January Musings

Busy month as usual. Here are a few of the things we've been up to:

December 23rd: Hayden turned 9!!
He informed me a few weeks before that he wanted to invite some kids to his party. I didn’t know he was going to have a party so I scrambled to get something planned. Luckily, it was pretty easy once he told me what he really wanted was a video game party. He doesn’t ever have kids come over to play video games so this actually sounded like an okay idea. We ordered pizza, drank soda, ate cake and played all the rated E games. It was a hit!

(more about Hayden in his personal bio coming up)

I can’t completely forget about Christmas even though it’s been long over, here are some highlights from the year:
We bid on a beautiful tree at the Washougal Festival of Trees, a fundraiser for our local schools and we won the tree! So we loaded up this fully decorated amazing tree into our van and brought it home! Lucky we have a huge empty living room where we could put it!
On Christmas Eve we participated in the family Nog Run...luckily we were late and missed the actually drinking of the egg nog but still got to enjoy the run! Hayden survived the full 2 miles!

Christmas Eve was spent at our house, with the entire Stinchfield Clan minus Mike and Brooke! It was a fun night of food, games and Barb even helped the kids use puppets to tell the nativity story.
Christmas morning was wonderful as usual! The kids enjoyed it and were well spoiled.

The before:

The after:


This is what Tom wishes he got for Christmas! His brother Dave got a Boston Terrier puppy for his family

Christmas dinner was a formal affair at Kenn and Barbs and was wonderful. Then the kids enjoyed the “money drop” with the change that Papa has been saving all year. They all came home with a bag full of money! They are still saving it!


The rest of the break was spent with trips to JJ Jumps, OMSI, a trail run, and late night games every day. What a blast!

January started off with a bang as we celebrated with our friends the Balls. Our friendship started in Okinawa and they now live up near Seattle so it's been really fun to hang out! We had a fun weekend, although the cold wind kept us from getting out of the car after driving to Beacon Rock to hike! We had a fun time playing with the kids and actually changed all the clocks so they thought they were staying up until midnight, not 8pm....the neighbors did big fireworks at 7pm, it worked out really well!!

A few days later we got a visit from more friends from Okinawa, the Neal's!! It's ridiculous but I didn't take any pictures! We had a great time catching up with them and hiking in the rain and playing on the beach in the rain....where was my camera... it was so fun to see them!

We were sad to see our Okinawa friends leave but we took comfort knowing that we would seem them again. The Ball's invited us up for the 3 day weekend to spend time with another family, The Frank's who now live in Chicago. We all stayed with the Ball's and had a great time!! We ate, played games, went to the Children's Museum and even played in the snow!




Snow Day: Two weeks ago they cancelled school for two days due to the snow. The first day it was only raining down here in town so I didn't know and drove the kids to school only to find it closed! The second day it actually snowed down here! Tom and I tried to go running in the snow but it was raining and turning everything to slosh! Fortunately the kids still thought it was amazing and we had a good time out playing!


Concerts: We are keeping up with the fun of living near a big city with lots of great concert options all the time. So far this month we went to a City and Colour Concert and then saw the Milk Carton Kids again. Tons of fun!

Friends: We finally connected with a couple here in Washougal that we've wanted to get to know better. They came over for dinner and games and we had a great time! Hopefully we can start to do that a lot more often!!

Cape Horn Trail Run: Last Friday we had Anne and Peter stay the night with us and we went on a "legendary" trail run in the morning. We went to do the Cape Horn Trail like we did over Christmas break but this time instead of mud we found ice and snow. We persisted but it was such an intense run. It felt like we were literally running through someone's cooler of ice. Just stumbling over pieces of ice that would roll and slip under our feet. It felt like you were running uphill in deep sand for a few miles. Awesome... as we caused a disturbance in the forest the ice would fall from the trees. Fortunately, no one was hit in the head, I got hit in the hand and it hurt!!! We couldn't get near the nice viewpoints because it was pure ice and you could literally slip right off the edge. I'm the only one who slipped and although it didn't feel great at least I didn't slip off a cliff! The worst part was at the top of the mountain where there is a flat area that was covered in snow that had a layer of ice over the top. There was a freezing wind so you wanted to hurry but it was so slippery. You would slip on the ice unless you cracked through it to run in the snow. We had to run on our toes or heels trying to crack the ice with each step...again, awesome. Luckily, about half way through the snow lightened up and we ran on some mud and trail and got to enjoy being out. We made it back to the car just as some icy rain started to fall. Somehow, we still enjoyed ourselves and agreed we are glad we did it...

