Back again!

Hello all!
Sorry it's taken me FOREVER to post...again! I got a new computer and had trouble recovering my password to get into the blog. Anyways, I have reset the password and I have it written down. Now, enough excuses and time for a HUGE update. 

We spent our Christmas and New Year's on island however we had guests. My mom and sister were able to fly out during their winter break. After not seeing my family for a year, it was definitely nice to see them for two weeks- although it would have been nice if everyone from back home could come visit. While they were here, we spent a lot of time at the beach, explored the island, and went to many of the restaurants and local attractions. We even spent New Year's with all of our friends that we have met out here. As strange as it was to have my mom staying in MY house, it was still awesome.

Nothing too exciting happened between January and March. Micah and I basically spent the majority of that time working and hanging out with friends in our free time. In March, Micah went to Malaysia with the USS Emory S. Land. The Land is the sister ship of the USS Frank Cable and it is taking over for the Frank Cable while it is on the West Coast for repairs. I spent those three weeks picking up more hours at work and hanging out with friends. I also attended my first DAR meeting in Guam! There are a few ladies who's husbands were in the service and retired on Guam who started a DAR chapter. My mom, of course, told me about it so I decided to check it out. We have one meeting every month at the Mermaid Brewpub and Grill (a local restaurant out in town). Right now, we’re still trying to get all of the legal kinks worked out but we are slowly moving forward. My mom even represented us at Continental Congress in Washington DC in June (the DAR’s national convention).

We got lucky, yet again, to have Micah home before his birthday. We kept it pretty subtle again this year and I made him his favorite meal-meatballs and rice pudding (of course!)- and spend the night in.

In June, we celebrated my birthday and our 2^nd wedding anniversary. Micah totally surprised me by getting off of work at 9 am on my birthday. We spent the majority of the day just lying on the couch and watching TV. Little did I know that he had the entire night planned out. We went to dinner, a movie, and he surprised me with a stay at a hotel. In the hotel room he had my gifts and a birthday cake waiting for me. Since our anniversary fell on a Monday this year, he also surprised me with a bottle of champagne after he gave me my birthday presents. It was so nice to get out of the house for an entire night since we had both been working so much. On the night of our actual anniversary we went out to dinner.  

The following day, our neighbors invited us over for a small, surprise birthday party for me. We had margaritas and a barbecue. Then, the following weekend we threw a party for my birthday with all of our friends at our house.  All in all, I have to say I definitely had a fantastic birthday this year and to top it all off, I’M NOT A TEENAGER ANYMORE!

Another exciting thing that happened in the beginning of June was that I started taking college courses. There is a college office on base with representatives from various universities and colleges in America. Each one offers different distant learning courses that are done either entirely online or a combination of online and face to face in a classroom setting. I had been thinking about starting school for some time but never actually went through with it. Finally one day I just walked in to the office and filled out an application for one of the schools. The representative was very helpful with everything and also very encouraging. I ended up enrolling in two classes for a summer term. I took US History I and General Psychology. I’m still not completely sure what I want to do career wise so for right now I am just working on a general studies associates degree. I actually just finished my last assignments for the summer term this past week and now I am just waiting to hear what my final grades were. I am going to start classes again in a few weeks when the fall term starts and I will be taking US History II and either Ethics in Criminal Justice or a business class.

Now it’s July. In case some of you lost count; we have been here for 2 years and 4 days. Although we aren’t 100% sure when we will back on the mainland, we know it will be late July- early August 2013. We still aren’t sure if Micah will be reenlisting- there is a new process they have to go through at the end of their contracts where they have to basically fill out an “application” to stay in the navy. Micah turned in his first “application” about a month ago and we should be finding out the results in the next few weeks. If he isn’t accepted this time around, he will have 5 more tries. We are both praying that he is able to reenlist. He likes his job and I really can’t complain about my end of the deal either- except for the distance between us and our families. Regardless if we are able to stay in the navy or not, we will be going back to the Chicagoland area for about 30 days next summer.

