Alex Goes to Korea

We spent yesterday sightseeing in Seoul. We went to Namsan Park, on a huge hill. We took a cable car up to the park, then walked around for a bit and had lunch. The Seoul Tower is on top of the hill, and we rode the elevator up to the top for a great view of the city.

We also walked down Insa Dong, a great little street with lots of souvenir and antique shops. Then we went to Gyeongbokgung Palace. Alex did great the whole day. He enjoyed riding in his stroller and all the attention he got from people we passed by.

We have been enjoying wonderful Korean food. We had bulgogi (Korean barbeque) on Monday night, and last night we tried stewed chicken with ginseng. Delicious! Korean food is much spicier than Japanese food.

It has been good to rest and relax for a bit before we continue our journey to Portland.

Our Spotted Leopard

This is for everyone out there who asked to see pictures of Alex with the chicken pox. Poor fella! These were taken last Thursday. He looks much better this week, I promise.

Update

Our precious boy has a full-blown case of the chicken pox! I thought he was going to escape with just a light case, but that was not to be. Poor fella has them everywhere, and I do mean everywhere! Thankfully, he does not seem too bothered by them, and he is too young to really scratch himself. The doctor gave us some anti-viral medicine, which he has been taking without a fuss. The hardest part of all of this is getting him to lie still long enough for me to rub the cream on all his spots. Maybe I should be glad he is not rolling over yet! Hopefully, he will be mostly scabbed over by Monday.

We are still planning to leave Japan on Monday, July 24th. Stupid travel agency wanted to charge us 50% to change our tickets. Not an option. So, we are going. Alex will be wearing long pants, long sleeves, and a hat, and we are just going to pray no one says anything. If anyone does ask, though, we also have a doctor's note, thanks to Rusty's Uncle Willie, who is a pediatrician.

From Japan, we will fly to Seoul, Korea, where we will stay two nights. Then, on Wednesday, July 26th, we fly to LA. From LA, we are renting a car and driving to Portland. Believe it or not, it was cheaper to do that than to fly all the way to Portland! We are hoping to arrive in Portland by July 28th.

We are almost finished packing the shipment. After that, all that remains is to pack our bags for the plane, and clean the house. Jennifer, the young woman who is replacing Rusty will be moving in here after we leave, so we don't have to empty out the house. A lot of the furniture and other items will be staying for her to use. We are so thankful that things worked out this way -- it certainly has made everything easier on us.

Tomorrow, some friends are throwing us a goodbye party. Sunday, we will say our goodbyes to Taga church. And on Monday, we will begin our journey across the Pacific. It all still seems a little unreal to me. Things have happened so quickly that I have not really had much time to process everything. But, ready or not, we will be getting on a plane in less than 72 hours!

A Special Treat

The Brass
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

In the midst of all the craziness that has been our life since the end of June, my sweet husband still found a way to fulfill a desire I've had since we came back to Japan a year ago. What a great guy!

When we lived in Mito, my favorite restaurant was called "The Brass." Since we have been back, I have wanted to eat there again, but what with one thing and another, we just never made it. When we realized we were going to be leaving Japan unexpectedly, I resigned myself to the fact that we would probably not have the time to make it back there. But Rusty found a way to make it happen, and we had lunch there last Friday.

The Brass 2
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

The Brass is a "yakiniku" restaurant, which means that the meat comes to your table raw and you cook it yourself on a grill that is set into the center of the table. Everything about this restaurant is simple, but classy, from the decor, to the food presentation, to the food itself. You choose what kind of meat you want (I had chicken and sausage; Rusty had beef and sausage), but your meal also comes with a green salad, onion soup, rice, a dipping sauce for the meat, and to finish, a glass of juice, tea, or coffee. We had a great time, the food was delicious, and it was a nice break from all the stresses of packing and getting ready to leave.

The Art of Packing

Packing
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

If there's one thing we global nomads are good at, it's packing. We may not be so good at settling down in one place, putting down roots, getting "real" jobs, or being the all-American family with a house in Suburbia, 2 cars, and 1.6 kids. But by golly, we are sure good at packing! As you can see, Alex is getting an early start in learning the fine art of packing. Don't worry, we took him out of the box before we taped it up!

