Friendship Photo Shoot

Since we are going to be moving in a couple of weeks, I've been trying my best to connect with all of our friends and find ways to meet up and make a few more memories before we go. We've gone out to dinner, had game nights, and seen movies with people from the squadron and church - but a few of the people I care most about are the girls from my small group. SO, I decided to take them out for a complimentary photo shoot yesterday morning - both as a fun bonding experience, and as a means for creating a special good-bye gift for each of them. Now we'll always be able to look back and remember each other!

Each of the girls are special in their own way, and I hope I was able to capture a bit of that in their group and individual portraits. Paige and Haley Prielipp are both awesome girls. Paige is in 9th grade and attended our small group to support her friends even though her dad hosted another one at their house the night before. She is one of the most spiritually mature young women I've ever met, with that special "it" factor that draws everyone to her. Her younger sister Haley has come to some of our social events and helped me out with my David and Goliath video back in November. She has a big personality and heart just like her sister, but has a bit more carefree spunk, which makes her a lot of fun to be around. I am positive God has big things in store for the two of them.

Carly Starr was the host of our small group last semester. She and Paige are best friends and pretty much inseparable. She is also very spiritually mature and is completely dedicated to her faith. I've been very impressed with the way she has taken each Sunday's challenge to heart, and continues to stand up for her beliefs at school. She can be a bit audacious, though, and is very into finding unique methods of self-expression. So I tried to give her some more edgy and "artsy" shots to display on her facebook profile. B^)

Sarah Williamson is the dark-horse of the group, and a girl that is very close to my heart because she reminds me of myself when I was that age. She is very sweet and has a rare sensitivity to the needs and desires of those around her. Every week her prayer requests are for others - and not only for their physical and temporal needs, but their spiritual well-being as well. While she is athletic, smart, and has a great sense of humor, she is also pretty shy and soft-spoken so she sometimes gets lost in the crowd. But I think that the friendship she's forged with Paige and Carly through small group has opened some doors for her, and I hope she'll continue to grow and progress in her involvement at church. I'm excited to hear about what she does in her future!

I'll have a few more opportunities to hang out with them before we go. I'm having breakfast with them on Saturday morning, as a part of our discipleship stuff, and then Paige and Haley's parents have invited James, myself, Carly and Sarah over for dinner the night before we leave town. It will be very hard to say good bye, but at least I have some pictures to look at and remember them by. I'm also going to try really hard to keep in touch with them through email and facebook so we can continue pouring into each other's spiritual growth. =^)

(There are plenty more pictures from our shoot on my photography blog. =^)

Spring Training

One of the things James has been looking forward to most about living in Phoenix is getting to watch some baseball. Several of the major league baseball teams (including his favorite - the LA Dodgers) have their spring training facilities here in Arizona and so, every March, people get to go out and watch their practice games at a discounted price.

Sunday afternoon, the Dodgers were playing the Texas Rangers (which is our good friend Caleb Cienski's favorite team) and so we got a bunch of our friends together and spent the afternoon at the ballpark. The guys sat in one row and talked about sports, flying and all other manner of manly things, while their wives sat behind them, chatting about things unrelated to baseball, and sunning themselves. B^)

It was a lot of fun, and half of us were very excited when the Dodgers won at the end. I was just glad that James got to see his team play one more time before we move over seas. I know it was special for him to share his favorite past time with some of his best friends.

Boxes Away!!

Well, our first shipment of household goods is on its way to Japan!

We spent a lot of time last week trying to figure out what we will need immediately upon our arrival in Japan, since all of the stuff that is going to be sent over in our big move may not arrive until 6-8 weeks after we do. =^/ We put together quite an inventory of "necessary items" like dishes, bedding, towels, cold weather clothes, and exercise equipment. We also included my old laptop so I will be able to use Skype to talk to family after James leaves for Korea (as it is likely he will deploy before our stuff arrives, and he will need to take his laptop with him). Finally, we threw in some things to keep us entertained for several weeks, like books, movies, and board games.

We piled it all up in the living room on Thursday night, and sure enough - early Friday morning two movers showed up and boxed it all up for us. On the one hand, it was kind of exciting to finally be entering the moving process. However, it was also a little scary because it made everything real. I had a moment right before they loaded our two containers onto the moving truck where I panicked and realized that our stuff is really being shipped to Japan, and if I want to see it again, I'm really going to have to go too. =^O

Ah well, time to suck it up and get ready for the adventure of our lifetime!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A couple of months ago, my mother-in-law sent me a book with a very strange title in the mail, and attached a small note saying to read it and pass it on. I noticed that on the back of the cover page, she and my sister-in-law Claire had signed it with rave reviews. It seemed like a fun idea to pass a book from woman-to-woman and keep a record of all who loved it, so as soon as I finished the other 3 books I had already started, I picked it up.

