Okuma...Day Three and Four

Day Three:

We woke up to pouring rain. It continued to rain all. day. long. It was a total bummer. Or was it?....

We were prepared with LOTS of stuff to do, indoors or out. There were books for everyone, which many of us took advantage of. (Except Coree. She was getting mad at her brothers for reading and hid their books in an effort to gain their attention.)

We brought movies (and there were more available on site) and LOTS of food (and there was LOTS more of that available, too...as illustrated below).

Cliff gave the kids each $5 to spend at the shopette. This is the scene I witnessed when I wandered over to the kids' domain:









So much for all those oranges, apples, grapes, strawberries, cherries, carrots and celery we brought, huh kids?



I didn't get to golf, but I did get through half of my book, and thoroughly enjoyed taking a nice long nap.



And, of course, the boys enjoyed tussling.



And we ALL enjoyed dessert at the restaurant. Chocolate makes everything better, right?


Day Four:

Our final day at Okuma, and the sun came to bid us farewell. We got up early, got packed up and checked out...and hit the beach.


For some jet-skiing fun!


(The best self-portrait I could do on a moving jet ski. Not bad, no?)


In hind sight, Cliff and I should have chosen the middle lane so I could photograph both pairs of kids on either side. Instead, you'll have to click to enlarge the photo, squint to see Troy and Jake to the far left, and then see Patrick and Coree on the right. They all looked like they were having a blast.


Maybe too much of a blast...as illustrated here. That's Patrick and Coree swimming back to their jet ski after Evil Knievel Patrick took a hairpin turn.


Both pairs of kids ended up dumping themselves off not once, but twice. Lucky for me, my driver was more mature and cautious than that.



Good times.



Then we headed over to the other side of the resort for our parasailing appointment. We had three boat riders and three parasailors. Can you guess who was brave enough?


(Jake couldn't leave his hermit crabs in the car, so he brought them along for the ride.)



Here's Patrick going up, up and away!




Then it was Jake's turn. He loved it, too!



And who is that up there? If you guessed 'me', you'd be correct. I was a little nervous while signing the liability release...but I LOVED parasailing and I highly recommend it. It was like sitting in the sky. All I could hear was the wind in my hair. If you get a chance to do it...DO IT! You won't be sorry!

This was the first vacation we have taken as a family in almost two years. Only having to travel two hours to do it was a huge benefit. Before we even left, I was ready to make our next reservation. This place is Sah-WEET!



The End.

Okuma...Day One and Two

Okuma is a beach resort for military families at the northern end of Okinawa. I'm not sure how long it's been around. By looking at the accommodations, I'd guess since the occupation...but swanky decor is not why you go to Okuma. You go to Okuma because it has gorgeous water and sand, and TONS of activities so there is something for everyone.

We managed to get two rooms next to each other...a two-room bungalow for the kids, and a single room, kitty-corner from theirs:



Right on the golf course:



Perfect.

It was no small feat getting out of town (making sure the pets were taken care of, the house was ready for Tomikosan {Yea for coming home to a clean house!} and all the last minute stuff that gets in the way...like having to turn around because you forgot your swimsuit) but it was SO worth the trouble.

Day One:

We arrived about 1600 hours.
Got all of our gear unpacked (including snorkeling equipment x 6 and golf bags x 2). Jake took off to explore right away while the other kids vegged in the room.

1700 hours: Rain started, Jake returned, hermit crab in hand...soaked and bummed out.

1800: Gave up on the theory, "It's just a passing cloudburst" and drove the 0.1 km to the restaurant for dinner.

1900: Picked up some movies from the little store. Stopped raining, but it's getting dark. Retired for the evening.

2000: Changed our minds. Went back to the kids' room and asked if anyone wanted to walk on the beach. No one even looked up from the movie (Batman?). Jake replied, "How about you two just go ahead." {Thanks, Jake...I think we will.} No one else is on the beach. We walk out on one of those floating, Rubbermaid docks. It felt like we would fall in. Tried not to scream as I bolted back to dry land. Despite the crabs scurrying every few feet, I bravely continue {holding Cliff's hand} to the end of the beach and then ask if we can go back to the room.