After packing and moving several times since we got married, I am happy to report that Rusty and I have finally figured out a "packing system" that keeps us out of each other's hair and the arguments to a minimum! Basically, Rusty does the majority of the actual packing. Since he used to work for a moving company, he knows all the tricks of the trade -- how to maximize space, how to protect fragile and breakable items, and how to do it all relatively quickly. He also does most of the research and makes most of of the arrangements for things like tickets and our shipment. My jobs are to sort and pile, clean, do laundry, cook, and try to keep our household running as normally as possible right up until the end. This time around, of course, I have the added responsibility of taking care of Alex.

As I type this, we are at the tail end of packing the boxes for our shipment, which is scheduled for pick-up this coming Friday. And, just in case you are wondering, we are leaving Japan with much less than we brought -- final box count is still unknown, but it looks like it will be somewhere around 25.

Saying Goodbye

Alex with Sakas
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

The worst part about moving has got to be saying goodbye. Now, I heartily dislike the packing, the sorting, the innumerable errands, the endless decisions about what to keep, sell, give away, toss... But saying goodbye has to top the list as far as things I hate about moving. We have moved a lot and said a lot of goodbyes over the past several years. They don't seem to ever get any easier. And the hardest, of course, are the ones you say to family and dear friends.

And the Saka's have been both to Rusty and I. They were Rusty's host family when he came to Japan in 1997 on OC's Pacific Rim Program. When we came to Mito in 1999 as AET's, we were lucky enough to be placed in an apartment just down the street from their house. We shared a lot of good times together in our three years in Mito. Dinners in each other's homes... trips to the Tomihiro Hoshino Museum... seeing the plum blossoms in Kairakuen... watching the World Cup... visiting Asakusa Temple in Tokyo... picking grapes... learning ikebana (Japanese flower arranging).

The Saka's graciously hosted both of our families when they came to Japan to visit since our tiny apartment wasn't big enough for so many extra bodies. Our plum tree that they let us plant in their garden is still flourishing, and every year, they send us pictures of it in bloom. Rusty and I call them "Oka-san" and "Oto-san" (mother and father in Japanese). When Alex was born, they became his "honorary grandparents." In so many ways, they have been our family when we were strangers in a foreign land.

Two weeks ago, we had dinner with the Saka's one last time. Oka-san made a delicious Japanese meal as usual, and we spent a fun evening together. Alex especially enjoyed all the attention from his Oba-chan and Oji-chan. Oji-chan tickled his feet and played peek-a-boo with a fan (see photo above), and he just giggled and giggled. He thought it was the funniest thing! When I think that Alex will have no memory of the Saka's (or any part of our life here in Japan, for that matter), I am sad. Well, he will have the scrapbook, if I ever get around to making it!

Saying goodbye to the Saka's was one of the hardest things we've had to do so far. But we hope we'll see them again someday. Maybe they will come and visit us in Portland! Or maybe we will make a trip back to Japan at some point in the distant future.

So, we won't say "sayonara" -- just "jya ne" (see you later)!

Change in Plans

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

I've been putting off writing this post because somehow, "putting it down on paper," or in this case, on the web, makes everything seem more real. As long as I don't put into words what we are about to do and why, I can pretend that life as I know it will go on: working, playing, eating, sleeping, going to church, raising a family here in this quiet little neighborhood in Hitachi, Japan.

When we came back to Japan last July, we intended to stay for... well, we weren't exactly sure how long we wanted to stay. But certainly longer than a year. I mean, we shipped 37 boxes full of "stuff" from America. You only go to all that trouble and expense when you intend to be somewhere for awhile. But here we are, almost exactly one year later, pulling out the boxes and filling them up again. Is there any sound more synonymous with moving than the sound of packing tape coming off the role?

We are leaving Japan. We are moving back to Portland. Under normal circumstances, I would be excited about returning to the one place in the United States that feels more like home to me than any other. But these are not normal circumstances. And the reasons for this unplanned return are anything but happy.

Rusty's mom, Mary Campbell, has been diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, a very aggressive, malignant brain tumor. At the end of June, she underwent brain surgery, and the prognosis is not good. To read more about this particular kind of tumor, click here.

