The Good, The Bad, and The... Ummmm... Yeah...

We'll start with the not so happy news... Our chameleon, The Bandit, died over the weekend. One thing we didn't know when we got her was that the females tend to have more health problems, and she was no exception. One of the big problems was that she lost sight in both her eyes, she didn't eat much, and just wasn't doing all that great. So we were expecting her to go, and she lasted a lot longer than we thought she would, but it's still sad. It does solve the problem of what we would do with her when we go home for a few weeks, and the problem we would have had when it came time to move again, but it's still sad. We'll get another one someday, because they are really cool animals, but it won't be until we're out of the military and done moving around (whenever that will be...).

Now for a little more positive news... we bought a keyboard the other night! Someday we'll get a real piano (again when we're out of the military and done moving around), but this works for now. Ben has been wanting to learn to play, and it's been a while since I've played, so we bought a keyboard. It's pretty cool. It's got the lessons built into it for the songs that are pre-programmed. Ben can already play the melody line of "Silent Night." He is a quick learner. We're still working on the reading the music part of it, but it's a work in progress. I'm pretty impressed with him, and I know he's proud of himself. But he's such an awesome guy who can do pretty much anything and everything anyway, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. :)

Now for those of you who are patiently awaiting "the news"... this isn't it. No, I'm not pregnant yet. We're still trying. I've been taking the fertility med Clomid the past couple months and it hasn't helped yet. I'll start round 3 of it tomorrow. It's really kind of frustrating that it hasn't happened yet. Before Ben came home, I really felt that it would happen shortly after. But here it is 3, almost 4, months later and it still hasn't happened. I know it will happen when the time's right, but when it's something you want so bad and you have the constant reminder all around you that it's something you can't have, well it can be a little depressing. If it's any indication how ready we are, we've already got the nursery set up. Maybe we're crazy for doing it so early, but we had some extra money from Ben's deployment and just happened to find a crib/dresser/changing table set that we loved for $250 (I'll post pics one of these days). And we also used my Deployed Spouses Discount at the Px (before I couldn't use it anymore) to get a car seat and stroller that I loved, along with a few other things. So we've got all our big purchases taken care of. Now if I could just get pregnant...

Sweet Peaceful Feeling

Have you ever noticed that when you are trying your hardest to be your best, that's when Satan is working extra hard to make you fail? I sure felt that way tonight. The first Friday of every month is our scheduled Branch Temple Trip, and Ben and I made the effort to go. It wasn't without some hassle and trouble though. We had to get new temple recommends as our old ones were expired, so we were scheduled to meet with a member of the District Presidency before the session. With our District (Stake) being so spread out (literally from one end of Japan to the other), meeting with a member of the District Presidency isn't always the easiest to arrange. But we had it set up to meet at the temple and just do the interviews there. The plan was to take the bus down that leaves from Zama that they have set up just for us. Well, that didn't happen. Ben had let his command know Monday that he needed to be off early Friday so he could be back in time. They said it shouldn't be a problem, but wouldn't know for sure until Friday. Well, that never sounds good. And guess what, it wasn't. His commander didn't let him leave until about 445, we were supposed to get on the bus at 500, and it's a good 30-45 minute drive from where he works to the house. So I ran down to where they were meeting, let the Elder's Quorum President know we wouldn't be on the bus, but we'd take the train and get there as soon as we could. I ran back home and got everything ready so that as soon as Ben got home all he had to do was change and we were out the door. He got home about 510/515 and we were out the door by 530, but then we had to walk down to the train station which is a good 10 minute walk. We missed the train we needed to be on so we had to adjust our route a little bit. We got there without much trouble though. We were supposed to have our interviews at 645. We didn't get to the temple until about 710/715, and the session started at 730. So we kinda rushed through the interviews, and hurried to change. Somehow we made it there on time. And let's just say, it was what I needed. I've needed to go for a while now, and just being there in that special place with the one I love, I really couldn't have asked for more. Ok I could have asked for a little more time to just sit there and soak it all in, but we were taking the bus back so we couldn't sit there all night. It was such a sweet peaceful feeling though. To sit there in the Celestial Room with Ben, not having all the noise and stress of the outside world pounding on us. It's really an indescribable feeling. The temple is such a blessing though. We are so lucky to live so close (only about an hour away) and we're going to make it a point to go more often. Our next trip will be when we go home for Thanksgiving and I can't wait. What a great feeling! I'm loving this Spiritual High right now. :)

November Already?!?!

