a few pictures to share...check out more on Facebook!

Jake's new look with a much nicer, trimmer goatee

Jake and I at the local MMA fights

Amanda and I at halloween

Me with HeeJae, Amy and Mel (my girls)

playing ultimate frisbee in our tournament!!

Marriage Encounter Weekend in October that Jake and I coordinated

Me with my Chamarro sisters: Carol, Linda and Juanette

Jake with his Chamarro bros: John and Jun

November already...

Sometimes I think no one reads this...that it is just for me to babble and brag about our fabulous life here in Saipan...
then I don't post anything for long periods of time because I'm busy, stressed with work, struggling with living so far away from family and just have nothing fabulous to say...so why post?
I don't want it to be full of complaints...

This new job at Gold's has really just changed out lives. We now live in a house (a fabulous house actually) but there are stresses that come with that...like how busy we are that we never really are home to even enjoy our house. Jake is finished by 3pm in the afternoon and I'm not til 7 some nights. That's another major difference for us. We have a crazy dog...whom Jake loves a little more than I do. I want a baby and so does Jake (somedays) but then I just started this new job, we don't have that much money, we're still paying off tons of loans, the economy is shit everywhere...
I'm going to be 25 on Friday.
I feel grown-up. I don't want to feel grown-up. I want to be 5 again and my only decision is what to wear to school and who to play with at recess.

ahhhh life....
:)

I spent time this morning before work with my adorable little best friend (who is six) Jennah.
She has no school today so we spent the morning going shopping, baking brownies and watching some of Ice Age. She's so wonderful. I love having a six year old best friend. Adds a little perspective back into life...
my complaining/ranting/whatever you wanna call it up above...means nothing. It's meaningless. It's life and that's the way it is.
At least that is what Jennah told me today when I asked her why she had two different socks on this morning..."Duhhh jackie...it's life, that's the way it is sometimes..."

We have the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the challenges and the success, the joys and sorrow...it's all life, the way it is...

I really am happy. I'm loving life most days.
I'm down to 156 pounds...that's almost 40 pounds since I started losing weight. I feel amazing, I am in shape, fit, have muscle and feel so good. Jake has been sick lately but he is starting to get back his strength and that'll make him feel better. We have food every day for our meals and clothes to wear. We have an amazing truck that never has problems, an awesome house and comfy bed with air-con, we have money in the bank, we have friends that are like having family here, and we have family way back home that still loves us, we have this amazing monstrous ocean all around us everywhere we look which is a constant reminder of how Great and Mighty our God is.
so that's it...it's life...bad and the great...the ugly and the beautiful amazing parts.
We love you all!

Love,
J & J

Back to Life in Saipan

We have really fallen off on updating our blog.
Our trip to the States was amazing, FUN, long, exciting, tiring and just well needed. We spent all 7 weeks travling all over the States and Canada. I saw three new States, the Grand Canyon and lots of family! It was a blessing to be home and spend time on those relationships!


Here we are with our families!

Me with my sisters and brother!
with Jake's family at Glacier.

We are now back in Saipan and have been for the last month.
It is so great to be home again!
I have started working at Gold's Gym as the General Manager. It is a fun, yet challenging job. I'm learning lots about business and myself! I do miss teaching somedays and all those cute little kids!
Jake is back to school and starting his 2nd week. He is enjoying it again and the more years he teaches the better it seems to get for him!
We are busy with Marriage Encounters as we are in charge of the next upcoming October Weekend. YIKES! Lots of planning and organizing and preparing. Thank goodness we are blessed with the ME Family and have lots of help and support!
We seem to have run into a block with our money and paying off loans so keep us in your prayers as we figure out our financial situation here in Saipan.
Again, what a blessing to see you all this summer!
We love you all!

Love
J&J

The End

Here are some reasons for the end...

school is finished and we are officially on summer vacation...

we leave in 17 hours for the States...

we will be back in the States in 18 hours (haha - with all the time changes)...

my time at Saipan Community School is over for the time being. I have taken a new job starting July 17th - as the Manager of Gold's Gym here in Saipan...

we have found a house and will be moving into that once we return to Saipan on July 13th - so no more apartment living...

Jake will still be at SCS teaching Math and Science - so no ending there...

We are so blessed. LIfe is changing and they are all exciting, awesome and very welcomed changes!

We can't wait for our trip home this summer to see family and friends...

Hopefully the next time you read this you will have seen us!

Love always,

J & J

May

It's already May...with only 7 days left of school!

Which means that we only have 12 days left until we leave for our States Vacation!!!!

