AVE

In the last year I have started doing more shopping out in town.  I have always done some shopping off base, but not on a weekly basis or anything.  AVE is a store just a few minutes down the road, and I find it has the best deals on produce and is easy for us to go there- we can park at the store so we don't have to worry about parking on base, then walking and carrying our groceries home. They are open from 10-7 and they don't do very much re-stocking during the afternoon so if you go late there isn't much selection.  We usually go right before nap or after.

   The first thing we do when we get to AVE is go visit the puppies (Inu) and Kittens (nek0).  Gabrielle LOVES this part, she tells all of them HI and goes back and forth between all the windows to visit them.  After pulling her away from the animals and saying goodbye to them we go to the other side of the store- the food side.  The produce is so sweet, clean and amazing here. I don't know how people buy it on base and not locally!  They only take cash, and I normally only take 5000yen  with me ($50) but that covers it and we have money left.  Last week I took a picture of our purchases after we got home. With Clayton home I had to buy more so this trip cost about $45.  We bought: 3 green apples (best apples you will ever have!) # red apples, 4 peaches, 5 cucumbers, 3 carrots, 1 pineapple, 2 gold kiwi, 2 bags fresh green beans, 1 honeydew melon, 1/2 watermelon, bunch of bananas, apple juice, pineapple juice, piece of salmon, 2 containers of prepared edimame (our absolute favorite) and two ice cream treats! 

  Oh and I do buy more vegetables, but those I do tend to get on base. AVE sells like 3 pieces of asparagus as a bunch! Plus most of the stuff I don't know exactly what it is or how you would eat it! Today's trip was only $30.   

10K

Yes, it is true- I ran my first 10 K race this past Saturday! The stroller class was under the impression that it would be a 5K route that you would do twice. It wasn't which was really nice and it pushed me harder to run the whole thing.  Does your brain ever play tricks on you, like totally switch times on you?  Well I thought the race started at 9am, the stroller group would meet up about 8:30 to get ready for it. I mosey out of the house at 8:25, stop and talk to the neighbor, look at all the stuff being set up for Friendship day (open base= thousands of Japanese come on base and partake in all sorts of activities, food, dancing, firework celebration).  I get to the start and no one is there- the people working it know me b/c they are my bosses for PT Tots.  They say "Sarah, you're LATE! Just go, you don't need a number."  Me, "was it at 8:30???? Where do I go"  So I ended up starting the race all by myself,  was 7 minutes late, and didn't know the route- I just took off running!  I caught a few people I know, picked up a companion (a 7 year old boy who rides his bike with his mom during stroller class, he ditched his mom to ride with me).  The reader board at the middle school said the temp was 92* and it felt like that plus some!  I finished the race, with the time clock saying 1:12, but take into account my late start I finished it in one hour and 5 minutes.  Not the greatest mile time, but I still am proud of it.  I didn't even feel sore afterwards!  This takes me closer to my goal of running 10 miles, 10K equals out to 6.2 miles.  

Been Busy!

So I had every intention of being a good blogger, but time has gotten away from me and it has been over a month.  It has been a fun and been keeping us busy.  The most exciting thing to happen in July was visitors!  My mom and my 14 year old nephew came to see Gabby and I.  It was my mom's THIRD visit, but Josh's first (he has his very first passport and stamp now).  We tried to do all the fun things we could think of, but July heat and humidity in Japan sure makes you want to do nothing but sit in the a/c.   Some of the places we visited, Kamakura, Sankeien Garden, Disney Sea, Tokyo and the surrounding area of Yokosuka.  What excitement there was, two protests outside the gates (both of which we somehow ended up in the middle of) and a suspicious package that evacuated and blocked off part of base!  

   We shopped, ate, laughed, talked, and had a good family visit.  Let me just say that 14 year old boys are not always enthusiastic about hanging out with their Grandma, Aunt, and baby cousin for an entire two weeks in a foreign country.  

   The way the ship works, and our luck- well the schedule changed a million times and the date it came home got pushed off just as you let yourself get excited about it coming home.  Finally, after nearly two months Clay came home!  It has been a week and a half, but the schedule of duty and work and the ship going out for a few days has really only allowed us to spend a few days together (two days total, plus a few hours after he gets off work).  We are looking forward to this weekend, although there is a basketball tournament we "have" to go to!  Yes this is what life is like married to a sailor who LOVES sports!  Tomorrow night is a baseball game, I just am going to have to try to keep Gabby out of the dirt b/c last week resulted in her covered from her head to toes in DIRT! She loved every second of it too!

Pictures to come later, blogger is not letting me upload any now!

New Bike!