Well I think that's about enough on the events of the last little while... I'm sure I forgot something big but I'll figure that out later. Hopefully I can put together a little info on each member of the family and get that posted soon!!!

Ballerina Alyssa

Alyssa LOVES to dance and especially enjoys her ballet class. They did a recital in December and of course it was adorable!!

Christmas Letter 2011

As I look back on the crazy adventures and changes of years past it seems that nearly every year we have had something amazing or big to report, like a new baby or move. This year is no different except that it seems to be marking the beginning of the end of the adventure. I’m not sure I like that plan so I’ve decided I’ll just have to get more creative in the future creating new kinds of adventure!
The adventure this year was our big move from Okinawa Japan back to the United States. We have purchased our first house and are settling permanently here in the small town of Washougal Washington. It’s a great town located along the Columbia River Gorge just across the border from Portland. Tom is working for his brother at Discovery Dental. It’s a beautiful, well run practice and Tom looks forwarding to becoming a partner with his brother in the future. Here are a few of the highlights from this past year, including some of the things we miss about Japan and some of the things we are enjoying here:

January: We enjoyed celebrating the Japanese new year, a month long celebration!! Hayden changed from the second grade to the third grade and loved it! He fit right in and enjoyed the new challenges. Alyssa lost her two front teeth due to a fall and was fitted for some fake ones (it pays to have a dentist for a dad!) We enjoy lots of hiking and being outdoors!!


February: We took our BIG trip up to mainland Japan with Tom’s brother Dave and wife Adina.
We had a fantastic time in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Kyoto, and Tokyo! Great food, beautiful, scenery and amazing people!


March: Tom and I got scuba certified and Tom began going every chance he got!! He’s in love and now misses it all the time! We even saw a shark!
Hayden was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints out in the East China Sea. I pulled the girls out of their preschool and we enjoyed home preschool with more time to spend together and to enjoy the parks and cultural experiences in Okinawa.


April: For the third year in a row we went and ran the Iejima Half Marathon and went camping on the nearby island. Later in the month we did a three day, 230 mile bike ride around the entire island of Okinawa. So amazing!! Oh, how we miss the beautiful island, the weather and the friends who enjoyed it all with us! The kids enjoyed lots of island sight seeing. Hayden enjoyed soccer and Danica tried it, but hated all the pressure. We were really panicking about not having enough time left in Okinawa for all the fun things we wanted to do!


May: Put in an offer on a house in Washington after seeing a video of it. Took more trips to fun places like Okuma. Enjoyed watching Alyssa‘s ballet/tap recital and spent every possible minute with our friends in Japan knowing that we were going to leave them all too soon.


June: The month is a blur of last minute adventures, packing, prepping, playing and saying good-bye. I was happy to say good-bye to my van and my house, both of which were literally junked and condemned when we left them. However, I wish I could have stayed with the people, the weather and the beauty. Nonetheless, mid month we began the jet lag, trying to drive on the other side of the street and adjusting to being back in the states. I remember just being cold all the time, feeling overwhelmed walking into the huge stores and wanting the stability of my comfortable Japan life to return. Fortunately, we had good friends and family here to greet us and help us begin to settle in. We moved in with Tom’s parents, finally saw the house we had put an offer on and began to process of waiting for it to close!


