New Beginnings

We started December off welcoming our new little baby boy into the world.  Cowen Brooks Turner was born on Monday evening at 6:14 pm weighing in at 6 pounds 13 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long. The story or details of the birth are (will be) posted to Candi's Corner, our pregnancy blog. Cowen is such a darling little feller and he already holds and has held, since we found out about the pregnancy, a special place in our hearts.  We can already tell he will be similar to his big brother in so many ways and grow into one special little man.  He is such a good eater and sleeper and hopefully he will stay that way, of course this time we will know a little better in how to maneuver around the obstacles a new baby brings. 

On Wednesday, December 3rd, we had one rough day.  That day was the day we split as a family temporarily as Sheyden and Graison started their journey to Japan.  They had two flights one on Wednesday from Spokane to Seattle and then another, Thursday, from Seattle to Okinawa. Thursday brought them a 16/17 hour flight. 

Graison did amazing!  He was so excited to be flying in an airplane and going to Japan to help daddy get us a new house on base and he's so pumped to get to see sharks and look for seashells when they can. Sheyden kept Graison occupied with his Jake and the Neverland Pirates episodes and his learning games on the iPad and then the big brother gift Cowen got him.  Although it was a long trip they got to see the ocean and The islands of Yokota and Iwukani from the plane and Graison slept for the majority of the trip.  Pretty amazing traveler we have on our hands. 

The time difference from Spokane to Okinawa is about 16/17 hours.  When Sheyden and Graison landed it was 8pm on a Friday and 3am on Friday for us.  Sheyden and Graison both have had some bouts of sickness. Sheyden started the trip of with a form strep that stole his voice, Skype sounded like a frog was literally just sitting in his throat. Graison had a little bit of constipation before the plane ride, got that dealt with, and then had some puking but now is better and happy as can be.  Sheyden ended up in hospital with an iv for hydration as he got the pukes as well and it took everything from him. He was able to discharge and rest up and is feeling loads better, even able to hold in food.  I'm sure all of this traveling has been the cause of their ailments and of course being in a new place with different climate is something too. 

They were able to fit in some time to explore the base with our friends the Manuels and Graison has been playing with their boys.  He's having a blast and it makes his momma have comfort and peace of mind hearing that.  They went and saw a pretty cool tree at the youth center and learned that the common house spiders are as big as sheydens palm and the tarantulas are about the size of Graisons head. (Sorry no pics of that yet.). Also got a look at some yen, Habu Sake (no he didn't try it), and their vending machines.

Cowen did very great on his first road trip. I'm very happy about that, being as he was 5 days old when the driving happened. He has been doing great with getting a bottle feed in for one feed and I like that because it'll help with our plane trip. He's so stinking cute. My mother in law came up and drove us to Dillon and that was nice. I'm glad I am able to see family once more and that they are able to meet Cowen before we head out of the country.  I can't believe we have another little boy to watch grow and learn new and exciting things. I can't wait for us to be back together again and to see my boys be brothers! I just know Graison will be such a big helper, he was so excited once it registered in his mind that the baby I was holding in the hospital was his baby, the baby Cowen in mommys tummy that he talked to and kissed.  They'll be best friends for sure. (Even after all the rivalries they'll have)

For now that is the update for our family's new beginnings.  There will definitely be more coming your way so stay tuned!!

Love Always The Turner's

CandiKaye's Beef and Veggie Stew

Today I made an amazing stew!!  I've always told myself to never wing a recipe, so instead I tend to make things up as I'm cooking.  I will find a recipe I like, and sometimes leave things out or add things to them; today was different not unlike other times I have cooked in the kitchen, but it was a one of a kind type of situation.  I took things we had on hand and made a stew for the books out of them.

Here is the recipe if you want it.  I'm not one to keep an amazing recipe to myself.  I know when one is great enough to share!