I'm happy to report that I couldn't put it back down, and only consented to do so when I really had to... but soon rushed back to hear more about the endearing people and places within its pages and, generally, to figure out how it would end!

Here's a synopsis, for those who are curious about this unusually-titled book:

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.”

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends --- and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society --- born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island --- boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

Juliet is a fabulous protagonist - funny, creative, impulsive, honest and willful to a fault, and full of gumption! She reminds me a bit of some of my favorite female literary characters - Elizabeth Bennett of Pride and Prejudice, and Jo March of Little Women. I suppose I also see a bit of myself in her, as a young woman with big dreams who can't quite seem to figure out how to channel her creative energy into something productive. I think anyone who is a lover of literature will thoroughly enjoy this book, as it's highly diverse cast of characters will make you laugh, cry, and start to think about how your favorite stories have impacted your life.

I won't say more than that - just read it and tell me if you liked it. I'd love to gush with you through our own literary correspondence!!

Star-Studded Party and Oscar Dreams

Last Sunday night, in honor of the Academy Awards, James and I threw a little Oscar party at our house. We invited several of our friends to come over, eat, and watch with us. I don't think many of our friends really care about award shows like I do, but they humored me and sat through all four hours of star-studded drama. Some of them even dressed up for the occasion! We had fun keeping score between the heavy contenders, commenting on people's terrible fashion sense, and laughing at the antics of co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. By far the best part of the night was the impressive spread of food we collected. Amazingly, it was almost all gone by the end of the night (and there were only 8 of us!)

One bitter sweet moment was when Katherine Bigelow, the driving-force behind The Hurt Locker, won the award for Best Director. It was a really big deal because no woman had ever won for Best Director - so she'll go down in the record books as the first. I was a little bummed out after that because that was my big dream all through high school and college. I told anyone who would listen how I wanted to become the first woman to win the Academy Award for best director, and how I'd revolutionize the process for making film adaptations, and inspire the world with my work... High aspirations indeed. I'm not really sad that I'm not out in Hollywood trying desperately to find work like some of my college friends... I'm enjoying life right now. But it does kind of make me sad to know that, if I ever do find my way into the movie industry, that particular dream is no longer achievable. Oh well, life goes on...

Japanese Festival

This weekend there was a big Japanese festival in downtown Phoenix, so a bunch of our friends got together to head down there and sort of commemorate our move to Misawa. Unfortunately, most of it was rather kitchy and touristy and hardly authentic - but it was still fun to walk around and whet our appetites for when we get to experience real Japanese culture. They had multiple stages set up where one could see all kinds of performances, as well as dozens of food vendors and booths full of Japanese paraphernalia. There were definitely some cool items for sale, but we figured it would be kind of a waste to buy anything today when we can get it from the source in a month and a half. But we did enjoy hearing some Japanese folk music and watching their traditional "lion dance". Our friend Dave was asked to feed the lion head during that performance, which was pretty exciting.

The coolest thing we saw while at the festival was one of the 12 remaining masters of the ancient Japanese craft of candy sculpting. He had a hot pot of a sugar mixture that he would work with and turn into these elaborate and beautiful edible sculptures. (It's not the easiest to see - but in the picture below he's almost finished sculpting a bald eagle in flight.) I totally would have bought one of those, but I guess he could only take so many requests in one day so they were already sold out. Maybe we'll run into someone with that training while we're in Japan and I can get one then.

All of the walking around really made us hungry for some Japanese food - but unfortunately the lines at all of the kiosks were ridiculously long, so we all drove back to a good Japanese restaurant in our neighborhood and had a delicious feast of sushi and fried noodles (the noodles were for me, of course. ;^) I was excited because James took this opportunity to teach me how to use chop sticks - a skill I really struggle with but need to master if I ever want to eat out in Japan. Thankfully, I finally managed to get it down after several failed attempts and ate most of the meal without the fork I requested!

After today we are definitely excited for our upcoming over-seas adventures. Hope you all are too - because Lord knows I will have all kinds of stories and pictures to post in the coming months!

Washington D.C. and Lousiville Trip

Our trip out east to visit family in Washington D.C. and Louisville, KY last week was wonderful! We were very nervous about how the crazy weather they've been having would affect our travel plans, but thankfully all of our flights ran on time and the weather was nice enough for us to get out and see a lot of the sights. It was also special just spending quality time with some of our family members that we haven't seen in a while, and may not see again for another couple of years. I am so glad we took advantage of James' time off from flying to see people before we go to Japan!

