Prayers for Malorrie

Hi Friends and Family,

Malorrie's counts have come up some, so the doctors are wanting her to have a bone marrow transplant. She and her family are pleading for your prayers. Please pray that God gets rid of the cancer in her body once and for all! She is struggling with the decision of whether to wait and hope that the counts go back down, or to have it done now while she is a little stronger. Please pray that God sends her guidance in making this very important decision. Please pray for her family, as they are having a difficult time making sense of all this - all the while, putting their complete faith in God.

I am amazed at just how strong she is both mentally and physically! She completed high school and has started college while undergoing treatments and chemo - she is a true blessing!

I'm thanking God today for the health of my daughters and family!!

God bless!
~Michelle

Takasu Trip

We went to Takasu on Sunday. It was a really exciting trip. The drive is always beautiful, but we actually got to see a monkey in the wild! Sophie saw one right before we saw the one in the picture (how lucky that I had my camera out). We figured she thought she saw a monkey, but now we're pretty sure she actually did :)

The Goal!

Sam's bridge


Castle on the hill

Sam gave Gracie her first snowboarding lesson. She was so cute. She told me, "Mommy, this is fun, but my bumm really hurts!" I'm pretty sure there wasn't a prouder father on the mountain.

Notice the smile on Daddy's face

The girls had lots of fun sledding and building snow animals. The Three Amigos


On the way home, Sophie apparently bit Izzy. Sam told Izzy when we get home that she could bite Sophie back as hard as she wanted. Well, Sophie wasn't very keen on that punishment, and began begging and pleading with Izzy to show her mercy. "Izzy, I'm your sister!!!! You don't want to hurt your own sister do you?" Upon hearing this statement, Sam and I gripe at Sophie about her hurting Izzy. Through her tears and crying, she tells us, "Yeah, well two wrongs don't make a right." She is way too clever sometimes :)

Kristy and Phil are having a GIRL!!

I'm so excited for my sister-in-law, and dear friend, Kristy. She and my brother are going to have a little girl!!! I expect the newest Combs will be just fine, as she will have three older brothers to look over her. I'm so happy for Kristy - girls are so much fun!!

Bandit..never absent from my heart

Our Border Collie, Bandit has lived a wonderful life! Tomorrow, she will cross the Rainbow Bridge, and join her sister Bea. We were blessed to have Bea for 14 years, and doubly blessed to have Bandit for 15+ years. I credit their old age to wonderful vets, Dr. Young and Dr. Blue, and their amazing staff! I also hope that the love I felt for them played a part.

My heart hurts that I can't be there to hold and comfort her. My heart hurts to lose my precious furry baby. My mom-in-law, Judy, will stay with her in my place. I am forever grateful to her for fulfilling her promise to stay with Bandie as she leaves this world. For the last year and a half, they have totally spoiled Bandit in our absence. Dad walked her, played with her, and loved her daily. Mom fed her and loved her in a way a 15 year-old dog deserves. Princess, their dog, loved and bickered with her, so that she was reminded what it was like to have a furry sister - she missed Bea so much.

Bandie, you will be greatly missed and thought about often. When I thought I wouldn't have children, you helped fill my needs with your unconditional love and never-ending snuggles. When my three angels arrived, you loved and protected them. You were also great about cleaning up any left-over food scraps dropped! Daddy made me feel so much better tonight by reminding me of when we went to adopt you and the beautiful years that followed.

Bandie, I love you, and I so wish I could be there to throw a few tennis balls for you, pet your soft coat just once more, and hold you as you move to Heaven. Some day, we will see each other again.... Tonight, I find comfort in the Rainbow Bride:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. Her bright eyes are intent; Her eager body quivers. Suddenly she begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, her legs carrying her faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

~Author unknown...

Sports Day at NIS

Fortunately, Sam had the day off today. It was Sports Day (Field Day), so we went to the school to watch and cheer on the Girls and their team.

The school was divided into a green team and a white team. The girls' team, Green Team won, but it was so nice to see the whole school PreK-12th grade come together and have a fun day of sportsmanship.

Most everything was done as a team sport, but they did have a grade-level "dash." We are very proud to announce that the winner for kindergarten girls was:

SOPHIE!!

And second place went to:

GRACIE!!

We are very proud of all three girls and their classmates for enjoying the day and showing good sportsmanship.

Here is Sophie revealing her strategy:

Love,

~Michelle

Yaeyama Island tour

A few weeks ago my kiteboard instructor setup a group trip to the Yaeyama Islands, which are part of Japan but very close to Taiwan.

Because I have the best wife in the world, I got to go along.

Wednesday, we flew to Naha, changed planes and then on down to Ishigaki Island where we checked in and ate diner.

This is where we went.






Thursday, we drove around Ishigaki Island to do sightseeing.
This is a road.

Then it got better.


Then a traffic jam :)

These are a couple places we went to on Isigaki Island




Later in the day,we took a water taxi over to Taketomi Island which is very small and beautiful.







This is a water taxi used to go to the smaller islands.


Thursday evening we took a water taxi over to Kohoma Island. This is where we stayed at on Kohama Island.

This is the resort beach were we stayed at.

While sightseeing,this is one of the nearby islands.

I really like Okinawa food.

Friday night diner after a hard day of kiteboarding.

The music we enjoyed during diner.

My instructor posted some video clips here. There is one of me finally getting to kiteboard about three-fourths the way down.

http://ameblo.jp/superfly/entry-10154673744.html

Many thanks to my wonderful wife!!