CandiKaye's Beef and Veggie Stew

In a crockpot combine:

•2 cups Swanson Beef Broth

•2 cups Beef Broth from Bouillon Cubes

•2 cups Chicken Broth from Bouillon Cubes

•1/2 can Tomato Paste

•1/2 cup - 1 cup Red Wine (I used a Cabernet)

•1 Yellow Onion

•1 sm bag of Small/Medium Red Potatoes

•1 bag Baby Carrots

• 1/2 Stock Celery cut ends & toss 'em

•1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt

•1/4 Teaspoon Italian Seasonings

•2 Teaspoons Pepper

•2 pounds Chuck Tender Steak, 1" cubes

Add veggies and meat; stir to coat all ingredients with juices.  Cook on High setting for 4 hours, check the veggies.  If veggies still have too much crunch for your liking, then turn heat to Warm and leave for another hour or two. Serve* and enjoy!

* To make a full meal instead of just the stew alone, serve with salad and toasted bread of your choice. 

Life Gets Crazier!

So if you follow me on facebook, you have seen my "ugh" post.  I will explain why I posted an "ugh" post.  It's a possibility that right now we will either LOSE our assignment or KEEP it with an extended date.

We have recently been given orders to move to Japan.  We're so excited for this opportunity and have been pushing to get all we need to done.  I had been cleared for travel along with Sheyden and Graison and everything was going great. We just had one step left to do in our wait and that was hearing from Kadena and talking to housing about when we needed to get movers to come. 

That is until we found out that I actually wasn't clear for travel.  Turns out that because of our situation, being pregnant and having to fly so late in the pregnancy, that Kaden won't clear me.  So now what we have to do is file an appeal for our case, which is very unique.  Normally they don't even give orders for those so late into their pregnancy but the people that handle the orders wouldn't know how far along I am.  The lady we have been working with told us that she had never seen something as unique as our situation and the fact that they are willing to do as much as they can to work with the situation with us and get us over there is a one of a kind thing. You rarely see it happen.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US is that we have to do as much as we can to appeal our case and change Sheydens "report no later date".  What that is, is the date Sheyden has to report to work which is Dec. 10th.  WHAT Kadena wants is for us to be able to stay until we have the baby and the baby is cleared for travel.  In order for this to happen we have to change Sheyden's RNLT date.  

BY DOING THIS it can change a lot of things.  It's very hard for a person of Sheydens rank to get an appointment with his commander.  The reasons we need to get into see him/her is that we need a letter from him to Sheydens future commander in Kadena stating why we need to change the date Sheyden has to report to work by.  We could appeal without one but it would be better for us to appeal with one.

ONTOP OF ALL THAT we have to get an appeal letter from my OB stating that the pregnancy has been going great and the baby is growing healthy and his anticipation of how he expects the delivery will go and all that jazz.  The perk to that is I have a new ulyrasound appointment on Monday that will allow for my doctor to really know how the baby is doing.  Our due date is Dec. 6th however I truly feel like I will not be having the baby that date.  I get my shots all the way until 35/36 weeks, which puts me at Nov. 1st or 8th for my last one.  I've been studying up on other womens experiences with labor after they're shots and the majority of them stopped at 35/36 weeks with their shots and had their babies by 37 weeks.  Which before I started studying on it, I felt that's when I would be having the baby anyways which would be around November 15th. 

SO ITS A POSSIBILITY that we will lose our assignment or keep it with a later report date for after the baby has arrived.  For right now, we will be in that appeal process and kind of hung up high and dry until we know more about it.  I wanted to keep friends and family in the loop so they know what is happening with us.  We really don't want to lose our assignment so we are trying as hard as we can to keep it.  However, if we lose it, our family will be able to see the new baby a lot more than they would've with us gone. 

So here's to wishful thinking and praying we can keep this amazing opportunity but doing so in a way that we can go together as a family and safely. 