For quite some time Gabby has been crazy about bikes, she points them out whenever see them- which in Japan is all the time!  We have to visit the bikes when we go to one of the stores, all the bikes are too big but she sits on them and loves it.  I found a bike that would work perfect for us.  It is more like a plastic tricycle but it can convert three different ways.  I have the handle on it now so I can push it (or she can) until she actually learns to pedal (or can reach them better.)   We have been on the lookout for a helmet, but all that seems to be available are ones for big headed kids, I mean the 3+ crowd.  Today on our adventure (more to come on that when I have energy) off base I found one that pretty much fits her curly haired head.  Gabby was excited as can be, which is thrilling b/c other kids I know refuse to wear helmets.  We took the bike to the elementary school across from our house and had a pretty good time. Our neighbors who are moving next week joined us so that was even better.  I also brought a new bubble gun that all the kids went wild over. So here are pictures off all things having to do with the new bike in our life!  Oh and we do having something else new in our life, a goldfish we have named Dorothy (yes, just like Elmo's fish.)  The neighbors that are moving gave her to us and Gabby is so excited that she HUGS the fishbowl, and also wants to feed her numerous times a day!  

Sunday Scene 2

This week I took a friend out and about on "Blue St." This friend of mine hasn't done all that much in the year she has lived here. It is my mission to get her out and have her experience a little bit of what Japan has to offer.  Our first stop was the Gap, but that is just b/c we both have little kids that are pretty stylish.  We walked around and I showed her a few of the places I go, and eat.  

We were hungry and she was wanting soup.  I don't go out for soup that often, so I don't know very many places to go.  We headed to Ten Ho, a soup shop that I have been to a handful of times in the past.  One thing we needed that Ten Ho had was enough room for two strollers and a place to sit with the kids.  We ordered, and got the same thing: Wonton soup.  It was full of noodles, green onion, half an egg, sliced pork (pretty sure that is what it is) and wontons of course.  The bowls are HUGE, and more than I could eat.  We also got a side of rice for the kids to split, if you haven't heard this already Gabby LOVES rice and asks for it by name.  Oh and the best part of our meal was the gyoza- which are pretty much pot stickers.  

  The meal was good, but ended up being messy due to Gabby insisting on feeding herself.  Yes she is little Ms Independent when it comes to eating, I no longer get to hold onto the spoon.  The Japanese soup spoons are great for holding a lot of liquid, lets just say by the end of it there was probably more soup ON Gabby than in her belly!  Little girl also was very interested in trying to use chopsticks too, there were noodles all over the place but at least she tried!  

Walking back to base we went through the Mikasa walkway and I stopped at one of the little shops to get some fresh produce since we were low.  Sometimes I feel like the amount I take home costs so little!  A miniature watermelon, 4 carrots, a bag of edamame (uncooked so I had to try and do it), 4 bananas and a medium sized zucchini. All of that cost me just about $8.  

By the end of the night Gabby was tired out from our busy Sunday.  That morning I took her out on a run, then the park and after her nap we went to a birthday party for a boy who turned 4.  Even though she was SO tired a bath was very necessary!  Japanese soup from her head to her belly button was not something that smelled the greatest!  No big plans for this week, and the way it is raining tonight along with the thunderstorms we will have to see where we adventure to next.

8 years!

I still am having a hard time believing it, but 8 years ago yesterday (June 17)  Clayton and I had our very first date!  Since then we have been inseparable~ well besides me spending a year at CWU, and all of the time Clayton has been gone on ships and school for the Navy.  He wasn't home to celebrate it, but we did spend the evening emailing back and forth and talking about the memories we have of our early days together (to email almost like chatting is a rare thing these days so it was extra special that we got to do it last night.)  It really puts a smile on my face to think of all the things the past 8 years have held for us.  

We were introduced by his coworkers at Foot Locker, also known as my big Sis.  The day I graduated from high school he sent me a dozen roses which was a big surprise because we really didn't know each other.  Lets just say I was a tad giddy!  I called to thank him for the flowers and he asked me out!  Our first date he took me to the Olive Garden and a movie.  I should have gotten a clue about him when for our second date he invited me to his softball game!  

 So to the man who swept me off my feet 8 years ago I say thank you and I love you!  You give me so much happiness and joy.  I feel blessed to have you as my partner and who I get to share my life with.  Without you there would be no us, and without us there would be no sweet Gabby Jean!  I Love You Clayton, Hurry Home To Us! 

Running

Since joining stroller class in February I have gotten better at running.  I am not in fantastic shape but I am able to run longer and with more ease than months and even weeks ago.  The ladies, and one token man from class have all started to participate in the runs that the base puts on. We have done a few 3K runs and in the past month have done two 5K runs.  Friday MWR put on a 5K, so we signed up.  I hadn't run in a week due to Gabby being sick, so I was a little worried how I would do.  Start time was 11:30am. Gabby was really tired and ready for nap. It was over 80 degrees.  The route took us UP pool hill.  I stopped to help a friend and her son who was feeling the heat. I ran to the finish.  I got sunburned. My time was slower than last race.  I feel like I want to run more.  I feel accomplished!