July: Tried to stay warm in the cool Washington summer, it was frigid compared to the temps we left in Okinawa. We took a great trip to Utah and spent time in the sun with my family there. The kids got reacquainted with their cousins and traveled so much they learned to sleep wherever we decided to call home. Poor Alyssa got confused every time we changed to a new location and would ask if it was our new house. At the end of the month we ran the Northwest Passage Ragnar with a team made of Tom’s siblings, spouses and mom! We said good-bye to July with our annual trip to a houseboat on Lake Shasta in California. Heaven.

Tom started working at Discovery Dental. The practice belongs to his brother Dave and its amazing. Fantastic staff, beautiful location, recently updated and remolded inside, and just run really well. It's been an adjustment after being in the military but it's a good one and Tom looks forward to being partners with Dave in the future. He's already got his name on the sign!


August: Alyssa had two great things happen on her birthday- she finally turned 4 and we closed on our house! It didn’t seem possible that my little sweet baby was getting so big but she couldn’t be happier. She is such a fun, smiley girl who wants to make everyone happy. She loves all the girly things her sister likes but also enjoys getting messy, being loud and playing with Hayden. We closed on the house, finally, and were thrilled to move in! Compared to where we have lived this house is so big and new. It’s been fun to organize and decorate. The neighbors are great and I think we’ll be happy here for a long time. I’ve been promising pictures for ages...sorry. In August we also ran on a Hood to Coast team and had a blast!


September: Hayden started fourth grade. He was nervous and it was hard to be the new kid but he’s settled in and is doing well. Danica started kindergarten and is in love with all of it except the chaos of P.E. Alyssa started at preschool and enjoys going and being a big kid but is happy when I pick her up and we get to spend the rest of the afternoon together. My parents came to visit and I was so excited to show them around and to let them experience how beautiful it is here. Of course it rained the whole time they were here. Tom did his first triathlon, a sprint, and totally rocked it. He is hooked and just signed up for a half ironman next year...intense!


October: We enjoyed seeing the leaves change colors as we up our miles during our marathon training. It was fun to run around exploring the area in preparation for the Leavenworth Marathon. The race was great, a lot of fun to run it together and I actually won! First place for women! A great memory. Danica is in love with riding her bike and the new gymnastics class she is in. She is doing really well and is set to start in the advance class at the first of the year. Hayden goes to Lego club and loves it, tried flag football and didn’t love it. Alyssa is doing ballet and has become best friends with a girl in her class she knows from church. We enjoyed great Halloween festivities and took the kids to a pumpkin patch for the first time in 4 years!


November: Thanksgiving was spent enjoying a wonderful reunion with my brothers and sister in Utah. We stayed for the week after Thanksgiving to have more time for skiing, sledding, bowling, museums, games, Temple Square and trips to the gym! It was wonderful being all together and hearing the cousins just laugh and laugh.


December: As usual it’s a crazy month at our house! Danica turned 6 years old and continues to be the sweetest, most loving and caring girl around. She can’t get enough of coloring, cutting, singing, dolls, and playing with her sister. Tom and I were fortunate enough to go to several great concerts bringing our concert total since moving here up to 8. Some favorites were Andrew Bell, Milk Carton Kids, Lights, Naked and Famous, Grouplove, and Young the Giant. We also celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary! Hayden turned 9 years old and enjoyed a day spent playing video games and nerf wars with his friends. He still loves to read and is finishing up the Harry Potter series right now. It’s been fun to see him spend more time playing with his sisters!

Christmas will be spent here in Washington. We are looking forward to all the fun and will post some pictures when it’s done!!

We hope the end of this year finds all of you happy and ready for whatever adventures come at you next!!! Please keep in touch!

November is Gone Already?

Yet again, an overdue update, in reverse order. I know I have forgotten a lot... this is the stuff I had pictures of. I'll have to add in the rest when I remember it! And this has not been proof read...sorry for the inevitable mistakes!

DANICA IS 6!!!!! On December 12th we celebrated her birthday!! She doesn't have school on Mondays so I took her and Alyssa to a place called JJ Jumps that we heard about on Groupon. Some of her cousins met us there and then we all met up with Grandma Barb for lunch at Wendy's because Danica LOVES chicken sandwiches! Then for dinner she had her favorite food: Chicken and Broccoli Casserole.

