Do my apples fall far from the tree???

So I guess these are better late than never..... Would have posted sooner but had to have a retake and not telling which one had a big wad of green gum in her mouth the first time... Hope you enjoy....

ME 2008*2009 (Do I not resemble my parents?)

Hunter 2008*2009

Hayleigh 2008*2009

***Christmas lights at Botanical Gardens***

We went to Botanical Gardens tonight to see the Christmas Lights taking in a one more "last time" thing. We had a good time and the weather was great!!
ENJOY!
PS: The kid next to Hunter is "Gabe" her friend, for all of you that are wondering!!

...Another change to the Blog...

As I was flipping from site to site to decide who wouldn't be using what background and ran across this one I decided it fits just right for us, as it shows all of the different seasons that will be to come in 2009, I thought.. by the time the acorns and leaves are falling from the trees in 2009 I hope I will be there to see it happen, and then I thought I am going to start my count down by seasons, it will be shorter that way so we are now in season 1, I couldn't get rid of the Christmas tunes just yet that will be next week or tommorrow when we take down the decorations!

I am wishing you all nothing more than Health and Happiness for this next year, it is all that matters in life if you have that the rest will fall into place!!!

Love to all
huggs and more huggs are soon to be!!!

*** Wii had a Wonderful Christmas***

WOW, can you believe that we are finished with Christmas as you are ALL starting? We have been tracking SANTA all day for you back in the States and Hayleigh was worried that all of the cousins would not be in bed in time for his arrival.

As we approached this Holiday it has been bitter sweet, BITTER knowing that this is it, our last big holiday on this tropical island, our last Christmas without snow, our last big gathering with our friends that we have made. SWEET knowing that next Christmas we will be HOME with all of our FAMILIES who mean more than you ever know, HOME to many family parties, wonderful food, good company, and plenty of HUGS!!

We woke up a bit late today usually Hay would be up early but she slept in today, they both broke the bank on their goods, ipods, Wii fit, Wii Rockband, clothes, shoes, clothes, gift cards.

We are wishing all of families and friends here and back home the best of Holidays this year, plenty of HEALTH, SAFETY, HAPPINESS, and LOVE! Thanks to all of our parents for going above and beyond the call of duty to make our JOURNEY as smooth as possible, all of the talks about what a GOOD thing this has been and a shoulder to cry on when needed! To our siblings also, you don't know what you have until you are far away from it we appreciate all of you, your calls and emails, gifts and cards to get us through. All I can say is 2009 Holiday Season won't be the same!!

LOVE to YOU all......

~~~~~ DOMO ARIGATO ~~~~~

I just want to tell everyone Thank you for making it a great day for me!!! As you know I turned 29 today and don't feel a day over that!! LOL

Thanks so much for the calls, emails, e-cards, cards, slippers, pj's, clothes, vests, jewelry, candles, yen, thoughts and prayers today!!

It was pretty much a normal day with 500 kids that are high on candy and ready for Christmas ( just think of it as 500 Hayleighs that have just eaten a gallon of ice cream, with whipped topping, chocolate syrup and a jar of cherries on top). They are wound up like no other and I sure hope that I can survive one more day as the mean lunch duty lady, they all maybe staying in for recess, wait maybe I should send them out without their lunch to run off all of the built up jolliness!!

Any how I just want to Thank You again for making my day with calls at midnight my time( oh yes paybacks my brother you just wait!) and all of the goodies I received, I love you all and appreciate you as well!!

Season's Greetings and Safe travels to you all......
Love to ALL......

~~~~~ Yeh Hoo ~~~~~

FYI:
Vonage is up and running!!
We are back in business!!
THANK Goodness!!

.....The pictures say it all......

As you know in the past I have posted about "YELLOW" slips at the PO, well yesterday day it was the winning day 5 yes 5 slips in the PO Box, it was almost as exciting as it will be one week and one day from today.... any how brought home all the boxes and placed all the presents under the tree and had to listen to Hay ask if she could start to open the little packages "no one will know" well the one box had a very great surprise in it............ SUGAR COOKIE Dough and FROSTING........... so here are pics of what we did last night!! And they were DELICIOUS!! DOMO for all of the packages everyone, next year you will not have any shipping charges to Japan!!

~~~~~ FYI ~~~~~

Just wanted to give the FAM a heads up, we now have internet service, but our VONAGE is down until further notice, I guess that is what you get for living in the Ghetto of OKINAWA!!!

If you need to call you will have to call the super duper long #!!! SORRY!!

Love to you all!!!

Our week in review............

Just wanted to post this and to let the FAM know that our SUNDAY we have a scheduled power outage for Camp Shields.......so if you are trying to call or on the computer we are here but living the day as the INGLES family.........our Japan phone should work if you need us........... LOVE to you all, talk to you the first of the week!!
Hope you enjoy......

~~~ Kiddie Tagged ~~~

So Hayleigh Erin has been Kiddie tagged:

1: As a daughter, I could not ask for a more loving, caring daughter. As we got here and I was always in tears I could always count on a hug and a pat from her to help me out. She loves to spend time with me doing anything and nothing, with Darrin she loves to do any adventure that his is game for. She is anxiously awaiting the game of golf with him and a good hunt when we get home!!

