Jackson's first day of Kindergarten

Today Jackson headed off to kindergarten. From our balcony I watched him play at recess. He looked like such a big kid. It helps that he's the tallest in his class, but he just seems so much more confident than he used to be. There were a few tears...from me.

Soren turns TWO

Happy Birthday Soren!

Another trip to the toenail whisperers.

Hey batter, batter!

We went to a professional baseball game this week. It started off with a downpour, but nothing stops the Japanese. They are serious baseball fans, very polite baseball fans, but serious lovers of the game. Notice how we are the only white people in the stadium? We're not in Kansas anymore!

Whoopieeeee...

Is there anything better than a whoopie pie? Seriously. I love them so much. I made them just as the kids were going to bed last night. That way I could eat my fill without having to share with my little scavengers. That may seem selfish to some of you--those of you who haven't tried my whoopie pies. Yum-believable!

Little Lady

That's one pretty girl.

Dragon Boat Races

The first week in May is Golden Week, a major Japanese holiday. In the Naha harbor, they have dragon boat races. My friend Sarah and I schlepped our four boys, braving the hot and humid weather. We wanted to cheer on our friend Lisa, who was rowing for the Navy womens team. It was so exciting to watch the boats, rowing to the beat of a gong, in unison and with gusto! I remember my sister had a t-shirt from her rowing days on Lake Washington. It said, "Strong women row to Win!" I do love a tough woman.

Making friends--one cupcake at a time.

Does anyone over the age of 9 love their birthday more than me? I think not. This year, in an effort to make friends through baked goods, I invited the entire Relief Society over for cake at lunchtime. Since I couldn't decide what I wanted most, I went ahead and made all my favorite treats: coconut cupcakes, lemon cheesecake, and the classic chocolate layered cake. YUM! What a great 5th Anniversary of my 29th birthday.






Happy Birthday to me!

Friends Rock!

Our good friends came to visit last week and we had WAY too much fun...because now that they are gone, I am in a funk. But check out all the fun things we did (besides the hours of pinnocle--shocker).

The fish nibble at the dead skin on your feet. It feels insane! I almost climbed out of my skin until I got used to the feeling. It's crazier than ninja spit. I am taking every person I know to visit the fish doctor. What an experience.

Ryukyu Mura--a traditional Okinawan village. Loved the dancing and drums.


We also spent a few days at a beach resort, had our toes done at Cocok's, and watched the whale sharks at feeding time at the aquarium.

Sushi at Delicious. I'm not kidding--this stuff was AMAZING, and I'm not a huge sushi fan. The chef was a freaking artist.

2nd Article of Faith

So our church has something called "The Articles of Faith" which is a list of 13 statements about our beliefs. We've been working with the kids to help them memorize all 13. The 2nd Article of Faith says this: "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." Here's Jackson's rendition:

Roller Slides

Japan has the absolute coolest parks. One of my favorite features is the roller slide. You usually have to hike up a little hill or climb some steps to get the the start of the slide. Then you sit on a piece of cardboard and slide down on a series of spinning rods. It is so much fun. Some slides are faster than others. Some jiggle your butt and some make it hot from the friction. The other day we bought what can only be described as lunch trays, to sit on while sliding. They significantly increase your speed--and isn't that the whole point?! As you can see in the first picture, Soren goes pretty slow and the locals get backed up behind him. But the kids always go back for more. Uncle Chris was a big fan when he was here. We found a park near the airport that had the longest roller slide we've seen. Chris and Christian found a flat piece of wood to ride on and they were flying! I'm starting to realize that it's the little things, like crazy park slides, that you really miss when you move.

 
 
 

Happy Birthday Sydo!

Is is possible that my first born is seven years old? We had a fun day today full of everything Sydney. She started the day by running her first 5K with her dad. I couldn't believe how awesome she was. Three miles is FAR for a little girl! But she did it. Immediately after, we headed to Dunkin Donuts. Nice. Then she opened her birthday presents including the bike she's been wanting. So we rode around the neighborhood before lunch at her favorite restaurant. Next we hit the beach and yakisoba for dinner. Whew---what a day. It was like a triathlon for Sydney. She is such a great kid...we are lucky to be her family. Happy Birthday to Sydo the Kiddo!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Easter egg hunt

Some friends from a nearby neighborhood do an annual Easter egg hunt. We were so excited and got there just before 11:00, ready to find some candy-filled eggs. However, it seemed strange that the big kids were already looking for eggs when we arrived. Come to find out, the hunt started at 10:00. Oops. The one thing I had planned for my kids and we totally missed it. This goes on my application for "Mom of the Year." Luckily there were still eggs to find and my kids didn't seem to notice that everyone else had gone home. Happy Easter!

