Spring Break 2011 - Beijing, China - Day 1

Traveling from home to Beijing, China. We saw this store in the Tokyo airport! I love the kimono on Hello Kitty! The guys didn't want to guy into the store at all????? Hmmmmm I wonder:)

We are all over ................

...........the 900+ earthquakes in northern Japan since March 11th!

Check out what we have been feeling since March 11 at 2:46pm

Check out this link.

It shows a time-lapse visualization on the 655+ earthquakes we have experienced. Everyone here is experiencing vertigo issues....we have to look around to see if other things are moving because we can't tell if we are moving or not. OH, PLEASE STOP THE EARTH FROM MOVING UNDER OUR FEET!! Misawa is almost due east of Aomori on the east coast.

Fire Marshal Elijah

I was reminded that Elijah is still learning some valuable life lessons...so am I for that matter:

Eddie and I were sitting back watching TV when Elijah calmly comes in the front door from playing outside and says, (very calmly if I may say so myself) "Mom, there is something not good going on outside."

"Oh really, what is it Elijah?" I admit I was 1/2 way paying attention -- they were about to catch the fugitive on U.S. Marshals and I was into it.

Again calmly taking off his shoes and coat, "Well this boy was playing with a lighter and we told him to stop , but he kept playing with it (FULL attention is now given to Elijah). Well he was playing and playing and we just kept riding bikes and then he started a fire and the fire got bigger and bigger. I mean it is really big, Mom........like from here all the way to the other side of our kitchen!"

"Is the fire still going on right now, Elijah?"

"Yes, it is!"

These 2 shots are NOT duplicates of the same spots -- the entire damaged spot would not fit into one frame.
After 90 minutes of the fire department, police interviews, first sergeant briefings......Eddie and Elijah returned. Elijah did NOT start the fire, but he was aware that the boy was playing with the lighter and chose to continue to ride his bike around it.

Here are the lessons we discussed afterwards:

1. Elijah has been on a kick of lying about things. I have told him that when he lies it causes people not to believe him when he is actually telling the truth on big things. This was a BIG thing!

2. Choose your friends wisely! You will be grouped with the people you choose to hang out with - even if you may not be guilty.

3. If you KNOW something is not right or unsafe - don't passively comment about it - DO something about it. It wasn't enough to say that the action was unsafe - he needed to say it with authority or get an adult.

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!!