This is the End

Well faithful readers this will be my last blog entry on this blog. We've arrived safely back in the states and in time I'm sure everything will get unpacked and put in the right place. I must thank my dear friend Molly for inspiring me to start this blog. It helped me to tell my story to my friends back home during my time in Japan. It also inspired me to go out and explore the island around me. But now my adventures in Okinawa have ended and a new adventure back in the states has begun. In the effort to keep up my writing and to now share what's going on in my life with my friends back in Okinawa I'm starting a new blog. It will chronicle my life here in San Diego and the trials and tribulations of raising 3 girls. I hope it will be just as clever and interesting without the tropical backdrop.

The new blog is http://momof3seeksadventure.blogspot.com/

I hope I'll see all of you there.

The Journey Home

It's been a long while since I've had the opportunity to write in this blog, but I feel like I've left it unfinished. We've been in the States for 3 weeks and this is the first moment I've had to update. The trip home was fairly uneventful. Our dear friend Kim drove us to the airport and we unloaded our two carts full of suitcases and gear. The twins rode in their car seat stroller and I carried on a diaper bag, breast pump bag and computer. Gabriella had a suitcase and another rolling bag. Greg had a backpack, computer bag and another bag. We looked like sherpas attempting to summit Everest. We flew through Osaka Kansai Airport, which was a much less busy airport than Narita. We managed to eat a little something before boarding our plane to San Francisco. All three girls were amazing on the flight. Julia and Genevieve never cried, not once. They slept most of the flight and only woke to eat and be burped. Gabriella watched a few movies, colored her pictures and read her books. Once in San Francisco we checked our bags through customs and then rechecked them for the trip home. Then we had to go through security. That took far more time than any other portion of our trip. They made us take the babies out of their carriers. I held both and walked them through the metal detector. They sent their carriers through the x-ray machine along with all of their blankets. The tested the breast pump for explosives. It was a little overdone, they didn't offer to hand search them or give us any alternative. Greg wasn't able to help because he was pushing through each of our 15 pieces of carry on luggage. Once we were through the security ordeal we celebrated getting through it all with a delicious lunch at the Anchor Brewery in the airport. Gabriella and I passed the time exploring a few science experiments set up at the end of our hallway of gates. We had a long layover in San Fran and we were all rather exhausted by the time we got on the final flight to San Diego.

We touched down in San Diego and unloaded ourselves off the airplane. As we walked down into the baggage area we were greeted by our families. My parents, Greg's parents and Grandparents were waiting for us. After a few fierce hugs and tearful hellos we grabbed our bags and headed out to the 3 different cars required to transport us home. Greg stayed in San Diego while Gabriella, Julia, Genevieve and myself went back up to my parents house. All and all we travelled almost 24 hours with no tantrums, screaming bouts and only one spoiled bottle of milk. I would rank this as our most complicated but successful trip ever. The best part of the trip was getting back home in California with family and friends.

Packing Out

Our island time is quickly coming to a close. Our big household goods shipment has been packed up and moved out. All we have left is a lot of government furniture and a few personal items. It's so strange to not have a clock in the family room to note the time the twins are eating or the recliners to sit in. We've borrowed a tv so we have a little entertainment. The stress of packing came and went in only 3 days. Since we've taken so many trips in recent weeks the looming pack out date always seemed so far away. Then Monday the reality hit that in 2 days the movers would be here and everything needed to be ready. It was a herculean effort to get everything done, but we did it. If things were forgotten they will be mailed back or sold at the flee market. If things were sent accidentally, we'll see them in a few months. The movers arrived bright and early at 7:30 am. Gabriella was up and getting dressed when they got here. I was just telling Greg something when I heard the beeping of the moving truck. The Japanese movers managed to pack up everything we had left in just over 2 and a half hours. As always they took great care to wrap each item to ensure it will arrive at the destination in one piece. Neither Julia nor Genevieve were a fan of all the sounds and movement. They found the whole move distressing, whether it was the squeak of the tape being ripped or the movers rushing around it was hard on them. They were unsettled the rest of the day. Gabriella returned from school to an empty house, all and all she's adjusted fairly well. She's a big fan of all the open space and I saved a lot of art supplies for her to play with. We'll be in this shell of a house until Sunday when we move into the hotel. We have a lot of cleaning and sticker removal to do before we turn in the keys to our little castle. I hope the next owners enjoy it as much as we have.

2 Months Old

Julia and Genevieve have been on this earth for 9 weeks already. They've each grown to over 11 pounds and they can proudly show a few stamps on their vaccination cards. Yesterday was the girls 2 month appointment and they are growing wonderfully. They are now within 9 ozs of each other, Genevieve is still longer, but Julia is catching up. Here are their stats Julia is 11 pounds 4 oz, and Genevieve 11 pounds 13 oz. The are now socially smiling, meaning when you smile at them they smile back. Julia is desperately trying to sit up and when she's put in her boppy pillow she can almost do it. She can also pull herself up when holding onto Greg's fingers without any head lag. Genevieve has been diagnosed with reflux and is starting medicine to help get it under control. She also loves to watch Gabriella and will smile and turn to look for her every time she enters the room. The girls are eating a lot during the day and beginning to sleep a little longer at night. They still stay downstairs with either Greg or I staying with them. We've both managed to learn to feed both simultaneously. They aren't very fond of sleeping together, although they will do it in a pinch. Gabriella is now able to pick up the little girls and carry them around. She's able to pick them up and set them down while supporting their necks. This is a huge accomplishment and we are very proud. It's come in very handy when one of them needs to be picked up and I'm holding the other one. Our next step is to teach her to change diapers. Everyone is adjusting nicely to our new additions.

One Last Trip

We've had a whirlwind last few weeks trying to squeeze every last drop of adventure from this island. This past weekend we went to Okuma. We drove up after school on Friday through torrential rain. Friday night we ate a tasty dinner at the restaurant before watching a dramatic lightning storm rage while we lay in bed. Julia and Genevieve have actually started sleeping for pretty long stretches at night which everyone is thankful for. The next day dawned bright and sunny. We ate a quick breakfast in the room before heading out to the beach. Gabriella braved the cold water to swim in the Okinawa ocean one last time before we move. The little girls got their first beach trip under their belts. They had their swim shirts and diapers on as they napped under a beach umbrella. I must say in the picture above they look pretty identical. Greg grilled brats for lunch as well as a delicious london broil for dinner. We even managed to squeeze a game of miniature golf in before we turned in for the night. Sunday morning we woke up and leisurely got everything together for the trip back home. With the car loaded up we headed for one last trip to the Churaumi Aquarium. I think we've done everything we wanted to do on this island. Now it's time to change our mindset and start California dreamin'.

