What A Whirlwind!

We left Tokyo around 4:30 Monday afternoon. We had no problems getting to the airport, there was even a playroom for Brady to hang out in while we waited for our flight. Brady was very well behaved on the very long flight! He made friends with the flight attendents and slept for about the last 3 hours. We arrived in Dulles on Monday afternoon. That felt crazy! I knew we had just been flying for 12 hours and to step off the plane on the same day we left was wild! We made it to Jacksonville and had to wait a little while for Greg's friend to pick us up. I'm not going to talk any more about that! Finally, HOME SWEET HOME!!! There truely is no place like it. After being cooped up in a 500 sq. ft. hotel room our big ol' house felt like a true treat. Brady continued to say "Wow!" as he walked around the house and discovered all of his long lost toys! I think it was like Christmas all over for him. Greg went back to work on Tuesday. His boss is... well, I probably shouldn't talk any more about that either! We have just spent our time unpacking and adjusting to the time change. Poor Brady had a rough first couple of days, but has gotten much better. He still wakes up around 2 or 3 in the morning for a couple of hours, but we go to bed around 7:30 or 8 every night, so it hasn't been too bad. I have met our new neighbor and she has kids around Brady's age, so we have played with them a couple times this week. Brady starts school on Tuesday and I'm excited that he will have more time with people his age. One final note, while we were gone an armadillo moved in to our yard! That's right, I said an armadillo. For everyone around here it doesn't seem like that's a big deal. It's totally normal for armadillo's to roam about. Not for me! Our exterminator said he had a trap and could catch it for us. I'm sure that will happen after Greg leaves for Iraq and Anna and an armadillo is not a good combination! The poor exterminator will have to visit our house, once again, to get rid of it!

Last Day in Tokyo!

First of all, sorry the pics on my blog are all messed up, but when I have a chance I'll fix it! Today was another day filled with a whole lot of nothing. We have been on the go for practically every weekend since we have left the states and it feels like it has finally caught up with us. It doesn't help that the high today was 40. We have been spoiled by our tropical 75 degree weather! We went swimming and ate a couple of times. That's about it, aside from our usual nap! It really felt nice to not have anything to do, and we are happy with the tourist thing we did yesterday, so at least we did something while we have been here. We are catching an airport shuttle tomorrow at 10:40 and it is supposed to be a 2 hr ride to the airport. Our plane leaves around 4pm, so we will have some time to spend at the airport. Our flight to Dulles will take about 12 hours. We have a 2 hr layover, and hopefully we get through customs in time to catch our flight home! It will be about another hour flight to Jacksonville. It will be a long day, although not quite as long as the trip here! We are ready and looking forward to sleeping in our own beds. Now that Brady is climbing out of his cribs it will probably be time for a big boy bed. I was hoping to at least wait until he was 2, but he's trying to be ahead of the game! See everybody soon!!!

Tour of Tokyo

Saturday was a beautiful day! A little chilly, but not too cold to enjoy Tokyo. We decided to take a tour of Tokyo to hit the highlights. We began by going to Meiji-jingu Shrine. This shrine was built for Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. The idea is to say a prayer, which is a sequence of clapping and bowing then tossing money into the alter and asking for something you want or need. Next we drove by the parliament buildings and the old Imperial Palace that is now used as a guest house. We took a stroll through the current Imperial Palace's East Garden. It wasn't much of a garden seeing as how it's winter, but there was a waterfall that Brady enjoyed looking at! We met a man on our tour that is a MLB umpire and a detective in Daytona Beach, FL when he's not at baseball games. He was taking in the scenes during the morning and we saw him behind home plate Saturday night during a World Baseball Classic game. Next was a stop at Senso-ji Temple and Nakamise Street which was very much like Chinatown in NYC. Lots of vendors selling purses and all kinds of trinkets and kimono's. Finally, we were dropped off in Ginza, an expensive shopping district. There was supposed to be the biggest toy store in Tokyo on this street. We were expecting something like F.A.O. Swartz, but although it was 3 stories tall it wasn't what we thought it would be. We decided to stop by Tokyo Tower, which was something else we were told to do, but it wasn't included on our tour. We took the subway, which was spotless by the way. There was a lady even cleaning the handrail on the escalator. When does that happen in the states? Never. We got off at our stop and walked and walked with no Tokyo Tower in sight. We found out we were going the wrong direction! So, we turned around and walked and walked and walked until we finally reached the tower. The line was unbelievably long for tickets and even worse for waiting to get up the tower. So we took a cab back to the hotel. It just wasn't worth waiting so long, we had dinner reservations, and we were very tired. Back in our room we rested for about an hour and were off to dinner at the Japanese restaurant in the hotel. Our meal was very yummy. We have had a hard time putting Brady to bed in our room because we are all in the same space and he wants to be up with us. Even when we lay down he just plays by himself. Finally when he couldn't take it any more he fell asleep and so did we! Oh, I forgot to mention I made the security guard mad at the entrance to the hotel because I didn't bring my passport with me and he didn't want to let me in with Greg's credentials. He finally let me go but let me know he was upset that I didn't have proper identification.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Our first full day in Tokyo was cold and wet. Apparently winter is both cold and the rainy season. I guess it's good to get both over with at the same time! We slept in, played in our room, Greg took Brady to the pool which worked out for a little while until Brady fell in and was too scared to get back in. We looked at the gift shops, basically a whole lot of nothing until it was time for dinner. The hotel supplied a babysitter and Greg and I went to a very nice dinner in the hotel's fanciest restaurant. A candlelight dinner with classical music was very romantic! Along with salad and other fixings, Greg devoured an entire 22 oz. Porterhouse steak. The waiter had a look of shock on his face when he picked up Greg's plate. He said he hasn't seen anyone eat the entire steak before! Sometimes I don't think people believe that I really have to cook for 4 people to feed the two of us, and usually there aren't any leftovers. We had dessert and then they brought chocolate truffles. I think they were taking bets in the kitchen to see how much they could make Greg eat! We wanted to visit the fish auction and market, but the information we got about it said strollers were prohibited and small children were discouraged from attending. I'm not sure if it's the flying fish parts when they cut them up with swords or what, but I'll take their word for it and not risk going!