2: As a sister, I sure wish that I could have her as my sister, she is always looking out for her BIG Sister making sure she is OK and staying out of trouble, they have their moments yes, but she is the peace maker of the two.

3: Hay is the most giving and caring eight year old I know. This past week was her teachers Bday, she made it a point to make sure she got a card for her and for the class to sign it and on the way to school stop and get her a bouquet of flowers. In return Ms. White wrote her a note stating that Hayleigh had made her feel so special on her Bday.

4: She has got to become a school teacher herself, do you know of any child that will go to school and come home and attend to her class in the kitchen until bedtime? The white board is her prized possession, even asking Santa for a new one because the old one is well worn, and new markers.

5: She is somewhat the mother hen at school making sure that all of her friends and class mates are doing things correct, and she also makes me aware of "trouble when on lunch duty".
It is a pleasure to have Hay in the Family!!

This is a fun activity filled with goodness and happy thoughts! The children that are "kiddie tagged" next are:


Simonson Girls
Wood Kids
Lil Critter

To YOU From US: Happy Holidays!!!

~~~~~~ Happy Thanksgiving ~~~~~~

As you wake and start to prepare your meal, we just want you all to know that we are thinking of all of you today and that we are all thankful for you in our lives. We spent our day with friends had ALOT of good food, played alot of WII and apples to apples and made many memories, so as we head to bed with our full bellies, we wish you all a day of Thankful thoughts and prayers, safe travels, and plenty to eat!! All of our LOVE!



Please don't laugh, Darrin told me I had to put this on!!!

Here are our new family pictures, hope you enjoy!!!

SAN * NI * ICHI * GO.....

Tonight we went out to the Tug of War, it was out Gate 2, the weather couldn't have been any better! They allowed the kids to take the first challenge of the war, both American and Japanese took part in it, and Hayleigh was so excited to take her turn to give that rope a tug. After the kids took a turn it was time for the adults, I thought what the heck I will give it a try, WOW that was not an easy task to try and move that GYNORMOUS rope anywhere but the side I was on did win!!! YEH!! After the war they cut down the rope and pass it out for everyone to take a souvenir and I think that it will be one of my favorite ones to say that we were here in 2008 and we did the "OKI TUG-O-WAR"!!

Hope you enjoy the pics!

I have been Christmas Tagged.........

Christmas Questionnaire

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Both

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No

5. When do you put up your decorations? either day before Thanksgiving or day after.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? PRIME RIB

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Being at Gma and Gpa Williams house, having a wonderful meal and being able to play in the back bedrooms with all of the cousins!!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? The truth? What are you talking about? Dont you have to Believe to Recieve?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes traditional Christmas eve Jammies

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? A different way each year, now the girls are older they are taking turns deciding!

12. Can you ice skate? no

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? As a child, it was a saddle when I was about 8, recently it is my mothers ring the year Hay was born.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? FAMILY!!!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Gma Dorsey's famous layered jello salad!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? It would be the Christmas Eve jammies, when we get home I hope to start a new tradition!

17. What tops your tree? This year a STAR

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I love the gift of giving!!!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? The First Noel

20. Candy Canes? A Few

21. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Very much, we should be teaching the true meaning of Christmas, not how many gifts we give and recieve.


Passing the tag onto: KIRA, Mandy, Jessica, Hilary, Katie, Heather, Carrie

So with the holidays..........

around the corner my mind and heart are getting a little blue, and I decided I should add a little color and have a good cry!!!


I wanted to share the rainbow!!!

I have a friend who is MIA.............

To my friend that is Missing In Action.........where are you and are you ok???
Please contact me sometime soon I am worried about you!!! I am supposing that you only have internet service in your area now once in a while!!!


Miss Ya!

Happy Veterans Day...............

Thanks to the men and women in uniform for doing a job above and beyond their call of duty, so that we can live in a place of freedom, equality, and peace.

Thanks to the vets in our family that did the same! Lets see what the next four years will be like!!!

Happy Halloween from OKUMA...........

Happy Halloween
A harvest sunset
The grave yard at the cabins
At the costume contest Micheal the turtle and Hay the jelly beans
After the down pour
Darrins new hobby
and his new ride
Oh for the LOVE!!
Turning a little green
The glass bottom boat
A quick dip!
A little put put


This weekend we went on a road trip to OKUMA.....it is a resort at the north end of the island...... we did the trick or treating thing carving pumpkin thing (a day later) tried for the haunted cabins, glass bottom boat, buggy's, race cars, put put,beach and alot of laughs and fun!!!

We hope that you all had a great Halloween with lots of tricks and treats, it sure seems good to know that this is our last one here and next year I can't wait to make a big pot of CHILI and apple cider for everyone who wants to stop by! (probably be in bruce and linda's 5th wheel)

Any how sure miss you all and hope you enjoy the pics!!

Luv to you all!!

Walk-A-Thon.....

Best part of the day!!

Hay and her friend Anna

A quick water break!!

Today was Hayleighs walk athon......... and there were alot of walkers...about 500 students, walking 4 to 5 miles each that is alot of walking!! It was alot of fun for the kids to do the official fundraiser for their school...and we say DOMO Arigato everyone who donated to AEIS and Hay to do her part!! Here are some pics of today, and after the walk Mrs. White treated the class to carmeled apples!!YUM!!

Love to you all and Domo again for donating!!