IE island

Just off the coast of Nago is IE island. It's famous for being shaped like a hat and as the place Ernie Pyle died during WWII. We took a quick one night trip to the island a few weekends ago. The island is tiny, it made Okinawa seem huge. We took the ferry across to the island and paid extra to take our car. Our first stop was a cool park we happened to pass. Gabriella made a few new friends and we spent almost an hour letting her play while we fed the twins. Our next stop was the hat shaped mountain. Mount Gusuku is not big close up and Greg and Gabriella were able to scale it, via the stairs, very quickly. While they were climbing to the summit the girls and I perused the gift shop and found some delicious peanuts. IE is famous for it's brown sugared and miso flavored peanuts. After mountain climbing we headed to the Children's Hibiscus garden for a picnic lunch. The flowers were beautiful and before long it was time to check into the hotel. The YYY resort is a well maintained and cozy resort on the coast of IE. We rented a cottage for a night and loved the relaxed pace of this trip after the frazzling trip to mainland we'd taken a few days before. Gabriella loved the heated spa, the pool was a little chilly for her taste. We spent the afternoon and evening relaxing in the room or at the pool. For dinner we grilled our own food Yakiniku style at the hotel's restaurant. The little girls actually slept a fair amount that night and Greg and I were able to catch up on some sleep. The next morning we enjoyed the hotel's breakfast buffet before heading back out to the spa. We wheeled the sleeping twins right next to the spa and all three of us got in to relax. After checking out of the hotel we drove around the island, looking at the lighthouse and the lily fields. We took the ferry back to Okinawa and arrived home more relaxed than when we left.

Kyoto

We took a day trip to Kyoto, Japan's former capital. We got up really early and headed out on the train to Osaka station where we met our guide who took us by train to Kyoto. Once in the city we met up with the rest of our tour. We got a few looks as we arrived with the babies in a sling and a bjorn and Gabriella in tow. However, everyone was absolutely perfectly behaved during the trip. We had three stops during the morning portion of the tour. Our first stop was the Kyoto palace, it was beautiful with many hand carved rooms. The floor was called the Nightingale floor because of the sound it made when you walked on it. According to legend the emperor had it made so he could hear his enemies coming. Other theories is that it's old and squeaky. The second stop was the golden pavilion. It was a lovely walk through some beautiful gardens, the pavilion was shiny gold and in the middle of a green water lagoon. The last stop was the royal residence, we weren't allowed to go inside, just walk around the outside of the building. It was still very impressive. Our stop for lunch was the Kyoto Handi-craft center. We had to hurry and eat before our afternoon tour to Nara left.

Nara is the ancient capital of Japan, it's home to many sacred deer. The one pictured above was very interested in the deer crackers we purchased, however most of the deer would happily snack on paper or anything else you happen to have hanging out of your pockets. I saw one eat pages out of a magazine that was hanging out of a ladies purse. The first stop in Nara was a Buddhist temple, the Buddha inside was giant and awe inspiring. There was a hole in a pillar which is the same size as Buddha's nostril, if you can fit through the hole you can be admitted into heaven. I have a little work to do to fit through the hole, but Gabriella could easily fit. The next stop was a shinto shrine, it was located in a wooded area and Gabriella and Greg took Julia with them while I sat on a quiet bench with Genevieve. We watched the deer wandering around the area, eating people's magazines. When Gabriella returned we took turns feeding the deer crackers before it was time to get on the bus. Our trip home on the train was fairly uneventful. The twins and Gabi had a few new friends on the train and we learned the Japanese word for cute.

Universal Studios Japan

The theme park in Osaka is a Universal Studios. We took a day to explore it, because we can't pass up an opportunity to ride some rides. The park is pretty small but it had a lot of cool areas to explore. My favorites were the Peanuts land and the Wizard of Oz land. Gabriella was able to ride all but one roller coaster. The food choices were really impressive and we had lunch at Cinderella's cafe, which was delicious. Just like at Disneyland Japan the popcorn stands were very popular with lines that far outstretched the lines for some of the attractions. They had a new rock and roll roller coaster that unfortunately Gabriella was too short for, but Greg and I enjoyed riding it. You got to select the song you listened to while you rode. All in all it was a very fun day. Gabriella showed us her sense of adventure by happily trying all the rides she could, even Jurassic Park the ride. The babies and I left early and because of Universal's no reentry policy we were unable to return. We relaxed in our room and watched the action in the park from the hotel window. Gabriella and Greg returned a little after 6 and we watched the light parade from the window together. All in all it was a very nice theme park experience. The day at the theme park was probably the day we did the least amount of walking.

Osaka

We checked into our hotel at Universal Studios late Saturday night. The whole place was decorated for Halloween and Gabriella even got to trick or treat while we checked in. Our room was really spacious with separate rooms for the toilet and shower. There was only one channel on the television that was in english, so we watched Monsters vs. Aliens at least 20 times during our stay. Gabriella is still quoting from the movie a week later. We settled in and ordered room service and then went to bed, or tried to anyway. The next day we toured Osaka on our own, checking out Osaka Castle and the Hard Rock cafe. Osaka castle was surprisingly not located high on a hill, but it was surrounded by a moat. We walked up the 8 flights of stairs to the top of it. I'm very proud of making it to the top while carrying Genevieve in the sling. Greg carried Julia in the baby bjorn and Gabriella carried herself. The little girls love being toted around and slept most of the day. The castle was located in a beautiful park which we walked through enjoying the sounds of someone singing Bruce Springsteen at a post sports day concert and an impromptu Stevie Wonder song played on the harmonica. The subway in Osaka is just as timely as the Tokyo trains which made it easy to navigate our way around the city. With our shot glasses and pins in hand we headed back to the hotel for an early evening. We needed to rest up for our big day at Universal Studios on Monday.

Mainland Vacation

Our last big trip before moving back to California is in the books. We survived a very packed schedule with two newborns. We decided not to take a stroller since we were unsure if we could get it on and off the subways and trains easily. The flight was amazingly easy, both twins slept the entire time and Gabriella was the great traveler she always is. We arrived in Fukuoka with two hours before the Hard Rock Cafe closed. After a rather long walk, we made it to the cafe and bought our shot glasses and guitar pins. Checking into the hotel we immediately changed into our PJ's and fell into bed ready to go to sleep. The little girls however, had a different idea. They were up almost all night just like they are at home. The next day we ate a quick breakfast at the hotel before getting on the Shinkasen, bullet train, to Hiroshima. The tour of an outer island was beautiful, the Torii gate pictured above is the largest in Japan. At high tide it looks like it's floating in the water, however in reality it's on the beach. The bomb site was rather sobering and the museum against nuclear war was hard to go through. Clearly the use of nuclear weapons is terrible and the people of Hiroshima stand up and say never again. The theme of the museum was to show the suffering caused by nuclear weapons and use it as a call to the visitors to petition world leaders to get rid of all the nuclear weapons. The day was long and by the time we got to our hotel in Osaka we were all exhausted.

