Island Fever

New Blog Address

2008-01-19T19:08:00.001-10:00

Please see our new blog at the following address... this will be the blog we will us from now on since we no longer live in Guam!

www.mcgourtycrew.blogspot.com

Caves!!!!

2007-12-03T22:46:00.000-10:00

The family and some friends took a hike down to some fresh water caves a few weekends ago. After navigating through about a mile and a half of jungle we reached Pagat Cave. All three pups made the journey, but Kianna was the only one who went swimming with us in the cave!!

The KIDS!

In front of the cave.

In the cave looking up and out!

Again, looking up and out of the cave... those are Ike's little eyes and you can see me too!!!

At the bottom of the cave looking at the water... it is kind of hard to tell,
but that is clear water at the bottom of the picture!

Everything since September!!!

2007-11-01T19:07:00.000-10:00

Well, once again we have fallen behind on the blogging... but hope to catch everyone up on the latest things occurring with the McGourty Crew. The most recent and exciting news is that Daniel was selected for the Navy's STA-21 program which is sending us back to College on the Navy's dime where he will eventually be commissioned as an officer and then be sent onto flight school. With that great news, we will be returning back to the states by Christmas time and it looks like we will be calling Jacksonville, Florida home for the next 3 years. However, there is nothing in writing just yet, so until then all we can do is cross our fingers.

Enjoy the photos below and keep us in touch on how you are all doing!!!

What a lovely couple!!

Daniel doing some SAR (search and rescue) jumps... it was just practice!

After doing jumps, Daniel swam into shore and hung out with me!!! My little scuba-Dan! He hated me for taking this picture!!!

A pretty nice sunset looking out toward Orote point with the
USS Kitty Hawk in the background (it is hard to see, but they it is there)!

Ike loving on his Dad... he is such a weirdo!

The pictures below are from our trip to Saipan. Saipan is another Island just north of here and is the capitol of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. We went up there because the Guam Women's Nat'l Soccer Team was playing the Saipan team and I (Alex, obviously) play for the Guam team. We made a little vacation out of it and had a wonderful time!

A view of the Banzai Cliffs where it is believed that thousands of Japanese took their own lives rather than being captured by the United States Marines back in 1944.

Daniel with an old tank.

Along the coast in Saipan.

On top of the Banzai Cliffs.

When I was playing soccer, Daniel made some friends!!!

This was probably the coolest thing we saw. It was a hide out location built into the limestone.

We also went on a sunset cruise and enjoyed an
evening on a catamaran sailing around the bay!
We had front row seat!!

We even had an awesome sunset on our "Sunset" cruise!

Daniel even got jiggy with it!!!

This is a view of "Bird Island," where it is common
to see birds specific to the Marianas Islands.

The multiple stairs we had to take down in order to get to the Grotto... then we had to climb them all in order to get back to the top. Yuck!!

At the bottom... the Grotto.

Standing partially in the Grotto... Dan didn't want to stand with me b/c he didn't want to get his feet wet!

Look Maddie... Dora is in Saipan!!

We also celebrated Daniel's birthday in September. He is getting so old!

Halloween this year has been pretty exciting for us. Daniel and I volunteer at the animal shelter on island (G.A.I.N.- Guam Animals In Need) and they recently had a Howl-o-ween costume contest. So, we decided to lend a hand and while doing so enter little Kianna into the contest as a "Devil Angel." It was all in good fun and didn't expect actually winning, but at the end of the day we walked away with first place overall!!! Needless to say we were very proud parents!
Kianna and here SUPER 1st Place Trophy!

What an Angel... but at times she is can be a little devil!!

Little Jack and showing his Devilish side on Halloween!!!

Jack helped Daniel hand out candy to all the lil' trick-or-treaters!!

But poor Jack couldn't hang long...

Here are some more random pictures from the past few weeks!

Making our way down the "2,000 Stairs," a recent hike we went on that took us along the east side of the island and lead us to the cliff line. We even took the pups on this trek.

Final destination, the cliff line... pups and all.

Pretty nice, we will miss this!

Some tired puppies... but cute ones at that!!