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

We mailed all of our souvenirs and a good deal of other random things home so we could manage the amount of luggage we had to carry. I sure am glad we did this because I could not imagine what we would have done because we still have 3 suitcases packed full, along with 3 carry-ons! The check-in at the airport was smooth sailing. The airline had everything down to a science and we had no worries. I must admit, I was very unsure about how the plane ride was going to go. The last time Brady was confined in a small airplane the results were not optimal. Brady did GREAT!! He was so well behaved, and I was so proud! The flight lasted about 2 hours and once in Tokyo we were bussed to the terminal, collected our luggage, then it was off to McDonald's! I asked a security guard how to get to the McDonald's and because he looked a little confused I asked where I could find a hamburger (making a circle with my hands, which I'm sure clarified everything for him!). He told me downstairs, I said thanks and walked away. A few seconds later he came back over to me and he had written down McDonald's to make sure he understood what I said and that he gave me right directions. Could you ask for better service? Everywhere we have been the Japanese people have been outstanding! We ate lunch, then took a taxi to our hotel. Again no problems anywhere! Our hotel is beautiful! It has several restaurants and shops, and the best part is that I still can't shop without Greg! We are staying in a military resort and it takes an ID to do anything. I can't wait to buy something at Wal-mart all by myself! We have already taken a nap! No big surprise, right? Tomorrow we are going to try to head out to the fish market bright and early where apparently they fillet fish with Samaria swords! Good times!

Goodbye Okinawa

This is it. It is all over. Nothing left to see here. We have completed our final hours on Okinawa. What a wonderful place it has been, from the kind people to the beautiful scenery, this has been an amazing experience. We have been welcomed with open arms (except for the restaurant that kicked us out) by Americans who included us in their lives for a short time and the Okinawans that treated Brady like a rock star! We have done as much as we could possibly do from exploring the very top of the island at Cape Hedo, watching the waves crash as two bodies of water collided (although it was very difficult to determine where one stopped and the other started) to the very bottom of the island at Peace Prayer Park solemnly reflecting on the devastation WWII left in it's wake. Brady won't remember the time spent here, but I think he enjoyed himself. Greg and I are better for this experience. We had quality family time and truly enjoyed each other's company. We woke up every weekend and had no plans, just deciding on a whim what to do that day. What fun! These are days Greg and I will remember for the rest of our lives! Needless to say, I'm a very lucky girl!!

Final Weekend on Okinawa

Well, we have completed our last weekend on Okinawa and move on to Tokyo on Thursday morning. One more weekend to go! Saturday began like most weekend mornings, breakfast then play until naptime. We were going to try and go to a baseball game, but it started in the middle of naptime, so it was a no go. After running a few errands, we decided to go to the Comprehensive Park. This park is supposed to have several playgrounds, boats, fishing, all kinds of fun outdoors activities. We have already been many places that people who live here have never been, and this is a park maybe 2 people have told us they have been. Well, there were signs that got us on a road it was supposed to be on, but we drove around forever and couldn't find it. To make matters worse, Brady was not in the mood to sit in his car seat. Greg is amazing with directions. I have not been somewhere with him where he has not been able to get us out with record time (except in Ireland on our honeymoon, I think all the love he had for me was getting to his head!). Greg was beginning to get frustrated and because Brady wasn't helping matters we decided to head back to a playground on base. All in all it was a good day and we stayed at the park until we were the only ones left! Sunday was again a typical Sunday, brunch then naptime. You know, it's amazing we have done so many things with as much as this family sleeps! When we woke up it was on to the Jungle. The Jungle is an indoor children's playground with all kinds of tunnels, slides, ball houses, and coin rides. Brady was interested in 2 things, the ball house and a plastic house where he could open and close the door and shutters. All of these fun activities surrounded him and he just wanted to go in and out of this plastic house! Afterwards Greg dropped me off at a salon so I could have a pedicure and the boys went out for dinner. The best thing about my pedicure was the toe art. There were so many choices of designs they could do on your toes. Once you choose your design they hand paint it and the artist has 2 inch long fingernails. Amazing! Aside from maybe a dinner or two, we aren't planning any other adventures. Our next adventure begins on Thursday morning with a 3 hour plane ride to Tokyo. Please keep us in your prayers!

I'm Not Sleepy!

We have extended Brady's bedtime while here so he will be more likely to sleep through the night. It has pretty much worked like a charm until it backfired on us last night. We went through the usual bedtime routine and put him down at 8pm. Well, he didn't think that was a good idea. If I had been by myself, I would have continued to put him in his crib every time he climbed out because he needed to sleep, but Greg wanted to let him stay up so I let him. I don't know why. The next time I looked at the clock it was almost 10 pm and Brady showed no sign of stopping. I told Greg that I was willing to put Brady to bed unless he wanted to stay up with him. Well, Greg decided to stay up, so I went to bed. I didn't get much rest because Brady continued to come into the room and try to play! Greg got him out of the room and apparently had to put a table and chairs in front of the door so he wouldn't keep coming in. Finally, around midnight Greg had enough and placed Brady in his crib. Would you believe that Brady climbed out of his crib and tried to get us up? I gave him some milk and he finally was down for the count. When I woke up this morning and walked into the living space, I thought WWIII had taken place! Apparently, Brady did not want anything in any drawer, any toy in the toy box, none of my personal items in the vanity, and no pans in the kitchen. He just felt like things needed to be re-arranged and he was the only one that could do it correctly!

Fun at the Zoo!