You don't know what you've got until it's gone...

My parents left on Tuesday and I've already considered calling their hotel in Tokyo to beg them to come back. They were here for almost 8 weeks and have been holding at least one baby since their birth. I think their presence spoiled me, they were always around if I needed something big or small. They would bring me a glass of water, get Gabriella a snack, hold a baby, change a diaper and even just let me take a nap. My mom and dad probably changed about 500 diapers during their stay, fed the babies 500 bottles and held them more than either Greg or I did. Now that they've gone the babies miss them, when I pick up Julia, Genevieve looks to see who will pick her up. Now they are forced to share me or Greg because we are hardly ever both able to hold them at the same time. Nights are harder, now instead of 4 people sharing the night shift there are only two. This is clearly my reality and the past 7 weeks have been a vacation. While I may miss their help a lot I also miss the comfort their presence brought me. In my most post pregnancy hormonal moments they were there to hug me and tell me it was going to be ok. I miss that reassurance a lot more than I thought I would. I miss the hugs and the kind words of encouragement. I even miss the random items from the shoppette. I made a pot of coffee this morning and realize that no one else is here to share it with me. I know I can do all this on my own because God only gives you what you can handle, but I wish I could share it with my parents again. We have less than a month on island and in between now and then we have 3 trips planned and two shipments to organize. My days will be busy and I will have less time to think about my parents, but for right now I'm sending out my love and thanks to them for a job well done. And reminding them not to get too comfortable because we will be back in a month and I'm going to need some help.

Collecting Kit Kats

Little children love to collect things, bugs, rocks and seashells. As adults our collections change to more permanent items, tchotchkes like spoons or pins or place mats. I however have been collecting kit kats. They are consumable but it took a lot of hard work to find them all so I'm hesitant to eat them. Why kit kats you ask? Because here instead of just being chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate there are flavors like mango, intense soybean, carrot and apple. How did these Kit Kat's get here and why are they so different. I think the answer is that the Kit Kat's here are made by Nestle whereas the ones in the states are made by Hershey. All the flavors I've tried have been pretty yummy. I haven't ventured to try my soy sauce flavor yet, but the wasabi one was good. The collection will continue to grow until I leave and then will either travel with me or be mailed home so I can share my treasures with my friends in the states. If I had to choose a favorite, it's the caramel and salt. But who knows what the next flavor will bring.

Daddy's Girls

There is a very special bond between daddies and their daughters. Greg has really enjoyed spending time with his little girls. Julia and Genevieve have graced Greg with lots of coos and smiles. He loves feeding them and snuggling with them when he can wrestle one of them away from their doting Grandparents. Once again we've decided on shift work to make it through the night. Greg usually takes the first shift and I'm sure the girls are learning all about science and soccer as those seem to be the only things on TV Greg is inclined to watch. I come down every 2-3 hours to pump and they are always snuggled up with daddy. Since they are getting bigger real estate on his chest is getting tighter, but they are learning to share. The girls are still not aware of each other but they do recognize Gabriella and love to see her. Because their eyes are tracking and focusing better they are able to watch her dance and practice her karate. She is a constant source of entertainment for all of us. Julia has started to hold a toy rattle and loves to scoot around on her tummy during tummy time. Genevieve can pull herself over the boppy pillow when given the opportunity. Both girls are very active and are starting to stay awake between feedings to play a little while. Greg loves making funny faces at the girls and both girls can raise one eyebrow just like their daddy. Greg and Gabriella are spending a special day snorkeling at the Kerama islands. Their special time together has consisted of a lot of puzzles since it's been so hot this summer but now that the days are cooling off they can start going out together. Greg is having a wonderful time with all his girls.

Tiny Dancers

This picture is just one example of why it's so cool to have little girls. All three look adorable in their tutus. This picture was taken on Saturday before Gabriella went to ballet. She's been asking to take the girls since they were born so we finally were able to get our act together and get out the door with all the kids. Saturday was her last ballet class because we are taking a break from classes for the month of October. Gabriella was thrilled to show off her new little sisters to her friends in class. The twins enjoyed the music and watching their sister practice. After class we stopped by Greg's office and weighed the little girls. Genevieve now weighs 10 pounds and Julia weighs 9 pounds 3 ounces. They have filled out a little and are getting adorable rolls of fat all over them. They are hard to pick up at the same time but we manage somehow. Later in the day we gave my parents some much needed peace and quiet by leaving the house with all the kids. After a quick lunch we decided to go to Tobaru park. Gabriella rode the rollerslide at least 15 times while the little girls napped in their strollers. The weather was perfect, warm with a cool breeze, San Diego weather. Here is a video of Gabi on the slide.

The Little Ladies

I'm attempting to get this post in before the crying starts again. It's the middle of the night here and these babies are not good sleepers. Well that didn't work out. I wrote those two first sentences 6 hours ago. Consider that a perfect example of how our days are going, you start on a task, then tend to a baby which causes you to forget what you were working on before, but it's worth it. The little babies are growing like weeds and getting cuter everyday. The nights are full of bottles, crying, walking and changing diapers, but the days are filled with sleeping babies and playtime. Gabriella has even been woken up a few times by their nighttime squalling. The sound machine purchased to help the twins sleep has been moved into Gabi's room to ensure she gets a quality nights sleep. Gabriella has been an amazing big sister, she's helpful to the adults and entertaining and loving to the babies. Julia seems to especially love to watch her run around and always turns to find her voice in a room. Genevieve seems to smile only for her especially when she's playing with her little piggies. In the morning Julia drops Gabriella off at the bus stop and Genevieve picks her up in the afternoon. It's a tradition that Gabriella looks forward to each school day. Speaking of daily routines I need to get back to mine, the school bus will be here in 15 minutes and I still have to do Gabriella's hair.

One Month

It's been a month since Julia and Genevieve were born. The house has been in survival mode since they came home from the hospital. Although we ventured out for a few outings we've mainly stayed home taking care of basic daily needs. Just to give you an idea of what those needs are, the girls eat about 60 oz of milk a day. I'd love to say I produce that much, but I don't...yet. They get a few ounces of formula a day so my goal of them being totally breast fed is well within reach. We also go through about 30 diapers a day and a pack of wipes every 3 days. The girls wear an average of 2 outfits a day although some days they've gone through 5. We do laundry for them every other day. I pump 11 times a day and they eat at least 9 times a day. We still try nursing for at least one feeding per day. According to our very unofficial scale Genevieve weighs 9.4 pounds and Julia weighs 8.5 pounds. They've already outgrown their newborn sized clothes and diapers. They've had their first baths and are not big fans. Gabriella has probably given them at least a million kisses each. All this in a month.