So, we are moving back to Portland to be close to Rusty's family during this very difficult time. This move will happen soon, probably by the end of the month. In fact, we had purchased tickets to leave today, July 11th, but then I came down with the chicken pox! Yes, it is a childhood illness. And yes, having it once usually provides lifetime immunity. Apparantly, it is still possible, although rare, to contract it a second time -- lucky me! Although I am feeling better this week, now Baby Alex is almost certain to contract the chicken pox as well, so our plans have been put on hold until he is well enough to travel.

We would like to ask for your prayers for our family during this time. Please pray for us as we sort, pack, sell, clean, say our goodbyes, and leave Japan. Pray that Alex will have a mild case of the chicken pox and feel better soon. Pray for Mary and Ronda and the rest of Rusty's family -- for God's peace and strength and comfort to be made very real in all their lives...

Blogging may be a bit sporadic for the next few weeks as we make this transition, so please be patient with us. And to all you Portlanders out there, although we wish it were under different circumstances, we're excited about seeing you very soon!

Four Months Old

Four Months Old 3
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

On June 28th, Alex turned four months old. Our tiny baby is not so tiny anymore. At his four-month check-up last week, he weighed in at 7600 grams (almost 17 pounds). That is more than double his birthweight! He also measured 65 cm., 15 cm. longer than he was at birth. The doctor pronounced him a healthy baby and said he was ready to start taking clear liquids (like diluted apple juice).

Alex is at such a fun age right now. He smiles a lot and giggles hilariously when tickled. This month, he was introduced to baths in the big bathtub with Daddy (see previous post) as well as the joys of reading books with Mommy (pictures coming soon). He is working hard at trying to roll over, but hasn't accomplished that feat just yet. He is, however, sleeping through the night now on a consistent basis! I put him to bed about 9 p.m. and he will sleep until about 7 a.m. I really did not expect him to be doing this quite so soon, but I am certainly enjoying it.

Happy Four Months, Alex! We love watching you grow and change.

Changing the Bathtime Routine

Bathtime with Daddy
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

At almost 4 months old, Alex is quickly outgrowing his baby bath-tub. So, he has made the switch from taking a bath in the kitchen sink to taking a bath in the big tub with daddy. The first couple of nights he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. But around the 3rd or 4th night he figured out that by swinging his arms he could make the water splash. Sometimes he connects with the H2O in such a way that the water splashes up into his face. Although he startles himself, he never cries, but rather makes a gulping sound. He just collects his composure and conitnues swinging. I thing we've got a swimming maniac on our hands. He must get that from his daddy.

"Pa"

grandpa
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

What is the best way to describe what "Pa" meant to us? I know that he filled a special role in each of our lives. For me, having a disabled father who was unable to fullfill many of the natural things that fathers should in their children's lives, I had "Pa" to fill in the gaps.

He taught me how to shoot a gun and hunt deer. He even cleaned my first deer because I was afraid and didn't know how. He taught me how to drive and how to change the oil in my car. He taught me the value of being a handy-man and trying to repair things on my own.

He taught me where I came from and who I was related to. He implanted on me that there was no reason to ever be late for church. (I'm still trying to live up to that one.)

I learned that people, especially neighbors and friends, are valuable assets. And sometimes, you just need to lean on the pick-up truck and talk about the wheat and potatoes and just 'shoot the breeze' with each other.

During those early morning cups of coffee or those late night cups of tea, I learned the value of sitting together with family and catching up on each other's lives. He was so proud of all his family.

His willingness to stay by grandma's side and take care of her on a daily basis taught me the importance of being committed "for better and for worse, through sickness and in health."

We will all miss his apple-sauce, his fried chicken, his pancakes, and especially his fried potatoes-n-eggs. We will all miss the joy and pleasure of visiting him out on the farm. We will all miss getting teased by him about something. We will all miss hearing him tell the same stories that he told us a hundered times before.

No one will ever sing like he did.
No one will ever whistle like he did.
No one will ever tell me again that I need to grow whiskers in order to be a man.
No one will ever throw me in the pond again.

Life changes and goes on and even continues after death. Perhaps even now, he is driving his Model-T around, or working in his garden, or just sleeping in his chair.