Day Two:

We slept in LATE. There was no sign of rain when we woke up (woohoo!) so we signed up for the snorkeling excursion in the afternoon. The kids opted to eat processed food in the room, leaving the opportunity for Cliff and I to enjoy lunch in the restaurant alone. {I promised my 28 year old self this day would come!}

Even though the rain was gone, the water was still a bit choppy. I knew this would not be good for visibility, but the snorkeling was still decent. Here's proof:




















Once back in the room, we got a tiny nap before Jake was pounding on the door, looking for an escort to play on the beach. I volunteered and took my book along (Laura Bush's autobiography...loving it!). Jake made new friends (like always) and had a great time with his boogie board and snorkel mask:






For dinner, we decided to take advantage of the weather and use the grill provided for BBQ chicken:


And Scottish S'mores:


(Trivia: Scottish S'mores are a Stuart creation. They came about back in 1999 {on a beach camping trip in Oceanside because the shopette had no graham crackers...but did have generic chocolate chip cookies} and they became a tradition because (A) store-brand chocolate chip cookies are cheaper than graham crackers & Hershey bars and (B) the chocolate is built -in and spread out, so you don't bite into a disproportionate chunk of non-melted chocolate. Try it sometime. You're welcome.)





We watched another movie (National Treasure 2) and finished just in time (2055) to turn it in without a late fee. Then, Cliff and I headed to bed and planned to golf in the AM before jet-skiing, bike-riding, parasailing, etc.

To be continued....

Summer (So Far)...

Last Monday night, we had some of our favorite peeps (The Jonsies) over for FHE. It was the first full day of summer, and we wanted to celebrate right...especially since they would not be fleeing the island like they did LAST year around this time, leaving us stranded to fend for ourselves in the fun department.

It was a hectic day for sure, and I wasn't entirely positive I'd have enough time to finish the laundry, errands, etc...AND prepare brownies for the sundaes AND prepare a lesson to make our FHE legit. So, I was surfing the net for some quick ideas...and found my new favorite FHE site. I love it because it is so simply arranged by category. One click on Music Appreciation and my plan of teaching everyone the Cupid Shuffle, followed by an evening of karaoke is TOTALLY justified.


Truthfully, I chickened out and went with a "goal setting" theme (How Mormon is that?!) and centered it around summertime and the opportunity we have to do things we might not otherwise. (But we did still manage to squeeze in some karaoke. Hey...I may be righteous...but I'm not dead inside!)

Anyway, back to the lesson. Each of us made a list of our summer top five and shared (if we chose) with the group. I LOVED that Ma Jones' list included have the children watch less TV...while her daughter's list included watch as much TV as possible. I love kids.

I was already feeling totally pumped as our first week came and went. Then, over at Bebeloo, I read Damaris' summer list, and it inspired me to do one of my own. Because in reality, I have waaay more than a top five. More like a top 500. We're going to need another tour here to do it all. (Not to mention, there's a bunch of stuff I want to catch up on while this ride has slowed down a bit.) The challege: Come up with something for every day of summer. I chose 73...one for each non-school day of our summer vacation. It's just symbolic, really...not like I have to do just one a day. Some will take more than one day...some days we can do many.

But in reality, the biggest reason to celebrate? Cliff being home. We could just stay home and watch Netflix all summer and it would beat ANYTHING we did last year because we were without the best thing this family has going.

Bring on the sticky, steamy, sweaty days, Okinawa...we will see your humidity...and raise you one family determined to make this the most. epic. summer. ever!

Carrie's Scintillating Summer 2010:
(in no particular order)
(Those already completed are in bold)

1. Get in 10,000 steps a day.
2. Make sure kids are up by 9 AM.
   
3. Visit a beach at least once a week.
4. Finally go to Peace Prayer Park.
5. Family vacation to Okuma, baby!
6. Try to Space A to California, end of July.
7. Facilitate kids' summer plans.
   
8. Finish painting the house (either myself or handyman Greg).
9. Do strength training 3 times a week.
10. Make homemade pizza whenever Cliff wants it.
    
11. Prune, weed and hedge all the plants.
12. Help Troy finish his Eagle project.
13. Enroll in UMUC for the Fall.
14. Finish my friendship quilt squares.
15. Take at least 3 walks a week...1 a week to someplace new.
16. Keep walk blog up to date with above.
    
