Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great day. My seven year old helped me cook, we had a great time. We made pies the night before and had a blast doing that together.
She got the turkey ready, then she dissected the heart and liver and whatever else is in that bag. We examined every piece, then went online to see if they were similar looking to human organs. I have pics of her cutting those things up, I will save those for later!
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I got the other two involved in peeling potatoes. They were a big help. There is a child missing and i still do not know where she went during the cooking. She's slippery that one.

The next day we had one other couple over and 4 single soldiers. They are such nice people. We have some cool soldiers in our company.
They played Wii while we finished cooking and we ate and ate. They went home and then another family came over for dessert and games. We had the best time. They didn't leave until 11:30 p.m.
We had so much fun though we didn't realize how late it was.
I was going to go shopping today, but I really don't need anything and I like to sleep in. Plus I am the kind of person who doesn't need the crock pot but has it in their cart because it is 50% off. I am ridiculous in those situations. So I stay away from them.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, had a great time with friends and family.
To my family, I miss you and Love you.

Christmas Shopping

We are supposed to be sharing where our favorite place to shop is here on the island.
I am not sure about off base, but for Christmas decorations, I love love love the marine gift store on Camp Foster. It is awesome. I picked up the cutest ornaments to send back to my family. Coy fish.. Love it.
Sadly I have no pictures of the store but it is festive. If you are not feeling like it is the holidays yet. Head on over. You will start humming "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."
Plus the prices are very reasonable. So if your feeling blah about Christmas make a stop and you'll feel better. I am sure the naval and Kadena gift shops are equally festive. So stop by. You would think I volunteered there. Nah. Just spend money!
I would tell you the hours of operation but then I would have to look that up. *OK here are the hours, I couldn't leave you hanging like that.
Tuesdays and Sat 9:30-3:30 Thursday and Friday 9:30-1:30. Here is a link. http://www.marinegiftshopokinawa.com/storehoursandlocation.htm Here are some pictures I just took of a few of the ornaments I bought.



Happy shopping everyone.

Welcome to the world

Please welcome my nephew Noah. Isn't he the cutest baby?
He was born early but a great size and very healthy.
I am sad to know I will not see this boy till he is almost three. I am glad they take great pictures, I can keep up with how he grows!

I cannot say enough times how beautiful this boy is. Look at that face. Also do you see how smart he is, holding the pacifier. Oh he is a smart one.
Now I want to fly home and hold him. I don't think I have wanted to hold a baby this much since I gave birth myself.
Congratulations guys. He is the best!

I am in a calendar

Naked. ohhh hahaha just joking. Scared you for a moment. Our own Okinawa crew here decided to make a calendar, we were supposed to send in our pictures. Pictures of what Okinawa is to us. I talked to a friend and we decided it would be hilarious to send pics of our kids at burger king. That means Japan to me, don't you think so? No. Well whatever they have a playplace.
Come to find out I had no burger king pics on my hard drive. I did find some snail pictures though. I took them when we just got here, we were living in the hotel and took the kids to the park to play. I sent that in. I thought that was hilarious. Like here is Okinawa. snails.
I think I am pretty funny sometimes. It is those times, that backfire on me. Long story a tad bit longer. My snail picture is in the calendar. There are some beautiful shots in this calendar. I am excited to get one. It just makes me laugh that my picture is in the calendar. hahahahahahah that is me laughing.
See how funny I am. I told you.
I will share with you my snails. Hold on I have to find it first.
So here is what I sent.

I guess i should have photoshopped it a bit. OH well
Here is another one I took that day.


Then here he is photoshopped. Or here she is.

See how fancy pants his shell is? Oh the fun things you can do.

Oh the whole point of this post is to say, I got my snails in a calendar. They didn't sign a release though so mums the word if you see them.

email and pea coats

As I was checking email as I do, maybe 20 times a day. I linked to an interesting article on our new president. He has to stop emailing.
I guess I had never thought about it, but how could our president email. Hackers would be all over that.
How would you feel if you had to stop all Internet communication. Oh plus no cell phone. No blogging. No blackberry. He is a one handed blackberry user, for only a bit longer.

So I guess I had never thought that our president has no email. I am sure he still can google and really that is all that matters. I just googled etiquette in Russia I found out some very interesting things that I am sure Obama might need. I could Fwd it to him, if only he was keeping his email.
I guess if I had no Internet I would get all kinds of things done.
Or maybe not, but I do love the Internet. My favorite, google. I google everything! Recipes, stain remover, directions, homework help, a red pea coat. I NEED a red pea coat.
At least I never have to give up Internet for long.
Keep an eye out for me in a red pea coat.
Google never lets me down.

The Japanese Shoe Shelf

*I am adding that I bought this shelf at the Todays ok store at the Living Design Square store. Link to Okinawa hai, Direct link to the stores site
They have many different options. Much taller ones and wider ones. I am going next week again if anyone wants to go. *

OH the joys of living overseas. The sightseeing the shopping the putting together things with Japanese instructions. Holy cow. Thank Goodness for pictures that is all I have to say.

This was an additional sheet, telling me who knows what. Be careful though it may fall on your kids.. See pic.

This is my finished shoe shelf. I am super excited to get it by the front door and get the shoes out of my floor. Let me go do that and I will take pics with it filled!


OK shoes shelf is in place and I filled it up.
I have a couple of choices. First I put our fish on it. I think they will get some sun there.
One picture has a basket on top. I put my wallet and keys in it.
Then I thought I would hide it inside. Also put an umbrella in there and a flash light oh and the Yankee candle car freshener. It is a shoe shelf after all, don't want it to get smelly.

The final look. I also added a magazine rack that doesn't fit anywhere for my purse and hoodie. The basket was already there. Our shoe basket. we may keep our slippers/house shoes in that.
I am not sure what I think about how it is looking yet. I do know I like not having shoes in the floor overflowing from the basket.

Special Olympics

Today was the Special Olympics here on Okinawa. Our family worked with our Battalion and we ran the Soccer competition. It was so much fun. The amount of people participating was amazing. We had mostly Japanese people but there were some Americans there participating as well.
All my kids were out there getting involved. Helping here and there. When we were walking back my son said "mom I don't even care that I am hot and itchy because I am happy." (he had been complaining of being both earlier) I am going to find more ways to get my kids involved with helping others. I think it is so important. If you know anywhere for us to do that here let me know!
I have no pictures as we were working the whole time but I do have the sun burns if you would like to see that.
I want to encourage you to get involved in your area with the Special Olympics. I have not worked with them before but I will work with them every year and everywhere we go. You do not have to have experience just get out there and be willing to help.
I want to give a shout out to my cousin Dustin who is special needs. I cannot wait for the day we get to see him participate in the Special Olympics.
It was an AMAZING day. One I will never forget.

slide addicts

So we found another slide park. We always have cardboard in our trunk now. Just in case!






I should probably quit posting pics of them on slides but I do have another park.
It is so close that we are going to be walking to it.