I realized I hadn't updated my blog for like a month so I guess it's time to play "Month-In-Review". Nothing really happened. There ya go! :) Just kidding, sorta. We really didn't have anything happen. We had the "typhoon" (aka wind and rain) at the beginning of the month. Ben had most of the month off to recover from his shoulder surgery. He just went back to work last week. The first time he's really had to go to work since coming home 3 months ago. It's been great having him around. Even being sick and hurt. He is slowly getting better though. His shoulder is doing alright. He's ahead of schedule for where is range of motion should be, which is good. He starts the strength training part of physical therapy this week, but I think we're gonna take it a kinda slow just to make sure he doesn't re injure it in the process. We're happy to report that he hasn't had any kidney stones in the past month. He's on like 5 different pills for it, but they are working so he's not complaining too much. He still has the pain in his side, but we still don't have any answers there yet. It was getting better for a while, probably because he was all drugged up for his shoulder, but it's starting to not do so well again. Hopefully we figure it out one of these days. Anyway, he's back to work and doing alright. As soon as he got back they made him the Training Room NCO. Meaning he's in charge of that particular area. He gets to make all the schedules, and I don't know what else. But stuff is getting done because that's what happens when he's in charge. :) He has to attend a class in Hawaii in January. Oh darn! We're gonna try and find someone to watch the dogs and I'll get on a military flight and meet him there. We're excited for that trip! As for me, I haven't been up to much. I've worked a few days here and there, but not really a whole lot. Not nearly as much as I was last spring. It's been alright though. Since Ben was home, it wasn't like I was sitting here doing nothing. Then I got my new calling in Primary which I think I mentioned before. We had the Primary Program last week (I got to sit with the Sunbeams), and then yesterday I officially started my job. I'm the new primary chorister. I think it'll be great, but I really have no idea what I'm doing right now. Yeah, I can get up there and wave my arm around, but I'm at a loss when it comes to planning which songs to do, how to teach them, etc. Then I get mixed messages as to what I'm supposed to do. The Primary President says to just do what I want, but her counselor (who has been around longer) says/thinks we should be working on these certain songs. So I'm kinda confused. We're having a Presidency meeting tomorrow (because I guess I'm kinda the Secretary by default too) so hopefully I'll have a better idea as to what I'm supposed to be doing. But if anyone out there has any tips or advice I'm more than open to them. :) What else happened this month... Oh, we got a new washer and dryer. New to us anyway. The heating element on the dryer went out and the washer was making the clothes stink. I'm not sure what was causing the washer to do that. Some bad connections that got moldy maybe? But regardless we have a new washer and dryer and it's so much easier to do laundry when I can get it all done in one day because it doesn't take 3+ hours to get a small load of clothes dry. So that was pretty much our month. We didn't really do anything for Halloween. We "carved pumpkins". Kinda. Japanese pumpkins just aren't the same as American ones. They aren't as slimy and the inside is just different so you try to carve it and it kinda just falls apart. :( I miss going to the pumpkin patch and getting humongous pumpkins with my family. Oh well. I did hand out candy to the few trick or treaters we had, all 20 we had. So it wasn't a very exciting night. Much like the rest of the month- not very exciting. November will be better though. We'll be home for Thanksgiving. I'm counting down the days! I can't wait! We'll be home soon!

That Was It?!?!

