One Year in Guam

We've lived here for a year now. We still love the weather. The school and the branch are awesome. I think the only thing we don't like (aside from the deployments - those are part of the job) is that everyone is so far away!


Here are some pictures from our first year on Guam:

Our house
Michenna in her soccer gear

Bubble Fun

Getting ready for the 1st deployment

Michenna teaching FHE

Trying on Mommy's wedding dress, veil, and tiara

Swimming lessons

Jumping off the diving board (I am in the water, just in case.)

Dressed up for the Change-of-Command dinner

First day of first grade

Halloween

At the South Pacific Memorial Park

With Santa at the squadron Christmas party

We started blogging in December, so pics from the end of December until the present are in past posts. (I love alliteration!)

WE LOVE GUAM!

Happy Easter!

We decorated Easter eggs on Saturday. I bought 2 egg coloring kits this year, so we had about 15 colors to choose from. I don't think we used them all.

Michenna wasn't so sure about dropping the "shrink-wrapped" egg into the boiling water. She ended up dumping in the egg and the spoon.

One of the kits was a "Zoo Fun" kit. Michenna made a tiger egg. I made an egg that was supposed to be an elephant egg, but there were no elephant stickers (an oversight on my part). So I made a panda egg.

My favorite egg. :)

The only way we could get a picture of us with the eggs was to lay on the floor. We did a "normal" picture . . .

. . . and a crazy picture.

On Sunday morning, the Easter bunny sent Michenna on a scavenger hunt to find her present. There were eggs hidden in several places - including one in the dryer! Michenna seemed to find that hilarious. Michenna was very happy to get to the final clue - the game closet - and find our new DS games.

Church was interesting. The power went out halfway through the opening announcements. Since our piano/organ is an electric keyboard, we sang the opening hymn and the Sacrament hymn a capella. I wasn't too upset since practice hadn't gone well all week, and I wasn't sure I could play the opening hymn. :)

We came home and our neighbor took a picture of us in our Easter outfits. Yes, my shocked mom, that is pink on my skirt. (I never said I wouldn't ever wear pink. Just hardly ever. Really. Okay, maybe I said never. But I thought the design was cool. And pink is kind of . . . springy.) I worked on Michenna's dress all week and I think it turned out well. Her only complaint is that the dress is too short. It only goes down to her ankles. (She was hoping for a floor-length dress.)

We ate deviled eggs (what else?) for lunch and watched National Treasure. (I don't think there was any swearing at all in the movie. How cool is that? A good movie with no swearing. It can be done!)

Last night we finished reading about the last week of Jesus' mortal ministry. We've been reading each night about what Jesus did on each day of that last week. We've both enjoyed it, and I learned that most of my favorite scriptures and parables come from that last week. It was an incredible experience and we are going to try to make it a tradition.

Michenna's Goal

Michenna reached her goal of 250 Reading Counts points (see January 29th post). She is the ONLY 1st grader who has earned more than 200 points. She will receive a silver heart charm to put on her Reading Counts necklace; she will also have her picture posted outside the library on the Reading Counts "Wall of Fame". She is very excited and has already set a new goal: 375 points by the end of the school year. Hooray, Michenna!

This picture shows her Reading Counts necklace with the 4 charms she has received up to now - and the dolphin ring that her "boyfriend" gave her when he "proposed" last week. Yes, Spencer knows. However, since both Michenna and her friend think that holding hands is gross (kissing is unimaginable), we're not too concerned. And I have to like a kid who "proposes" in front of me and then gives me a hug after he's given Michenna the ring. I mean, c'mon!

Our Anniversary

It's our 5th anniversary, and we're in different countries. That about sums it up. :)

Seriously, the last five years have been great. It's gone by so fast. We've done so much and there is so much more to do. I have the best husband in the world! Wait, I'll qualify that since I have some sisters who might disagree :). I have the best husband in the world for me!

Spencer, thanks for letting me be me. Thanks for talking, crying, and laughing with me. Thanks for holding me and helping me keep perspective when hoped for dreams haven't come true. Thanks for being a great daddy to our little girl. Thanks for being so proud of serving our country, and for being willing to leave us for a few months now and then so that you can do what you signed up to do. I'm proud of you and I love you. Happy birthday and happy anniversary!