Risks you take when living on a tropical island... unfortunately we lost a glass table to a coconut falling from the tree out back. My neighbor reminds me that people die every year from that occurring, I am glad it was our table and not my head!!

So, I think that should catch everyone up on what has been happening here!
Hope to see everyone soon. Take care!!!

WELCOME HOME!!!!

2007-09-06T21:52:00.002-10:00

So, a lot has happened here on the island of Guam in the last month! For starters, Daniel came home and we are SOOOOO excited to have him back!!! Since he has been back we have been keeping ourselves busy with one adventure after another! We were lucky to have a few weeks to ourselves before he had to return to work and I had to start work again... no more summer vacation! Below are some great shots from some fun we have had around the island. There are a TON more so keep checking back for updates!!! Enjoy...

Some beautiful flowers we saw while we were on a WWII tour of the Island!

A Bamboo Forest at the Japanese Peace Monument.

A view from Two Lovers Point looking out on Tumon Bay.

Again, another view from Two Lovers Point. The story goes... that back in the day when Spain ruled Guam, a young girl and her lover tied their hair together and leapt off the cliff to their death. The two lovers had no other choice for the girls father had prearranged her marriage to Spanish man who she was not in love with.

Some guns that the Japanese placed in the hills and mountain sides to counter attack the US Forces. The Japanese attacked Guam shortly after December 7th, 1941 and ruled Guam until the US liberated Guam in 1944! During the Japanese ruling, the Chamorro people (the people of Guam) were captured and held in concentration camps and used as laborers.

Some AWESOME caves that can be found in several places around the island. Some of the caves are natural, while others were man made.

Cannons looking out on the bay.

Back To The Sandbox!!

2007-05-11T02:34:00.000-10:00

Well, the time has come to say goodbye... to Daniel that is! He headed back to Kuwait for round two, but this time without me! He will be deployed to an Air Ambulance Squadron for the next 7 months or so. We are fortunate to be able to communicate reguarly and he seems to be adjusting well to his home away from home!! I know he would love to hear from everyone and packages are ALWAYS a nice reminder of what the real world is like!! If you would like to contact him his address is-

Daniel McGourty
2515th NAAD
APO AE 09330

Here are some pictures from the last month or so! Enjoy and I hope everyone is doing well!!

Good 'ol beach... At least Daniel still has sand where he is!!

Little Ike is getting SOOOO big and loves to play ball and everything else!!! Obviousy, Kianna could care less... check her out in the background!!!

The pups miss their Daddy- they are very protective now that Daniel is gone!

Missing Daniel!!!

Where's Daniel???

My GI Joe with a cute little mustache... I guess that is the thing to do over there to help pass the time!!! Boys will be boys!!

Home sweet home!!

Hard at work... looks like fun!

So, keep in touch and I will do my best to keep everyone updated!!
Take care!!!

We got married!!!

2007-03-04T19:41:00.000-10:00

So, we decided to get married here on Guam! Daniel and I with the help from our close friends, planned a small, beach side wedding!!! Everything went great and it was the wedding of our dreams! We wish EVERYONE could have helped celebrate- but we are planning another bash once we return to the States... we are thinking Summer '08, keep your calendars clear!

-Sirena Beach-

The bride the morning of the wedding, praying to the wind gods... it was
VERY windy day- but, luckily no rain!!

My wonderful Maid of Honor!

A little pre celebration as we get ready!!!

The Senn's!

Mark doing some last minute setup... he was also our officiant!

Sirena Beach, northern tip of Guam

The Bride...

... and the handsome Groom!

Jessica, my lovely Maid of Honor!

A shot of Dan when he first saw me!

First kiss as husband and wife!

For the first time in public- Daniel and Alex McGourty!!!

The entire crew (Mark, Jessica, Daniel, Alex & Jesse)!!

Hey baby...

Jessica, Sarah and me... GREAT friends!

Daniel and me having fun!!!

Dancing the night away!

Mmmm... cake!

What a ladies man!!!

Hope you all enjoyed the pictures. We will be sure to keep everyone updated on what is happening here. Take care and keep in touch!!!