Her favorite thing to do right now is to color with markers. She would do it all day. She loves art projects and any sort of craft. She loves to read, play with dolls and barbies, and have tea parties. She is very girly, still shy and very sensitive. A stern look or disapproving voice will leave her in tears. She's a great helper with doing her chores, is a master bed maker and fantastic at cleaning her room and taking care of her sister in every way. She goes out of her way to make sure that Alyssa is happy and well cared for. I don't think there has ever been a girl as lucky as Alyssa to have such an outstanding big sister.

She's such a funny kid. Over Thanksgiving she was sick with a stomach flu for several days and it has left her obsessed with washing her hands and not eating too much candy. She is very conscientious. She is such a responsible sick child that she is terrified to not have a bowl with her at all times if she feels like she might throw up. In fact, she had to sleep with it and I found her one night with her head literally using the bowl like a pillow...so sad!!

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER:
Last week we took Concert Fun to a whole new level during this amazing event where they have fantastic concerts every night! We managed to make it to three of them: Young the Giant, Awolnation and Group Love. It was a blast!


UTAH-- THANKSGIVING BREAK AND THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER:

We spent our Thanksgiving day driving for 12 hours on the way to Utah. Eating options were scarce but the drive went well and we arrived as planned and prepared for a week of fun! I hadn't seen my younger brother in a couple of years and he was able to come to my parents house late that night and stay for the next week so we did the same. My brother that lives in Utah took time off work and pulled their son out of school as well so they could come up and spend the time with us as well. It all made for a fantastic week of vacation. I wish I had time to add more details but I need to get to addressing Christmas cards and making arrangements for a weekend trip so this short summary is all I can do. My summary looks very similar to the trip journal Hayden had to keep while he was happily out of school for a week!!
Friday: Hit some black Friday sales and then we played racquetball at the gym before enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner, just a day late! That night we rocked out to Karaoke! I hope someone will send the videos soon!
Saturday: Family pictures, a trip to the aquarium, then the adults went to a comical rendition of It's a Wonderful Life.






Sunday: We went to Temple Square after church- Tom's photography skills really show!





Monday: Matt, his wife Chelsea and Tom and I went skiing at Snowbird. My mom watched all the kids!! it was a great day although I went to bed that night with nightmares of skiing down the mountain and being unable to stop... I suppose I was little more scared then I wanted to admit! I haven't skied in years and years so it was a bit tricky!
Tuesday: Sledding!!

The kids had a blast, so much giggling!!! Alyssa couldn't believe there was so much snow. Growing up on a tropical island means that she had never seen real snow like that. It was fun to experience with her and watch her awe. Then we went bowling and my brother Ryan and his wife Amy made prizes for everyone. It was a huge hit! Then I had to take Tom to the airport to fly home to work.
Wednesday: Matt and Chelsea let me leave the girls with their new best friend- their cousin Isabel that they hadn't seen in years! I took Hayden up to the Natural History Museum at the U of U and had a nice time learning and exploring. Then we headed to Provo and spent the afternoon with my grandma. We took her to the Life Science Museum at BYU and Danica rode with her in her wheelchair. They loved it! That night we went to Ryan and Amy's house where they used their gourmet cooking skills to serve us authentic Phillie Cheesesteaks and homemade donuts. We also had a contest to make Turkey costumes. Hayden and I got to model them!!
Thursday: A low key day of packing and playing and celebrating Christmas with Grandma!!! The kids were all spoiled! Then we went to see Breaking Dawn while Matt watched all the kids (thank you again!)


Friday: Got up at 6am and drove all day. Kids were good and I enjoyed an audio book.
Saturday: Got up early and drove to Salem to run a 7 mile trail run with Tom's sister Anne and her husband Peter. Tough run. Very tiring after spending a week on vacation...although it may be tough any time!!!

There is much more to add and hopefully I'll get to it. But for today, this is enough!!