Ai Adai!

Dave: Hey Hon - wanna run to the commissary with me? I need to get stuff for the BBQ on Saturday.

Chan: The commissary? Ai Adai!!!*

I don't know -

Is it pay day? Is a typhoon coming? Are any visiting ships in port (either foreign or domestic)? Are the freezers still broken?

No? . . . . . there may really be food to buy! Hurry - let's go!
Madi: (Hollering after us as we head out the door) Good Luck!

I guess the planets just weren't aligned. Ai Adai!

Seriously - the daily "commissary experience" is paving my pathway to a much hotter place than Guam!  (hopefully it's less humid)

I've known incredibly strong women brought to tears after a typical shopping trip!
Thank goodness for Grandmas and Priority Mail!

*Ai Adai (i uh-day): As best I can tell this is generally an expression of exasperation.

One typically will shake their head from side to side and make a "tsk-tsk" sound while uttering this phrase. Although I've also heard it used to express surprise or slight shock as well.

One of these things

Is not like the other.

No Spring Snow Here

High Today of 89. Heat index 97.

Bring the Sunshine Back!

It's a bird!

It's a plane!

No, wait . . . . . it's the 2nd counselor in the Talisay Branch!

Boonies of Guam

A sampling of "Boonies" . . .

In no particular order

What We Wish You Understood

Statements from parents with an autistic child

"You get nervous to go anywhere because you’re afraid of what he (the autistic child) will do."

"I wish people wouldn’t judge. It’s obvious when someone has a physical disability, but our children look normal. I feel badly when someone tries to "give him five" and he doesn’t respond normally."

"It makes me feel like I am a bad parent."

"You’ll never know how much power you have with your words – how much they can hurt us or heal us."

"My son once said, 'I think there’s something wrong with me… like they (other people) don’t like me.' I’m sad when I think of that."

"Having a child with autism has taught me how much Heavenly Father loves all of his children, and how all of us are special to Him no matter how talented or ‘un-talented’ we may be."

"Nobody will play with my son. Even if one child would come for 10 minutes and play video games, it would make a big difference."

Once my son wrote, "They think I’m dumb, stupid, and I don’t care anymore. And it makes me tired holding all my muscles from emotions and makes me sick and tired and frustrated." I wish he didn’t have to face such a confusing world.

"My child had a very caring teacher one year. I asked him what made her so special and he said, "Because she understands kids like me and she loves me anyway.' It may

not seem like it, but these children understand who cares about them."

"Autism takes such a toll on the family. It is rare to enjoy a pleasant family night, evening meal, or family outing. We try to make it as normal as possible, but autism affects the whole family."

"My child responds differently all the time. One day he will respond one way, and the next day, it will be different. Don’t expect the same reaction, but keep trying! Parents and close family get a different reaction all the time as well."

"His face will not match his emotions. He may be happy, but he will look sad."

"They are all so different. If you have met one autistic child, you have met ONE autistic child."

Dave and I. We're such . . . . Parents!

"MOM! Don't dance!"
- I guess it's not even acceptable in the kitchen anymore.

"I hate when Dad picks us up from school. None of his windows are tinted."
- There's no disguising the LT.
(Madison wants you to know it's not only his windows that is the problem.)


We walk to the movie theatre. (shudder)


Dad's choice of iPOD music (that he insists on singing while mowing the lawn . . . .obnoxiously loud)

I Must Mention . . .

Madison's Honorable Mention at the McCool Science Fair 2008.

Here she is with Logyn (1st in Kinder) and Ryan (3rd in 1st grade)

Who knew we had such smarty pants in the Talisay Branch!

We thank you for your patience . . . .

I don't think Continental Airlines will make my Christmas card list this year!

Even though I was getting sick and a tad bit disgruntled* with my little family - I left Salt Lake on my original flight Saturday morning

(more like the middle of the night - according to my mom).

*(David didn't want to pay the change fee for my ticket.
And Madison wanted me home for the science fair.)

Fair enough I guess.

I had enjoyed a great week with family -

which culminated in my birthday visit to

Good Things Utah! (Thanks to Misse)

After an 8 hour delay at the dreaded LAX airport, too many hours spent in long lines, grumpy passengers and tired travelers - I finally made it to Hawaii (almost halfway home).

Of course the ONE FLIGHT to Guam had departed the tropical isle 6 hours before we arrived.

Which meant spending the night in Waikiki and HOPING there's room on the next day's flight.

To make my incredibly long drawn out story short - I made it home to Guam on Monday night. Of course spending MORE than the $100 it would have cost to simply change my original ticket in the first place!

Auntie Chan