We're Engaged!!!

2007-01-02T22:41:00.000-10:00

Dan popped the question and I said YES!!! No date is set yet, but we will keep you posted!

After getting down in one knee... and me saying YES!!!
The beautiful ring (a 3-stone, Princess cut)!!!
Toasting to our new adventure together... may it never get boring!!! For those

of you who know Dan, boring is not a possibility- that is just one reason why I love him!!!

Christmas in Oregon!!

2007-01-02T22:06:00.000-10:00

Dan and I had a wonderful trip home to Oregon for Christmas. I was fortunate enough to meet the rest of his family along with everyone else in their small town of Wallowa!!! I froze my little buns off, but enjoyed the change in climate... especially seeing snow! I hope everyone had a great Holiday and enjoy the pictures!!!

On the way up to Wallowa Lake.Wallowa Lake... Absolutely beautiful!
One of the two cutest Llamas!!!
Dan got this picture... this cute little owl was following us along a back road!

The wonderful Christmas tree that Daniel and I decorated!
Helping out on freight day... Daniel's parents own the grocery store in town!!!

A late introduction...

2006-12-04T13:33:00.000-10:00

I know we just introduced Kianna to you guys, but about a month ago we adopted another four legged creature to keep our little Princess company!!! Everyone, meet "Ike," which stands for Eisenhouser... the main road on Camp Buehring, Kuwait- where Dan and I met!!! When we got him, he was 7 weeks old and just a tiny little guy. Over the last month, we have watched Ike sprout like a weed... he is just so stinkin adorable!!! Sorry for the late intoduction- but I hope you enjoy the pictures!!!

Aww... he is so little! This was taken the first night we brought him home... he is much bigger now- but he still likes to try to sleep on this step!

This is after his firt swim in the ocean...

Bat-dog!!!!

We are not sure what he is a mix of, but he has some of the coolest markings... reminds me of chocolate swirl ice cream!!!

Happy Turkey Day!!!

2006-12-03T19:03:00.000-10:00

Happy Turkey Day- a little late!

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful and I was reminded continuously of all the things I was thankful for! For one, my family- although we are all sprawled across the world; I am grateful for them and miss them dearly!!! I am also very thankful for Daniel coming into my life. He has been a welcoming surprise and an adventure that never ends. He has such a great look on life and reminds me frequently how loved I am!! Through him I have seen a part of the world that I may have never ventured to on my own and have met some of the most unique and amazing people- including his wonderful family, who have embraced me with their constant love and support (and some of the best packages ever- thanks!!!). In addition, I am very thankful for my friends that have believed in me through my last year and a half of adventuring around the world! Without your loving reminders and support I may have settled somewhere I would have grown to hate. The road has been bumpy- but I have always been known to take the path less traveled and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world!

Below are some pictures of my first Turkey cooking and my first time hosting and Thanksgiving Day Feast!!! It would not have been successful without Dan and everyone else’s help!! Thank you guys SOOOO much!

My very first Turkey cooking!!! Jess and I decided to stuff it with apples and oranges to add juices to it- everyone thought it was great!!!

Dan and I- As you can see I added a few crafts to the holiday celebration!! All the guys wore pilgram hats and all the ladies wore Pocahontas head pieces!!!

The whole gang!!! From left to right... Jessica, Ike (in Jess's arms), Brandon, Sarah, Mark, Jesse, Kianna (being held by Jesse), Dan and Me!!!! See mom, we include the dogs in everything- I got that from you!!!

Happy Turkey Day!!! (cont.)

2006-12-03T19:01:00.000-10:00

Here are some more pictures!! You can see that the crafts didn't stop at the head pieces and pilgram hats... we made construction paper Turkeys for the table center piece!!! With 3 teachers at the table- what did you expect!!!

Yup, those are paper Turkeys at the end of the table... gobble, gobble!

After all the cooking and eating I was pooped!!! But we had an awesome time!!!
Mark with Ike!!! We had so much fun, even the pup was tired!!!

Dan, Dan the Running Man!!!

