Happy Valentine's Day and Fare Well Andy

Moma Meeyaa, My very own box of CHOCOLATE,
We typically don't give Juda chocolate on a regular basis as he makes a mess with it and for other reasons like, I don't like to share my stash..........But it is Valentine's Day and before we knew it he had consumed three of his six pieces from his very own box and it was 8:00 at night......wooo...we were in for a night.
Chocolate and Teddy Bears......perfect Valentine's Day.......
Ben fell asleep as his body was processing that D lish steak dinner Tom prepared for us, along with Ben's famoous Jalapeno/Bacon Poppers as apetizers. MMMMMM Gooddddddd
Andy came over for dinner before he departed Okinawa for Iraq. The parting was quick as to not upset me and Bethany too terribly much. Job well done Andy san. The kids love him so much as we all do and we will miss him terribly. We know how blessed we are for having him here with us for the past several months, but we easily grow accustomed to habits and become very spoiled in the midst.

Now that I'm growing up.......

Will I be a photographer/model......?
Will I work in a parking deck, parking cars....?
Will I be a plastic ware salesman and demonstrate where they go in the kitchen....?
Will I be a carpenter and shelf fitter, demonstrating how children will fit on the shelf after your finished playing with them.....?
OR...... Will I be a plumber/joker...."Yikes...this pipe is HOT".....
Nonetheless...I'm busy exploring all occupations currently, trying to find my place in the grand scheme of things and keeping my mommy busy as she tries to keep an eye on me.

Tomo on the GO

Tomo is on the go now. He started experimenting with the Walking thing last week and is trying really hard to be independent. With the new walking thing comes exploration too. He is keeping busy cleaning out cabinets and drawers and trying new ways of playing with his toys.

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.