The Bible tells us about the dangers of casting judgment upon one another. But I have to say, with out any doubt, that grandpa loved two things more than anything else in his life: his creator, God, and what God created through him, his family (5 children, 19 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren, and counting...).

When we think about all that we will miss about him, and about the role that he played in our lives, is there really any better way to express how we feel, than to say, "We love ya, Pa."

(Rusty's grandfather, Aaron Starnes, passed away on Wednesday, June 7th. He was almost 94 years old. We weren't able to make it back for the funeral, but Rusty wrote the above piece and emailed it to his mom so it could be read at the funeral in our absence.)

Happy Father's Day!

3 Generations
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

--- attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson

Smiling
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Happy Father's Day to two of the most successful men I know!

Any man can be a father. But it takes someone special to be a daddy!

My Buddy, Freedom

Alex and Freedom
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

This is my friend, Freedom. He's a big boy -- almost six months older than me. He's sitting up by himself, crawling, and eating solid food. I can't do any of those things yet, but someday I'll be able to do everything Freedom does!

I like it when Freedom comes to my house to play. I'm not big enough to really play with him yet, but I watch him and we talk to each other. It's nice to have another little person around every once in awhile.

I hope Freedom and I will be friends for a long time!

Another Milestone

We've celebrated a lot of milestones in our family lately. The birth of our first child. My 29th birthday. Rusty's 33rd birthday. "Month Birthdays" for Alex. My first Mothers' Day.

And on May 29th, Rusty and I celebrated another milestone. We have now been married seven years! Wow! Do we qualify as old married folks yet?

I know there are people out there who have been married a lot longer than we have, but in today's world of one-night stands and disposable relationships, I'd say seven years is still an achievement. It hasn't always been easy. There have been challenges, struggles, and difficult times. Arguments, misunderstandings, hurt feelings. But there have also been good times, adventures, and special memories. Laughter, fun, and through it all, love. I feel so blessed to be sharing life and now raising a family with such a wonderful, caring, godly man!

In the last seven years, we have:

• made three international moves (America to Japan, back to America, back to Japan)


• driven across the United States twice (from Portland to Memphis and back again)


• visited 23 different states


• traveled to 9 foreign countries -- the Bahamas, Hong Kong (twice), Macau, Kenya, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and England (and Rusty went to France without me!)


• lived four years (almost) in Japan


• traveled extensively throughout Japan, managing to hit all four main islands in our first three years (highlights included two major road-trips and the Ice Festival in Sapporo)


• been on one mission trip to Kampala, Uganda (a Let's Start Talking campaign in 2003)


• owned eight different vehicles (not all at once!)


• lived in five different homes


• both started master's degrees (and let's hope in the next seven years, we can finish them!)


• made many, many new friends!


• and last, but certainly not least, become parents together (and we both agree this is just about the coolest thing that's happened to us so far)

I don't know what the next seven years will hold, but if they are anything like the first seven, I have a feeling that I am in for quite a ride!

Three Months Old

3 Months Old, originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Here is our little man at three months old. He grows and changes so much from month to month, and even day to day. He is getting longer and fatter, is wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes, and has graduated to the next size diaper cover.

By the way, just a little plug here for my Mother-Ease cloth diapers. They are wonderful! The benefits of cloth diapering are many, including being better for the envionment (a big plus for my "save-the earth" Oregonian husband) and better for babies' bottoms (no diaper rash yet, knock on wood). But the best thing about cloth diapers, in my opinion, is that they are going to end up saving us a TON of money over disposables.

3 Months Old
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Alex' accomplishments of the third month included discovering his hands, starting to push up with his legs, improving his visual tracking, holding and shaking rattles, and beginning to sit (while well-supported by us or pillows). He even slept all the way through the night on several occasions, although that is not his usual pattern yet (it only happens when he is very, very tired, either because he didn't nap well or we kept him up too late)! He has started interacting with both his toys and us more, which is so much fun for Rusty and I. He is also smiling a lot more and has started giggling and chuckling, especially when tickled!

