Sometimes it's not OCD and you really DID leave the oven on!

We have really been enjoying Cliff's leave over the holidays. He had leave he needs to use up, so even though we had no plans to go anywhere, he decided to take leave at home. This helped greatly with the Christmas preparations...and after Christmas it's been great to get some things done around the house. We are "Clean Sweeping" a kid's room each day, followed by something fun at night. Last night we headed to a distant base to see the Cirque du Freak movie.

Well...all of us "headed" there...but I ended up dropping them off and coming back. You see, Cliff had surprised us with a delicious leg of lamb for dinner. Unfortunately, it wasn't as cooked in the middle as we'd have liked...so he put it back in the oven just while we were eating. Or that was the plan. We were sitting in rush hour traffic, about midway there (30-40 minute drive) when I asked him if he'd left the lamb in the oven. Facepalm.

I tried calling neighbors to see if maybe we'd left a door unlocked so they could get in and just turn the oven off. Locked tight. Cliff offered to drop us off, but he had read those books to the kids and I really knew nothing about them (from what I hear, it wouldn't have mattered) so I elected to drop them off and head back to turn off the oven.

It wasn't as bad as I imagined...although I'm sure the smell was driving the animals insane. I turned the oven off and ran a couple of quick errands (mail, bread, gas) and turned around to go pick them up. They were hungry when we got home and decided to dive into the burnt lamb.



It wasn't too bad, actually.



Brownie agreed.


I should have thought to take a pic when I took it out of the oven...



But I didn't until about this point.



Bad to the BONE!

My Favorite Okinawa Christmas Tradition

Don't get me wrong...I love an old-fashioned Christmas dinner as much as the next guy. Especially if there is extended family thrown into the mix. We miss being close to family over here.

Last year, since Christmas Eve was our first day on the island, we felt no guilt about not making a traditional meal...but going to the Officers' Club buffet instead. When Christmas was approaching this year, we decided to make this our new tradition and Cliff made reservations again. It was spectacular. There is a little something for everyone. The turkey was dry...but the sushi and salmon were Yum-EE!










They clean up pretty good, huh?



Spying on Jake chatting with a friend from school while he waits for crepes.



Decided to just come clean and ask them to pose for me.



Then Molly came up and told me I was doing it wrong...







Beautiful family




Merry Christmas, Cutie Pies!

Christmas Morning 09

Anatomy of Stuart Christmas morning 2009:










(Total shocker, BTW...he knew I wanted one, but I certainly didn't expect it! I love this man.)



Kung-Fu. The entire series. Yes, I've just sentenced myself to 65+ hours of this. You're welcome.











Ralphie had a bunny suit...Cliffie has a monkey suit.



And a new Nike running suit.



Patrick got his Letterman jacket! (although it didn't make it in time...so these pajamas will have to do in the mean time). Troy got his, too (pajamas with a Letterman jacket order form)...but somehow I missed that photo.



Kitty wants us all to remember the gift that she is to the world.











Cliff is such a good sport. I saw this at Jusco on clearance with some other adult-sized animal costumes. (Only it was in the women's lingerie dept...not sure what that means.) Anyway, I knew I had to have it just for the gift-opening impact. It didn't disappoint. It was only icing on the cake that he actually donned the thing.



One of many new Webkinz











A special football ornament from Germany. Do they play football there?



I've seen Troy doing that new "Jerk" dancing that's all the rage. He's pretty good. Uncle Justin...hope you are practicing for the rematch!







This might be the last Christmas she gets the American Girl dress. *Sigh*







Coree LOVES "Where the Wild Things Are" and wishes it was already out on DVD. This ornament will have to do.



Patrick loves his ornament, too!



Can't wait to see how her artwork progresses with her new pastels and watercolor pencils!



Sweet Brownie waiting so patiently for her rawhide cane.



Merry Christmas, bad dog.



Doesn't Kitty look thrilled to open her stocking?



Wow...she's thrilled now:







And holiday scones with hot cocoa to round it all out.

Merry Christmas!

Flashback Friday...Troy's First Christmas

One of my favorite pics of all time. (Right up there with a father/son bathtime photo that Cliff won't let me share publicly.)

Christmas with kids is epic.

Troy is only 4 months old in this photo. He was a giant even then!

Love that baby face. He really hasn't changed that much, actually...he's just grown into his head.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Gift Exchange 09

(By the way...we celebrated one year on Okinawa today! It has sure flown by.)


We were all eager to get home and carry out our Stuart family Christmas Eve tradition...the gift exchange! Many years ago...6 or 7...we started drawing names among our family members so that everyone could have the experience of buying gifts for each other with their own money, but they didn't have to buy for everyone. (5 gifts is a lot!) We draw names early in December and let the scheming and planning begin.


The youngest got to give his gift first...then it went up the family chain.



A watch! And a nice one, too. Jake really went above and beyond.



Coree got Patrick...



Brazilian Ju-Jitsu instructional DVDs. Patrick loved them!



Patrick got Troy the movie "Taken". Totally intense. He'll be watching that one when the younger kids have gone to bed, for sure!



Troy got Jake...



A cocoon of Scotch tape.



Nice! Isn't brotherly love special?



Wow...a handbook of guns. As if Jake doesn't already know everything about every weapon the military has ever issued? Well...this will be great review.

(OK...is it just me...or is there a "violence" theme going on with the boys' gifts this year? Nice Christmas theme, guys.)


And Mom got Coree...



A Woody doll! With requisite floppy legs AND a bonus removable hat!

(Trivia: Troy and Patrick were preschoolers when the first Toy Story movie came out. Troy had everything Buzz and Patrick had everything Woody. When Coree was a little tike, she inherited Patrick's Woody doll. She loved him and took him everywhere. When she was 5, I figured it was safe to toss the Woody doll, as he had seen better days. I was wrong. She has never forgiven me. He was like $1.99 from Burger King, with purchase. He was small and didn't even have a removable hat...but Coree loved his floppy legs.)



Love at first sight.



Cliffie got me...a book about "It's a Wonderful Life" (my favorite movie of all time since I was in 7th grade). Pricetag fail. Head-palm. Made for a great laugh, though.



It was Patrick's turn for scripture reading, but we broke from our usual reading and Patrick read from Luke 2.


I always love this part.

(sorry to break the reverent mood...but can you see where I stopped painting in the back? I just decorated right over it. Nice, huh?)



Family prayer and hugs all around...and then headed to bed so "Santa" can come.
(But not before I snap this goofy pic.)



Wow, and they posed for a nice one, too!

We thought we were so clever getting everything wrapped at the fundraiser so we could get to bed early...but since we stayed so late at the LaBancs, we were still up till 2.


Then I had to sneak out and get these pics of all "Santa's" hard work. The stockings are hung...on our "ghetto" hangers with stock photos still displayed.







Still didn't get to that fish stocking I've been meaning to make for the cat, darn it...or the matching Stuart tartan stockings for the rest of the family, for that matter.
















Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!