We cannot wait to get back and see each and every one of you!

We will be in LA on May 25th.

Then we will be going to Arizona for 3-4 days.

After that we will be going to Colorado for almost a week and spending time with Jake's grandparents and aunt and uncles. We will also spend a whole day mountain biking - which neither of us can WAIT for!

Then we are off to Montana for 1.5 weeks with Jake's parents and sisters. After Montana we will head down to Minnesota and Iowa for about a week and then we will head up to Chicago for a few days!

After Chicago we will go up to Canada to spend time with my family for 1.5 weeks as well.

And after that we fly out to LA and spend another week there before we return back home to Saipan! We are so excited to be back there and visiting and seeing each of you!

Prayers for safety and blessings as we travel and visit everyone!

We can't wait!

Love always,

J & J

Japan Spring Break P.S

As you will see below (2 previous posts) I spent my spring break with my dear, amazing friend Amanda in Singapore, Malaysia and 20 hours in Japan. It was a blessing to be able to travel and see more of ASIA. Makes me appreciate and LOVE living here all the more. Here are tons of pictures and small captions to show off the trip.

I have amazing memories and stories to remember forever.

I will never forget Japan. Seeing those cherry blossom trees that only bloom in certain areas for certain days at certain times was amazing. I was there! Unbelievable beautiful creation!

Enjoy these pictures!!

my capsule for the 8 hours I slept in Japan!!
our sweet capsule pajamas!!!
WELCOME TO TOYKO!!!
At breakfast the next morning - Amanda and I!!!
my breakfast :S
amazing calligraphy in the Art Museum
beautiful painted and hand-crafted fans - such artwork!
me with the giant hookah
my Japanese-Pakistani henna
CHERRY BLOSSOMS!!
beautiful!
I was amazed, moved to tears because it was so beautiful!
more cherry blossoms....

P.S. Life is good. We only have 27 more days left of school (not including weekends) which means....we only have 40 more days til we are BACK IN THE STATES!!!

We can't wait to see everyone and everything!!!

Love always,

J&J

Malaysia Spring Break

While Jake was busy fishing and biking and running, I was busy playing with the monkeys and enjoying the beautiful country of Malaysia (as well as Singapore and Japan). It was much more jungly than I thought - it was amazing!!!

Enjoy the pictures!!

apparently they eat this in Malaysia! I did NOT try it!
Genting Highlands - most amazing place in Malaysia - unbelievable city up above the clouds...
more of the view
the Buddhist Temple up in the Highlands
WOW!
At the Malaysian Palace - couldn't get him to smile!
beautiful downtown Kuala Lumpur
At the Chinese Street Market (Amanda, Jamie (our gracious host) and her boyfriend Long - our driver)
amazing invention...coffee in a bag!
crazy monkeys who wanted ALL of our bananas
me with some of the crazy monkeys!
trying to feed it!
he was peaceful!
the view from the Hindu temple we climbed! This is where we played with all the monkeys!
The Petronas Towers downtown KL.
monkey!!!
Holland!!! For you Miedema's and Stams and Van Dams and family everywhere!!!
some of the best food I've ever eaten - ROTI!
We were there - pretty awesome!
Malaysian sunset
MY HOME! :)
Three awesome friends! What an awesome trip!

Singapore Spring Break

Over Spring Break, my husband stayed home to rest and fish and play sports, while I got to go off with Amanda and explore some amazing, colorful and fun parts of the world. We stayed in Japan for about 20 hours (see other post) and then went to Singapore for three days, then Malaysia for three and back to Singapore for two days. Here are some highlights from the Singapore trip! It was full of animals, beautiful buildings and cultures, shopping, walking and meeting people!

Enjoy!

World's Largest Fountain - Fountain of Wealth - amazing!
At the fish spa - a very new and CRAZY experience....

fish eating my feet

Amanda and I with more water-front view - I LOVE SINGAPORE!!!
beautiful buildings!
An escalator that goes from the 7th floor to the 11th. SCARY!
The Raffles Hotel - gorgeous!
Amanda and I at the famous Long Bar. The famous Singapore Slinger (drink) cost $29.90 here...YIKES! Needless to say all we did was take a picture and not drink!
ahhhh! Singapore!!
the 70th floor view of the city!
me and orangs!!!
The new casino and hotel!
me and the waterfront restaurants!
Carrot Cake?!?!?!
smoking some sheesha! =)
Mosque on Arab street
Amanda, Hozumi and I downtown Arab street - so beautiful!
Me and Fat Buddha
The colorful streets of Singapore