17. Update the Chaplain Spouses' Roster
18. Make welcome basket for Cliff's replacement.
19. Be great sponsors to Cliff's replacement's family.
    
20. Eat as many fresh tomatoes, avocados and pineapples as possible.
21. Try a new vegan recipe each week.
22. Finally. Organize. All. The. Closets.
23. Get all the shredding done and finally go paperless.
24. Visit Pineapple Park.
25. Find the Glass Factory in the Forest.
26. Drive to the very northern tip of the island.
27. Eat pizza with corn on it at Pizza in the Sky.
28. Ride my beautiful beach cruiser at least once a week.
29. Make it so my front porch makes me smile.
30. Take Cliff on a beach picnic.
31. Get my photos their own hard drive. Put them on it.
    
32. Go to Japanese Toys R Us.
33. Watch all the good Summer movies in the theater.
34. Hike Hiji Falls.
35. Take a trip to Tokyo!
    
36. Finish SCUBA certification with Cliff and Patrick.
37. Golf at the new golf course.
38. Read 5 books (not just start...actually finish them).
39. Snorkel at Maeda Point with kids, Susan and Sarah at least 3 times.
40. Take kids to 3 different rollerslide parks.
41. Have a family sushi making party.
42. Correspond with at least 3 people every Sunday.
43. Make overdue dental appointments for everyone. (Ugh!)
44. Teach Troy to cook useful missionary meals.
45. Organize and catalog entire karaoke collection in binders.
46. Take family to Bios on the Hill.
47. Take family to that other nature park Jill told me about (first, find out the name from Jill).
48. Plan a Botanical Garden date with Cliff.
49. Return excess government furniture.
50. Make at least 3 recipes from Hello Cupcake (to justify the purchase).
    
51. Finish decorating master bedroom.
52. Shop at my favorite farmers market every week.
53. Find and explore more castle ruins.
54. Explore Yomitan Village.
55. Find desks for Coree and Jake.
56. Make an apron with awesome Japanese fabric.
    
57. Try yoga for awkward people.
58. Drink enough water. Every day.
    
59. Organize jewelry...again...and polish the silver stuff.
60. Use the ice shaver enough to justify bringing it here.
61. Teach Jake how to make bread.
62. Update and USE birthday list on Send Out Cards.
63. Send out baby and wedding gifts.
    
64. Have someone over for dinner every week.
65. Find parts to fix Troy's bike pedal.
    
66. Toilet paper or otherwise prank someone we love.
67. Send Lisa a postcard I've made from a photograph.
68. Have culture group ladies over to celebrate Pioneer Day.
69. Use my cheery, Indian table cloths. (Reminded why I don't use them when, within hours, it looked like someone {who shall remain nameless} wiped his face with it.)
    
70. Clean patio furniture on back porch.
71. Eat dinner on the patio often.
72. Make a beautiful salad (almost) every day.
73. Send Amie a deployment care package. (And...some bonus ones):
    
74. Go to the Southern most part of the island.
75. Find a man walking a bull.
76. Travel to one of the neighboring islands for a bike ride.
77. Tour Shuri Castle.
78. Find the Chinese garden in Naha.
79. Tour the other cave that's outside of Okinawa World.
80. Eat at 5 different Coco's Curry House Ichibanya. (3 down).
    

Do I dare dream I can accomplish them all?! Well, unless I try I won't. What's that famous Les Brown quote?

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you will land among the stars."

Anyone else have big plans this summer? Share them with us!

Flashback Friday...National Park Tour

Don't you just love a good road trip? This was June 2003. Cliff had just barely returned from his first tour in Iraq (as in, we didn't know if he'd even make the trip) and we went to my brother's wedding in Wyoming. We decided that while we were in that neck of the woods we'd better take advantage and see some sites. Cliff loves nature and national parks, so it was a perfect opportunity.

This also happened to be Cliff's "Golden Week" of birthday, Father's Day and our anniversary. As a matter of fact, Cliff's birthday fell on Father's Day (as it does from time to time). It was the day after the wedding, and we were trying to make it to Mt. Rushmore that night. Turns out, we were trying a little too hard and Cliff got pulled over for speeding just as we got into South Dakota.