The next few months should prove to be pretty exciting and now that I have my password to the blog written down, I will be able to keep it up to date!

Check out Facebook for pictures (there are just too many to post on here).

https://www.facebook.com/donna.simonson4

Thanksgiving 2011: Good Food and Good Friends

Hello everyone!
This year's Thanksgiving was wonderful. Micah and I both got to sleep in a little bit. When we woke up, we just lounged around the house for a little bit and then around noon I started cooking. This year I made Mountain Dew apple dumplings (again), strawberry banana pie, sweet potato casserole, and Martha Stewart's baked macaroni and cheese.

Now every year around the holidays, you always hear horror stories on the news of people blowing up their houses because they don't know how to use a deep fryer or people getting hurt while they are cooking their holiday feasts. Here is mine for 2011. In the midst of grating the cheese for the macaroni, I somehow grated my finger (OUCH). The funny thing about it was, a few minutes before that happened I thought to myself "Hmm, that would really suck if I got my finger instead of the cheese." Obviously, I didn't knock on wood because sure enough I grated my finger. Nothing serious though, just a little nick- but boy did it hurt! Not only did I "grate" my finger, I also burned my hand in a couple of spots while pulling things out of the oven. Again, nothing serious. I know I could have been injured a lot worse if I hadn't been paying attention. I think my injuries were just results of my clumsiness (everyone should know by now that I am accident prone). I'm thankful that nothing worse happened!

Around 4 o'clock, we headed across the street with all of our food to Esther and Mark's house. Esther made two 10 lb turkeys, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. All in all we had quite the smorgasbord of things to eat. We sat down around her dining room table around 4:30, stated what we were thankful for, and stuffed our faces.


My Thanksgiving Dinner: stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, turkey, sweet potato casserole, a dinner roll, green bean casserole, and baked macaroni and cheese.

After dinner we just hung out and watched movies. Usually on Thanksgiving I would be watching football but on Guam, football games are aired in the morning and since we are a day ahead of the mainland, the thanksgiving games hadn't even been played yet.

This year I was thankful for my wonderful husband, my loving family and friends (both near and far), my dogs: Snickers and Buster; the good times I've had so far and the good times yet to come.

On Friday, instead of waking up at 3 am to wait in line at the exchange for Black Friday, Micah and I took full advantage of another day off and slept in (again). When we woke up, we went to the visitor center to pick up the passes for my mom and sister so they can get on and off base when they come to visit in December. Then we went to the home gallery (the furniture store) on base to see what kind of deals they had on bedroom furniture. We ended up getting a queen mattress and box spring set for only $350! It was originally priced at $799 but since it was Black Friday it was on sale. What a steal!





Now that Thanksgiving has passed it is time to start decorating for Christmas. I have about half of my shopping done so far.


Buster in his Santa hat. He's excited about Christmas but not so much the silly hat I made him wear.


My mother-in-law recently asked if I was tired of living "the island life". To be honest, I kind of am. I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the beach, 80+ degree weather year round, palm trees, and the fact that I get to wear shorts and flip flops every day. However, I am a city girl at heart (well, suburban girl to be 100% correct). I miss the big buildings, express ways, being able to drive more than 40 miles without seeing the same thing twice, and even the snow. Okay, maybe not the snow, but I definitely miss the different seasons. If I could, I would take the city (and Downers Grove), move it to this island and I would make it so that there would be Spring and Fall. Guam is only about 212 square miles (about 30 miles long and 8 or so miles wide) so it's a lot smaller than what I am used to. I'm not complaining, though, I do love my life here. I just wish it was a little bit more like home. We don't even have a Starbucks!

Until the next post,

Donna

BACK ON THE BLOG!!!

Hello family and friends!

After a year long hiatus, I think it's time I update everyone on what has been going on. First of all, I would like to apologize for not keeping up with the blog like everyone would have liked. I really have no good excuse.

