Okinawa tour

We were able to take a small tour of Okinawa and see a glimpse of what the island had to offer. There are some amazing things to see and do here. You should come and visit!

Ikei Beach

It was time. We had been living on an island for weeks and had not spent a significant amount of time on a beach. Yes, we had been to a few and dipped our feet into the water. We let Brynnlee throw rocks into the waves. But we had not spent a day at any beach lying in the sun and swimming in the water. And quite frankly, I had had enough of it. I did some research and found a beautiful beach for us to visit and told Kevin that he was taking us the the beach on Saturday. What else could he do but agree. We bought the essentials-a cooler, lunch foods, ice, and sand toys, and on a Saturday morning, we packed up and headed out. I am certainly glad we did. We found our way to Ikei Beach located on Ikei Island. We rented a beach umbrella and a couple of chairs and then ran out into the water. Boy was I surprised when I stepped in to the warm ocean! It felt so good to be in the water. Brynnlee loved playing in the waves and shoveling sand into her new wheelbarrow. What a great time!

We've Got a Big Girl Now

Last night Brynnlee's crib looked like this



Then this



And finally turned into this



Where does the time go?

Our New Home

We were told that we couldn't live on base because it is a rule that all military personnel are required to. That left us as civilians out. I was worried about where and in what we would be living. With the help of our agent, Reana, we found a great place to live. It is beautiful and spacious and has a great view.



These are pictures of our place. There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The kitchen is nice and roomy. Each room has a sliding glass door that leads to a balcony. The floors are marble tile, so we need to buy more rugs so our feet don't hurt. We all ready bought slippers! There are also great air conditioners in each room, so every room can be controlled separately. We bought a new couch too. It is really comfortable and each side reclines!



This is what is looks like when we look out the windows or go onto the balconies. The Pacific Ocean is on one side. The sunrises are beautiful. It is nice and relaxing to sit on the couch and stare at the ocean. Some days are very calm and we can see little ripples everywhere. Some days the wind blows and there are waves wherever we look. It is fun to see people with waverunners or surfboards out there having fun. Unfortunately there is not access right out our door, but there is a place just down the road. On the other side are beautiful trees and a horse riding school. I like to watch the students learns to ride. Brynnlee loves to see the horses.

We are really enjoying our new home.

The BIG Move

Sometimes you have to do all that you can to take your own destiny in your hands and control what your future will be like. That is what Kevin and I had to do. We were in a situation in Colorado Springs where we may have had to transfer to a place we didn't want to be. Kevin decided to start looking Air Force bases that needed an exercise physiologist. He applied to several and had an interview with Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. A few weeks later, he received notice that they were offering him the job. We had a big decision to make. But knowing that this is what we had been praying for, he took the job.

Now the hard part came. How do we get ready to move to Japan? We had to decide what to take and what to store and what to do with our cars. We were lucky because we were told we could bring all of our household items. We decided to sell our cars. It was a hard decision but the right one in the end. We had to send our stuff before we were supposed to leave for Japan, so that we wouldn't be waiting for a long time once we arrived. Our belongings were picked up starting on June 22 and we didn't leave for Japan until July 27. Movers came and packed up all of our belongings. Then all of our stuff was put into giant crates to be sent on a ship to Japan.



Finally the day to leave for Japan came. It was a really long day. First was our flight to Chicago. Then off to Tokyo on a twelve hour flight. Brynnlee was so great. She didn't cry or fuss or give us a hard time. We were so grateful that she did so well.

We are now living on the island of Okinawa. Things haven't been perfect. We thought we would be able to live on Kadena Air Force Base, but we can't. We have only one car so far. I hope things will get better each day. So far they have!

Ear Piercing

I decided, for some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to get Brynnlee's ears pierced. I had always thought we would wait until she was older. Kevin wanted it to be her choice and maybe make it a bargaining tool. I had other plans. We were getting ready for a vacation to Utah to spend some time with our families. I thought it would be a great idea to take Brynnlee to get her ears pierced with my mom. My mom was always asking when we were going to get it done. Kevin said, "Okay. BUT, you have to take my mom too." I thought no big deal-she would probably say no anyway. The deal was made. While we were in Utah, Kevin and I started planning our days. I decided on a day to take Brynn to Claire's. I told Kevin about how my mom was excited. He asked about him mom. "I haven't talked to her," I said. "She probably won't want to come." Kevin answered, "Well then you can't do it. The deal was that both of our moms were there." That put a damper on my outing idea. I realized why Kevin made the deal. He didn't want the piercing to be done and didn't think his mom would go either. We made our way to Kevin's parents' house. I nervously brought up the subject to Cathy. "Of course I will go! I was there for Emerald. I am so excited," she said. I smiled at the surprised look on Kevin's face. This is not how he thought it would happen!

The ears piercing itself was a little rough. I was so scared for Brynnlee. How would she do? Did I really want to do this? I think Brynnlee knew something was up. There was only one girl working at Claire's, so we had to do one ear at a time. The look on Brynnlee's face after her first ear was pierced was priceless. She was so surprised and mad at the same time. Fortunately, we had marshmallows and suckers on hand. The earrings look great, and even Kevin admits it was a good idea. I'm not so sure anymore.....

Not Feeling It

I have to admit it: I really just don't feel like blogging. I'm not saying that nothing is going on. We're doing stuff. But once I got busy and couldn't blog for awhile, I guess I just lost that feeling. Just know this: Brynnlee is growing, Kevin and I are keeping busy. We are moving, and once we get settled, maybe I will pick it up again.

Just Hangin' Out

While Kevin is away, we have had some pretty casual days around our home. I have discovered that if I lived alone, I might not be as clean or prompt as I am living with my family. I haven't had anyone to get all "gussied up" for. So pj's have been our dress code. Even Brynnlee and Toby have been just lying around here as comfortable as can be.

Momma's Exercise Partner

They say that everyone needs an exercise partner to make exercise better. Well here's mine.....





As I exercise in the morning, Brynnlee loves to join me. I do a walking workout, and she will hold my hand and walk with me or dance around to the music. This morning she decided to put on some workout shoes while we walked!

Love and Marriage

On Saturday I attended our Adult State Conference session. One of the speakers was a marriage and family therapist named Carolee Fredrick. I could have listened to her for hours, but unfortunately she spoke for only 45 minutes. I did, however, get some good information I thought I would share. I know that I will be using this to strengthen my marriage.

She introduced the Five Magic Hours and gave a list of activities. You and your spouse should do each of these activities each week, and the amount of time you spend doing them should add up to five hours for the week.

*Daily appreciations-these need to be personal. Don't just say thanks for taking out the garbage or doing the dishes. Say something like, "Thanks for honoring your priesthood."

*Partings-make sure when you leave each other that you make it special. Make sure you ask your spouse what is going to happen during his/her day. Do this even if your spouse does the same thing each day. Make sure he/she knows you care.

*Reunions-make the end of the day nice. Find out about each other's day's activities. Smile when he/she walks through the door when getting home.

*Affection-it can be simple. Touch him when he walks by. Hold hands!

*Love maps-these are date nights. These should be at least two hours a week. They can be simple. You may not have enough money. You may have kids. But you can still go on a date.

She stressed that the point of the Five Magic Hours is to find time together to reconnect. Too many couples build space between them.

I was so glad to have the opportunity to hear Sis. Fredrick. The Lord knows when to send messages to me to help my life! I hope that this little bit of information can help you too.