While in D.C. we stayed with James' uncle Brad and his family. He and his wife Nina have both worked in the Peace Core and had been living in Morocco for the length of James' and my relationship. However, they moved back to the states this summer and so we jumped on this opportunity to see them while we're on the same continent. =^)

We were not there long, but the time we had was very exciting. Brad and Nina made sure that we were comfortable, well fed, and well entertained. We were excited that Brad was able to take some time off from work so that we could all go see the monuments and museums together. We walked all over the mall (from The Lincoln Memorial, down past the reflecting pool to the Vietnam and WWII memorials, to the Washington Monument and on to the Smithsonian and Capitol buildings.) It was A LOT of walking - but thanks to my recent physical therapy, I was able to handle it all ok. There was SO much history to take in there, and I was just excited to finally see all of these famous sites in person.

One of the coolest things that happened while we were down there was that we got to see President Barack Obama himself! All day, James had been joking that maybe we would see his boss while we were in town, and sure enough - there he was! They had the roads all blocked off as the Presidential motorcade went through, and we managed to catch a glimpse of him on his cell phone in the back of the second limo that went by. You can't see him in this picture, but he's in there!

After seeing all of the monuments, we decided to walk around in the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian. We only had time to really see one of the museums there, and I figured that would be an appropriate choice since that was a very patriotic day. Brad and Nina were not able to stay with us the entire time because they had to go make sure their kids could get home safely from school, but we had plenty of time to wander around before taking the metro train back to their neighborhood.

One of the most impressive exhibits was called "The Star Spangled Banner". They actually had the original flag that flew above Ft. McHenry and inspired Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem. I was amazed by how HUGE the flag is. I wasn't aloud to take any pictures in the exhibit, but it's just about the size of that metal sculpture outside the doors. Truly a sight to behold!

After that we walked around in various smaller exhibits - looking at some fun pop culture items like the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz and the original Kermit the Frog muppet. We also saw some really old musical instruments that I'm sure my parents would have appreciated. After that, we moved into the area that James was most interested in, which was all about the American Presidency. We got to see all kinds of original artifacts like Abe Lincoln's famous top hat and suit, furniture and toys from various occupants of the White House, and all kinds of other important documents and pictures. James even got to see what it feels like to give a Presidential Address.

After that we went through the exhibit that I chose - "The Price of Freedom", all about the various wars we've been involved in. It was fascinating tracing our history trough these different events, and seeing how technology and weaponry developed over the years. They also had some other neat things to look at in there including example of clothing and advertisements from the time period. There was a whole display case full of products made for women on the home-front during WWII including leg make-up that would make it look like you're wearing stockings even if you couldn't afford any, and a bullet shaped lipstick dispenser. I think James and I walked out of that exhibit feeling very grateful that we get to live now rather than back in any of those time periods.

One of the last exhibits we saw (which I was very excited about) was Julia Child's kitchen. It probably would not have been as interesting if we had not recently seen the movie Julie & Julia, which depicts the biography of Julia Child and one of her fans named Julie Powell. At the end of the movie, after having cooked through all of the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook, Julie and her husband go on a pilgrimage to see Julia's kitchen at the Smithsonian. I was thrilled to be stepping into a scene from one of my new favorite movies and seeing everything in person. It was a very overwhelming day!


Our final stop during our tour of DC was at the Capitol building. It really is a very impressive sight, and I'm so glad that we went!

Our trip to Louisville was much longer and more laid back. We had planned on trying to see some of our friends who live in the area while we were there, but we just weren't feeling up to it. Anyway, I wanted to spend as much time with my grandparents as possible since I don't know when/if I will see them again. Sad - but true. =^(

We had a great time just visiting and swapping stories about our families and recent things that we've done. We also had a lot of fabulous food - as always! My grandmother saved the last of this year's cream corn for me, and made up a batch of her famous sweet potato casserole, which James devoured pretty quickly. Saturday night we went to church with them so James got to see what the inside of a true mega church looks like. And Sunday - my Grandparents and my Uncle John gave us a special treat by taking us down to Claudia Sanders' Dinner House in Shelbyville, KY. Claudia was the wife of the famous Col. Sanders - founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken. This is the restaurant where they first started serving their special recipe and so we got to have real Kentucky fried chicken, along with an all-you-can-eat buffet of fabulous southern cuisine.

I definitely had a hard time saying goodbye to my grandparents, but we had a truly wonderful time and I know we'll keep in touch through email and such until I can find a way to get back and visit again.