So let's see...where to begin? Ah, yes- Thanksgiving 2010. Micah and I didn't do much in terms of celebrating. We ended up spending the holiday with our neighbors. We had two separate feasts; one with our friends Ashley and Brady, and the other with our friends Ashley, Mike, Esther, and Mark. I didn't make a turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, or any of the traditional dishes. Instead I made what I like to call, "Mountain Dew Apples". I got the recipe from my cousin, Melissa, and it was a hit! Everyone loved it. I'm sure I will be making it again this year.

In December, I was back in Chicago to celebrate Christmas. Micah stayed in Guam since he was unable to take leave. As much as I hate the snow and cold weather, it was a nice break from the island life. It was awesome to see my friends and my family for the holidays; however I was sad that I was unable to share that time with Micah as well.

The day after Christmas, my mom and I boarded a plane to London. As some of you may recall, Amanda and the DGN Bands went on a tour there for the London New Year's Day Parade. To say the least, London was a blast! We toured all of the major sites and even some local pubs! On New Year's Eve, our "tag-a-long" tour had a party at one of the hotels where we had dinner and counted down the minutes and seconds to 2011. When "Big Ben" hit midnight, we had a glass of champagne as we watched the fireworks over the River Thames. On New Year's Day we watched the parade. I can't express how cool it was to watch my little sister and my former band mates march down the streets of London!

We returned to Chicago a short time later where I spent the last few days squeezing in as many visits with friends and family as possible before I had to return to Guam.

Now, before I left for Chicago I begged Micah to get a Christmas tree. He was against the idea of decorating since I was going to be gone. I was a little upset about not getting to have my own tree. However, when I walked in the house the night I returned to Guam, I was quite surprised with what I saw. The entire living room had decorations. Micah had bought a tree, ornaments, lights, garland, stockings, etc. and set it all up without my knowledge. Despite the fact that it was about 2 am and he had to work the next day, we stayed up and exchanged presents. It definitely made up for the fact I was unable to spend Christmas Eve and Day with him.

In February, Micah went on his first underway since we'd been on Guam. An underway is just like a deployment, only it's much shorter. He traveled to Malaysia and from what I heard, it sounded like he had a lot of fun. While he was away, I got plenty of "Donna time" and even went out a few times with some of the other wives whose husbands were also in Malaysia.

In April, we celebrated Micah's 22nd birthday with friends. Micah and I both had been working a lot so we decided to take leave. We didn't leave island, but we enjoyed not having to go to work for 2 weeks. We spend a lot of time at the beach and we even went out in Tumon a few times.

In May, Micah went on his second underway to Hong Kong. Again, from what he told me it sounded like he had a good time.

A few days before he returned, we received news that Micah passed his advancement exam and that he was to become a 2nd Class Petty Officer (E-5). What this meant was that Micah would have more responsibilities at work and his paycheck would get a little bit bigger. Advancing in the military is something that is not always easy- especially for Micah’s rate (HT). Micah had previously taken the test a few times and every time he would get closer and closer to passing. Not only did he pass this time, he scored within the top 5% for his rate Navy-wide. Needless to say, I’m very proud of him.

Micah returned from Hong Kong just a few days before my birthday. We were very lucky with his early return since the original date would have caused him to miss my birthday AND our 1st wedding anniversary.

For my birthday, I made chicken schnitzels, mashed potatoes, and corn. (Yes, I cooked on my birthday because schnitzels are something I enjoy making and I wanted to show Micah how to do it for future reference) It was just Micah and I for dinner but we later had some friends over for a movie.

For our 1st wedding anniversary, we wanted to get away so went spent a weekend at the Outrigger Resort in Tumon. Although it was only 20 minutes from base, it was still really nice to get away from everything work related and just spend some quality time together. We went out to dinner, did some shopping, and laid on the beach. All in all, I couldn't have asked for anything more for my birthday and our anniversary.

In July, Micah traveled to the Philippines on an underway. While he was gone, the three girls that I hang out with all went back to the states to visit their families. To say the least, I was pretty bored for about three weeks. However, I spent my time wisely by picking up a lot of extra hours at work.