Brady and I were invited to a visit at the Okinawa Zoo on Thursday and boy did we have fun! We started the day at the Children's Museum that was 3 stories tall with all kinds of fun activities. It was filled with several groups of school children on field trips. I find it amazing that even the youngest children here are well behaved. I have yet to see a temper tantrum or outburst of any kind. Parents and teachers can let their children roam and not have any problems (at least from what I've seen). The zoo also had pony rides, go-carts, a train, and petting zoo. The problem was that the caged animals were in small cages with concrete floors and either a rope hanging from the ceiling or maybe a concrete tree to climb on. It was very sad to see no type of natural habitat for them. The lady that organized the trip said she didn't even go visit the animals because she felt so bad about the conditions they were living in. She said she bought a yearly pass just in hopes that the money would go to better care for the animals. At first I thought she was just being over dramatic, but I soon found out that she was not. We did not see all of the zoo, just some monkeys, koala bears, bats, fish, and birds. It made for a long morning and both Brady and I were glad to get back for naptime! I have been very blessed to have met people to bum around with. The first week we were here I met a home daycare provider so she and I have done something almost every morning. Stacy (another NCIS wife) has been a lifesaver! She has really gone above and beyond trying to make us welcome and taking us around the island. We are staying in a temporary housing facility, so many moms have come and gone, but for a few days at a time they were good company. We are about to embark on our last weekend here in Okinawa so we plan to make it as fun as possible!

Weekend Activities

Well, we are coming down to the wire now. We have 9 more days in Okinawa, 4 days in Tokyo, and 1 1/2 days on an airplane! Thursday night we had dinner with a few of Greg's co-workers and this little hole in the wall place. It was a quaint family owned place that served probably the best food we have eaten since we have been here. Brady even behaved himself while he ate. The problem is that when he is done, he thinks we should be done too! Greg took the first shift taking care of him and I took the second shift chasing him around. It is a good thing he is a rock star here because everyone in the restaurant loved him. The cook even came out to see him and hold him for a little while! We are going to be in shock when we come home and no longer receive any recognition. Saturday we thought Greg had a battleground tour, so he got up and left early to meet the bus. Unfortunately, the tour was for Sunday! We just lounged around and Saturday afternoon we went to Kokosai Street which is just like a street in New York. It was lined with all kinds of trinket shops, jewelry stores, bakeries, and restaurants. We were walking along minding our own business when out of the blue an old grandma started walking with us. She kept asking how old Brady was and trying to shake his hand. She was very sweet and I thought we might have a permanent guest walking along with us. We tried to get her picture with Brady and she said "no, no, no" and walked away. What I got out of that was that she did not want to have her picture taken, so we lost our grandma! Sunday Greg had a good time on his tour and I'll have him blog about his experience. Brady and I had a typical day here at the room. The fun for me came Sunday night. I went to a spa and had a treatment by the "Doctor Fish." This was the craziest experience! There was a tub filled with warm water and you put your feet down amongst the fish. It felt like tiny vibrations on my feet when the fish were eating the dead skin cells off. It even tickled a little bit! There was a man across from me that had at least half of the fish on his feet... I'm glad my feet weren't that bad! Today Greg came to pick me and Brady up to eat lunch with him and some different co-workers. We went to this fun ramen noodle place and I really should have taken a picture of Brady eating those noodles! Poor kid, we just have fun watching him having new experiences and many times he is the best entertainment around (except in the playroom where he is over all the toys, so he sits and connects/ disconnects the belt on a baby bouncer seat)!

Girls Day Out!

I’m FREE!!! Monday was girls day out, and although I love my boys I was so excited to get out by myself. We began by going to a spa for a treatment where you lay on warm stone tiles. The room was like a sauna and every 20 min. or so you drink mineral water, cool off, and then return to flipping back and forth on the tiles. It felt very good because I was sore from my massage the day before. I haven’t been so pampered in a very long time! From there we did a little shopping then it was off to lunch. We went to a hamburger place called Gordies and it was the best hamburger I have had in a long time. I don’t know what all was on it, I mean, I knew the usual stuff, but it had a different kind of sauce besides ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Yummy! Then it was off for more shopping. There are stores here with very unusual items and let’s just say some costumes for men very secure with their masculinity! From there we went to pick up Stacy’s 6 year old twins, had dinner, then did more shopping at the exchange on base. By the time I got home I was so worn out and ready for some beauty sleep! Greg and Brady had some good daddy/ son time. I think they both enjoyed being together without mommy there too! They had Baskin Robin’s ice cream, Cinnabon, and all the sand from the sandbox you could eat! The one time I spoke to Greg they were at the park and Brady was trying to see how much sand he could put on his head. Good times had by all!

Surprise!!!

Sunday began like every other Sunday morning here on Okinawa, brunch at the officer’s club. Then it was back to the room for nap time. Have I mentioned how great nap time is? I wanted to go to the shopping district in the afternoon, but Greg kept changing the subject and continued to mention just taking Brady to the park outside our hotel. Do you know how many times I have been to the park outside the hotel? It’s almost too many! Just before they went outside Greg told me that Brady had a late Valentine’s Day surprise for me. Whoo-hooo! I love surprises! Greg had scheduled me an appointment to get a massage that afternoon! He is so fantastic! I love Greg whether he does things for me or not, but it is nice to have nice things done for you. The masseuse weighed 10 lbs tops! She was tiny and boy did I underestimate her strength! She was climbing on the table and pulled me in directions I have never been. I’m talking about a massage so thorough she massaged my armpits and the back of my knees. It felt so good! Then it was off to find something for dinner. We ended up at Kenny’s Beer Restaurant, and what we thought would be a low key, family friendly place (it did have beer in the name after all) turned out to be really fancy! The best part about it was there were no straps on the high chair. So while we were given warm cloths to wipe our hands Brady was standing in his chair staring at people seated outside. We managed to wrangle him enough for us to almost finish dinner before he broke loose, but then in the nick of time a piano started playing and he stopped trying to run and began to dance! Talk about timing! We ended our evening by walking around a shopping mall where we discovered that clothes here are very expensive, like a set of 3 baby onesies was $50.00. All in all I would say the weekend was a success!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I’m not sure what I did to deserve my wonderful husband, but I’m glad I did it! On Friday he brought me some beautiful flowers, 2 boxes of chocolate (1 from my new favorite chocolate place and 1 traditional heart box from the states), and a romantic card about farting. Anyone who has spent enough time with Greg can appreciate that! Since I am dangerous shopping by myself according to the military, Brady and I made a Valentine’s Day card for Greg. Not the most romantic thing, but it’s the thought that counts, right? Saturday we had a nice family breakfast making pancakes and then we all took a nap! Got to love those naps! We went to Okinawa World Saturday afternoon. The trip to Okinawa World was very frustrating! Directions around the island are difficult because there are no street names and maps just give you a general idea about where things are located. We drove around for quite some time before we actually found it. When we arrived I realized that I had left the stroller back in our room. Oops! As we were getting Brady out of the car he was only wearing one shoe. I remember giving Greg 2 shoes to put on before we left and Greg remembered putting 2 shoes on, but there was only 1 shoe in the car. Period. Well, the first thing we went to was the Habu snake museum and snake show. I’m sure this is just one of many creepy, crawly things I’ll do with 2 boys in my life! Okinawa World was set up like an ancient village with areas to do different arts and crafts projects along with a brewery and brown sugar factory. On our way home Greg spotted Brady’s missing shoe in the middle of the street! How he realized it I have no idea, he is just so observant. He slowed down just enough to grab it without getting hit from behind. The great thing was that it didn’t look like it had been run over at all and all the lights still worked on it! I’m not sure why we were surprised that Brady would throw something out the window! He has since lost his privilege to ride with his window down! We ended our Valentine’s Day with a gourmet seafood dinner at Captain D’s!