Remember, we went right from Cliff's homecoming to packing and leaving for this trip. The van was still painted with red, white and blue window-chalked messages of "We love you, Daddy" and "Welcome Home...Our Daddy Our Hero", etc. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see some of it. (Trivia: That stuff STICKS. I kid you not, 5 1/2 years later, when our van was going to a new home, we were STILL finding little streaks of red or blue chalk.)

So back to the cop. He sees all this writing and asks what it's all about. Cliff told him he'd returned from Iraq less than a week ago and we had just been to a wedding and were headed to Mt. Rushmore. He took Cliff's license back to his car and came back a few minutes later and said, "In light of your service to our country, AND the fact that it's Father's Day AND your birthday, ("How did he know that? Oh yeah...duh! The license.") I'm going to let you go. Slow down.



We took SO many pictures...and these were not digital, either. (We didn't join the digital age until after Cliff returned from his second tour in Iraq the following year.) Rather than include a bunch of bad pictures, I just chose a few of my favorites and/or ones that tell a story. I have no idea where we were in the above picture of Troy. Could have been Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Yellowstone or Grand Teton. I just love the picture. He had just finished 5th grade and life was pretty uncomplicated.



OK, I know you can barely see us...but there are only like 3 pictures of me the whole trip...and this is the clearest one. At least proof that I was there.



Probably the thing the kids remember most about every stop we made...the dreaded "Jr. Ranger" program! We had just made the decision to start homeschooling...so I was a little hyper-vigilant in the education department and insisted they participate in the Jr. Ranger program at every stop. Each time they did, they earned a sweet little badge or patch. I would have LOVED this as a kid. I don't know what their problem was. (I think it's so funny that Patrick is seen chatting up the lady ranger in this picture. He's always been...Patrick.)



This was taken at a night time, patriotic program and flag ceremony. It was beautiful. Before they went into the closing song, they asked for any military members to stay after and come forward to help retire the colors. The program ended with the National Anthem, for which we stood (of course). As soon as it ended, the large crowd started to pour up the aisles and out of the amphitheater, but we remained standing, waiting for a clear path to head down and help with the flag (without having to swim up stream). Only...this little boy in the red jacket didn't get the memo. He saw a crowd, and just followed. It only took moments for him to disappear and us to realize he was gone. Talk about panic! A 4-1/2 year old boy lost at Mt. Rushmore in June! We pushed through the crowds, yelling, attracting as much attention as possible...accosting rangers as we went, who went into action with their radios, alerting everyone to be on the look-out for a blonde boy in a red jacket. I don't know how long it took, but we got word he had been found upstairs (he had even followed the crowd into an elevator!) by a lovely snowbird couple. To this day, Jake insists we are the ones who left him...not the other way around.



This is definitely Yellowstone. If you've been there, you'll recognize the geo-thermal activity going on in the background. You'll also remember the lovely, sulpher smell! (Trivia: A few months later, we were watching some of the videos from this trip. As SOON as these steam/boiling mud shots came on the screen...Jake reached up and plugged his nose. Like it was smell-o-vision or something!)

The entire trip was awesome (even though we tent-camped through the whole thing) and I would recommend it to anyone...but you'll need longer than you think, especially at Mt. Rushmore. It is incredible! It was especially timely and our feelings were especially tender, given what Cliff had just been through. (I would have even gone sans air mattress if that's what I needed to do for him to have this trip...and that's saying something!)



The End.

Absolutely Spent

Jake looks like I feel. The pillow represents life...and the cat represents my calendar. See the look of superiority on her face? My calendar looks at me just like that!

Unfortunately, the blog has just been one more thing for me to feel guilty about not doing well these past couple of weeks. Graduation really threw me for a loop. Really. I think I'd been running on adrenaline and denial for a long time...and the let down was huge.

Now we are dealing with farewell after farewell...whether it's friends leaving the island for good or just for the Summer...it's all depressing.

I am still marking my place here, so I will catch up...and eventually, no one will know I was behind. In the mean time, we are getting ready to take a little vacation. A much needed vacation...to regroup, recharge and not waste another day feeling blah.

And then...you can read all about it here!