 
 
 

Old Friends

While Christian was away, I had an old friend here to keep me company...Veronica Mars: seasons 1,2, and 3. Oh how I LOVE Veronica Mars. Why do they always cancel the shows I like? But is was so nice to have the whole gang back to visit. This seems to be a pattern with me...move to a new place, feeling a bit lonely, so I call on my dear friends Veronica and Sydney Bristow. What I appreciate the most is that they always make the move with me. No leaving them behind with only emails and phone calls to keep us close. Seriously, I don't understand people who don't watch TV!

Vacation's over.

It is starting to feel like the vacation is over. Christian is leaving on TDY soon, we have church callings, and I've already backed into something with the car. I've been thinking...OK, this was fun, but now it's time to go home.

So now is the part where I vent. (Feel free to move on if you don't want to hear my bitching.) I miss Target. I miss Wesson. I miss being able to call people at a normal time of day. I miss driving past a building and knowing what it was because I can read the sign. I miss being there for the important events in my loved ones' lives (like my two wonderful friends having their babies). I miss my family and friends. I miss all things familiar.

Here's what I don't miss: Snow. And Wesson's hair. And all things familiar.
Yep, I'm a woman and I'm complicated. I think now I'll go frost the coconut cake I've been working on today. Baking always makes me feel at home.

Jackson turns 5

As much as I tried to convince Jackson to stay 4 forever, today he turned 5 years old. When our kids have a birthday, we spend the day doing and eating everything they want. So for Jacks' big day, he chose to go to the movies to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, to McDonalds for lunch, to his favorite park, and finally to the beach. He topped off the night with a dinner of Cookie Crisp cereal (his choice, not mine!) and jumping on the trampoline with Dad. He also requested I make him a white cake with pink frosting. I was happy to make him pink frosting for his 5th birthday, but if he asks for the same thing when he turns 14, I might be concerned! I think he had a great time. He also assured me that even though he wasn't four anymore, he'd still be sweet and loving at five years old, just a little taller. I love this boy.

Uncle Chris Rocks!

My little brother came to visit last week--our first visitor! We had such a great time. Partly because there is so much to do in Okinawa, and partly because Chris is so fun! We went to a ton of parks with the kids, hit the beach, drove north to the aquarium, and toured a japanese castle. Chris was game for everything. He ate all the local food, explored places I had never been to, and played with the kids. There is a reason why he is everyone's favorite uncle. I can't seem to say enough great things about Chris. I'm so glad he's my brother and I feel really touched that he made the effort to come to Japan to see us. Uncle Chris--YOU ROCK!

OCD overload!

Well, the good news is that we received our shipment of household goods on Thursday. Man is it good to see our things--especially our comfortable beds and couches. The bad news is that the house is a DISASTER! We had the movers unpack the boxes because someone here told us that if you take care of it yourself, you also have to cut down all the boxes to a regulation size or the garbage people won't pick it up. I just couldn't handle one more thing, so we asked them to unpack. Their version of unpack was 1: slice open the box 2: turn over and dump 3: move on to the next box. Needless to say, my compulsive need for organization has thrown me into a tizzy, filled with anxiety over where everything is going to go. We have moved from a 2200 square foot house, to a 1200 square foot house. But I'll say this, and I mean it with all sincerity...I have a testimony of tupperware. Above our stove is a completely useless cabinet. And what have I done? Turned it into a tower of tupperware. When I look at it I am filled with such pleasure. I know...I have a problem. No worry, my husband is a shrink.
In a related story, after we got Sydney's room put together, I went in and found that she'd labels her dresser drawers. I totally did that as a kid. I'm sure Laura, Jamie, and Summer are having a good laugh over this one!


And finally, Happy Valentine's Day! We made red velvet cupcakes and it was a pleasure to have all my kitchen gadgets around me while I baked.