Month three also brought about my return to very part-time work for World English Center. Currently, I am teaching two kindergarten classes, one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday. On Tuesday, I leave Alex at World English Center with the secretary while I go to the kindergarten for my class. On Wednesday, he goes with me to the kindergarten and I leave him at the drop-in day care for an hour while I teach my class. Alex seems to be adjusting well to this so far. He is such a content and easy-going baby, and for that, I am very thankful.

Happy Three Month Birthday, Alex!

Stone Is One!

stonebday3
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Alex' friend Stone Littlejohn celebrated his first birthday on May 25th this year. His party was a lot of fun. Lj and Kari sure put out a great spread. From the barbeque chicken to the homemade lemonade, everything was delicious. Thanks, guys! Stone really enjoyed his birthday cake, especially the frosting part, as you can see from the photo!

Happy First Birthday, Stone! May there be many more to come!

stonebday1, originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Thirty-Three

rustybday3
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Rusty turned 33 years old this year (on May 19th). To celebrate, we had over 20 people (not including children) come to the house on Saturday, May 20th, for a big party. Rusty asked me to make African food, so I made two big pots of coconut chicken curry, chapatis (a flat bread kind of like a tortilla), greens, and a fruit salad. Two friends helped by bringing their rice cookers full of rice to go with the curry (thanks, Tomoko and Charity). For his birthday cake, he requested cranberry cheesecake, and I also made a chocolate sheet cake. Other friends helped by bringing several half gallons of ice cream to go with the cake (thanks, Damon and Amy). The cake in the photo is not the cheescake, but a chocolate cake from a bakery that one of the guests brought for Rusty. It came complete with candles, so we just used that when we sang "Happy Birthday."

It was a busy day getting ready for the party, made even more difficult by the fact that Alex refused to take a nap all day! I think he knew something big was going on and he wasn't going to miss it. But it was well worth it. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the food (judging by the quantity that was consumed). Rusty said it was his best birthday party in many years, maybe even since high school.

(Thanks, Mark, for the photo. I was so busy during the party that I forgot to take any pictures with our camera, so I stole this picture off of his blog.)

Missin' Memphis and Mississippi

southern
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Who woulda thunk it? After being gone from Mississippi for almost one year now, Rusty and I have decided that there are quite a few things we miss about living in the South! These are some of the things that sort of grew on us in the three years we lived in the South (a year in Memphis and two years in North Mississippi):

1) Mississippi sweet potatoes (Did you know that the sweet potato capital of the world is in Mississippi? I didn't either, until I moved there! And boy, are they ever good!)

2) KIX 106 (Yes, in three years, I developed a taste for country music -- and this country radio station rocks -- especially the morning show. I miss you, Young and Elder!)

3) Barbeque (Before I lived in Memphis, I thought barbeque was overrated. But I acquired a taste for it in the three years we lived there. Corky's, anyone?)

4) Hunting (Actually, Rusty misses hunting. I don't hunt, but I sure miss the venison -- that's "deer meat" in Redneck -- he used to bring home. We used to take it to a processing plant and get great steaks, ground meat, and bulk sausage. So delicious, and healthy too!)

5) Mission Interest Nights (The Huffards hosted these in their home once a month. It was a great time of fellowship with others who shared our interest in -- you guessed it -- missions! And Ilene sure cooked up some great grub!)

6) Sweet tea (There is nothing that says "Southern hospitality" like a large glass of super-sweet iced tea. And nothing tastes better on those muggy summer days, either!)

7) Fried catfish, okra, and hushpuppies (There was a great restaurant in Lars Hill that we went to once with our friend Mary Cocke and her daughter Earline. I still find myself craving that delicious food to this day!)

8) Thyatira church family (We really hope to make it back someday to see all of you and introduce you to Alex!)

9) Thyatira church potlucks -- especially desserts! (Those southern women sure know how to cook!)

10) Monthly "enkais" with Jason and Nicole Whaley (friends from our AET days in Mito, soon to be on their way to Australia to do mission work).

11) Birthday bashes with the Marcums (My sister, Julie, and I share a birthday and our husbands' birthdays are only two days apart, so we celebrated together for three years -- Bahama Breeze, Steak 'n Ale, Texas de Brazil, The Melting Pot, Joe's Crab Shack, Memphis River Queen. Great times with special people!)