Coming soon this November...or later...Kadena AFB Okinawa Japan

So we have orders to move to Japan this coming November!  We are still waiting to learn all the details while we try knocking out as much as we can on our "to-do before ya move" checklist.  Mainly waiting on medical records to get sent over to the base for myself and getting them together for Graison and Sheyden.  Ontop of that, passports and learning what we have to do about the new baby's passport.  ALSO, if I am to be flown to Japan before having the baby or after.  We are thinking I will more than likely have to be staying in the US for giving birth and trying to plan for that.  It would mean I would have to stay with family and have the baby outside of Washington and without my main doctor because all of our stuff will be packed up and stored until they move it to Japan.  

Lots of stress and anxiety going on but I don't think we are feeling it, I think we are feeling more excited.  I believe this is something that is going to be good for our family and ontop of that it's a once in a lifetime experience that we don't have to pay tickets for a short time, instead we will be getting about 3+ years of experience in Japan.  Kadena is the air base on the Okinawa islands of Japan, there are other based but this is specifically Air Force.  We have been told that the weather stay anywhere from 50-90 degrees year round, and for Okinawa, the main worry is for Typhoons.  So this will be exciting to see what really goes on. 

Okinawa has the second largest aquarium in the world, and that is the first thing we want to do when we go there because Graison loves fish and he would be so excited to see all that they have.  He will get to see how big a shark is and learn about other fish like sting rays and all the tropical fish, including clown and lionhead fish.  On the base, we are surrounded by parks for Graison to play at.  There are a number of beaches to get to with beautiful crystal blue water, white sands. There's even a beach that has star or sunburst shaped sand that actually isn't sand but single cell organisms, basically they look like a bunch of tiny shells in star/sunburst shape. 

My thoughts on Japan right now are all so jumbled that I can't truly explain them to you until we know more.  They're basically just questions and mostly questions about the whole move process and especially my being pregnant and in the last month when they want us to move.  For now we don't know anything other than what we need to get done here and that's mostly Sheyden, and organizing things we don't need and bags to be packed. 

Here's some pics of what lies in our future! Including a picture if my great grandpa Noboru Sakahara....my sister really wants me to look up some Sakahara's but I think they originate from the mainland of Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka...) and not Okinawa, if I run into any I don't even know if they'd believe a blonde haired blue/green eyed girl being a Sakahara. 

Update

So Sheyden made it home safe and sound and in one piece!!  Graison would not let go of him and still can't be separated from his daddy!  I get snuggles every once in a while and I am NOT allowed to put him in or out of the car.  So basically, mommy time is while daddy is working and then from the time daddy is home until bed time he is glued to Sheyden.  

We've started painting in our house and have been getting nice weather so we have been trying to make our home picture worthy, so heads up for a day where you can see it!!  The front yard is going to take some work!! We have these nasty little suckers calle Japanese Knotweed, the look like a bamboo type of shrub plant that has a greenish purple color to its leaves.  Needless to say, I looked it up and found out it is noxious and spreads very easily, and roots up to 5 m deep!!!  So we have some work cut out for us. It was nice looking at first, NOW ITS UGLY AND I HATE IT! 

I AM ALSO EXCITED TO SAY I AM AN AUNTIE!!!  My little Izzie Pop was born at 1:15 AM on Friday April 18, 2014.  She weighed 7lbs 9ounces and was 20 inches long, so stinking cute and I can't wait to see and hold her!! 

Ontop of all that, I will be starting a new Pregnancy blog for our family so look for that in an hour or two haha! I will provide the link for you in Facebook!! 

Stressed

So since I found out that Sheyden was coming home early, I've been stressed.  More so, the last few days.  I called the day I got the news and found out we are on the waiting list but are # 21 and they can't give us a ETA on a move in date.  We also know that there have been people waiting for a year or more to get into a house on the base, so I've been house hunting the internet ads.

