2011, A Year in Review

Naha, Okinawa, Fall 2011

2011 was a crazy, busy, challenging, rewarding, unbelievable year for us. I'll be honest, on January 1st, I didn't have high hopes for this year. We had just gotten back from an amazing vacation in Pigeon Forge, TN with our group of 21 family members. It was a great way to end 2010, in the mountains on Christmas, in the snow with everyone together. But we knew what was coming...David and I would be moving to Japan in the coming months and my brother would be leaving on another year long deployment. It was very bittersweet. But here it is, Christmas again and I'm surviving my first holiday season away from Mama and Daddy. But just barely.

So what have we been up to this year? Let's take it by the month.

January: I had moved back to Vernon for the last couple months in the US because our house had to be packed up. David was finishing up his tour at Navsciatts. He re-enlisted this month for the third time. Our new EAS (end of active service) is January 2015! We also got good medical news for me.

Baton Rouge Temple, February

February: David joins me at Mama and Daddy's, all of our worldly possessions are either in a storage unit in New Orleans, or headed out over the Pacific to our new home in Okinawa, Japan. (Or in the 4 suitcases I've over packed. Oops) We spent Valentine's Day on a trip to Baton Rouge, LA and Biloxi, MS including a stop at the LDS Temple in Baton Rouge.

Seattle Temple, March

March: We say goodbye to America, our dog, our families and our truck. On Fat Tuesday in New Orleans (I'll let you imagine the chaos!) I get one a plane for the first time and fly from NOLA to Texas, then on to Seattle. We spend 4 days in Seattle, and LOVE it. We're definitely planning a trip back there. We also stop at the LDS Temple in Seattle! We've decided to make it a goal to see a Temple and a Bass Pro Shop in every state together before we die. Gotta love us Southern Mormons. On March 11, 2011 we leave Tokyo, Japan 2 hours before the earthquake. We didn't even know it was happening until hours later when we get to our friends house in Oki and turn on the news. Japan is overwhelming at first, but thankfully, we have our friends here to help us settle in.

April: We are official residents of Japan. We have a house, each have a Japanese car, and have somewhat successfully learned to drive on the "wrong side of the road" (Which now feels "right" and I'm going to have to learn to drive like an American all over again in 2 years!) We've learned how to count money in Yen! I also gain a sister-in-law and nephew this month when Matt and Callie get married!!

May: We've settled into or new LDS Branch here, and the building a little different then what we're used to. And by a little different, I mean it's LITTLE! But it's so neat to see the English Book of Mormon and Hymnals sitting next to the ones in Japanese and know that the Gospel of the Lord is growing and lives are being changed. Also this month, I start meeting with new fertility doctors and we're hopeful something will work. Typhoon Season starts next month, but we've already gone through our first one. Just like a Northwest Florida hurricane except more wind, less rain and thunder.

David's Honda SMX, after the accident.

June: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US! It's lucky year number 7, but on the way out to dinner to celebrate (in the middle of a small typhoon) we are in an accident. Thankfully no one is hurt, but David's poor car is looking nasty and our reservations at Arin Kirin had to be cancelled. Bummer.

Okuma, July

July: David has been a Marine for 8 years now! I can't believe it's been that long since Mama and I sat on the Parade Deck at Parris Island, burning up in the SC heat! He turns 27...which is also hard to believe, since I met him when he was 14. We spend a weekend at Okuma, a resort on the northern tip on the island and we try our first round of Clomid, which works but we don't get pregnant.

August: Lane gets her drivers license and even out here in Japan, I spend the day crying. She was 6 when I got mine and I wasn't allowed to drive home because she was in the back seat freaking out and scared I'd wreck, so I returned the favor. I'm sure she loves that reminder. We try our second round of Clomid and wait for the results.

September: Ahh...football season! Which for us folks in the Japanese Time Zone means SEC and ACC football comes on at 4am Sunday. Thank goodness for DVR. I turn 26, but we'll just skip right over that. And the day before my birthday, I GET PREGNANT. This month I swore I wouldn't test like I had previous months, but on the 26th I couldn't shake the feeling. So at 5:30am I call David, who is driving to work, crying hysterically because for the first time in 7 years, there are two lines. Four more pregnancy tests and 2 doctors visits later, I am confirmed 3 and half weeks pregnant.

October:  I spend the month waiting for cooler weather...but it never comes. We are having a hard time keeping the baby a secret, but we're still so early that we want to wait a while longer. We told our parents right away, but waited until 7 weeks to make it "Facebook Official". The original plan was to wait until 8-10, we almost made it.

Little June Bug at 9 weeks!

November: Morning Sickness, enough said. But we also see little June Bug for the first time and it's perfect. Finally, on Thanksgiving we enter the second trimester. We also spend our first Thanksgiving away from home, but with great friends and good food. David even goes Black Friday shopping with me! I also accept a calling as our Branch's Primary Secretary, which I am LOVING!

Growing SO fast! Here's June Bug at 13 weeks!

December: Finally, the cooler weather is here and the morning sickness is almost good. Aside from being away from family, this is a pretty great month. We see June Bug again, and it's SO much bigger now. It was moving so much, and we saw it's little fingers and toes and brain and spine...it's amazing to see a perfect little baby and think that it's inside me. We're starting on the nursery this month, since David has time off, and he'll be really busy from January until March. We also celebrate 9 months on the island this month, which is hard to believe. It really has flown by. Matt is finally home, safe and sound and I'm incredibly happy about that!

Marine Corps Ball, November

This year has been amazing, and I can't tell you how excited we are for the next one. We've been blessed beyond measure and we're so happy. We hope your family has been just as blessed, and will continue to be happy and healthy through the year to come.

Thank you so much for all your love and support through this year, and all the ones before. Y'all really do mean the world to us.