Our new purchase

We went Jet Skiing today with the Bunch Family and Lallatin's (sorry Tara, I had to do this - not answer my tag). Bunch's pulled out their two-person towable. It was a big hit!

So tonight we decided to blow off the Navy Ball and Brunch at the Hyatt to buy this - extremely good call!

Now we just have to wait for the mail. But a big thanks to Cabela's for shipping to Guam.

You learn something new every day

Little did I know I would be taking my husband to his very first *youth conference!

And get this . . . his first Youth DANCE! I'm shaking my head even now.

HOW can you grow up in Utah (Mormon or not!?!) and never attend either one!

(someone even asked us on Friday night "How did you two EVER end up together!?)

True to his convictions - he still wouldn't get up and dance.

But together we made a killer dish washing team!

* youth conference (pronounced confernz) is basically a church sponsored "retreat" for ages 14-18.

I've been banned!

Banned from coming outside during the prime times when kids (ANY kids) are walking to school.

Banned from making eye contact if I happen to be in the school.

Banned from taking "back to school photos".

Seriously - I had to hang out incognito with my camera this afternoon to capture this moment in our lives! (you know, the 3rd day of school is so important!)

Madi was too observant and wouldn't play along with my sleuthing. But she DID let me walk home with her (because I had the umbrella!)

School on the morrow

It’s the night before school at the Lang house
And more than a few worries we’ve had to douse.
A new year. A new school. Finding a new batch of friends,
It’s no wonder both kids and mom don’t want night to end.

We need a new post

I love Dave - but I've seen enough of Gene Simmons ugly tongue when I bring up Navylangs.

Seeing Sidney and Chelle have such good luck with their wheat bread - we ventured out to find some sort magical dough enhancer on this island. I figured the Seventh Day Adventist food kitchen would be the closest thing to the Bosch store I could find.

We found half of the magic potion - vital wheat gluten (at $8 I figured it better work wonders!)

The bread turned out a bit lighter than usual - but honestly I think we need the other half to tell a big difference.

Either way, slather on enough of the apricot jam and anything's delicious.

Happy Birthday Gene!

August 25, 1949



....Obviously Dave has control of the Blog!

Balloons for Nie

In honor of Nie, Mr.Nielsen,and their lovely sweet children we released balloons with well wishes and prayer.


Wanna know more, click here or here

My legacy

I may not be able to teach Madison how to sew without swearing.

I may not emit warm fuzzies when we're canning boonie pepper jelly - or canning anything for that matter!

But I sure get a little giddy when I see her version of the "Welcome" for the Back to School Breakfast.

That's my girl!

Today I'm giving up

. . . . .you guys win.

* Grandpa thought these were maggots. No - nothing that simple.

Subterranean termites - the Philippine milk termite to be specific. They LOVE damp wood. (jungle + tropical island=humidity: EVERY THING'S DAMP!)

What does a "LCDR select" look like?

A lieutenant.

Congrats Guy - (ahem) I mean Sir.

Great Grandma and apricot jam

After the excitement of the apricot jam arriving this morning we settled into the routine of household chores.

There's a feeling of back to school in the air - so I figured I should go through the old backpacks to see what can be salvaged.
(Don't you just hate buying new composition notebooks when only 2 pages were used from last year!)

Garrett's backpack is clean as a whistle and his is all ready to go (of course).

Madi's backpack is a different story however.
I came across last years daily journal she kept in the classroom and I started thumbing through it.

This particular entry caught my eye.
It was dated September 7, 2007 - only a month before Great Grandma Green passed away.

What struck me as especially endearing - we had missed our annual trip back to Utah last summer. Madi had been too sick to travel. And yet this was the memory she chose to record.
My Grandma Green passed away while Madison was being treated at Tripler Hospital in Hawaii last October.

I was touched remembering how excited Madison was when my dad asked her if she wanted to help him can green beans in Grandma's kitchen while we were just there. Now I understand.

And it makes me even more grateful I made the apricot jam this year.

A taste of home

The mailman delivered a taste of home to Guam.



















Our jars of homegrown apricot jam finally arrived safe and sound.

Hollywood & LaBrea

We decided to break up our bumnumbing flight back to Guam by spending time in both LA and Honolulu.

I was excited at the prospect of Madi and I getting to see Wicked.