In a few weeks my parents go back to California and we will start the process of PCS-ing. I can't imagine what my life will be like then. I look at each day as a gift, I'm pleased to still have most of my sanity. These two little personalities are amazing we are learning their likes and dislikes each day. I like them best when they are quietly studying my face while I'm feeding them. Gabriella likes them best when they are trying to grab her while on the changing table. Greg likes it best when he holds them and they make funny faces. What are their favorite times? I don't know yet, probably when they are fed, wearing a clean diaper and in the arms of someone who loves them.

Tiptoeing through the Tulips: A Garden Adventure

My parents base passes expired on Sunday so we took our last outing until they get approval for an extension on Saturday. Because the weather was so beautiful we headed to the Fukushen Garden in Naha. Because there were seven of us we rented a car so we could all arrive at the same time. The garden was a gift to Okinawa and is set up like a chinese garden. There are beautiful ponds teaming with Koi fish and a few large pagodas scattered throughout the grounds. Gabriella spent her time tossing fish food to the Koi and turtles. The day was hot and wielding the double stroller through the grounds was a little more challenging than expected, but we managed. We took a brief snack and diaper break on a shaded bench overlooking the gardens. On the way home Greg took Gabriella and my parents to the Futenma Cave shrine and I headed straight home with the twins. Our time out of the house was appreciated by everyone. We are hoping that my parents will get their pass extension soon so we can once again venture off base.

School's in Session

Tuesday marked a big day in Gabriella's life, it was her first day of kindergarten. We'd visited the school a week and a half prior to meet her teacher and tour her classroom. But Tuesday was the official first day. Greg and I both got up early and drove her to school so we could take the obligatory picture. She has been so excited to go to school and every small thing on the to do list has made entering school a little more real. It started early in the summer with the purchasing of school supplies. As we ticked things off the list she asked what she would be doing with the 10 glue sticks, or 2 boxes of crayons or the folders. We discussed in detail what the teachers expectations would be regarding behavior and what she could expect to learn. We talked about what she would like to take for lunch and snack time. We've talked up school since she started preschool and I think our enthusiasm paid off. Neither Gabriella or myself cried as she lined up and walked into her classroom. She barely looked back and I could barely tear my eyes away from her retreating form. She walked into the door and I saw 5 years of her life flash before me, first smile, first steps, first words, first day of preschool and now first day of kindergarten. As we drove away from the school I thought of how this will happen ever September for the next 12 years, it was a little mind boggling.

Wednesday was another first for Gabriella, it was her first day to ride the bus. She climbed aboard the big yellow bus with a wave goodbye and headed to school without looking back. The day seems longer without her home. Greg and I took Julia and Genevieve outside to meet big sister as she got off the school bus. Gabi was thrilled to see that her little sisters had come out to greet her. Her details of what she's been doing at school are sketchy at best, but so far she comes home excited to go back. Personally, I'm looking forward to her first day off because I miss her.

Stormy Weather

We had our first typhoon pass over us a few days ago. It certainly did not live up to all the hype. The winds howled a little, but we've heard louder. The rain poured down, but we've definitely had more rain before. We battened down our hatches preparing for what was billed to be a category 3 storm only to be disappointed by the storm itself. Honestly I was relieved that the storm wasn't fiercer. Gabriella and I were able to sleep through the whole thing. Well Gabriella was, I still had to get up to feed babies during the night. The baby girls have only been around 2 weeks and they've already survived a typhoon. August was quite an exciting month for us.

The babies 2 week appointment went great. They are both gaining weight. Genevieve is now over 7 pounds and Julia is almost 6 and a half. They are finally filling out the 0-3 month sized clothes. In fact I think Genevieve may be starting to grow out of the newborn size. The girls also accompanied Gabriella to a birthday party over the weekend. The big sister was thrilled to show off our newest family members to all her friends. We are gearing up for Gabriella's first day of kindergarten on Tuesday. The backpack is packed, the lunch is picked and she is ready. In the picture she is showing her sisters how she can write her name. If August was an exciting month I can only imagine what September is going to bring.

Babies are a Handful

These babies are sure keeping us on our toes. They are still confusing their days and nights. They sleep like little angels during the day, but at night they want to be held constantly. I am once again praising our decision to bring the recliners with us to Okinawa because they allow us to hold both babies on our laps while sitting in them. The ability to do that makes it possible to feed a baby and keep the other baby from crying. My mom and Greg have been staying up at night with the babies so I can get some sleep. I'm still getting up every few hours to pump but the rest is essential for my survival, I don't know what I would do without my parents here. The girls are still having latching issues which to be fair was to be expected. They were born at 38 weeks, so they haven't even reached "full term" yet. I'm hoping there will be a huge turn around in the next week. Maybe they will start sleeping a little more at night and start latching a little better.

Gabriella has blossomed into a fantastic big sister, she can feed a baby then change their position (while supporting their neck) to burp them. She has the magical ability to entertain the babies even when they are in the throws of screaming. She loves to help and wants to be there every step of the way to offer assistance. Last night Greg, Gabriella, myself and the twins were laying in our bed. Gabriella was working on writing her first and last name for school, Greg was working a crossword puzzle and I was just enjoying the loving glow of a quiet family moment. It was in that moment that a little bit of peace came over me, an assurance that everything would be alright. I will survive this moment and the next, no matter how crazy or overwhelming the moment is, it will pass and the waters will calm again. I'm more confident today that this is possible than I was yesterday. I hope my confidence continues to grow each day.

Bathing Beauties

We gave the baby girls their first bath the other day. Gabriella was on hand to add her assistance and give suggestions. They have an adorable bath seat that makes it possible to bathe them in the bathtub. The girls both had a pretty pleasant experience with the exception of getting their hair washed. Neither liked the water being poured over their heads but they didn't cry, just cringe and try to move out of the spray of the washcloth. The baths were ridiculously quick in order to prevent the girls from getting cold. After toweling them off their hair was dried into a very spiky hairstyle. Next time I will get a picture of the hair. Please ignore the exhausted mother holding the babies in the above pictures, she hasn't had much sleep but on the upside she has taken a daily shower. There will be lots more baths in the coming weeks, we've already had a second one where Gabriella was the assistant, she is an excellent towel girl and baby distractor. I'm thinking of hiring her on as a permanent part of bath time.

Big Sister

Changes are happening all around in this house, lack of sleeping, new babies, everyone trying to learn the ropes with two new babies. Gabriella has moved into her role as big sister with ease and grace. She lovingly tickles and entertains the new arrivals whenever they happen to be awake. She's helped to feed them, change their diapers by handing out the wipes and of course comforting them when they are upset. Genevieve and Julia recognize Gabriella's voice when she walks into a room and they have graced her with quite a few smiles in the past few days. Trying to give Gabriella all the attention she needs gets a little challenging but her friends and my parents have really stepped up in helping her feel needed and important. Gabriella will start kindergarten in a few weeks and we've been gearing up all summer for riding the bus to school and meeting lots of new friends. We are so proud of her adjustment to these new changes and how she always looks to find the good in each new situation.

