Summer!

Hello! If you've been waiting the last 2 months to see pictures of our foster baby, you're in luck! If you're hoping for shots of the exciting island adventures we've had in that time, you won't find them :) The main excitement in our lives now is our little Chamorro Cherub.

There she is, a whopping 10 weeks and 13 pounds of cuteness.

Although... she does have an occasional bad mood.

A. listens avidly as Chris teaches her about the important things in life, like cheese and rock climbing.

Two separate takes on the Toby Keith concert we went to! 

Sometimes we wonder what schemes are going on in that little brain. Perhaps ridding the world of large floral headbands?

Fun with friends on Memorial Day. Chris plays to win, baby or no baby!

We are so thrilled to announce our first visitors on Guam...Chris' parents, MaryAnn (Neeñia) and Steve (JoePop). They were wonderful guests for a week long stay. What a blessing to share our foster daughter with some family!

Neeñia captivated A. from day one. And vice versa!

As for A. and JoePop -- best buds! 

Some real troopers finishing up an unexpectedly difficult hike.

Family shot from hike #2. (Check out my oh-so-feminine guns...thanks for that, baby girl.)

Chris recently discovered that A. is a huge fan of standing. A whole new perspective on the world!

For Chris' 26th birthday, I made him a chalkboard from scratch! We agree that I will probably enjoy using his gift more than he will.

One of Chris' gifts was this new dress for A. 

Thanks for viewing! Don't hesitate to leave comment...we would love to hear from you! Even though posts are few and far between these days, you can sign up for an email alert when we publish a new post. 

Sending lots of love from Guam!

[ Most of the photos courtesy of Steve Joseph :) ]

Welcome Spring: Part 1

Wow, it's been a while and we have so many fun updates! This month is divided into two posts so as not to overwhelm our dear friends and family!

Let's take a look at this last month...

It all began with an old 1995 Toyota Corolla Wagon and a can of blue paint. We got this so-called "Guam Bomb" for a steal and set out to give it a bright new look. 

Two weeks later... So fun! Much more suited for cruising around a tropical island :)

We also got 9 baby chicks earlier this month. They are just now old enough to start living outside in their coop, which Chris is currently constructing. 

Above, the chicks at 5 days old; below at 5 weeks old. They'll begin giving us fresh eggs in June!

Along with the chickens, our gardens are coming along! Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, garlic, ginger, onions, kale, and spinach are among the crops Chris is tending with his green thumb. I care for my smaller-scale herb garden of basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, and rosemary. 

Raised beds from start to finish.

We continue reaping the fruits of our yard...and when the coconuts are hard to reach, Chris is always up for a challenge!

One Wednesday, Chris called me to say he wanted to participate in a triathlon. When was the tri? That Saturday! I said why not? He finished an ocean swim, treacherous mountain biking, and a long run in under four hours. He had a blast. I was there cheering him on and standing in awe of all athletes and their amazing endurance! What inspiration. 

This closes the "outdoors" portion of our March post! Continue on for Part II :)

Welcome Spring: Part 2

While Chris keeps so busy outside, I spend much time indoors, especially in the kitchen. St. Patrick's Day did not pass without some good old Corned Beef and Cabbage. We had a few friends over for dinner, beer, and Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes!

Aside from certain forms of chocolate and beer (haha) Chris and I try to embrace a natural, "from scratch" diet. A lot of international cuisine encompasses just that, and our goal is to cook one international dish a week. In addition, we are trying to cut out all store-bought baked goods. 

Check out some recent baking adventures..

English Muffins

Tortillas 

 Salteñas, a Bolivian empanada

  

An Argentinian feast in honor of our new Pope Francis! The menu: Fugazza (essentially focaccia bread), Chimichurri Carne Asada (steak with a pesto-like sauce using parsely instead of basil), Torta Espanola (frittata with chorizo), Malbec wine, and a cake with my own Dulce de Leche. Delicious! Habemus Papam! 

One Saturday, we got all fancied up for the annual Seabee Ball, an evening affair of dinner, friends, and dancing!

If you think our month has been exhausted with activity...think again! I still haven't touched on Easter. And what an amazing Easter we had!

Here's a little background to the big surprise we received on Good Friday. When Chris and I arrived on Guam, we decided to begin the process to become certified foster parents. There are only 27 foster families on the island, and we wanted to respond to the need for more. Once we moved into our home, we obtained our certification to foster up to 2 children, 0-24 months. 

Around noon on Good Friday, we received a call. There was a 2-day old baby girl in need of foster parents for long-term care. We were asked if we could pick her up by 4pm. Yes we could! 

We brought home our new foster daughter ("A," for the sake of confidentiality on a public blog) and became instant parents to a newborn! Needless to say, our lives have completely changed. And we love it! A. will be two weeks old on April 10. She's a super good-natured baby, keeps us on our toes, and makes us very happy. We do not know specific information regarding her family or exactly how long she will be with us, but please join us in praying for her mother. For now, we are loving A. like our own and feeling so blessed with this Easter miracle! 