12) HUGSR community (especially events like Fall Fest and the Christmas Party)

13) The $2.50 movie theater in Bartlett (At almost $18 a pop here, let's just say that Rusty and I don't go to the movies very often!)

14) My job at the Highland Street church (The greatest job ever, except of course for the job of mommy! I especially miss the rest of the staff and our monthly birthday potlucks. And the great talks Brooke and I used to have in our shared office.)

15) The Bucksnort (I kid you not -- this was the name of a gas station/convenience store in Independence, MS. The cheapest place around to get gas. They also sold great burgers and philly cheese-steak sandwiches.)

We will probably not live anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line again, and if we ever decide to give up our nomadic lifestyle, we will most likely settle in Oregon. But we will always remember with fondness the "Southern" chapter of our lives.

A Visit From the Sakas

withsakas
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Last Saturday, we enjoyed a visit from our Japanese family, the Sakas. Now that we live in Hitachi, we don't see them nearly as often as we would like. But when we lived in Mito 4 years ago, we used to have dinner together on a regular basis. Our apartment in Mito was just down the street from their house.

Anyway, last Saturday, the Sakas drove up to Hitachi to have dinner with us. It was just like old times. I made tacos (they love Mexican food), and we had brownie sundaes for dessert. Alex enjoyed seeing his Oba-chan (grandmother) and his Uncle Hiroki again, and meeting his Oji-chan (grandfather) for the first time. And he loved the beautiful Japanese mobile that Oba-chan brought him from Tokyo!

otosanalex
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Here, Oto-san is comparing Alex with a baby picture of Rusty, taken when Rusty was about the same age Alex is now. Yes, the baby in the photo is Rusty. (And the adorable little girl is his sister -- you're welcome, Ronda!) People are always trying to decide if Alex resembles me or Rusty more. This picture should settle that debate once and for all. At least as a baby, Alex is almost a mirror image of his papa!

Happy Mothers' Day

alexandmom
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Happy Mothers' Day to all you mothers out there, but most especially to those in our own families -- Mary, Diane, Ronda, Julie, Nadine, and Ruth. I am proud to join your ranks this year! We had a lovely day -- went to church at Mito and saw old friends there, stayed for the potluck, then had an Easter party for World English Center in the afternoon, then went out to the mall for dinner and to do a little shopping. Alex gave me a very sweet book about mothers, and Rusty helped him write a sweet message inside to me. Rusty also gave me a thoughtful card.

Someone sent me this forward about mothers, and I thought it was too good not to pass on. But I had to figure out another way of sharing it, because I generally hate forwards and sometimes delete them without even opening them. Enter the blog. And, so, without further ado, I give you:

Somebody

Somebody said it takes about 6 weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby . . . Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct . . Somebody never took a 3-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring . . . Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said good mothers never raise their voices . . . Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother . . . Somebody never helped a 4th grader with his math.

Somebody said you can't love the 5th child as much as you love the first
. . . Somebody doesn't have 5 children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing
questions in the books . . Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his
nose or in his ears.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery. . . Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the 1st day of kindergarten. Or on a plane headed for military boot camp.

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back . . . Somebody never organized 7 giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married. . . Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son- or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home. . . Somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell
her . . . Somebody isn't a mother.

Do I hear an "Amen?"

Bon Voyage!

roxandsophie
Originally uploaded by rustyandlaura.

Last Thursday, we said goodbye to two very special people. Roxanna Johnson, and Baby Sophia left Japan to begin a new life back in America. Roxanna and I got to experience all the joys (and discomforts) of pregnancy together. In fact, we were even in labor for awhile together -- although I went into labor almost 24 hours before Roxanna and didn't give birth to Alex until the day after Sophia was born! But I don't begrudge Roxanna her short (6 hour) labor since she had to wait over two weeks past her due date for Sophia to make her appeance!

Alex will miss celebrating all the milestones of babyhood with his little girlfriend, Baby Sophie. He hopes she'll come back to visit again someday when they are both big enough to actually play together!

May God's blessings be on you, Roxanna and Sophie! We will never forget you and you will always have a special place in our hearts.

Love,
The Campbells