Upcoming Trip

We leave for China soon!! I'm going to try and follow Darcy's example and blog while we're there ... that way I'm not too overwhelmed to post ALL the pics at once and I won't forget as much. If you don't see anything though, then I was unable to get on the internet.

Karaoke with the Girls

Last weekend I went with some of my old co-workers out to dinner and karaoke for a Girl's Night Out! We had some awesome sushi (since Rachel knows the owner/chef) and then a few of us headed out to sing not only English songs ... but Russian and Japanese!

Here is Julia singing in Russian - it was very cool!

Rachel and I rocked the traditional faves - you know, "Piano Man", "Photograph", the "Mamma-Mia Medley" ....
I think Tamie-san's face is a pretty good indicator of all our faces while watching Julia sing in Russian:
This is the only one of me since I move around so much - this pic was the LEAST blurry!
Tamie-san putting in her song choices - in Japanese.
I had a blast - thanks girls!!

Round 1

I'm trying to clear off our camera's memory stick before we head to China! A few weeks ago we went to a gigantic arcade/game complex down near the convention center - we had a blast! Our friend and her little boy came along with us too :)

Here is Michael playing the "Tokyo Bus Driver" game (that is the name we gave it ... not its "real" name). There were TONS of video games to play - all included with the admission fee!

Michael tried out the batting cages ... I did too, but I just don't dig baseball/softball like he does. I went and played on the indoor soccer field as well as the "shoot-out" game where you hit the different blocks in the area the size of a goal post - try to envision a tic-tac-toe board inside a goal post with little X's inside the board you have to shoot out a'la penalty kick style - I totally dominated that game. I still haven't lost my accuracy ;)

Katie's little man in the balls ... he had a blast since he is obsessed with balls!!
I even roller-skated - and opted for the old school 4 wheel skates. I totally rocked here too ... some things you just don't lose. See how fluid I look when I'm moving!? LOL!
It was A LOT of fun!! When Michael went back up to the batting cages, Katie and I took her little man down to the relaxation room to sit in the massage chairs. Not only could we have awesome massages, but any comic you could want (in Japanese tho) was lining the wall so you could read while relaxing. They even had some chairs on the outskirts of the kids play area ... how smart is that!?!

Dr. Borlaug

A profound scholar passed on Saturday ... someone who made an amazing and dynamic impact on the world. Dr. Borlaug, the father of the "Green Revolution", presented my father with the Outstanding Graduate Student award at the University of Minnesota, and was also the speaker at my commencement ceremonies at Texas A&M. Dr. Ed Runge (retired head of TAMU's Dept of Soil and Crop Sciences) probably said it best in the article written about his life; "He has probably done more and is known by fewer than anybody that has done that much." To read the article, click HERE.

CrossFit: Operation Phoenix

As many of you know, we have been drinking the CrossFit Kool-Aid heavily! I took some excerpts from the Operation Phoenix website to help an AWESOME cause - http://operationphoenix.myshopify.com/

From the site:
WHAT IS CROSSFIT?-
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, firefighters, Marines, Navy SEALs, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
CrossFit delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is in not specializing. Combat, survival, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.

WHAT IS OPERATION PHOENIX?:
Operation Phoenix is a CrossFit initiative that will raise the necessary funds to equip the entire United States Marine Corps with functional fitness equipment to increase combat preparedness, reduce injury, and strengthen unit cohesion. This will be accomplished through non-profit sales, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations. Every penny raised will go directly to "America's Fighting Force," the USMC.

WHY HELP?-
Your help in support of Operation Phoenix not only increases Marines' fitness levels and fosters Marine Corps’ camaraderie, but positions corporate sponsors for networking, PR, and advertising opportunities within the CrossFit community. Additionally, you will find satisfaction in meeting and/or reconnecting with Marines all over the world. According to Coach Greg Glassman, the Corps has been the branch of the military to most rapidly adopt CrossFit into its fitness program. There is a CrossFit gym on or near practically every Marine Corps base in the country, and even one serving troops based in Okinawa, Japan. This is a chance to become a large part.

I am lucky enough to work on an Army base that has CrossFit capabilities and equipment ... Michael is not. This website is aiming to fix that!!

Please help us provide support - Arigato Gozaimasu!

“The constantly varied and high intensity aspects of CrossFit provide devotees with a mental rigor, mental armor if you will, beyond the physical benefits normally associated with a fitness program. A CrossFit-trained Marine is one who is properly prepared both physically and mentally for the rigors of combat.”
LtCol Dan Wilson, U.S. Marines

Necklace Giveaway!

Its worth a shot right?! They are giving a beautiful necklace away as a free giveaway. This jewelry looks great ...

Click for the website Jib & Genoa website!

A New Look.

It was about time for a blog "makeover" :) ... hope you enjoy it!

Michael's 29th Birthday!

Michael turned 29 on the 26th! He wanted some things that reminded him of "home" for this birthday so I made him a carrot cake with his Mom's recipe and we cooked enchiladas with his Dad's recipe! We made ourselves sick eating so much ... it was awesome!! (**I didn't feel so awesome at work this morning though!)

Here is the finished carrot cake:

I surprised him with an original iPod so we can watch movies on the plane together without having to get the computer out :)

Piglet was extra attentive to her daddy (she had a "spa-day" on Saturday b/c she got a haircut, her nails trimmed, her ears cleaned and a bath!):

about to dig in to some delicious enchiladas and Spanish rice:

hanging out with Pigdog and preparing for cake:

the fastest melting candles ever:

making a wish!

YUM!!!

Its so much fun getting to spend birthdays and holidays together - we still don't take it for granted and its been 2.5 years since a deployment!

Tattoo Update

Sooo ... we went to go get tattoos down in Naha, but we ended up mad so we left. They didn't like my constructive criticism ... and then they cancelled Michael's appointment on him. We went to another shop outside of Kadena and we should see the designs next Tuesday. We went to a small pub beforehand with some really good Weizens and wheat beers so the trip to Naha wasn't a complete loss!

and Pigdog is just cute all snuggled up after her haircut:

Let Birthday Week Begin!!

Its the beginning of Birthday Week for Michael!! The good thing about not having kids is that we can still be really selfish ... so we give each other a whole week to celebrate our birthdays :)

Michael's week starts tonight by heading to Naha for tattoos! I'm supportive so I'm getting one too (just kidding ... but I am getting a tattoo as well b/c I really want another one). So ... that being said - these are the last toe pics with only one tattoo b/c I'm putting one on my right foot tonight!