2006-12-03T18:48:00.000-10:00

Here are a few pictures of one of Dan's latest 5ks!!! It was at the Andersen Challenge- where the Air Force Squadrons compete in different activities/games to see who can do the best. Since HSC-25 (Dan's Squadron) is the only Navy squadron on the air base, it was really important to them to win all the competitions!! Dan represented his squadron by running the 5k... he did really well and placed 2nd overall!!!

At the beginning... can you find Dan???
Dan- pushing it at the end!!!
Crossing the finish line... he was too fast for the camera!!!

I know, I know....

2006-11-29T18:48:00.000-10:00

I am so sorry for not keeping on top of this... hopefully you can find it in you heart to forgive me!

Since the last entry, so much has happened. I have started a new job with the Guam Public School System- I am teaching Special Ed Science at a local High School! The job is exhausting, but I find it rewarding at the end of the day. The school system here needs a lot of work and assistance. Funding is limited, the school's structural conditions are horrible and resources are few and far between. It is challenge to say the least- but it is so far another amazing experience. Besides teaching, I started coaching boy's middle school soccer (for a local Private School). We have had our ups and down throughout the season, but everyone is having fun and that is the most important thing! The soccer season ends before the holiday's and once I return from the break I am going to coach girl's rugby at the high school!!!!

Obviously, I am doing a good job of staying busy! Below are a few pictures from the last 2 months! I will have a Turkey blog hopefully up by the weekend! Enjoy and hope everyone is doing well!

This is a cute water buffalo... commonly known here as a Carabao.

Cliffs on the westside of the Island. There are steps leading down the side of the cliff, but we didn't venture further down because the swells were pretty big!!

This is at the south end of the island. Dan and I climbed up on this huge coral rock- it was very cool! Also around this coral rock were little pools that had formed in the coral. We didn't go swimming, but some locals that were swimming enjoyed making fun of us "haoles" aka, white people!

Just another gorgeous sunset here!!! They never get old!

Ouch...

2006-09-23T19:00:00.000-10:00

So, in my rush to make improvement to the house I totally disregarded all the rules my mom taught be about handling knifes and I now have the scar to prove it! I was working on removing trim from an old dresser and was using a knife to cut the trim off... smart- I know! As I was prying the trim up with a screw driver in one hand, I was cutting the trim with a knife in the other hand. Obviously- I was not cutting away from my body and with my unexpected strength, I cut the trim and the knife came flying toward my forehead! It is nothing serious, but it sure gave me a scare... as well as our neighbor Brandon (I ran over to his house after the fact- I needed a second opinion on whether I needed stitches!). Luckily for me, Brandon doctored me up and two butterfly stitches later I was as good as new. The moral of the story- never cut toward you... ALWAYS away!!! I am so smart... the Garfield bandaide really says a lot- unfortunately, it was all Brandon had to work with at first!!

The Newest Addition!!!

2006-09-20T18:22:00.000-10:00

Dan and I have recently added a new member to the household- please meet Kianna... she is (we think) a Dalmatian/Lab mix and is somewhere around 4 years old! We got Kianna from our good friend Jesse (you can find a picture of him under the Red Dress entry!!!). She is VERY loving and enjoys giving out kisses... especially when you least expect them! She is deathly afraid of thunderstorms and beeping clocks- but loves to run around on the beach (but not a fan of grass)! Here are a few pictures- I am sure there will be more to come!

Aww, here is just one of her pitiful looks...

She is so adorable!!

She is slightly camera shy... we'll break her of that!!

Yigo Party!!!!

2006-09-16T14:36:00.000-10:00

This weekend we had a party at Heidi and Ed's house (new friends) in Yigo!!! Yigo (the "y" is pronounced like a "j"), is the village (the differnt parts of the island are called villages, not towns or cities) we all live in. It is located at the Northern end of the Island- right before the Air Force base. The party was to celebrate all the September birthdays, because there were quite a few... Heidi, Dan, Ed, and Rebecca!! Like always, a good time was had by all and new friends were made in the process!

Dan and me at the Birthday Party!!!

The beautiful ladies- from left to right; Heidi, Ginger, Rebecca, and me!!!