This past weekend, Oct. 28-29, was the one year anniversary for the pub I work at, Molly McGee’s. On the 28^th we had “Molly’s Birthday Party” which consisted of a raffle, a birthday cake, prizes, and a performance by the band Synthetic Elements (the same band that played on opening weekend in 2010). Although I didn’t win any prizes, I enjoyed eating birthday cake and hanging out with my co-workers. On the 29^th, Molly’s had a Halloween Party. I worked during the day so I got to wear my costume to work. I was little red riding hood. October 29^th also happened to be my friend, Esther’s, 21st birthday. We celebrated at Molly’s and then went out in town. We all had a really good time.

Last night was Halloween. Since Micah and I don’t have any kids, we went to our neighbor’s house for a barbeque. The wives sat outside and passed out candy while the husbands manned the grill. There weren’t many trick-or-treaters but we were still able to get rid of all of our candy. On our street, there aren’t many kids, but in other housing areas on base there are so I would imagine that houses in those areas got a lot more kids coming by for candy.

The past year has been crazy! Micah and I both have been working a lot. There have been ups, downs, and everything in between. The other day, someone asked me what my life would be like if I hadn’t married the military. To be honest, I think it would be boring. It’s very different from how I was brought up, but I like it. Knowing that Micah could be deployed at any time really keeps me on my toes and makes me appreciate my life and what I have more.

As far as pictures from the past year, I no longer have any of them on my computer…but Facebook is a wonderful thing! If we are not already friends, add me!

I have to be honest, I really don’t think I’m going to post anything until after Thanksgiving- but keep an eye out just in case!

P.s. - Does anyone know if there is a Blogger app for Android?

Molly McGee's

Hello all!
The past month has been nuts. I had an interview with MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) in the beginning of October and two days later, I got a call back saying that I got the job! I am working as a waitress at a new Irish pub on base called Molly McGee's. The following 2 1/2 weeks consisted of training and we had our grand opening on the 29th. Right now we are a little understaffed so the other 15 waitstaff members and myself have been working very long hours. I have been too busy to go to the beach and I'm starting to miss cleaning the house almost everyday. However, it is very rewarding to hear the customers say good things about the new restaurant. And the tips are good too. =]

Speaking of work, I have about 20 minutes before I have to go back (I'm on my lunch break right now.) I'm sorry, yet again, for the lack of posts on this blog and I should really make an effort to post something at least once a week.

The entire waitstaff and our boss's boss.


Most of the waitstaff with our boss, Noell.


It was mandatory for the staff to dress up for our Halloween party on the 30th. I was a pub girl.


One of my little "odd jobs" that I have to do before we open is cut lemons for the bar.



Our Halloween party was sponsored by the local Harley Davidson dealer. This bike was parked inside of the restaurant.

Buster's New Friend, Date Night, and Fish Frenzy

On Friday, our friend Angelina brought her dog over to play with buster. Her dog's name is Melvin and he is about twice as big as Buster. When they first met, the sniffed each other and began to wrestle. We went to the dog park down the road from our house and let the dogs run around. Then Angelina and Melvin came over and watched a movie. As if they didn't play enough at the dog park, Melvin and Buster wrestled more in our living room.

On Saturday night, we decided it was time for a date. We went into Tumon, the tourist area of the island, and went to T.G.I Friday's. It had been pouring rain all day and after we parked the car, it looked like a monsoon. It was very windy and the streets were flooding. We stood under an overhang near the parking garage until the rain slowed down enough to cross the street. We had a wonderful dinner and we were lucky that we didn't have to wait. Afterwords, we came home and watched a movie.

On Sunday, Micah and I went snorkeling at Gab Gab and we took frozen corn to feed the fish. It was a beautiful day and it was a perfect beach day. We had fun taking pictures underwater (thank you, Scott family!) and swimming out to the drop off. The drop off is about 50-60 ft from the shore and the coral shelf literally drops off.

