Fevers

This last week has been a week of fevers, chills, and sore throats. Max was first, I was next, and now Brand has it. Hopefully it skips Josh. Our medicine cabinet was depleted after Max and when it hit Brand I found myself at the hospital pharmacy at four o'clock in the morning picking up more ibuprofen and acetaminophen. A nice benefit of being active duty in the military is you can get over-the-counter pain and cold medicine free at the hospital pharmacy 24 hours a day. This is another reason I am really glad we live next to the hospital, especially since we don't have a 24 hour CVS down the street.

I got a new camera last week that I am really excited about. I have been researching cameras for the last six months and finally decided on a Nikon D80. I love it! Here are a few of the first pictures I took.

The good, the bad, and the ugly!

The Good:

Brand's arm is doing great! The bone stayed in place and we are happy he ended up not needing surgery. The doctors are happy with how things are going and expect to remove the cast in 3 weeks...YEAH!

Schools out for the summer! No more dragging Brand out of bed in the morning, stuffing breakfast in him as he complains he isn't hungry and doesn't want to eat, and then walking/running down the street to make the bus. I love the lazy days of summer. I especially love getting to spend more time with Brand.

The Bad:

I was rear-ended by a Japanese lady 3 weeks ago. My neck was a little sore the next day, but other than that Max and I were fine. The worst part was having to stand in the rain for an hour waiting for the military police to arrive even though the accident was right outside our base. I reached a new level of awkwardness standing with the Japanese lady and the Japanese police waiting for the SLOW American police. The van was in the shop for a week and half leaving me and the boys stranded at home. All the horrible memories of sharing a car with Josh for 10 years came flooding back. Needless to say, Max and I did the "dance of joy" when we got the call to come pick up our van.

We have all been a bit more homesick lately. We are starting to talk about when a good time to visit would be and how to pay for the expensive trip home. Hopefully sometime in the next year we will make it back for a visit. For our family and friends back home know we miss you all and talk about you often! For our new friends here in Okinawa thanks for making this experience so great, life wouldn't be the same with out you!

The Ugly:

Hot, humid days and not being able to cool down in the pool or at the beach. Having a broken arm at the beginning of summer has to be one of the worst things that can happen to a kid (and the mom for that matter). It has gotten so humid here that when I walk outside wearing my glasses the lenses fog up instantly. I am constantly concerned about keeping the kids hydrated and covered in sunscreen while they attempt to play outside. I hope the doctors are right and we only have 3 more weeks until pool and beach time.