Magnitude 9.0

Here is the Reader's Digest version:

At 2:46 pm on Friday, March 11, 2011 - a 9.0 magnitude earthquake had us shaking, rattling and rolling! There had been SEVERAL smaller earthquakes in the days prior. Check out the map of where we live and the current earthquake total (it was over 500 at time of posting) Please understand that we are used to having several earthquakes here in Japan. There are 100's each year. Friday's was INCREDIBLY strong. This is how far away we live from the epicenter. We live on Misawa Air Base.

Elijah and I were at school (thankfully students were dismissed 11 min before the earthquake). Elijah was shaken - he actually held my hand, We were evacuated from the school building and we went home - where Eddie had been. Thankfully we had no major damage.

The electricity went out during the earthquake to 5 million people in Japan. We had no idea that there were tsunamis happening and the enormous loss of life. We were reunited and thankful to be alive. We drove to check on our friends that live off base, The Rice's. There have been after shocks about every 35-45 min since Friday.

We came home about 6:00 pm, took cold showers, read a book to Elijah and tried to go to sleep. It took about an hour to fall asleep. About 8:00 we had another 7. something quake. This time I was freaked out! Eddie grabbed Elijah and we went to the living room. Eddie put our shoes and coats by the front door and I made soft pallets for us on the living room floor. Elijah didn't want to sleep alone now. He held my hand all night long - every 40 min we were shaken awake and he would squeeze my hand tighter. We talked through the night about what he was scared of we reassured him we were safe.

PRAISE GOD FOR DAYLIGHT! I think that was the longest night of my entire life. We had friends come over on Saturday - our house was warmer than there's because we live higher than they do. Having them around was great as well - it allowed us to fellowship.

We still hadn't watched the news - Saturday the water went out too. We left to go to a family support place to use the Internet to let everyone know we were safe. When I talked to my Dad he started telling me about some of the things that were going on. Again, I am thankful - we are all safe and I am glad we hadn't watched the news actually!

Power was restored late Sunday night and Internet was restored Tuesday night.

In all this I KNOW that I have been blessed with:

1. family and friends that pray! I mean P.R.A.Y.E.D without ceasing - not only for us but for our host nation!

2. God ordained our steps that week:

- Eddie switched shifts just for that week - HE was home during the earthquake - so we didn't have to wait to see if each other was okay

- we had meat, bread, water in the house before an HOUR before the earthquake. Eddie went to the commissary to buy bread at 1:00 - the quake was at 2:43!

3. Elijah is such a strong, young man! He was ready to sleep in his own bed on Saturday night :)

4. The Japanese people are incredible! They are polite, rule-abiding, peaceful people. There is no looting, no fights, no vandalism AT ALL! NOT like Hurricane Katrina......something to think about

More info to come.......I'll keep you all updated!

African American Living Wax Museum performance

Elijah was Jesse Owens :) I am not going to lie...I have been looking forward to Elijah performing in this wax museum since kindergarten, but he had to wait until this year.

I know he looks less than enthused.......but honestly he was REALLY excited about it all weekend long, we reviewed his speech a few dozen times and he said he wasn't nervous. I think as soon as the camera went on all the personality he practiced left his brain :) I love this kid!

10 Things You May Not Know About Me.....

....I know I am all kinds of late (Kim, Katie, Jene and Jaime)



1. I am 99.9% sure I wouldn't get a tattoo -- ever! It's not that I am against them on other people, it's just that I can't imagine something that I feel THAT strongly about that I want on my body permanently!



2. I was a 'chubster' as a kid and teenager. Honestly - I was the biggest sister out of 6 girls and I HATED it! I have always loved to eat...that hasn't changed. I started to lose weight when I HAD to in order to get into the military.