Another fun weekend!

Close your eyes. Take in a deep breath and imagine the smell of perfectly rich chocolate. Suddenly before you is an array of chocolate truffles topped with flakes of gold or dainty flowers. Perfectly hand shaped candy and indulgent chocolate cake surround you on each side. Now you place a piece of that fine chocolate in your mouth and as it melts you taste hints of raspberry, which is good news because you could not read what was going to be inside the truffle! Let me tell you, I have found a piece of heaven on earth here on Okinawa. Fashion Candy's is the only chocolate factory on the island and I wanted to dance after I indulged in the best chocolate I have ever placed in my mouth! This was a perfect way to begin our weekend. This Saturday entailed a trip to Naha. Naha is the city in the most southern part of the island. It reminds me of New York. Lots of shopping, lots of traffic, lots of concrete, lots of people walking around. Did I mention lots of traffic? I'll be glad to go home so I don't have to hear Greg complain about traffic anymore! I realize how good life is in St. Marys more than ever now because in St. Marys Greg doesn't complain about anything. We had lunch in a tree house. It is a very cool restaurant that sits in the tip top of a tree. The view was overlooking the port. We sat outside and enjoyed the view while Brady climbed around everywhere. While Japan is very family oriented, most of the high chairs we have encountered do not have straps to restrain a very active toddler! That means it takes some serious entertaining or sitting as far away from everyone else as possible. Then it was on to Shuri Castle. This is the only castle on the island that has been restored. It was interesting to take a walk back in time. We came back to the room for a nap and then went to dinner at a local tex-mex place. Every Sunday morning we have had brunch at the officer's club. We now look forward to every weekend, just because we know we are going to eat really well! This weekend we shared brunch with several other NCIS families. It has been nice to socialize with the other families. Sunday night we did a little shopping at a local department store and then had dinner at a Thai place. A musician had set up outside of the restaurant and Brady had a blast! He was dancing and clapping enjoying himself and we had fun just watching him. Brady is getting bigger every day it seems. He repeats many of the words we say and will point to the number 2 and say "tu!". The problem is that he will also point to other numbers and say "tu!". He will answer questions we ask him with "no" or "yah" but even though he talks all the time we don't understand what he is saying. He will even come get in your face, tilt his head like a confused puppy and talk looking you straight in the eye probably wondering why we have these big goofy grins on our faces. Monica is having an all day surgery for her back on Wed. Please keep her in your prayers and pray that the 2 doctors will know exactly what to do to make her feel better. Also, please pray for my father-in-law Bill that he will continue to have strength to take care of all the responsibilities he has. I am blessed with a wonderful extended family!

Date Night

I love my son. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for him. However, I have been with him practically 24/7 since Christmas and I am beginning to get a twitch! I met a woman at the park that runs a daycare out of her home during the day and offered to keep Brady for us if we ever wanted to get out at night. We took her up on the offer and finally had a dinner all to ourselves. We went to "The Barrel" restaurant that is actually shaped like a barrel, very cool! We had roasted garlic salad, tuna roll, bacon wrapped mushrooms, steak with basil, mixed tempura, and a complimentary appetizer that we don't know what it was. YUMMY! It was a traditional restaurant so we had to take our shoes off at the door. Greg and I carried on an adult conversation without mention of children, poop, or snot. It was so refreshing to have a romantic evening with my wonderful husband!

It's a parade!

Anyone that knows me should know that my sense of direction is non-existent. I'm talking it is so bad that when I was a new driver, a friend and I were going to Red Lobster and ended up on the Naval Weapons Station. That being said, for some reason Greg trusted me to try to find the place where they harvest sea salt. I drove past this place 1 time when Stacy and I were exploring so I thought I had an idea of where it was. Wrong. We drove around so much last weekend and Greg was not in the mood to repeat it. So we gave up, and on the way trying to find our way out of wherever we were... WE FOUND IT!!! It had a place where you could make pottery, blow glass, and take a tour of how they harvest salt. We didn't do any of that, but I did buy some salt! Does that count for anything? Next we visited the Yomitan Pottery Village. We were able to walk around to different buildings that displayed different pottery items and glassware. It was a beautiful day and lots of fun to just explore. Brady found a puppy behind one of the buildings, so we played with him for a little while. Saturday afternoon we just took care of some errands. Sunday morning I went to the grocery store (with Greg of course because I'm dangerous in the grocery store and can't go by myself). This is only the second time I have been since we have been here. Finally we were off to Nago for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Every source we had consulted instructed us to go to Nakijin Castle for the festival. There were very pretty views and beautiful cherry blossom trees, but no festival. Inside a building tucked in a corner of the grounds a stage was set up for some performances. The Internet said there was supposed to be a parade, but there was no parade in sight. We thought maybe the parade was the performances inside the building. We are in a different country after all. Disappointed we left and drove in to the central part of Nago. As we were driving I told Greg it seemed like there were a lot of people gathered 1 road over from where we were. It was a PARADE!! We found the real festival. The parade was awesome. All kinds of performances, including some men in drag. It would have been better if we knew what they were saying! Vendors were set up with all kinds of food and games. It was a good time. Monday morning we were up bright and early to attend a Superbowl party at Greg's office at 7:30 am. That's right I said 7:30 AM. It was o.k., but we don't watch pro football and Brady kept trying to get inside the evidence storage room. Greg is off early today so I'm not sure what this afternoon holds, but hopefully it will be entertaining!