After the Easter Vigil, still smiling after our first sleepless night!

Cuddling after bathtime...someone is chubbin out! The rolls are increasing :)

That sweet angel!!! 12 days old.

That's it for now folks! Hope you enjoyed our updates. We feel so blessed, and are grateful for a way to share our happiness and happenings with you all. We miss you! Time to feed the baby!

February Sunshine

We've been keeping ourselves busy this month, folks! Here's a glimpse of just one weekend.

We chose a site in the yard to build our composter...

And we built it! Using wooden pallets for $0. Admittedly, Chris did most of the labor while I took pictures of plants in the yard. I was on call when he needed help, though :)

Ever wonder how a coconut tree starts? 

A very popular way to grow orchids on the island: fill an old coconut shell with a young orchid, strap it to the side of a palm tree. Ta- da (eventually)!

Some friends of ours invited us on a hike Saturday morning. We knew nothing about it, except that we might be getting a little wet. 

I'm smiling becuase I'm still unaware of where this cave leads.

Yes, into an underwater pool! Fresh, clear water. The only caveat: it's completely pitch black, everywhere. As far as I was concerned, there could be monsters in the water! But after a while, with the help of Chris and some flashlights, I got in. As the picture shows, I actually enjoyed myself! We also found that our camera is, in fact, waterproof.

The rest of the hike held some ancient Chamorro village artifacts, such as this stone used for grinding wheat (like a giant mortar and pestle). Chamorros are Guam's indigenous people. Someone figured out they have been here for 4,000 years. The first outsider to discover Guam was Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. This history lesson is brought to you by Wikipedia!

I spy a toad.

The end of the trail...well worth it! In calmer weather, people jump into the ocean from this cliff. Not in my family! 

Our weekend didn't end with the cool hike. Chris went on his first boat dive - he just received his diving certification! He explored the "Seabee Graveyard," where Seabee construction equipment (bulldozers, etc) was dumped into the ocean after WWII. He loved it!

Here are a two photos from scubaguam.com of the dive site:

 


Our fun weekend finally came to an end...and we somehow had time to finish The Lord of the Rings trilogy (I had never seen it...it took 2 weeks to watch!).

Also, on Monday Chris gave the Charge at an Eagle Scout ceremony. "...Build America on the solid foundations of clean living, honest work, unselfish citizenship and reverence for God...". It gave us all a good reminder of how to live!

We miss you all back home and send some Guam sunshine your way :D

At Last

Today marks 6 months since we were married...and there is more to celebrate than that: we finally have a home for the next 3 years! We have lived in 4 different temporary homes and traveled all over - to finally end up here. At last, a place we can truly call ours!


Yes, I couldn't resist the silly urge to welcome Chris home from work our first day in the house. Growing up, my family always made signs to mark memorable occasions, and I have definitely clung to the tradition!


Here is the street view of our home. Lots of of foliage and greenery, yet we are 5 minutes from the Navy base. Just what we were hoping for!


Some coconut trees by our back porch. We are thrilled to have those plus guava, lime, and mango trees, and a giant bush of the local "boonie pepper."


Chris loves his new machete... it didn't take long for him to cut down the first coconut at our new house. DElicious!


In this area below our deck we are going to have several raised beds for gardening, as well as a chicken coop. Wild chickens are everywhere on the island, but rarely raised for eggs. We will be one of the few people on the island to give it a try! Updates on that adventure to come...


Also, for the first time, we have a real mailbox. I am SO excited! Email us for our address.
elizlowery@gmail.com
chstjoseph@gmail.com

The interior of our house will be quite barren until our household goods shipment arrives mid-March. (Until then we will borrow furniture from the Navy.) I'll refrain from showing the undecorated insides, but I must show one of my favorite aspects of the house:


The built-in wine rack! Some celebratory champagne and a house-warming Malbec fit in quite nicely. Not sure we will ever fill the whole rack!

We clearly love our new home, but there are a few things we will miss about the beachside house down south that we enjoyed for our first month. We think of it as the tropical paradise honeymoon we didn't get a chance to take before! It was an amazing place to spend our first few weeks on Guam. We had some friends over for a BBQ as we enjoyed our last weekend there.


The peaceful sound of waves crashing right out the window, the velvety grass, gorgeous sunsets, going for morning and evening swims, feeding the fish...just a few things we will miss.


The awesome roof porch...perfect for stargazing at night!


Chris and the guys grilling ribs, burgers, and hot dogs...all on the grill Chris picked up for free and refurbished!


Chris demonstrating how to feed his special concoction of cereal and sardines to the fish and eels.


Everyone on the pier at sundown looking for eels. Those eels - or water snakes, as I call them - are not something I will miss!

Even though we moved, there are still many beaches a few minutes away. There's no escaping the water on this tiny island.

Thanks for taking some time to catch up with our lives. Hope you all are well!