...... Spring Break 09..........

***** Forest Adventures *****

Today we ventured to the jungle......... the jungle full of zip lines, bridges and lots of trees! I was really a bit leary of this idea but Darrin and the girls were all for it, so we got all harnessed up, which to me I felt like all of by body and parts were smashed and tightened into a pair of Hayleigh's pants and there were muffin tops hanging out in places it shouldn't have been! We had about a five min briefing on how to get hooked up the correct way......mind you our guide was Japanese so you know he was thinking the entire time(these stupid Americans). So we had a practice run the zip was about 8 ft above ground, I just had to tell myself I think I can I think I can, but man it was a bit scary. We all passed that so that meant we could move on to bigger and better................ and YES it was longer zips and YES higher up (farther to fall) oh man can I just say that depends would have come in handy today! Darrin went first, Hayleigh, Hunter and me it took me about 20 min to decide to go. There were about 12 to 15 zip lines all at different distances. Darrin and the girls did them all, me I did a few and that is one thing that I can mark off on my bucket list!
Hope you enjoy the pics and the clips (sorry for the jiggly clips)

~~~~GREAT NEWS~~~~

So I have been waiting for the appropriate time to inform all of our family and friends that we have EXTENDED for another 2 years, we are hoping that any of you that have alot of vacation time and need somewhere warm to go, feel free to book you a flight the offer of room and board is open!!!

Love to all!!

So I have had a request to get Hunter's game on the blog..... sorry for the poor picture quality but I guess it gets the point across! I hope to get better with the filming of the games!!!
Enjoy!! Kadena is in Black and she is #7

To our LEPRECHAUN

This post is to one of my favorite girls in my life!! Our Hayleigh Erin!! I can't believe that it has been 9 years since this little leprechaun came crying into this world, She never seizes to amaze me she always putting both feet forward to try whatever the challenge is given. I am amazed at how well she has adapted to the culture here and I am so proud of the her for all that she is learning in school and in her culture class.
She keeps us on our toes as well as our sides always hurting from her sense of humor, and she is the best cheerleader any sibling could ask for!!
I hope you will have a wonderful bday and many many more!!!!
We LOVE you!!!

~Girl Scout Sunday with the Sister Troop~

Today the girlscouts met with the sister troop to celebrate The Okinawan Doll Festival which is on March 3, we dressed in Kimono's and had a Tea ceremony as well! It was an honor to wear one of their Kimono's, and as you can see it did not fit me the way it should! Oh to be thin as the Japanese!!

Hunter had a JROTC drill competition today, this is the first one she has competed in and it was really neat to see some of the future armed force men and women. In the first year competition there were 5 flights to compete, her flight took second!

~~~ JROTC DRILL COMP ~~~

Here are some more pics from today!!

One long week ...... Pays off ......

As the phone rang tonight at 8 pm, this call was one that was the one that paid off!! No it wasn't Ed McMahon, it was Coach Nguyen............. with the best news one tired, hard working girl could dream of!!! HUNTER made the VARSITY SOCCER Team!!!

I couldn't be a prouder Soccer Mom at this point!! She has worked so hard, not just this week but ever since she started playing, I think that she is a natural at it!! I wish her nothing but the best at whatever she does in her life, College, Soccer, ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY or marines........

Hunter....I am so proud of you and LOVE you MORE!!

Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

The first three people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice,For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it's going to be.
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog. The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!Who's in?

Thanks KS!!!

*** RYUKYU MURA ***

We had been planning to visit here since Hayleigh went with her class, and I am really glad that we did! This is one of the neatest places we have been. RICH with culture and beauty!! I am not sure if I have a bit of spring fever going on or if I know that we are getting to the middle of the tail end of our "Journey", I feel like we need to go and see every inch of this island and take every picture that can possibly be taken, I even heard Hayleigh tell Darrin behind my back, "she is taking alot of dumb pictures" well one day I hope she will ask to look back at all of these "DUMB" pictures and realize how lucky we have been to see all that we are seeing, meet all of the wonderful people that we have met and learned all of the culture that we are!!( mind you, she has turned into our Japanese translator)

Hope you enjoy!

To my BROTHER....SEIKO.........

Kind of nice to be able to celebrate others BDAYS a day early!!
We hope you have a great day today and tommorrow!! WE LOVE YOU!!

<3 Happy Valentines Day <3

Wishing you all a day of LOVE and FRIENDSHIP, HUGS and KISSES!!




A little bit of touring at the mall!



Noodles from TANTAN

Cherry Blossoms from our neighborhood..........

The blossoms this year are unbelievable the weather has helped them out so much the temperature has been between 70-80 on some days. We didn't make it to the festival so I got these pics from our tree out our back door and in our neighborhood. Even the birds are loving the blossoms!

A day full of CULTURE....

CULTURE 101........

Hayleigh's Eisa and Taiko Drum Club from school had the opportunity today to perform for the Misato Orphanage New Year Mochi-pounding (rice-cake) Festival. What an experience to be out in the beautiful sun and to see so much of the wonderful culture. From drumming to dancing to karate what more could you ask for? I hope you will all enjoy the clips and the pics! They will explain it all!!

Hayleigh's group....


Karate sen-si...



Womens club song and dance....

OH SAY CAN YOU SEE ~~~~~~

another trip to the YEN store and this is what happens!!!

Do my apples fall far from the tree???

So I guess these are better late than never..... Would have posted sooner but had to have a retake and not telling which one had a big wad of green gum in her mouth the first time... Hope you enjoy....

ME 2008*2009 (Do I not resemble my parents?)

Hunter 2008*2009

Hayleigh 2008*2009

***Christmas lights at Botanical Gardens***

We went to Botanical Gardens tonight to see the Christmas Lights taking in a one more "last time" thing. We had a good time and the weather was great!!
ENJOY!
PS: The kid next to Hunter is "Gabe" her friend, for all of you that are wondering!!

...Another change to the Blog...

As I was flipping from site to site to decide who wouldn't be using what background and ran across this one I decided it fits just right for us, as it shows all of the different seasons that will be to come in 2009, I thought.. by the time the acorns and leaves are falling from the trees in 2009 I hope I will be there to see it happen, and then I thought I am going to start my count down by seasons, it will be shorter that way so we are now in season 1, I couldn't get rid of the Christmas tunes just yet that will be next week or tommorrow when we take down the decorations!

I am wishing you all nothing more than Health and Happiness for this next year, it is all that matters in life if you have that the rest will fall into place!!!

Love to all
huggs and more huggs are soon to be!!!