Our trip to OKUMA

We had to leave Brody and the cats "Home Alone", Brody was a bit afraid and decided to stay between the covers.
Sarah decided to dress up like a baby doll, then no one would recognize who she really was.
Bessy displaying the beautiful "Sakura" Cherry Blossom Trees in Nago
The hillside was full of Cherry Blossom trees. (Note....all the pink are blossoms)
Tomo is commandeering the Beach Buggy - "Hey man, you turn around and face forward"
The water at Okuma was BEAUTIFUL, the wind was brisk but the temperature was perfect.
Caleb. Bessy and Juda in their Buggies.
Trying our best to get a family photo of all the big and little kiddos.
Juda sometimes isn't in agreement to what the majority rule.
Tomo thought something was so funny......
Hey,,,,just hanging out at Okuma with their Andy having a drink......
Tomo found a great place to play "Hide and Seek"
A favorite past time when at Okuma......cutting the ZZZZZZZZZ's
Juda is thrilled to be so tall....
These two are always up to something crazy.....
Juda, Tomo and Bessy's versions of "Peace"
Bethany is always so sweet to buy me flowers, this time I surprised her with a bouquet of Beautiful Gerber Daisies.......we told her they were so very colorful just like her and her personality.
Enjoy the thrill of downhill racing Okuma Buggy style,.........

Please pray for Misaki

Please pray for Misaki. She was the last "Box of Love" recipient a few days before Christmas and really touched all of our lives. She is in the hospital and really struggling. She is 10 years old and has a genetic disorder called epidermilosis bullosa, in short EB Take a look at it on the www.debra.org. It is a very painful disease as her epidermal layer is gone, and there is no cure. For now pain managements and keeping her germ free/infection free will be the only things that will sustain her life and keep her comfortable. She is not eating and is very depressed. Pray that we can love her and her family with the love of Jesus and share with them the hope that only He can offer them.

Fight FOCA

Home Sweet Home

Smith "Happy House"

Let's get right to the important part of the home besides the kitchen. We are so excited to have a full size washer and dryer again, we can now get laundry done in the regular amount of time or shall I say American style.
When we said we were on the corner, we meant we are the corner.
This the genkan, the entrance way or foyer with the shoe cabinet to your right. The nice alcove was disigned by our neighbor/owner and a friend of hers placed the flower arrangement there for us. It is traditional white/red symbolic of new beginning. She has offered to put more arrangements there for us throughout the year.
This is the master bathroom, not something you typically see in japanese style homes. The window plant area is great, we are enjoying gardening in this style.
The room Tomo is in is elevated. It is the playroom, equipped with sliding doors to close it off if necessary, not to shut the kids out, but to shut the mess out.
Our model Tomo is now showing us Bethany and Juda's room, equipped with the new japanese version bunk bed/trundle bed.

Stairs coming up from the foyer and then on up to the bedrooms.

Looking down into the living area.

Notice the drawers under the floor of the playroom. They currently are housing toys.
Tomo has been such a nice host to show you our new home. We sure are enjoying it. We have enough parking underneath for 4 cars. That is unusual for a home to have so much, therefore we have been asked by a few folks if it is an appartment.

Christmas and Things

We had a great Christmas ourselves, so glad to have everyone home this year, what a blessing. After serving all the children with the "Box of Love" ministry, we had already been blessed greatly, and with our new home, what a treat to get moved in and unpacked, had a few open house parties, then for Christmas Day and beyond.
Ben and Andy got new watches and wanted to try them out in the darkness of the pantry. It looks more like they are high jacking Caleb.......
Juda was not sure about coming down for Christmas morning. He finally did and enjoyed.
Look what we found in the box of packing peanuts, a different kind of peanut.

Andy offering his morning drink of choice to Caleb as they wait for Juda to come down from the stairs.
Little by little we are gathering for the morning festivities.
Okay, okay, now we are talking fun. Once he got his sights on his new bike, he was ready for the party.
Bethany's first deodorant, strawberry freshness.
Ben and Andy wrapped Caleb's gift in a box then zip tied it multiple times. It was a challenge to get into.....

This must be the encouraging wave for Caleb to keep on cutting, pulling, opening his gift.
We tried to tell Andy, "It is a WATCH, not a TELESCOPE", he is usually a smart guy, but there is always that time or two that we doubt.
Juda quietly picking out the cashews......
The prize behind all the zip ties, tape, etc......
B ball for the little ones.......
A new weight lifting exercise......
Tom was so excited to get his gift from the boys......a new grill......not sure what was more fun.....opening it or putting it together......none the less......the fun now is using it.
Madagascar was the viewing pleasure.....that topped the bike.....
Although, putting together and taking apart his truck was a close top hit too, even among the big boys................
Tom tried to convince us he was reading the directions to the new game by osmosis.....Brody said...NOT
In between delivering "Boxes of Love" we were able to get moved into our new home and put up the tree......with the help of the cats.



This is probably the last picture we have of Juda in his "Harry Potter" glasses before he twisted them for the last time......then we were onto our 5th pair of glasses. The supply here on base is getting narrow, although we are keeping the vendor in business...glad we can be of help to his economy.

We've been P ing!!!

PARTYING...Tomo turned 2, Juda turned 8, Caleb turned 19 and Andy turned 24.....(more pics to come)
PACKING....to move next week 3 doors down the street to a new house...................
PRESENTING....a new baby to the Kuba family.....................
PREPARING...the "Box of Love" gifts.....................
PASSING OUT the "Box of Love" gifts to the children of Okinawa.........
Check out our other blog @ www.boxofloveokinawa.blogspot.com to see how God is blessing this outreach ministry once again. What a mighty God we serve.........

Long time no see!!!

I'm sure to you it seems we've been hiding out over here in Okinawa kindof like Tomo is hiding out in Andy's shirt, however, it is not true............................
Maybe it seems to you we've been over here taking cat naps, however.........................


For some of us this is obviously true..................