Hairpuller vs. Bossy, Hitter, and Biter

I'm sure there can be something deep said about a children's playground. It's too early in the morning for me to think of what it is, but I know it's out there! Usually our playground consists of either just me and Brady or maybe just 1 other family. Yesterday, however, it was packed! A mistake I made was taking Brady's ball with us. I just figured that because it's usually just us it would be something different. Well, the ball was a big hit. Unfortunately, Brady was not all about sharing. While I was talking to one of the moms I heard this terrible scream. I looked over and Brady's face was bright red and he was crying. We ran over there and her little girl had bitten Brady's hand. Now, when I say a bite I mean a bite. Deep teeth marks and it was already swelling around the area a little bit. The little girl was the same age as Brady, so she got time out for a little while. He was upset for so long, it was like she ate his soul or something! Well, everything calmed down and everyone was playing nice. Next, in walks a lady with her son in a push car. That was the next big hit! All the little ones were trying to get in at the same time. The little girl that bit Brady's hand was the first to make it on. Next thing I know Brady has 2 fist fulls of her hair in his hands! He would not let go. I had to pry his fingers away! Now it's his turn to have time out. Finally, in walks the hitter. This little boy walked into the playground gate with his hand raised ready to strike! I think he successfully hit everyone on the playground. His poor mom just followed him around and tried to block the strikes. We also met Bossy. She wouldn't let anyone ride "her" horsey and she informed me that Brady WILL play tag and he WILL play hide and seek. I told her to go ahead and hide and wait for Brady to come find her! He wasn't very good at that game!

A Lazy Weekend

First, I want to ask for prayers for my mother-in-law, Monica. She has been struggling with back and hip problems for what seems like forever. It seemed like for a short time she was beginning to feel better, but in the past couple of days things have gotten worse. Please pray with us for complete healing, peace, and relief for her in the days to come.
Not much happened with us this weekend. On Friday night we went out to dinner to a Chinese restaurant with one of Greg's coworkers and family. It was fantastic! On the way home we stopped to shop and met one of the nicest shopkeepers. She was very patient with us while we picked out chopsticks, bowls, etc. We would be ready to check out and then would notice something else we wanted to buy! The whole weekend basically consisted of driving around and stopping 1 or 2 times to check out a store or park. I'm not sure what this week holds, hopefully we will venture out a little bit! Next weekend is the Cherry Blossom Festival. There are supposed to be something like 70,000 trees in bloom. That should be amazing! I'll take lots of pictures!

A Few Things I Have Learned

1) Konichiwa= Hello
2) Arigato= Thank you
3) The bathrooms here are so clean you could eat off the floor
4) The ingredient in the Soba noodles was not imitation crab, it was some type of compressed fish cake
5) It is possible to read 2 books in 2 weeks ( I really did this, incredible!)
6) It is possible to live happily in a 500 square foot room
7) It doesn't get old having cleaning people come every day
8) Greg hasn't learned anything, he apparently knew everything before we came
9) The best way to stop a wind tunnel (and extremely noisy vent) is to stuff it with hand towels
10) Greg really can drink an entire pot of coffee by himself
11) Brady can climb out of his crib. EEEKKKK!
12) It is impossible to keep quiet when your husband has to drive on the wrong side of the road and you think he may not see the car directly in front of you
13) It's normal to run red lights (isn't it?)
14) Using chopsticks to eat everything isn't always that easy
15) Brady is a rock star (teenage girls have actually squealed when he went past them)

The Long Road Home

After enjoying our time in Okuma, it was time to go home. Of course we could not just go straight back, so we had to make some stops along the way! The first stop was the Nago Pineapple Factory. That's right, an entire facility dedicated to the pineapple. We rode an electric cart around several different kind of palm trees, different varieties of pineapples, and a section where they make charcoal out of pineapple. Next along the tour was a seashell museum. I'm not really sure what this had to do with pineapple, but it was at the factory so what do I know? This didn't take very long. We walked through quickly trying to occasionally act interested in a seashell. This wasn't Greg's cup of tea. We caught up to some tour groups (this was a very popular place) and were led like cattle to the tasting room. They had everything from wine to cookies. Pineapple wine is not as good as it sounds. Managing the stroller through the crowd proved to be too much, so I held Brady as Greg carried the stroller. Brady started twisting and trying to get down, so as a distraction I started giving him cake samples. The next thing I know, he is pushing people and pulling on some shirts as he points to cake they are standing in front of. Once we safely made it outside a strange man came up to us and motioned that he wanted to take a picture of Brady. Now, I don't know about you, but it seems strange to take random children's pictures. Brady looks worlds different from the children here on the island, but how do you explain the blonde headed kid in your stack of pictures? I hope he makes up a story about how that child saved the entire pineapple factory and all of the tourists in it! A glass making store was right down the road so we stopped in to take a peek. It was very interesting watching these men make vases and cups right in front of us. We went into the store and the glassware had a sticker saying "made in Vietnam." Yeah, I thought the same thing you are thinking right now! The next thing on the list was lunch. On the way we stopped so I could get something out of the trunk. The playpen we rented from the campground was still back there...OOPS! Since we were very hungry we decided to deal with that later. We went to a place called Pizza in the Sky. When they said sky, they weren't kidding. We went up a mountain, down a dirt road (once again our directions were in question), and ended up at this restaurant tucked way up in the clouds. What a spectacular view! They put a fan on the table with a choice of different drinks and a small or large pizza. When the waitress came you point to what you want. You didn't get a choice what was on the pizza. It came out drowned in cheese with corn, yes I said corn, pepperoni, ham, onions, and peppers. It was fantastic! We have realized that you just have to go with the flow and step out of your comfort zone to have a wonderful experience. Now, back to Okuma to return the playpen! The best part about it was we were able to go straight to the weaving factory and it was open to take a tour. We walked upstairs to a room set up with a small room with a large pot of boiling water where 2 people were wetting some sort of fibers. The next room was filled with several looming machines with people working. It was a strange feeling walking around there. It was like we entered some sort of sweat shop. I'm just glad there weren't any children working there. It turns out that they make fabric called Bashofu out of a type of banana fiber. Local plants are used to dye the fabric blue or brown. Brady made friends with the cashier there and they laughed together the entire time I was shopping. We went back to the woodworking shop and it was still closed. We stopped at a bookstore on our way home. I'm not sure why seeing as how we can't read Japanese, but whatever! Finally we landed at home sweet home. While we were away I couldn't help thinking about something my mom always told me, that it's the everyday ordinary moments that make up a lifetime. Since I've begun writing down our everyday ordinary moments I have become more aware of the joy in our lives. God has truly blessed us and has provided a life that we sometimes take for granted. It is important to take in the moments and enjoy them to the fullest instead of waiting for something "great" to happen. Ordinary life can be GREAT!

