Thankful to be on Base

Tomorrow marks one year in base housing. The year has flown. I look back at pictures from move in day (see below) and look at how little RJ was, and I'm amazed how he has changed. I'm amazed how we all have changed. I grew and grew and grew a belly. Our family gained a beautiful girl (and my belly mostly went away).

I've said it before in this blog. We are grateful to be in base housing. Life in town was okay, but it just wasn't for us. I enjoy my American appliances, my normal-sized parking place that doesn't require Austin Powers-like maneuvers to get into it, and being close to the amenities that help make life in this very foreign land a little more bearable.

In case you haven't seen it before, here's a little tour of our base house. I was quite pregnant when I made it, so I'm a little winded in my narration. And, no tour of Ryleigh's room because I didn't have it decorated yet, but you still get an idea of where we live.

Today it really hit home how glad I am to be on base.  This afternoon was just lovely.  Not too hot.  Not too humid. It was a Goldilocks kind of afternoon--it was just right.  It was so great to just pop out into the backyard.  We didn't have a yard in Kurihama.  We barely had a stoop.  The moment I opened the front door in Kurihama, I had to be holding RJ's hand for fear of a motorcycle zooming by and catching our toes.  But, not here.  Today, we went out and enjoyed the "grass" (grass is in quotes because it is mostly weeds, but it passes for grass when it is mowed short) and just being outside.  See what I mean?

We then came in for a little snack and a little nap for Ryleigh, then when Jip came home, it was time to go back out.

I contentedly listened to everyone play while I made dinner in my American oven and chopped a salad on my American-height counters.  It was a good day to be in base housing.