am glad I have time to do a good cleaning before the house gets closed up.  Seems like fall and winter snuck up on use though.  I went to the BX today and they have all of their Christmas stuff out already!!!  Isn't that insane???  Luckily we are nearly done with our Christmas shopping.,  We only have 3 people left to shop for!!!! 

I am nearly finished with She Got Up Off the Couch by Haven Kimmel.  Boy, is it good.  So fun to read.  I love it just as much as A Girl Named Zippy. 

Well, I think that's enough rambling.  Take care.  Have a great week everyone!!

Books

Dave arrived home the other day.  He is really glad to be home.  He is really tired and is looking forward to time off next month.  I am so glad he is finally back.  I was running out of stuff to keep me busy.  I put together 4 scrapbooks, made three Christmas presents, did a lot of online shopping and did two puzzles.  Ha!!!  I have put the four scrapbooks in my photos.  If your not into scrapbooking they will probably be boring to look at.  Sorry. 

Everyone back home sure has been quiet lately.  Guess summer is keeping everyone busy.  I have been reading a lot since most of the summer has been rainy.   I have read a bunch of really great books.  If you are looking for a good read here is a short list of some I would recommend- Mine are Spectacular, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, Patty Janes House of Curl, Crazy Ladies, One Thousand White Women, One for the Money, Gap Creek, A Girl Named  Zippy, Icy Sparks, Lucky, Lovely Bones,  Cheat and Charmer.          

I am going to start The Freedom Writers Diary next week.   I will let you know what I think when I am finished.                                  

whats new with us.....

So, it has been awhile! 

Dave left for Alaska on the 15th.  His tickets were pretty dumb and it took him 32 hours to get to Alaska! Talk about out of the way.  He flew from Tokyo to LA to San Fran to Seattle to Alaska!!!!!! He has called a few times he said he is a little disappointed that he has been there for nearly a week and hadn't been able to go fishing yet.  I think he was going to go today though.  He is working swings over there and all of his fishing buddies are working days, so he doesn't have anyone to fish with.  This weekend though I think they will get plenty of fishing  in.  We have no clue when he will get back. He flew commercial but doesn't have return tickets!!  Hopefully this TDY is no more than three weeks. 

I decided to get started scrapbooking the day he left.  I hadn't scraped anything past our wedding.  I got started on Saturday after he left and finished on Tuesday!!!  I was able to get 2002 , 2003 , and 2004 completely done! I also got 12 pages for 2005 done!  It was really easy since I had all of my pictures sorted and ready.  Plus, I got a bunch of really cool stuff from Close To My Heart.  I also did a 30 page 9x9 book for my Chicago trip!!!  Isn't that crazy!!  The '02  and '03 pages are going to go in the same book which will be 40 pages.  And 2004 ended up 40 pages.  I guess I was really motivated!  I would have liked to finish all of 2005 but I am completely out of adhesive, but I ordered some more stuff and hopefully it will get here soon. 

I have been knitting since I finished scrapbooking.  Hopefully I can get a few Christmas gifts done.

Well, I think that's it for now.    

It has been awhile

It has been a while since my last entry.  Not much has been happening here.  Dave has been in Texas since June 3rd.  He will return this Sunday.  He had to go to seven level school with little notice.  It was quite an ordeal. Becky drove to Texas with Marc and Ella to visit with him this past weekend.  I am guessing that Dave probably had a great time. 

I have  hardly done a thing since he has been gone.  No need to cook.  I have done a little bit of scrapbooking.  My book is at 76 pages so far.  At what point is it excessive?  I might need to have volumes, maybe childhood in one book and teenage years in another. I hope to get it done this week.  I bet I can do it.  Not a lot left to do. 

I started a new book this weekend.  One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus.  Man, is it GOOD!!!  I have been trying to pace myself but I can hardly put it down.  I don't want to be bored the rest of the week!!   I would highly recommend this book.  Yippie I love the feeling I have when I know there is a really good book on my nightstand waiting for me.  LOLOLOLOL

Well,  not much else to say.  

just a lazy sunday

Today we are  just bumming around.  Yesterday we went to Japan Day up at the high school.  It was fun.  My favorite part is the Thunder drumming.  I noticed that I couldn't help smiling during their performance.  Then I looked around and a lot of people watching were smiling.  It is just SO COOL.

I was able to do a little scrapbooking this week.  I hauled the kitchen table into the living room and spend about 7 hours scrapbooking.  (Not all at once though I made dinner.)  I got six pages done.  Not bad.  I had planned on making Wednesday my scrapbooking night but this week I am going to go try this Japanese punch art thing.  don't know much about it just that an 80 yr old Japanese man teaches it.  If i decide to take this hobby up I will probably move scrapbooking to Tuesday.  What a stressful life I lead huh?  LOL  I love this!  I have time for things I like to do, and time to try new things.  All while having a clean and tidy house and making dinner every night.   

I finished a book the other day,  Mine are Spectacular by Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger.  I really liked it  and flew through it.  I started a new book yesterday, Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons.  I am only a few pages in, but I like it so far.   

 For those family members, Dave put in for his leave the other day.  He is second on the list so, we will be home for Christmas!  I am so excited.   We are planning a few days in Chicago for our anniversary.  So fun!  But mostly we are just looking forward to spending Christmas with our family.   

Well, tata for now    

My trip to Michigan so far

Well, I have been here for almost two weeks.  it is really nice to be in the States.  I wish Dave would have come though!!!!  I have been able to get a ton of scrapbooking done.  And spending time with Anna has been great! 

Melissa and I are going to Chicago tomorrow morning.  We are riding the train from Lapeer to Chicago and we are really excited.  Oprah will be on Spring Break so we wont get to seee her show.  Whatever, we are still going to have a lot of fun we are looking at dinner theaters in Chicago.  The murder mystery  gangster style sounds like fun.  I am sure I will take a lot of pictures but I will have to wait until I get home to post them because Melissa's Internet is so F-ing slow it makes me want to scream. 

Hope everyone is doing well.