Friday, 6 February 2009

On the Road Again...

...or more like on a plane for an eternity again.

As our time here on Okinawa comes to an end, I'm starting to get a little sad.
This is the first home Cody & I have ever shared.
It's kind of where we started our marriage.
We have been through so much here...some good, some bad...but it's our home.
Onto bigger & better things, I guess.
Most of our friends have come & gone, with the exception of a few, so that makes it a bit easier to leave.
I'll be happy to share the same day with my family.
It'll be nice to have options on shopping for books and clothes and food.
There's just something about this place, though.

The countdown is officially 28 days.
As official as it can get, I suppose.
Cody's orders still don't have everything they need [surprise, surprise], but March 7 is the date that's getting thrown around.

Please keep us in your prayers as our time here on Okinawa comes to an end.
It's going to be a little stressful, a little hectic, and a little sad.
For those of you were are leaving, we love you so much!
And for those of you who we're coming home to, we are SO looking forward to it!

Thursday, 8 January 2009

To whom it may concern:

I would just like to sincerely thank you for making my husband's job so miserable, so mundane, and so ridiculous that he has chosen to go to college and live a normal life. He would have made a great career Marine...a great Drill Instructor...he would have continued on with his flawless SRB and great PFT scores...he would have gotten better at playing, not that he needs to because he's already amazing. However, the people over him are so insanely DUMB that he finally saw this was not the road he wanted to head down.

I saw a side of my husband over leave that I haven't seen in over a year. He was fun. He was HAVING fun. He wanted to DO things. It hasn't even been a week back at work and he hates life again.

So again, thank you for making him realize that he never wants to be like any of you or work with any of you ever again. I like my happy husband, not the miserable one you turn him into on a daily basis.

Sincerely,
A supportive Marine wife who can't wait for bigger and better things.

Friday, 2 January 2009

Eclectic Blessings

Last night, Cody & I had the privilege of having our dear friends over. Dawn & Clive adopted a little boy from Ethiopia last year. Dawn has this funny saying on her blog, "A Brit and Jamaican, living in Japan and adopting from Ethiopia". She has been one of the greatest friends I've had on this island, or anywhere else for that matter. I've been able to reflect on their adoption process, and the outcome is just more than I think Cody or I ever imagined.

After tuckering myself out last night playing with Yohannes (aka JoJo), laughing with Dawn, and Cody tiring himself out playing Rock Band with Clive, Cody and I talked about the little boy JoJo is becoming. He's opening up so much. He's laughing all the time. He is very much in love with his parents. He's quite smart...and knows when he's being funny. It's almost hard to think about a time when JoJo wasn't here. It's just so natural for them. I always knew Dawn was going to be the greatest mum, and getting to see it makes me a little teary.

JoJo is a blessing; there's no doubt about that. He's also helped us be thankful. It's been a hard ride for our dear friends, but seeing their determination and faith in God puts a lot of things into perspective, especially given the outcome.

Dawn, Clive & JoJo, we love you very much. I'm so glad we got to be a part of your lives. Here's to a great 2009 and rest of your lives.









Tuesday, 30 December 2008

Happy Christmabirthdanniversary!

Hey everyone!
Cody & I just wanted to say thanks to you guys for keeping us in your thoughts over the holidays! It's always a busy week for us, but it's my favorite week of the year!

Christmas was a blast. I could barely sleep! Cody bought me a Keurig. If you don't know what that is, you need to look it up because it's the most amazing thing in the world. I got him a beer brewing kit, which is brewing some IPA right now. We spent the rest of our morning with some friends at the Officers' Club for brunch and then played Rock Band till our fingers cramped up.

Cody's birthday was awesome! I can't believe my boy is 23! Haha...more presents, some cherry cheesecake, and more Rock Band. I bought him some new Adidas sneakers because the pair he's been wearing are about 8 years old. They LOOK 8 years old.

For our anniversary, we bought each other new dive BCs and went on a boat dive. Originally, we were supposed to go to the Kerama Islands, but since we were the only people crazy enough to go diving, our boat guy took us to his favorite pinnacle spots. We did two dives, regardless of the cold water, and I'm sure glad we did! We saw a lot of really neat things and had a fun time. Cody took a lot of neat pictures so I'll have him post those when he gets off the XBOX. :) We went out to Sam's by the Sea for our anniversary dinner. We go there for special days and always enjoy it.

Now all that's left is New Years, which will be spent with a few friends drinking beer and playing Rock Band. Quiet night, but should be fun regardless. I hope that you all have a safe and happy New Year and we can't wait to see you in 2009! Love you!

~Cody & Elizabeth

Tuesday, 16 December 2008

26.4 or Bust!

It's official: Beth & I are going to run the Okinawa Marathon!
I proposed the idea over a month ago and when she was willing to test the waters with me, we set up a training schedule and started running almost daily.

If it weren't for Beth, I don't know if I'd still be training. Her & I have really kept each other motivated...not just on the lengthy runs, but on the short runs that start at 0530. Cody tells me how proud of me he is, Deidra gave me a LOT of good information, and we know a few people who are training as well so that gets my competitive motivation going!

Two weeks ago, my knee hurt just a little bit after a 10 mile run. I brushed it off and when we went on our next run, it was extremely painful. We walked to the band hall and had Cody come pick us up. As I was icing my knee, I was looking online to read up on different knee injuries. Cody & I both agreed that runner's knee fit the bill...every last description.

Beth & I decided to take a week off and just do cross training. I bought new shoes and a brace specifically designed for runner's knee. This past weekend we went on a decent run and it didn't hurt all that bad. Cody & I then decided to try out our new BCs and go diving. Yeah, that wasn't the brightest idea.

Since then, I've just been doing a lot of icing, using a lot of Bengay, and using the bike. I'm a little nervous because even walking down the stairs triggers that sharp pain. I have a doctors appointment on Friday so hopefully they can give me some tips on how to heal faster. As far as our training schedule is concerned, I'm going to take it easy over the holidays. Nothing but bike for this girl. Maybe a few light jogs here and there, but nothing past 10 miles for me.

Here is the course that we'll be running in February. It's crazy to think that the last big thing I do on Okinawa is going to be a marathon!

Sunday, 14 December 2008

Dear Stephenie Meyer,

You have created a problem...and that problem is my obsession with your book series. I can't seem to avert my eyes from the pages of Twilight and its brothers. I apologize to my friends and family who haven't heard from me in a while; the Cullens have been occupying most of my time.