We found a home that would be really nice to get, fairly decent in price and size, but I have been anxiously waiting since Friday to have our friends go do a walk through for us so that I can get an application started and hopefully accepted.  There isn't a whole lot out there in the price range we are looking in that would be decent enough looking or decent in size for our family.  Everything that is nice is too far or too high in price (rent, deposit, and all).  We had our friends run into some issues, which have been causing a wait on the walk through, so I've asked others to help us out in case our friends can't do it.  I'm excited, nervous, stressed and all at once in one single ball of nerves.

Hopefully we can rent it before anyone else does.  Other than that, my scentsy is doing great for just starting back up!  $280 in PRV and I'm hoping it continues to be like this.  I'm really excited that I ended up making the 150 in PRV so fast and I'm going to do my best in trying to "ROCK IT" with every month.
This month is also 10% off scentsy products!

http://candiceturner.scentsy.us
406.925.3313

Many Mini Adventures

So we have found out that I may be making a trip to the airport in Spokane here soon, around the 15th of February, for reasons that are a given to anyone who can guess, I'm just not stating why on here because I don't want to jinx things.  Lets just say I am REALLY EXCITED!!

On top of that news, I am reinstating my self as a Scentsy Consultant, and this time I am hoping to be on it like White on Rice!!  I've already got my 150 PRV lined up and ready to go, just gotta wait until I can log into my workstation to get the orders from everyone and plug it on in!!  I will be hooking my Website back up, and also going to try Vlogging this time to hopefully bring in customers, and update one's I already have on new things in our future, and of course blogging about my experiences in being active again.  My next goal is to make the points needed to make the incentive trip this year, and hopefully I can do it!!

So not only will I be having an airport adventure, I'll be having a Scentsy one as well!! All on top of being a mommy and going to school!!  THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY FUN, but I fell in my bones that I can achieve this task I've set for myself.  Normally if I believe in myself I can do it, for example surprising myself by getting the privilege of being on the DEANS LIST!!!

So look forward for more blog posts and fun!!   PS  I'm putting some pics up and a day or two of the adventure I had with Stephanie Feurer, my brother in laws girlfriend, and painting little Isabella Noelle's bedroom.  It Is Cute!!

Update #1 2014

So far this year has flown by fast!!  I've started back up in school and feel really good about it!  Not to mention, I made the DEANS LIST!!  Graison keeps growing like a weed and is on the brink of talking, but I'm sure he already knows the words and is just holding back for his Daddy.  Mr. Sheyden, speaking of, has told me that they have told him a return date finally, which is sometime in the end of February.  I wish/hope it will be earlier, but the end of February will be here before we know it!!  I still have no idea if we will have a house or not though, I hope they are just telling me they don't know and when our "expected move-in date" arrives they call me and tell me there's a house available.  I want to be able to be in Washington and organizing our belongings, so it is easier for when my husband returns.  Not just because of the fact that I'm currently between 6-9 hours away from Spokane.  Best part is that the snow will be starting to melt and spring will be poking its head around the corner.

Christmas and New Years was fun and happy, but one person was missing obviously!  It's so much nicer having your better half there to complete you and enjoy the holidays with you, its just not the same without that one special person.  I'll admit my little mini-Sheyden keeps me on my toes and fills me with joy and warmth, subsiding the aching loneliness I feel not having my husband here.  It definitely helps keep your "face" on when it comes to missing that special someone!  I'm pretty excited that Valentines Day is coming already, I just love Holidays in general, and Valentine's Day is always exciting. Then around the corner, my FAVORITE OF ALL HOLIDAYS St. Patrick's Day!!  I am so excited for this year and I have not found the reason for this excitement yet.

I've gotta end today's post though.  I'm needing to finish the packing of my car, so I can head to Dillon tomorrow.  I've got a LOAD of baby shower decorations and things to throw Stephanie her baby shower.  Little Isabella Noelle Turner, is expected to make her big debut around April 25th.  How funny will it be if Graison gets a little cousin on his Birthday!!

HASTA LUEGO!!  Until next time, goodbye!