I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed in the typhoon. I was expecting a lot more. We had a thunderstorm early Thursday morning (like 3 am early) that I pretty much slept through, and then it was just windy yesterday. The wind seriously reminded us of Irwin. They sky was bright blue, it was warm, and Ben cooked lunch on the grill on the back patio. We haven't been out around post yet, but as far as I can tell, there's no damage up around us. So it wasn't a very exciting storm. The power didn't even go out. :( Oh well. At least we were prepared.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

For those that haven't heard, Typhoon Melor is headed straight for Japan. As of right now, it is mapped to pass us by about 70 miles or so. Which means lots of wind, lots of rain, and hopefully not lots of damage. I think we're all set though, and I'm really not too concerned. We've got our 72-hour kit together, plenty of food and bottled water, extra batteries. The patio set, grill, and garbage cans are all strapped down to the fence so they shouldn't go anywhere. The car is topped off with gas. And we've got plenty to do around the house. Things should be ok. I'm not too worried about flooding or anything (at least at our house) since we live on the top of a nice hill. I'm pretty confident we'll be ok. It's still kinda surreal to me though. This is the first place I've ever lived where we actually have to worry about natural disasters. Nothing really happens in Idaho (at least in the Boise area), and we supposedly had earthquakes at Ft Irwin, but they were never felt like we feel them here. Here in Japan we have to worry about earthquakes and typhoons. It's kinda crazy to think about. We're always told to have our emergency kits/supplies ready, but I will admit I never really paid much attention to that until we moved here. And hopefully I won't have to use it, but in case I do you can all rest assured that we are prepared. I'll keep you updated on what happens.

New Calling

Ok, it's not really a "new" calling, but more of a "repeat" calling. Our Young Women's president is moving, so for obvious reasons I was released as a counselor. I was without a calling for all of about 2 seconds, before I was asked if I would accept a calling in the Primary. I just can't get away from that place! :P I don't know what I'll be doing exactly yet. They are just getting ready for the Primary Program right now, but I may end up as a teacher, the chorister, or possibly the other counselor in the presidency... Not that I really mind where I end up. I do enjoy the primary and working with the kids though. I was talking to the Primary President on Sunday and apparently they asked for me a while ago and had pretty much given up on getting me. (Hmmm... sounds kinda like what the YW told me a year ago...) It's kinda funny how the Lord's time works sometimes.

I'm A Slacker

I know, I know, it's been a while since my last update. Not a whole lot going on around here. The big news is Ben had his shoulder surgery last week. Everything went well, and he's slowly starting to feel a little better. There was more damage this time than there was last year when he had it done before he deployed. He managed to tear the labrum (the cartilage that goes around the shoulder joint to help keep the arm in place) all the way down to the bone in one spot, so the dr had to go in and tack it back down. He also cleaned up some cartilage that was fraying and what not. We go back in tomorrow to get the stitches removed. It appears to be healing well. He started physical therapy yesterday, and will be doing that for the next little while. It's going to take a good 6-9 months for his shoulder to be completely back to normal. There's no rush this time, so hopefully it is. He's doesn't have to go back to work until the last week of October. He'll go back for a couple weeks, then is taking some more time off so we can come home the end of November for Thanksgiving. He'll go back for a couple weeks, and then will be at a reduced work schedule (if he's working at all) for Christmas. So he should be able to pretty much just take it easy for at least the next 3 months. We'll see if he actually does though. :P He's also started taking some meds to help with the kidney stones. It's only been a week so I can't really say if they are working for sure or not. We'll give it some time and see when/if he gets another kidney stone. Hopefully he doesn't. His side is starting to feel a little better too. Not sure if that's just because he's been so drugged up since the surgery, or if it's actually feeling better. I'm hoping it's the later. So that's about all that's been going on around here. Lots of just hanging around watching movies and trying to make Ben comfortable. I've worked a couple days over at the elementary school (before Ben's surgery of course). But other than that it's been pretty boring. Hopefully something more exciting happens soon.