There was some serious karaoke going on- I was horrible, but Dan was really good!!

Dan's Birthday!!!!

2006-09-05T00:46:00.000-10:00

Today we celebrated Dan's 23rd Birthday! I kidnapped him after work and surprised him with a BBQ at a park along the coast. We made it to the park just in time to watch the sunset!! Once the sun fell below the horizon, we grilled up some hotdogs and chowed down on some baked beans!

The birthday boy and me, just before the sunset!

Looking out on the Pacific!!!

Some pretty cool clouds- just as the sunset!

Red sky at night- sailor's delight... that is what my dad says at least!

My make shift cake- it works! Dan still got to blow out candles and make a Birthday wish!

Labor Day Hike!!!

2006-09-04T16:38:00.000-10:00

For Labor Day, Dan and I went hiking to one of the highest points on the island and then down to a beautiful waterfall in the middle of the Jungle!! Below are some great pictures we were able to capture.

This view is looking down on the southeastern side of the island, toward Asan Beach. The picture was taken from an outlook that was used by the Japanese during the "War in the Pacific- WWII" (1941-1945). In 1941, Japan invaded Guam and took over the island so the Japanese could monitor the Pacific more closely. Finally, in 1944 the U.S. Armed Forces was determined to retake the island. The Japanese occupied the hilltops as American forces slowly started taking over the coastline. Eventually, the Americans took over full control, defeating the Japanese and conquering the island. Nearly 55,000 Marines invaded Guam to force the turn over; unfortunately, close to 2,200 lost their lives in doing so.

Dan and me at one of the highest points on island. We hiked from there down into the Jungle!
Dan at the top of the waterfall!!!
A view of the waterfall from the jungle- just enough clearing to catch a glimpse. From the top, was had to descend along the side of the waterfall to reach the basin.
FINALLY! We reached the bottom!!!

By the way, the socks and gloves are not a new fashion trend- the island is covered by sawgrass, making hiking slightly uncomfortable without the appropriate gear... socks and gloves do the trick!

Labor Day Hike!!! (cont.)

2006-09-04T15:01:00.000-10:00

Once we reached the waterfall, we decide to go for a swim!!! The cool water was very inviting and quite refreshing!!

Dan under the falls...

Trying to capture a picture together... not very successful!
The water kind of stung and was pretty cold- a little shocking!

We were fortunate enough to hike back to the car before an afternoon storm rolled in. We watched the clouds creep across the island... we got a great lightening and thunder show!

Red Dress Run!!!

2006-09-02T22:15:00.000-10:00

Today was the Agana Hash House Harrier's (AH3) annual "Red Dress Run", in which all 100-something runners wore red dresses (duh) and ran a four to six mile course throughout Tumon, Tamuning, and Hagatna. Much fun and debauchery was had by all, and these photos will surely convince you of that.

I am proud to say, these are some of my new friends and they are WONDERFUL people! Since I have been on island, I have run with the Agana Hash every weekend and every weekend I leave the "on home" (the end spot of the run- where there is a bbq with beer and food) with having met another great person living in Guam!! I think the AH3 has a website, I haven't checked it out yet- but let me know if you find anything good!

Above: Pre "Red Dress Run..." scary to think I am the only real girl in the picture! (From left to right: Mark, Me, Jesse, and Dan)

Above: Jesse and me... isn't he HOT!

Above: The guys!! Cute... I know!!!

Above: Dan and me... but, who is who???

Goodbye Camp Buehring

2006-09-02T21:44:00.000-10:00

This is just another ending to one of my adventures, but a beginning down a new road that is leading me to yet another far away land that I can't wait to explore. Kuwait was an experience I will cherish forever- it was a time of learning, working, and growing. In my 6 months I encountered times of joy and times of sorrow- but the people I met have touched my heart forever and I love you all very much!!!

Before I headed east to Guam, the gang got together once last time for a final farewell!
Above: A little stressed at the office b/c of all the packing!

Above: My lovely ladies at dinner! I will miss you guys!!!

Above: The Gang at a GREAT restaurant in Kuwait City!!