We've come a long way babies

For 30 weeks these little twins grew inside me. I found out they were twins at 8 weeks pregnant and they were born one day shy of 38 weeks. It's amazing to think back at the last 9 months, the vacations we took, the fun we've had and the preparations we made. These little ones have grown from the size of kidney beans to being almost 6 and 7 pounds. Now that they are out the adventure really begins. But lets take a look back and find out how we got this far.

It all begin with a blessing, that turned into two. The day of the ultrasound Greg was working the inpatient ward, he got pages in between the exam and the ultrasound. The midwife patiently waited for him to call back his last page before calling him back in the room for the internal ultrasound. As they were probing away I jokingly asked "there's only one in there, right?" well the response was a small flick of the wrist and the photo above appeared on screen. All I can say is it's a good thing I was laying down, because you could have knocked me over with a feather. We were not on fertility medication, twins don't really run in either of our families and it wasn't something I ever imagined was in the realm of possibilities. As I sat at the pharmacy waiting for my new set of prenatal vitamins I studied the ultrasound picture, trying to imagine what carrying and giving birth to twins would be like. Over the next few weeks, I picked a doctor, found out that having twins is considered "high risk" and I would get more ultrasounds and attend more appointments than someone carrying a singleton. I went to 21 doctors appointments which included ultrasounds at every visit with a few in depth measuring ultrasounds every 4 weeks or so and Non stress tests for the last 5 weeks of the pregnancy. I have 10 ultrasounds pictures of these babies and now that I can see them in person, the grainy in utero pictures don't do them justice. Every appointment was met with a bit of apprehension, would they be growing ok, are the hearts still beating strongly and is there something happening that would cause them to come early. Lucky for us they were healthy throughout the whole pregnancy. We waited as long as we could to schedule the c-section in order to give the babies the best chance at staying out of the NICU. The day finally arrived and I headed to Labor and Delivery at 6:30 in the morning. I thought I'd be leaving Gabriella at home but she was up and excited so she went along with us. She and my dad waited in the waiting room while I got prepped for my section. Gabriella came in to tell me good luck and that she was excited to see the babies on the outside. I walked into the OR room and hoisted myself up on the table, my spinal block was put in place that the prepping began. I couldn't see anything or tell you how it felt because I was numb from the chest down and they had a curtain up. The doctor came in and then Greg did and they began to slice me open. Genevieve Catherine Montoya entered the world at 9:04 am and 40 seconds later Julia Grace Montoya followed. They are born in the same minute. They both cried and squealed which is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. I remember Gabriella's first cry at her c-section. The tears streamed down my face as Greg walked over to take pictures and see the beautiful new babies. There were two teams in the OR and they had the girls on either side of the room. Greg walked back and forth between the warming tables finding out the girls' Apgar scores, which were both 8 and 9, and counting their fingers and toes. The girls were taken off to the recovery room where they got to meet their grandmothers, grandfather and big sister. Greg went with them and I stayed where I was and got put back together. Everything went well and before I knew it I was wheeled into my room and was able to hold the babies for the very first time. I couldn't believe how different they were size wise. Genevieve was born at 6 lbs 13 oz while Julia was 5 lbs 15 oz. As of now we don't know if they are identical or not. While they look similar, the size difference makes it easy to tell them apart as do their personalities. The placenta was sent away to a lab for analysis and we will probably know something in a few weeks. If we really want something definitive we will have to send for a DNA kit. We spent the standard 3 days in the hospital and were released on Friday afternoon. Instead of hassling with the car and car seats we packed the girls into their double snap and go stroller and walked home with them. I won't say it's the easiest walk I've ever taken, but it was probably less painful than getting in and out of the car. All of us are doing well, the adjustment to life with two infants is hard but the smiles we get from the girls make the sleepless nights and ear piercing cries worth while. As I write this blog the girls are 5 days old and doing well. Julia is slightly jaundiced but nothing really to worry about. Genevieve is thriving although she doesn't like to sleep at night and is prone to long hours of screaming if not held. These are just a few of the millions of hurdles to come up in the coming months and years, but we will get over them. Thanks to all our friends for the wonderful support during this pregnancy, its success can be attributed to every prayer and good thought sent by those we love and who love us.

A return to me and the beginning of 3

Todays the big day. In a few hours I'll be heading to Labor and Delivery to get prepped for my c-section. In a few hours I'll no longer be carrying twins in my belly I'll have them in my arms. I think back on the past 38 weeks and wonder how I've made it this far. 2 weeks and 1 day from a full term pregnancy that if one looked at statistics should never had gone so smoothly. I credit the smoothness to lots of prayers to God, both on my own and from others on my behalf, a laid back approach to aches and pains which allowed me to overcome things without thinking too much into them and finally being too busy with my little girl to worry. In the beginning of this pregnancy I thought a lot about the future, what the babies would look like, how they would act, where they would sleep, etc. Towards the end I thought about each day as a kind of send off to our old life. Gabriella and I did a lot of special mommy/daughter activities because I knew it would be the last time we'd be able to do them so easily. I got wonderfully tan because I knew I'd be spending a lot of time in the shade taking care of new babies. I ate a lot of tasty desserts and wonderfully spicy dishes because I wasn't sure if I'd be able to once the babies arrived. And here I sit at the precipice of a new life with no regrets about how I spent the last few months of the old one. I look forward to meeting these two new little Montoya's, I hope they are as beautiful and sweet as the little girl I already have, but if they aren't that's ok too. Lightning doesn't often strike twice. I never really wanted twins, by saying that I mean I never really imagined myself with twins with matching names when I was playing house. Now that they are almost here I will admit to having some anxiety about telling them apart and fostering a sense of individuality within each of them. I worry about being able to feed them at the same time, giving them and Gabriella enough attention. In a word I'm scared. Scared of the unknown and undetermined. But alone here in my kitchen when the unknowns swirl around me like a tornado I only need to look up because on the other side of the ceiling is a beautiful, well adjusted child who I've had 5 years to screw up and haven't yet. I'm hopeful I'll be just as lucky with these two.