3. I don't eat pork or beef. The reason is because when I was a high school senior my Dad's doctor told him to give up red meat, so my Mom stopped buying it and cooking it for the whole family. This hurt my heart (please refer to the fact that I LOVE to eat) I tried to be 'independent' and buy my own pork and beef for a few months. That desire died and I succumbed to ground turkey and such. I haven't had it since '95 - I KNOW it will hurt my stomach if I eat it - so I don't. Eddie and Elijah eat it when we go out - but I don't cook it at home. It doesn't gross me out at all.



4. I am afraid of failure. Literally! I think I don't attempt things unless I am pretty darn sure that I am going to be successful.

5. I am also afraid to watch America's Most Wanted. Don't laugh! Even hearing the theme song makes my heart start beating fast! Eddie said that it is because I know that person is still out there.

6. I really like colorful socks :) I love to wear them and I don't care if they match my outfit....they just have sooooo much character!

7. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in 5th grade. Funny - that's what grade I teach now! Anyway, my Mom and Dad recently sent me my 5th grade report card and I pretty much SUCKED as a 5th grade student! Really.....I wasn't a stellar performer and I really struggled in math in 5th grade. The cool thing is that I think math is WONDERFUL!! I didn't struggle in ANY other grade -- not sure what was up in 5th grade?

8. While I am on the scholarly tip, I pretty much bombed my S.A.T.S. also in high school. Now the interesting thing is that I finished in the top 10% of my graduating class! HUH? (Kim, I can hear you laughing) Wait, to add to the confusion I maintained a 3.98 GPA in college and grad school (I made one 'B' in college)? So I am dismissing that STUPID S.A.T. score and will not label myself according to it!

9. I am freakishly afraid of roaches -- I will let the roach have the whole room. I start sweating and will start hysterically crying over a roach! I am not brave enough to kill it either! P.S. Please don't leave a comment about how much bigger they are then I am - I've heard it a million times!

10. I would like to go on Wipeout! I think I could rock that obstacle course!!

Throwback Party

Eddie and I attended a retirement 60's, 70's and 80's party this weekend. It was so much FUN! Seriously! We went back to the 70's as Foxy Brown and a Pimp Daddy and Jene and Andre threw it back to the 80's.

Check out the pics!

Friends forever!

Andre and Jene.....it's not fun unless they are around!

Thanks to my Mommy ... she mailed 1/2 the outfit to me - love you Mommy!

Eddie won the Best Dressed Male contest!

Watch Out for Falling.........

ICICLES!!! With over 40 inches of snow in 7 days (very normal for the winter time here) we have some special concerns that we have to look out for now. Here are some pictures of what we see everyday during the winter :)

Imagine the extra weight on that poor tree.

After a snowplow comes and clears the parking lot ... only to have to do it again in 2 hours

Certain walkways are plowed for you to 'safely' walk on

Snow bends too!

P.S. I did not take these pics, one of my friends took them, but to be fair when she was taking them I did tell her that I was going to 'steal' them from here and use them for the blog, because there was no reason for BOTH of us to be out in the cold with our cameras.

P.S. to my Phoenix friends: Cold is 19 degrees...21 degrees is the high for the week!

Happy 9th Birthday Elijah!!

Elijah's football cupcake cake that went to school on Jan 10th to share with his classmates. I managed to get 21 cupcakes in there. Pretty good because he only has 16 students in his class! He was happy and I was happy that he was happy :) He is getting so big, so very fast! It was much easier to make then I thought it would be --- and incredibly easier than LAST year's creation!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

We will miss the snow when we PCS!! It is so peaceful as it falls and makes everything look so white and clean :)

On a mound of snow the snow plows made when they plowed the parking lot for the 4th time in 20 hours! I am thankful that I don't have that job!

Looking pretty cold on his way to school :) Yep, they still have recess in this weather, too! Snow pants, winter coat, hat, gloves and snow boots are required!

He really does enjoy playing in it (for about 30 min) - he has a sled and goes downhills near the house with his friends.

This is what my truck looks like --- every morning it snows. I end up brushing the snow off at least 4 times a day. In the AM before the gym, after the gym, before I go to work and after work.