Unfortunately, after dealing with what is now becoming our nasty Routine Delta Debacle - we were too pooped to think about rushing off to the show. (Besides - we didn't have any appropriate clothes to change in to due to that Delta Debacle!!!!)

David was all too eager to supply us with his own version of a wicked backup plan . . . .the corner of Hollywood & LaBrea.

Before I continue on - let me share a story from a few years back . . . .

While living in San Diego I learned that David had never seen the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
So one of the rare weekends he happened to be home with us I decided we needed to take a drive north.
It was a fun Saturday - taking in a Pokemon movie along the way after eating lunch somewhere in Orange County.
Unfortunately, we hit a snag on the 405 getting stuck in a huge traffic mess from an accident. We literally sat for 2 hours on the freeway. But once we were driving through the mystique of Beverly Hills and Bel Air - the angst of sitting in snarled traffic was forgotten.

Wahoo - the Tower Records building . . . we're almost there.
I remember animatedly telling the kids about the stars we were going to see on the sidewalk once we hit Hollywood Blvd.
By the time we hit Grauman's Chinese theatre - I was pumped! "O.k. - keep your eye out for the next parking lot. We'll get out and walk around."
My extremely thrifty husband replied very matter of factly, "I'm not paying to park so I can see some stars on the sidewalk."
And that was that.
There were no spots readily available on the street - so David and kids first Hollywood Walk of Fame moment was viewed from the windows of our Subaru Outback while driving by.
Oooooh - I can painfully remember how tense and incredibly quiet that drive back to San Diego really was.

Now . . . back to 2008. Bless his heart he really tried to redeem himself.

Not entirely though - we had to walk FOREVER (Garrett's word - and I concur) just to get to the corner of Hollywood & LaBrea where the "Walk" begins because David still wouldn't pay for parking!

And hey - as an added bonus we got to see Mariah Carey giving a free concert.
(O.k. - we really just saw the flashy sign above her and all the gazillion people. We felt too old to pursue it and the kids had no idea who she was anyway. So we just listened as we trekked forever back to the car.)

Who's the haole?

It's Mr. Kranz! (on the far right)
Teacher at McCool by day - Olympic wrestling coach by night.

Biba Guahan!
*photo courtesy of http://www.guampdn.com

Happy Anniversary

David normally comes bounding in the house after his morning run looking for any one of us to give a big sweaty hug.

Apparently he didn't realize his quiet entry this morning would tip me off that something was up.

Figuring I should play along - I feigned curiosity as I came out of the kitchen.

Honestly - I was surprised! (That doesn't happen too often - David's not so great at secrets)

I had figured our big 15 was in the indulgent few days we had just spent at the Embassy Suites Waikiki on our way home from Utah.

We've only been home 2 days and he managed to score a "find" from Leah. Plus he remembered I love the cinnamon bowls (the swirls on the bowl are actual slices of cinnamon sticks.) The scent when I opened it actually hid the musty mildew smell of the house for a bit.

As for the chocolates . . . . It's become our little tradition - no matter where David travels he always brings home a treat from the local chocolatier. These particular morsels came from Biagio chocolate in the Dupont Circle area of DC. Yummo!

P.S. - Look closely at the bottom photo - the back left corner of the new chest and also centered on the post of the shelf behind. (Go ahead, I'll wait.) Did you see the ORBS!?! I think our house is haunted by the spirits of the angry TERMITES! (Look again. I know you will.)

August 7th

I'm bored

- I took a 3 hour nap* without being woken up by:
1) any little nieces who happen to be hungry
2) any little nieces who want to play with my makeup
3) Grandma calling every 10 minutes
*jet lag! We were all up at 3:40 this morning, again!

- There are no apricots sitting around waiting to be preserved in any way.

- Dinner is really pathetic making it for only 3-4 people.

- There's no Costco to waste time at. But then again . . . only feeding 3-4 people, who needs Costco.

- I started a new book and I don't like it. I can't just run to either of my sisters and get a different one. I'll try to trudge through I guess.

- I've already mopped, vacuumed and dusted. Flylady's baby steps, pshaw! I said I'm certifiably BORED!

Life goes on . . . .

Last week we decided it was time to abandon the Lambourne Care Center. . . .
It was a hard decision this time - I wasn't quite ready.
But I know everyone is in very capable and loving hands.

And y'all can get back to your regular diets.