We're lost and everything is closed!

Sunday began with a trip to Cape Hedo which is where the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea meet. Once again, a breathtaking view. Next was a shopping trip at the farmers market and indulgence in some sugar cane ice cream (very, very, yummy!). The other two activities planned was a trip to a weaving workshop and a woodworking shop. Trying to find the weaving workshop turned out to be quite a problem. The first problem was misunderstanding the directions. We parked our car where we thought we were supposed to and began walking. We ventured through a neighborhood and finally found the right place to park. Greg went to get the car while Brady and I waited next to a homeless guy and his dog. With the directions in hand once again, we still couldn't find the workshop! Finally we found the small path leading up a hill to the building on the right side of the road. The workshop was closed! Next was the woodworking shop. That was easy to find because it was on the main road. That was closed too! The only logical thing to do next was eat lunch and take a nap. We went down to the beach and Brady hated the sand on his bare feet. When we tried to get him to stand, he would scream and climb all over Greg to get as far away from the ground as possible. There was a shiny gold coin next to where we were standing and it turned out to be a $1 coin. For some reason Greg trusted Brady to hold the coin, however he told Brady over and over not to lose it. 2 seconds later Brady dropped the coin in the water and it was never seen again! We played at the park and went for a family bike ride on a bicycle cart. We had to wear helmets and every time we tried to get Brady's helmet from covering his eyes, he would pull it back down over his eyes. I'm not sure what he meant when he did that! Surely we weren't scary drivers! We found a restaurant in town to eat dinner and before we could sit down we were kicked out! We couldn't understand what they were saying, but we think they didn't want Brady there. We didn't understand the guy say "sorry" as we walked out the door. Now what?? Just down the road we found a bakery. What's better to make you feel better about being rejected than some dessert! We ordered almost 1 of everything in the case! As an afterthought we asked if they served food. They did!! Greg and I had soba noodles. It is a very popular dish here in Okinawa. It is noodles in a broth with pieces of pork and imitation crab. Topped with green onions and pickled ginger it was very good. Eating soup with chopsticks is an adventure! Back in our room we ate dessert. Have I mentioned before that exercise isn't going to do much for me here?

Road to Okuma

First, I want to send my sympathies to the residents of South Georgia! I hear it is extremely cold and I hope you all make it through! Also, I'm really glad we are not there!! So Saturday morning we pack up the car and set out for Okuma, Japan. The first stop was the botanical gardens and Aquarium. We took a stroll through the gardens which was laced with blooming flowers, breathtaking views of the East China Sea, and trees that had what looked like roots attached to the trunk about 2 feet above the ground. Our final destination was the aquarium. The dolphin show was the family favorite. It actually kept Brady's attention for the most part and all he would say was "Wow!". It was interesting to see the underwater exhibits with sharks and all kinds of tropical fish. There were even hot pink fish...who knew?? Once we arrived in Okuma we began to look for our resort. We pulled up to a hotel that had tropical flowers and greenery everywhere, an arbor leading to the door filled with more flowers, gift shops, a spa, tennis courts--yeah, it was the wrong place! Ours was further down the street. Our resort was a military campground with tan concrete buildings! It actually turned out to be great, but it was funny the difference of what I had pictured in my head and what it really was. Our room faced the sea with mountains in the background. I keep saying this place is beautiful, but I'm not sure how else to describe it. It is truly a tropical paradise and what's better is the people here all act as if they are on vacation. There is never a rush, we have never heard a police siren, and kindness just oozes out of everyone here. We had dinner at the very convenient restaurant next to our suite, watched t.v., then went to bed excited about what Sunday would bring!

A New Friend

Friday morning I met another NCIS wife named Stacy. She is very energetic and the official "I Love Okinawa" welcome wagon! She picked Brady and me up Friday afternoon and took us on a tour off the beaten path. We went by an animal refuge center that had an ostrich, Llamas, goats, sheep, rabbits, and although we didn't see Friday, she said there are bulls that just roam through the farms. Very random place in the middle of nowhere! The parks had beautiful waterfront views, however the playgrounds were interesting. They had a small wooden playhouse, but the main attraction was a concrete ditch that ran down the mountain with rollers inside. Basically, it was a giant slide, so you sit at the top and the rollers make you slide very fast. Greg and I will have to try it sometime! We stopped by a lighthouse (the only one I have seen) and it was awesome. It sat up on jagged reef with the waves crashing below. It was fairly busy with people milling around everywhere, and with no sense of embarrassment a man stepped by a few trees and relieved himself. I'm not really sure why he didn't use the facility bathrooms just a few steps away. I guess he really had to go! Stacy has a history degree and she was spouting off all kinds of history details during our drive. It was very interesting to hear all she had to say, but I don't really remember much of it! Old age, I guess! The graves here are free standing structures for each individual family. They are made of marble or concrete and are clustered together on different parts of the island. Apparently, the first born daughter or the wife of the first born son has to clean the bones of the decomposed body, then the bones are cremated, put in a vase, and set on a shelf inside the family tomb. Glad I'm not the wife of the first born son!!