A Special Occasion Dinner

August 7th is a very special day for the Montoya family. Firstly it's my birthday and secondly it's my in laws wedding anniversary. Since we were all together here in Okinawa we decided to celebrate the special occasion by going out to dinner at Sam's by the Sea. It's a favorite of American's for special dinners, they have a lot of fancy drinks and a very extensive menu. We enjoyed delicious meals including crab legs, lobster and steak, shrimp and steak and flaming filet mignon served on a sword. The whole place is an experience. The waitresses wear sailor suits and the whole interior looks like the inside of a ship. They even have a few birds inside and out to add to the ambiance. Gabriella's meal even included a drink in a skull with a cherry in the eye socket. We didn't choose Sam's only because the restaurant is great for special meals we also selected it because it shares a name with my father in law Sam. He posed with a few of the sailor suit clad waitresses as well as his lovely bride of 39 years. We all wore our Sam's by the Sea bibs and the restaurant even gave me a tea cup and saucer to celebrate my birthday. It was a lovely meal and everyone enjoyed their meals and conversation flowed as easily as the beverages.

Little Music Box Dancer

This summer Gabriella has really come into her own regarding her dancing. Her new class started in June and it's a combination of Jazz and Ballet. This summer she's learned the names of all her steps and the differences in the two dancing styles. The class is Saturday for an hour and although it's early Gabriella is still able to get her groove on. Over the course of the summer she's really improved her balance and ability to follow along when her teacher explains the dance moves. She does practice at home or in various store aisles while we are out and about. When ever music is on she happily practices. She's absolutely adorable when she's jazz walking around the house. I wonder if dance will become a lifelong pursuit, if not then I will continue to enjoy her dancing as long as I can.

10 Years of Magic

July 22nd marked our 10th wedding anniversary. Greg and I celebrated it with a wonderful dinner and a night out on the town. We started the evening with tepanyaki at Four Seasons steak house. I had lobster and steak while Greg had delicious Kobe and shrimp. The meal was great and we had a fantastic cook. Next stop was Cafe Nirai, where I partook in a few delicious sodas. The first was mint and the second was violet soda. Next stop was I's, Greg's favorite bar on the island. I haven't seen I since last year on our anniversary. I had spicy ginger ale and we told I and his wife Kaori that we were expecting twins, futogo in Japanese. They were both pleased for us and surprised at the news. The last stop was dessert at the Hearth Cafe. I had a delicious chocolate cake and some iced coffee. Greg had cheesecake which was a little on the dry side, but still tasty. The meals and sodas were so tasty and the night out as two adults celebrating 10 years of being married was priceless. Here's to another 10 years together.

Saying Goodbye to Friends

Military life has many ups and downs, there are lots of perks, like tax free grocery shopping, but also lots of hardships like saying good bye to friends. The military population on Okinawa is transient, people come and go all year long. This month we said goodbye to our sponsor family the Broom's. Rachel, Matt, Zach and Mallory were our first friends on the island and have definitely been our closest for the 2 years we've been here. It was bitter sweet to see them move on to their next duty station. I'm happy for them to return to the states, to have access to fancy grocery stores, organic food, to entertainment, fast internet and being close to family. But I still miss them terribly. Of course Gabriella misses her friends, we pass the Broom's old house and she always makes a remark about them being in Hawaii or moving to Virginia. She realizes they aren't coming back but has already made plans to visit them or have them visit us.

A Very Big Belly

This Thursday I had my doctors appointment and everything is going well. The babies heartbeats are looking wonderful and they are in the same positions. Baby A breech and Baby B head down and ready to go. My stomach is measuring 49 cm, which means I'm the same size as someone who is 49 weeks pregnant. Although I must say I'm starting to slow down slightly I still feel good. The little ones are moving a lot and I have no problems doing my kick counts. Gabriella has started to feel them more especially when we cuddle in the morning. The babies recognize her voice when she talks to my belly and it's hard to say if they are moving towards her voice or away from it. She's been incredibly helpful this summer, helping me pick up things, make dinner and do laundry. In celebration of this new found helpfulness we've begun paying her allowance for extra services rendered. So far she's purchased a fan and a Toy Story 3 lego set. She'd like to save up for a talking Jesse doll. We are about 2.5 weeks away from the big c-section day. Hopefully I'll make it to August 18th, but my doctor and Greg don't think I will. They both believe that I will simply run out of room. Personally I think I'll make it.

What every road needs

There are a lot of cool things here on Okinawa: vending machines, cartoon characters hawking everything from soda to cigarettes, and a personal favorite road side ice cream stands. These stands are located in most bus turnout lanes on sunny weekend days. They are sponsored by blue seal, an American ice cream brand now made here on Okinawa. Usually a teenage girl mans the stands from 10 am or so in the morning until about 6 pm in the evening. They are alone and usually talking on a cell phone as we drive past. They have a small cooler which keeps the ice cream at an optimum temperature and a small container of water to wash things. Gabriella and Greg stopped at one on a daddy/daughter adventure day. Greg got shiquasa lime sorbet and Gabriella got vanilla ice cream. Greg explained that they stuff the cone with ice cream then put two small scoops up on top. Greg and Gabriella chose to get out of the car and eat their treat, but a person could choose to stay in the car, get the cone and then drive off and enjoy. It's another way that Okinawa makes summer delicious and refreshing. Sure it's 95 degrees outside and the humidity is pushing 80, but in a few kilometers there will be another ice cream stand to get something to cool down with.

Gabriella the Babysitter

A few weekends ago we headed to White Beach to watch a dragon boat race. Since it was a sunny day we took our swimsuits in expectation of a little pool time. Gabriella's friend Luke was coming along since his mom was the on call doctor at the hospital. We thought this would be a wonderful outing for everyone. The pool was wonderfully refreshing and although it was a little cool at times everyone had a good time jumping off the side and practicing their swimming. Gabriella deemed herself Luke's babysitter and did a fantastic job of keeping an eye on him, making him feel comforted and cared for. She shared her food with him, held his hand while crossing the street and even buckled and unbuckled his car seat at every stop. I hope she's just as nice to her little sisters. The day was capped off by all of us cheering Rachel to another Summer Dragon's victory.

Beer and Pizza a Perfect Saturday Combination

Since it was the week of factory tours Greg decided that Saturday was the perfect day to visit the Orion Beer Factory in Nago. This beer is made here in Okinawa and is served at all fine drinking establishments. It's very refreshing and perfect for the delicate taste of sushi and quenching thirst on a 100 degree day. The factory tour was conducted in Japanese but they gave us a little brochure in English so we could follow along. As we walked through the factory I was amazed by how clean everything was. The brewery wasn't operating on Saturday so the line wasn't running, but they had a video to show how it looks when the beer bottles were being filled. The tour was fairly short and ended in a large tasting hall. Greg was given his free beer, while Gabriella and I opted for non alcoholic choices. Gabriella had some acerola juice while I had some delicious lemon tea. We also got a snack pack of mixed nuts. They had a nice gift shop where Gabriella got a cool little black pig and Greg got a nice bar towel. On the way back home we stopped off at Piccoli a small pizza place and had a quick pizza snack. It was deliciously made with completely fresh ingredients. The hours of the place are ridiculous, they are only open from noon to 3, last order at 2:30, then they reopen for dinner from 6-10, last order at 9. We barely made the 2:30 pm deadline for ordering. But the pizza was delicious and well worth the hurry.

