Smith Invasion of Saipan

Mom and Dad came to Saipan, and it was in a word...awesomeamazingmemoryfilledspectacular!  We got to spend two whole weeks with just them and us.  None of us could remember when the last time (or if ever) that has happened.  We were definitely spoiled rotten.  And, you will all be very proud to know that Mom really took a vacation!  She truly took the mantra of the island to heart...Relax!  Here is their visit in pictures....

They were greeted at the airport by the Elgers and the O'Laughlins.  Brian O'Laughlin's Dad, Jim-O, was on the same flight from Tokyo as Mom and Dad.

Mom was given a huge hug, and I got a mommy hug that I had been waiting months for!  This was the longest time-frame Mom and I had ever gone without seeing each other.  It certainly made me appreciate Joey going to college so far from Georgia.

They were greeted with tropical weather.  What a change from the snow in Georgia!

Welcome to Saipan, Jim-O!

Dad met his long-lost brother, Jerry Facey.  These two were seriously separated at birth! 

Dad adopted a "boonie dog" named Blue!

They got to see all the tourist sites on Saipan...Here they are at the Bird Island Overlook.  Both of them were amazed at all the shades of blue in the water in Saipan.

Mom and Dad spent a great deal of time with Uncle Jerry and Aunt Irene.  (We are hoping that the Faceys will be in Georgia this summer to celebrate Uncle Jerry's birthday!)

Dad got lots of hugs and snuggles from his favorite daughter!

Mom and Joey played on their mobile devices...Mom was playing her bubble breaker game, and Joey was checking scores.  Good to know life can be normal in Saipan!

I took Dad and Mom snorkeling for the first time in their lives!  We saw tons of fish and even blue starfish. 

We went to Tinian to see the historic sites.  Here they are in our little plane.

Dad and I looked down from the second floor of the Old Communications Building.

Mom found the "Inspector's Office" on Tinian and felt right at home.

Dad loved riding his scooter because it brought back memories of his motorcycle days!

Dad and Mom drove down Runway Able (the same one the planes carrying the atomic bombs took off from).

Dad got to see one of the Seabees monuments on Tinian.  Side story...My favorite Great Uncle, Uncle Tite, was a Seabee during World War II.  The Seabees were, among many other things, responsible for building the runways on Tinian.  We know that Uncle Tite was on Saipan during the war and fought in the Battle of Okinawa.  There's a high likelihood that he was also on Tinian and played a part in building the runway.  It's a very long way from Evinston, Florida (where Uncle Tite and Dad are from) to the Northern Mariana Islands.  It meant a lot to all of us to have perhaps walked in the same footsteps as Uncle Tite half-way around the world and many decades later. 

They played Trivia at Wild Bill's with Jim O, Colleen, and the Elgers.  We didn't win (like the Crash Test Dummies), but we did have a great time!

Mom and Dad enjoyed the view from Mt. Topotchao...and enjoyed wearing matching outfits!

Mom wanted to re-enact her "spill" she took at the top of Mt. Topotchao.  Thank goodness there was a beer can in the bushes to break her fall and stop her from falling down the mountain.  This is Saipan, after all!

My students (all 143 of them) got to meet two of my favorite people in the world!  Mom and Dad spent an entire day with me at school.  The students asked them questions about their relationship, what I was like as a child, life in Georgia, where they've traveled and other important things they've done with their lives, etc.  Mom and Dad got to ask my students about life on Saipan and their dreams and aspirations.  It was truly a very special day!

Mom and I got to be Saipandas!

Mom took TONS of pictures with her Crack-berry.

Mom and Dad enjoyed Thursday Night Street Market.  They even got to see some of our students dance!

Richard Allen Smith got to meet his long-lost grandson, Richard Matsuyama.  (Yes, that's Richard's cartoon drawing on my wall of himself to the left of where he's standing.)

Mom enjoyed drinking the local beverage, Kava, because it took her back to her days at Emory!

Mom and Dad hiked to Bird Island and loved it!

Dad was a little tired afterwards, though.

They also hiked Old Man by the Sea...again in their matching outfits.

Based on the pictures, it looks like they did a lot during their time on Saipan.  And, trust us, they did.  They also did some stuff that wasn't pictured.  They ate Thai food for the first time (and loved it); met our U.S. Congressman, Gregorio Kilili, while dining at our favorite local restaurant; bought new sandals from Pay Less; ate lunch with us almost every day; took us out for ice cream almost every afternoon; attended a Wine and Cheese fundraiser for a local school and met all of our friends; were entertained at Casa O'Laughlin with homemade lasagna and apple pie; understood how much stuff actually costs on Saipan and were shocked; saw some movies; took naps; read books; saw my cheerleaders and Joey's soccer girls; shopped at local stores; enjoyed spending quality time with each other; had long talks with their favorite daughter and son-in-law; gave and got loads of hugs!  In a word...awesomeamazingmemoryfilledspectacular!