It's all starting to come together!

Life in Okinawa is becoming better and better. The weather has taken a turn with yesterday and today being sunny, fairly warm, and a nice breeze. This is in contrast to the extremely windy and cold weather we have been having. Through the weekend it is supposed to be sunny with highs around 70, now that's what I'm talking about! Brady and I were able to play outside all morning which is nice to get some fresh air and explore a little bit. He is beginning to adjust and is finally on a schedule. He wakes up at 6 am, but that is better than 2 and 3 am. It works out so that I can exercise in the morning and be back in time for Greg to get ready for work. I would like to think that exercising would make a difference in my body, but with all of the things we are eating I have a sneaking suspicion it won't! Speaking of eating, we had a civilized dinner at Chili's the other night. By civilized I mean all 3 of us ate at the same time with no screaming or squirming by anybody. Greg has made reservations for us at a resort this weekend in Okuma, Japan. It is the home of a waterfall that we were told we must see, however it is closed because the path leading the way is under construction. Regardless, spending 2 nights at a resort on the ocean still sounds like a great idea to me! With our adventures being so wild close to home, it should be interesting to see what happens when we are away. I'm sure it will be a good time and look forward to sharing it with everybody!

Elvis Impersonation Convention?

Well, our second day of freedom (Greg from work, Brady and I away from the base) was very easygoing. We ventured back to the shopping that Brady cut short the day before. We just walked around different shops then found ourselves in a Japanese grocery store. Greg was in charge of navigating the bakery and I looked at fruit then wondered around aimlessly not knowing what anything was. We ended up with a few new treats to try. Let me tell you, we had some of the best danishes. My favorite was a puff pastry with some sort of custard filling, then topped with blueberries. YUM!! We went down to the beach and just walked around for a little while. There was a very cute puppy in front of a shop and Brady cared more about the puppy than the water. On our way back to the car we caught the tail end of a parade! We didn't get close enough for pictures. The next thing we know, a large group of men dressed in some sort of traditional outfits walked up carrying large banners. Several of them had "Elvis" type hair styles, so Greg guessed maybe it was an Elvis impersonation convention! He is so crazy! There were several of these groups one dressed in red, one in yellow, and a couple other colors as well. Women were dressed in very fancy kimono's. Maybe it was a wedding celebration. It would have been nice to know what was going on, but we didn't ask anybody on because people around us seemed to be confused as well. When Brady woke up from his nap, we went to the park and then had ice cream for dinner! The ice cream shop had several different varieties of ice cream but both Greg and I had something familiar. Maybe next time we will be more adventurous. We are back to the daily grind and look forward to next weekend! I made dinner last night, but get very nervous because I don't want to make the building evacuate like Sat. night because I burned our food! That may be my good excuse for us to eat out more often :). We miss seeing all of our friends and talking to everyone on a more regular basis. It would be much easier if we weren't on such a different time schedule. I'm hoping at some point we will try the church service here on base, but without a nursery that could be a disaster. Keeping an 18 month old both busy and quiet at the same time is almost impossible. It may even be impossible, I have never been able to do it! Well, I'll write again when something besides going to the park happens.
p.s. Adrienne, thanks for commenting on all my blogs! It makes me feel special!!

First day of exploration

Greg and I had great plans for today! The problem was that Brady had his own plans for today! We forgot to consult with him before we set out and that was a mistake. It all started just fine. We went to the ruins of Katsuren-gusku Castle. It had beautiful trees, flowers, and a spectacular view of the crystal blue ocean. It was very much in ruins so there was not much there as far as the castle was concerned. The weather today was extremely windy and it felt very cold. I think the temperature was in the mid 60's, but the wind made it feel colder and it was out of control! We did not stay very long. On the way back to the car we found a camera that someone had forgotten. We took it to the ticket counter and Greg tried to explain to the lady that we found the camera and wanted to leave it with her in case the person came back to get it. She did not speak English very well and we certainly don't speak any Japanese, so she looked very confused at what he was trying to tell her. He finally tried to use gestures to help her understand and she smiled and nodded like she understood, but I think she just wanted this crazy American to get away from her! From there we went to the "American Village." It is a section of town that has all kinds of shops and restaurants. It also has the largest ferris wheel I have ever seen! We decided to go to the mall and shop until we were hungry. Brady didn't really want to go to the mall. He should have told us before we got there, but he waited until we were inside to start complaining. He didn't want to sit in his stroller, he didn't want to walk with us, he didn't want food or drink. He did however want to pull things off the shelves, climb into the fountain, climb on the counters and put his face and hands all over the glass. We finally tried to make him sit in the stroller which was a very bad idea. He started screaming and kicking like we were trying to kill him. I don't even want to know what those poor people in the mall thought of the situation! Brady was not in any kind of mood to sit through a meal, so we decided to come home to eat lunch and he could take a nap. The problem was that once again we did not check our plans with him and he decided that a nap was not in his schedule. We tried to get him to sleep for almost 3 hours! He was having nothing of it. That meant at least 1 of us was not going to get a nap either. That would be me. After Greg slept for a little while we decided to check out the exchange to pick up a few things. Once again Brady was more interested in climbing on the furniture and pulling things off the shelf instead of shopping like a normal person! So once again the shopping was cut short. It is a good thing we are going to be here for a while because apparently it is going to take several very short shopping trips to buy all of the things we want! Greg had heard from several people about this really good steak house at the Four Season's Hotel. We decided that we would go eat there for dinner. By this point we should have known better! We pulled into the parking space, turned around to tell Brady we were going to get out and he was ASLEEP!!! All we could do was look at each other and shake our heads. On the way home we stopped at a take out place and Greg ordered a few things from a menu written only in Japanese. It was a great surprise to see what we were going to get! Once home Brady was put in his crib and we proceeded to eat a fantastic meal of some sort of ramon noodles, steamed dumplings, and chicken and rice with lettuce, tomatoes, and a white sauce mixed all together. Being a parent is a life filled with all kinds of sacrifice! Cold meals, sleepless nights, changed plans, but yet it is all worth it when he lays his head on your shoulder or dances to the sound of the fire alarm. That's right, I said FIRE ALARM! How were we supposed to know that the best part of our day was yet to come? Greg had just gone to bed and I had settled in to write this blog. All of a sudden the power goes off and a very loud alarm starts to sound with a voice saying "Attention, there is a fire on the second floor. Please wait for further instruction." There were 2 problems with this announcement. First, we are on the second floor, second, if there is a fire why am I waiting? I stick my head out in the hallway and all I hear is some poor kid crying that she doesn't want to die. The next thing I know another announcement comes confirming there is a fire on the second floor and the building needs to evacuate. Another announcement comes from the front desk restating that there is a fire and everyone needs to evacuate. I went to get Brady and just started to grab anything I could hold. I was nervous, but Greg was very cool. He took his time getting dressed and outside. When we walked into the hallway it just smelled like chicken terryaki and Brady began to wave his arms to the sound of the alarm. We sat in our car and I realized that the batteries in the camera were dead and I didn't have any more with me. So, Greg went back into the burning building to fetch me some batteries! He is such a hero! I had to document this perfect ending to the perfect day with pictures. The fire truck came and went. We were allowed back inside and not 2 minutes later there was an announcement stating that there was a fire in the office building! I haven't heard anything else about the office, so I hope it is o.k. Thankfully Brady went back to bed with no problem! I am excited to see what tomorrow holds! I better get to bed because Brady likes to wake up in the wee hours of the morning. The only good thing about that is I have been awake to work out every morning!

