Christmas Day - In Japan

Owen getting ready to open all of his gifts from family, friends, and Santa!!!

It seems as though Owen prefers the wraping paper, rather than all of his fun new gifts!! If I would have known the wraping paper was going to be such a great hit, I would have just thrown some together in a ball for Owen and been done with it!!!! Things to know for next year.

Owen loving his new Christmas Ornament from his Pap-Pap

Owen making a face as if to say. "Mother get the camera out of my face already!"

Owen would like to thank everyone for all the gifts they sent to him for Christmas this year! Can anyone say "Spoiled?????" hahaha:)

Finally all done with opening gifts now the fun part, the wraping paper, I just love this stuff!!!

Gunner wondering where in the heck all of his gifts are??? Enough of this baby crap what about me????

Mommy giving her little cheeri "O" some mommy lovings and taking some rest time from all of the gift opening. Opening all those gifts can be rough on a little guy!

What!!!!! What do you mean you are going to be showing all these pictures to my girlfriends when they come over???? Great!!! hahaha

Hokkaido

I went to Yama-Sakura (Japanese / American Army Training) it occurs in each part of the Japanese Army territory each year. This year it was in the Northern Army territory. Here are a few photos.

Sapporo City Tower - This is right when we got off the train

Sapporo City - with Christmas Lights

Sapporo City Tower - right before we were to head back to base. (I loved the snow!)

Kristen says I look like somebody but i'm not sure who. This is a yakiniku place. They bring the meat you order out raw and you cook it to perfection on a grill placed at your table.

Japanese Zero Trainer.

Japanese OH-6.

Owen - 2 Months Old

Momma's great photo ideas, "your going to poke your eye out."

Sanata's lil' helper

Look at the elf's little piggies

Owen - 1 Month Old

Everything is A O.K.

Nana reading Owen "Ten Apples Up On Top."

Owen - 2 weeks Old - Halloween

Here are some previous photos of Owen at 2 weeks, celebrating Halloween.

Owen David Schell

On October 1st at 3:58 PM Tokyo time (2:58 AM East Coast Time) Owen David Schell was born. After 21 hours of labor Kristen pulled it off (she was a real trooper).

To highlight the day’s events Kristen called me at 10pm on the 30th to tell me that her water had broken. I rushed the 1 1/2 hours up to the hospital on an adjacent military base. After the second try at placing the epidural in the correct place we were on track. Most of the rest is a blur until Owen arrived. I tried to hold back the concern in my thoughts and face as the doctor delivering Owen exclaimed three times in a row that Dad you will not be able to cut the umbilical cord. Owen had entered the pelvic region and due to his shoulder size became trapped during the birthing process. Once the doctor was able to secure Owen under his right armpit she pulled him out in an extreme hurry. I turned to look at Kristen and compliment her on her efforts as I quickly turned my attention to Owen, who did not make a single peep. The most horrific image in my head remains of his little eyes rolling to the back of his skull as they placed him down on the table. After what seemed to be 5 minutes Owen finally made a sound (as they continued to suction his mouth and nose) the pediatrician explained that there is a nerve that runs the length of the arm pit that may have been stressed during the birth (he assured us there were no broken bones). This concerned me because as I watched Owen he did not move his arms or legs for at least 10 minutes. After Kristen had been cleaned up Owen finally began to move his left arm and both legs. The one that currently concerns us at this point in time is his right arm. He will grab your hand a squeeze but he cries at the slightest touch and seems to cautiously retain his right hand close to his body. Only time will tell (hopefully tomorrow he will be moving his arm).

To top it all off Owen entered this world at 8lbs 4oz with 20 inches in length. He has also received his lifelong nickname of "Tank". The nurse exclaimed he was a tank as she placed him on the table and Kristen and I both took to it.

Below are some of the photos of the proud Mother and Father.

Mt. Fuji Climb

A photo from the bottom. We started at the 5th Station on the Kawaguchiko Subaru Line. The Altitude is about 2,300 meters, 7,546 feet.

Denise pumped for the climb; little does she know that in only 8 hours; the smile she has on her face will be completely gone.

Feeling good and energized after only getting two hours of sleep.

Just above Station 5 after we hit the trail.

A view looking up at Station 6, our first station after leaving station 5. Approximately 2,390 meters, 7,841 feet.

This photo was taken somewhere around 10,000 feet. How do I know this, take a look at the GPS in the next photo.

Only at 10,316 feet.

Walking through the clouds.

Getting our climbing poles branded.

Taking a quick break before we push out before the huge group of people behinds us catches up.

Only a few people really know what this photo means. The summit is within a few more agonizing minutes. The reason it is extremely hazy is because we are IN a cloud.

5 hours and 15 minutes later after the journey began; I present to you the summit of Mt. Fuji.

Denise, Cindy, and myself with a photo of the summit after we had our climbing poles stamped with the final stamp.

Just a photo of proof, the altitude is the only correct piece of info here. I kept turning the GPS on and off during the assent since the batteries were dying quickly.

Celebratory beer mixed with extremely thin oxygen levels, what a nice buzz. (from excitement and alcohol).

The decent down, this is only half of the mountain (the other half was up in the clouds). I cannot even begin to describe the amount of pain that is contained in this photo. But, if a photo is worth a thousand words, times that by about 100.

Denise snapped this photo of me. I guess I was sitting there thinking about how awesome and challenging Mt. Fuji was. Sharing the experience with close friends was the most enjoyable part.