Yesterday, I was cleaning the house and moved the couches so that I could sweep in the corner. I ended up dropping one of the couches on my foot. I went to the ER last night and got x-rays. As it turns out, I only chipped the bone and nothing is seriously broken. Now I have a hard-sole shoe that I have to wear whenever I walk. I have to wear it for the next 3-4 weeks. The doctor said that I don't have any restrictions as far as activity. However, I don't think I'll be snorkeling for at least a week.

Buster and Melvin.




The main road in Tumon was flooded, but that didn't seem to stop the cars.


Micah and I underwater.


Micah touching the bottom of the ocean.


I was on my way up for air after touching the bottom.





The fish came right up to us.


They like frozen veggies!


This is Haputo Road look out. We took this when we were on our way home from the beach. Haputo Road is the street that leads to our house. It's awesome that we are so close to such a view!

Rainy Season

Currently on Guam, it is rainy season. This means that it rains at least once each day. Although most of the showers last only a few minutes, we have had a lot of storms rolling through here for the past few weeks. Therefore, we haven't been doing many fun things outside of the house.

Micah's friends from his last command in Virginia moved in a few weeks ago and they live across the street from us! Their names are Mike and Ashley. We hang out with them the most since they are so close. Mostly, the boys play xbox while Ashley and I play on the computer. Sometimes they boys let us play with the xbox too.

We have had a few days with out rain. Last week while Micah was at work, my other friend (who's name is Ashlee too), took me on a drive around the southern end of the island. Her husband also works on the ship and they have been here for almost three years. Therefore, Ashlee knew where she was going and knew all of the best places to take pictures.

Buster went swimming for the first time the other day. Ashley (our neighbor) and I took Buster to a beach that was off base since the beaches on base are pet-free. I didn't get any pictures, but I did get a video of him swimming. I will put that video on Youtube and post the link later. Buster wasn't a huge fan of the water, but he did seem to enjoy burying his poop in the sand.

This morning, my other friend, Ashlee, called me and wanted to know if I wanted to go snorkeling. I had nothing planned for the day so I decided to go. We took frozen snap peas to the beach with us and when we threw them into the water, the fish swarmed around us. We went out to where the shelf drops off and we were able to see a lot of awesome fish. I even got to meet Nemo!

Since it's been raining so much lately, I've had a lot of time to apply for jobs and look into school. I haven't heard back from any of the places I applied at, but I am confident that I will hear something eventually. If not, there are always more opportunities out in town. I missed the registration date for the Spring semester so I will not be starting a full course load until the Summer or possibly even next Fall.

Micah graduated from his FIT class a few weeks ago and is now working in the NDT (non-destructive testing) lab on the ship. In addition to working in the shop every day, he has to stand watch once a week which means Buster and I get the house to ourselves!

Micah relaxing on the couch with Buster during his lunch break.

A hermit crab that I found at the beach.

Mike and Gangsta Busta!

Buster (on the arm of the couch) and Ashley.

San Louis Beach (on base)

Ipan Beach

I don't remember the name of this park, but it was along the side of the road and it was really pretty!

Coco's Island (resort)

My friend Ashlee getting closer to the clown fish.

I'm not sure what type of fish this is, but it looks like it would glow under a black light. They are everywhere on Guam!


Some of the fish that swarmed around us when we had the snap peas. Sorry it's so blurry.

NEMO!

Slowly getting more settled

Hey guys!
A lot has happened since the last post. Micah received a phone call on Friday from the vehicle processing center saying that his car was here and it's ready to be picked up. He is very excited to get his car. We also went to the home gallery (furniture store on base) to buy a bed but ended up buying two couches as well! We were very lucky to score some awesome deals as far as prices. We only ended up paying $1800 for everything. Our house is coming together very quick and now all we need is a kitchen table, chairs, a coffee table, and rugs!

Micah just got home from work which means that it's time to go pick up his car. I will post more tomorrow!

-Donna

Buster is such a sweetheart. His favorite thing to do is cuddle with his mama.