Real Housewife of Camp Foster

I feel like I could be on a t.v. show! I have a personal assistant to help me manage my days. He is very cute and lets me know when it's time to go to the playroom, ride up and down the elevator, eat snacks, take naps, and any other interesting activity we can find. He is only 18 months old, so he doesn't have that much experience, but he has me trained very well! When we are finished with our wild adventures through the halls of our lodge we come back to our room that has been cleaned!! Every day these wonderful women bring us fresh linens and thoroughly clean our room. I have a gym with different kinds of equipment so I can customize my workout. My life is truly blessed! Yesterday Greg's friend drove us around town showing us the different military bases. We went through a Japanese neighborhood and the houses were right on top of each other. Each one is pretty plain, not much room for landscaping, and there are no street names. When we turned out of the neighborhood there were 2 mirrors that reflected each side of the street to make sure we didn't pull out in front of someone. Very different! I was able to get a visitor's pass that allows me to go shopping with Greg but I don't have any rights to do anything else. They were going to get me a pass to be able to go on and off base unaccompanied, but it still wouldn't allow me to get grocery's without Greg. It seems like there is something wrong with that! Apparently I am a threat shopping at the exchange and commissary without supervision! Brady is beginning to get settled into a schedule. The first night we didn't think that jet lag was going to bother us, but then yesterday it kicked out butt! Poor Brady woke up several times last night. Today is better. Both Greg and I are feeling rested and Brady was able to go down at a decent hour for his nap. We will see how tonight goes. Greg took a driving test today and was issued a gov't vehicle. He seems to be adjusting well to the new office. He is taking over a few cases from one agent that is transferring to another office and will be working new cases as they come in. He is able to come home at lunch, which is nice to have a little extra family time. This weekend we are going to venture out both on the city bus and by renting a car to explore our new surroundings. I'm sure there are going to be some interesting stories to tell!

Longest day of our lives

We have just completed one of the longest days of our lives. After choosing the newest member of United Airlines to complete the apparently complicated task of checking our bags and printing boarding passes, we boarded an airplane in Jacksonville, FL at 9:30 am on a flight bound for D.C. Brady was well behaved for the first hour of our trip (ice and 2 cups do wonders when in a tight space), however, the final 40 minutes he decided it was appropriate to scream. I'm not talking about a cry that lets us know he is dissappointed we put him on a small airplane, it was more like "I'm going to make you pay for making this terrible decision. I can't believe what terrible parents you are and I'm going to make sure that everyone in this plane and any other plane that may be close knows exactly how mad I am." The poor flight attendent was trying everything she could to make Brady happy, even resorting to asking him if he wanted to read her romance novel! Once we arrived in D.C. I picked up some lunch and Greg and Brady went to the gate to get the next set of boarding passes. The plane had already been boarded so we had to rush to find our seats and settle in for the long haul. Our seats were wonderful! There was enough leg room so Brady could sit on the floor and play. We had a wall directly in front of us, so we didn't have to worry about Brady bothering anyone. Brady was extremely well behaved on this flight! There were many people praying for our trip and we just figured that maybe they had their coffee and then prayed since our early flight was pretty darn bad! We had a sweet flight attendent assigned to our section and she went out of her way to make us comfortable. This flight lasted about 14 hours. Brady did not have a nap and finally fell asleep about 10 pm (GA time), so he only had about 4 hrs. of sleep the entire day! Even still, he was happy and easy to deal with the entire flight. Greg and I were starting to feel the effects of such a long day, but there was still a long way to go. Once arriving in Tokyo we made it through immigration and customs with a baby, stroller, car seat, 4 carry-ons, and 4 checked bags that had to claimed and then rechecked for the flight into Okinawa. By this point everything was beginning to be a big blur! The flight to Okinawa was another 3 hrs. After 1 step onto the plane Brady went CRAZY! He started screaming and nothing we did would make him stop. I could just imagine the thoughts of the poor people who just wanted to get a little sleep! Brady screamed through the time it took for everyone to board, the taxi to the takeoff, the takeoff, and until the seatbelt sign went off. Once again we had the best flight attendents. They made a toy to try to make Brady happy! I think in order to keep everyone's sanity, the attendents let us play in the kitchen area. Finally, with about 30 min. left in the flight Brady fell asleep! As we were leaving the airplane people were wishing us good luck and telling us how bad they felt for us! One of Greg's old cop buddies picked us up at the airport and we had another hour of driving before we finally made it to our room. We left Florida at 9:30 Monday morning and arrived in Okinawa at 12 am Wednesday morning. This experience can definitely be classified as the longest day of our lives!