Burn your own Steak

Friday night is home to a special night at Torii Beach, it's cook your own steak night. The choices for cook your own steak night are t-bone or rib eye. They also have chicken or hot dogs to cook, but really we are there for steak. Gabriella actually got pizza which not surprisingly you do not cook yourself. We met our friends there and enjoyed a few minutes of nice weather before a summer storm rolled in. The rain seemed to go back and forth between soft showers and downpours. Gabriella even got to play in the rain in her dress. The food was delicious. Greg cooked the steaks to perfection and the sides offered were quite tasty too. The coleslaw, baked beans and rolls were all quite fresh. We were lucky to arrive when we did we missed the first downpour and as we left we got to the car just before it began to rain again. It's a nice program offered every Friday at Torii and we plan to go as much as we can before summer ends. Next time I will remember to bring Gabriella's bathing suit and towel just in case she wants to ride the water slide before dinner.

Cream and Coke Tour

Summer offers a lot of cool tours around Okinawa through our travel office. While other people are heading to mainland Japan to climb Mt. Fuji we are doing things close to home. Gabriella and I took a day to visit two very important factories here on Okinawa. The Meiji milk factory which makes over 50 different kinds of ice cream. They also make a lot of different kinds of milk, coffee products and juice. But really the important part is the ice cream. The tour was really just a video, in Japanese, of how the milk is collected from local area cows and eventually turned into delicious ice cream. Our tour guide did her best to translate for us, so we were able to get the gist of what the process entails. We received a delicious milk ice popsicle which we ate at a park located close by. After about 20 minutes of playtime we were able to get on the bus and head to our next factory stop. The coca cola factory is located just a few minutes away from the Meiji milk factory. They have many different kinds of soda and canned coffee than they do in the US. I found out that there are only 150 "official" coke vending machines here on Okinawa, that's a fraction of the 400,000 vending machines located throughout the island. That's 3 vending machines for every single person on Okinawa. The factory line was filling water bottles and cans of Aquarius sports drink when we walked through. At the end of our factory walk through we were offered a tiny can of coke or juice to drink. The coke was deliciously refreshing. We were able to ask questions while enjoying our beverages, we found out that while the coffee products are made by coke they are not distributed in the US because of a lack of interest by Americans. Also the formula for coke is the same here in Japan and if the coke tastes different it's because of the natural differences in water and other locally sourced ingredients. I also learned coke has no artificial additives.

When our tours were complete we headed to a local restaurant for lunch. Yakiniku is where a buffet of raw meat and vegetables are offered and you the diner cook the food at a little grill on the table. This was our lunch stop. The place had a nice variety of meats, some a little more exotic, for example liver, kidneys and a duck sate stick. The summer noodles were delicious as was the soba. The best part of the meal was making my own green sno-cone for dessert. The whole day was a great opportunity to explore the island a little more.

Little Chef

My parents are flitting their way around France as I type this. Gabriella was thrilled about their trip because that is the place where Ratatouille takes place. She instructed my parents to try to visit the restaurant featured in the Disney cartoon and say hello to Remy. My mom was actually very interested in visiting this pretend restaurant and saying hello to the character until I told her Remy was a rat. She did send Gabriella a wonderful Ratatouille Golden Book. Since our discussion of french restaurants, both real and make believe, Gabriella has been very interested in cooking. In fact she's become our little sous chef. She assisted Greg in making the delicious shish kabobs pictured above even going so far as to dice the vegetables with her very own safety knife. She loves helping me season dinner especially the stirring and tasting. She's become a great help at grocery shopping trying to select the best piece of produce. I hope to foster in her the same love of cooking that my family fostered in me. There is something I find wonderfully satisfying about putting a delicious meal on the table. Those meals are becoming a little less frequent since I'm exhausted by the time dinner rolls around, but I still make a few attempts a week. Perhaps my sous chef will have to step up and start to take over the majority of cooking.

Our Daughter the Dolphin

Gabriella has been really enjoying all her swim classes this summer and she's progressed through to the top preschool level. She can swim using a freestyle stroke, they call it the front crawl and the backstroke. It's a world of improvement from the girl that not too long ago refused to put her face in the water. Swim class this summer seems to have a lot more requirements than the levels did last year, however she's doing wonderfully. She has one more session before the babies come and hopefully she will learn even more in those last few weeks. The video below is of her working on her diving. She's diving into the 10 foot part of the pool.

Another Weekend of Fun in the Sun

I must say that we are all getting nice and tan this summer. Despite our best efforts to keep ourselves completely slathered in sunscreen we do seem to be getting more and more color. This week Gabriella and I went to the Renaissance resort on Friday for our play date. We had a great time playing in the water and hanging out with our friends. Her swimming continues to improve by leaps and bounds. The weather was beautiful, just enough cloud cover to keep us cool.

Saturday we drove up to Manza to enjoy the beautiful beach and pool. Greg, Gabriella and I rented a few beach chairs and an umbrella to keep us cool and comfy at the beach. The water was wonderfully cool and refreshing. Greg and Gabriella did a little snorkeling and they were able to see a lot of beautiful fish and even an eel that tried to take a chunk out of Greg. As the tide came in and the water in the swimming area became deeper Gabriella and I had a good time swimming in between the floating platforms. We took a walk around the grounds looking at the guest only pool and the hotels huge lobby. The hotel is beautiful and would be a nice play to stay for a weekend. We spent a few minutes out of the water when Greg had the opportunity to bury Gabriella in the sand. She loved every minute of it. On the way home we had another lesson in Okinawan eating. The first restaurant we tried didn't open until 6, then the second one we got a little lost getting to, which is just how it works out here. We discussed that we look forward to going back to the states where every business has an address and the streets actually have names.

Manza Dragon Race

Sunday was another Hari race, aka dragon boat race up at the Manza resort. We went out to support our good friend Rachel and expected to watch her boat team's continued dominance of the summer dragon boat season. It was a beautiful day with a hot sun and a cool breeze. We arrived at the Manza resort just in time to see Rachel's team load into the boat. The race started and the women's team started off very strong, they were the first to start the turn. Then they suddenly stopped rowing and the next thing we realized they were all in the water, because their boat had sunk. The waves were really rough and a few had crashed over the sides of the boat swamping it. The sinking was certainly the most surprising end to a dragon boat race we've ever seen. Rachel and her team got a ride back to the shore on a few banana boats and even though they were soaking wet they still had a great time. It was quite an international race, including a team from Singapore and a British team. After the race we walked across the street to our favorite little sub shop. The food was once again delicious, this time all Gabriella got to eat was the homemade sorbet and fruit. It was a beautiful day filled with delicious food and a little bit of excitement.

Water Park and Pasta

Saturday was the first day of Greg's 3 day weekend. We spent it by going to Comprehensive Water park. The water was cool and refreshing, just what we needed as the mercury begins to rise here on Okinawa. The park itself has a concrete slide area for children, a lazy river, 2 tube slides and a inner tube slide. Unlike last summer, this summer Gabriella is able to stand up in the lazy river and walk. She didn't do much walking, instead she worked on her freestyle stroke. Greg and I were both very impressed, I didn't know she could do that stroke and neither did he. When we asked her about her new skill, she replied that she'd been taught it at swim class, but was just now practicing. Her form is wonderful and the coordination of her feet and arms is spot on. Although tall enough to comfortably navigate the lazy river she is still a little too short for the water slides. Perhaps she'll be tall enough by the end of the summer for the tube slides, but she still has a bit of growing to do for the inner tubes. My plan is to go to the water park at least one more time before the babies arrive. It was so relaxing to float in the cool water and as a bonus it was easy to get in and out of both of the pools.

After our fun filled day in the sun we were all starving, and italian food sounded perfect. Marino's is a place I'd read about on Okinawa Hai, a website of all things Okinawan. I've actually attempted to go to this place 4 times in the past and for some reason or another have either not found it or once I got there something came up or they weren't open. But finally on Saturday I made it! The food was just as amazing as I'd imagined it. The picture above is the girl making my pasta in a huge rind of cheese. Everyone enjoyed the dinner, the pasta was great, the all you can drink beverage bar is completely unheard of here on Okinawa and the dessert bar is reason enough to return. I can't wait to go back again, there are almost 20 different kinds of pasta on the menu so I'll have to start soon if I want to try them all before we move.

Sweet Treats

There are somethings in Japan that are just head and shoulders above it's American counterparts. For example I've never met more polite and happy employees than at the Japanese McDonald's, they wear heels and their uniforms are always pressed perfectly. Yesterday after a delicious trip to our favorite sushi go round we stopped by Baskin Robbins for dessert. We've been to many different ice cream shops around the island but Baskin Robbins has very special treats geared just for children. Their children sundaes usually feature a small cookie and some sprinkles, however yesterday's sundae really out did itself. The sundae was a bunny. The body was the scoop of ice cream, the ears cookies, the face edible candies painted to look like eyes and a nose. Gabriella gobbled up her sundae, she of course ate the ears first as is the proper way to eat anything that has ears. Greg and I enjoyed our cones which were slightly less impressive than the sundae but still delicious. Summer is full of opportunities for delicious treats and we are looking forward to finding more.

Lovin' Summer

It's officially hot here on Okinawa, the weather report has started to list the low as 81 and the high as 89. The humidity is picking up which makes me feel like I'm in a steam room all the time. We've been doing our best to beat the heat with indoor activities and many trips to the beach and pool. Gabriella has started swim classes, so she is in the pool every morning at 8 am. Today was Greg's day off, since he worked on Sunday, so we headed out for a bit of adventure. Our first stop was a glass blowing factory in Yomitan, it was already almost 90 degrees and the workers were in the shop working over fiery heaters making beautiful handblown glass items. Afterwards we drove along the coast winding our way to our lunch stop. Manza Sub shop is a little hut with the most delicious sandwiches on the island. We all enjoyed our lunch and as a special treat the owner brought out a special dessert, fruit and sorbet, for Gabriella. Back on the road we headed to Zampa beach, we'd visited a few weeks ago but the beach wasn't open for swimming then. Today it was open with all the traditional accessories found on most Okinawan beach. There was a snack bar, lifeguards, and lots of beach rentals. We watched a group of school kids ride banana boats and some families paddle out in oversized water tricycles. We swam in the cool water and while I snoozed in a chair, Greg and Gabriella built a sandcastle. We made it home with a brief stop at the Makeman store for a new pair of sand shoes for Gabriella and a handy claw to help me pick up things around the house. I'm sure I'll post a few pictures of me using it in future posts.

Southern Island Adventure

Saturday was a sunny day and after Gabriella's ballet class we headed south to explore. Our first stop was Cape Kyan, a beautiful overlook on the southern tip of the island. We drove down a few tiny roads to get to the Cape and for a while I didn't think we were actually going to get there, but Greg once again proved his amazing navigational skills were up to the challenge. We arrived and walked through some castle ruins enjoying the beautiful view from the top of the cliffs. Gabriella and I talked about how wonderful it would be to have lived in this beautiful location and we discussed what the castle looked like before it was just another pile of rocks. The next overlook had some interesting signage it was called a "quasi national park" which got us thinking about what kind a quasi park they were talking about since all we saw was a pretty view. The overlook was beautiful and once we got our fill of the scenery we began our leisurely drive back home. We stopped at a few convenience stores on my search for unusually flavored kit kats, unfortunately we didn't find any new ones. The drive back was relaxing and the day as a whole was wonderful in its simplicity.

Snorkel Adventure

Sunday dawned cloudy with looming grey clouds, the complete opposite of the day before which was bright and sunny. We had bought a day of snorkeling in the Kerama Islands and it wasn't looking good weather wise. As we pulled up to the meeting point we recognized Gabriella's school friend Carlie and her family. They were going on the same adventure we were. As we waited for the bus the kids played on the playground. Once the bus arrived we loaded ourselves and headed to the port. Getting on the boat was pretty easy however the trip across the ocean to the islands was slightly more of an issue. The seas were choppy and the boat was rocking up and down on the waves, not an ideal situation for a pregnant woman prone to seasickness. I did manage to hold on until we actually arrived at the first stop, where I tossed my breakfast over the side of the boat. The first stop was full of beautiful coral which unfortunately we all got a little too close to earning ourselves a few scrapes and scratches. Gabriella loved using the mask and snorkel, she was able to talk around the mouthpiece and was often heard exclaiming excitedly at the sight of various fish. We saw parrot fish, clown fish and even some blue tangs. Once we were back on the boat it was lunch time, we opened our lunchbox and extracted our delicious sandwiches and I made a tasty salad for myself. Greg hopped in the water at the second stop but Gabriella and I stayed on the boat enjoying a leisurely lunch and a bit of a rest. Once everyone was back on the boat the captain told a few of the marines on our trip they could jump off the roof of the boat into the water. Once Gabriella saw that was an option she immediately wanted to try it. She and Greg jumped twice and it was only Greg's ear pain that prevented them from doing it again and again. At the third snorkeling stop Gabriella and I played in the water just next to the boat. She practiced her jumping off the back of the boat while I treaded water in the cool ocean water. All three of us napped on the way back to Naha, which probably prevented any of us from getting seasick. It was a great adventure and I would highly recommend it to anyone in the neighborhood.