Kayaking the Mangroves

 

We did something different this weekend, during our Thanksgiving stay at Oura Wan - we kayaked the mangroves! It was fun, despite the language differences and somewhat awkward moments!! They didn't quite know what to do with us, given the language differences, but they chose the guide with the most English and we gave it a whirl. It was a great afternoon, complete with refreshments (sea grapes, donuts, and Okinawa tangerines) and a little bit of Sanshin playing. Sydney even accompanied him with the Japanese verses of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!"

Sydney's 7th Birthday

 

Sydney had another great birthday this year - her first sleepover! We painted Kokeshi Dolls and posters, played, watched the movie "UP" and managed to get a little sleep. Her "theme" was a panda bear this year. I can't believe how big the kids are getting! Happy Birthday Sydney!

Spontaneous Space A travel to mainland Japan!

Well - we did it! We successfully took a Space A trip from Okinawa to mainland Japan!! You have to put up with some crazy show times and airport wait times, be very flexible with your itinerary, and be spontaneous, and we did it!! I wouldn't have thought I was capable of traveling without a solid plan, but it actually worked out really well. We stayed 4 nights in southern Japan at Iwakuni Air Base (Marines) and saw the beautiful sights of this area. Hiroshima and Miyajima were the two hot spot destinations. Both were breathtakingly beautiful. Then off we went to Yokota Air Base (Air Force) where we stayed 2 nights and took in Disney Sea and made it to Tokyo by train! Then, like magic we are back in Okinawa! Enjoy the pictures!

Lost Tooth

 

Sydney lost her first tooth just 8 days before her 7th birthday! We were up in Tokyo and the tooth fairy even managed to find her in the hotel room! She was very excited, but wondered how the tooth fairy carries all that cash around!

Halloween 2009

Halloween was great fun this year. We started the evening off with a neighborhood soup supper, then the rain started in and the kids went Trick-or-Treating in the pouring rain!! For the first time, Brenna did her own thing with a group of friends - didn't even see her in costume. The times are changin' in the Gabriel Clan house! She had a good time - even though she couldn't muster up the courage to enter the Haunted House! (I heard it was really scary . . . I guess she heard the same rumor!). Anyway - the local nationals were still out in force, but there weren't nearly as many kids as last year. Everyone had a great time!

Fall Soccer Kicks

 

Sydney and Morgan are trying out soccer for the first time, and they both love it! They play co-ed here on Kadena, so it is a good mix of talent. Both girls are having a great time learning the game!

Botanical Gardens

Hello everyone! I've missed posting, but there hasn't been too much picture taking lately! We have company right now, Father Michael Cambi, a friend of Dan's from Notre Dame, so now I have an excuse to make a post. It's been a rainy visit, so far, but we are hoping for some sun the rest of the time. This was a beautiful botanical garden we visited - in the rain, but it was still pretty.

Labor Day Adventures

 

We spent Labor Day Weekend up at Okuma and it was WINDY!!! There was a typhoon blowing somewhere towards mainland Japan, but we were experiencing the effects down in Okinawa! So . . . no snorkeling or diving, but we did get to ride some "wicked" waves on North Beach! Sydney preferred flying the boogie boards like kites, because the waves were too much for her. We decided to boycott the sandblast area of the beach on Sunday and went for a hike up some limestone formations. It was very interesting and exciting! We saw a wild boar (scared the pants off of me, of course which caused a ripple effect down to the kids) and we saw some monster spiders. That is Dan's hand in the background, so you can see how big they are! It was an exciting day with a beautiful vista of the northern most point on Okinawa - Hedo Point.

School Days

 

 

 

Another school year begins on Okinawa! Everyone was excited to start school this year! Brenna has a full schedule as a 7th grader at the Ryukyu Middle School, Morgan has Mrs. Janiga the 3rd Grade Japanese Immersion teacher, and Sydney got Mr. Ishikawa the 1st Grade Japanese Immersion teacher! We are very happy with everyone's teachers and look forward to another great year!

Ears Are Pierced

 
 
 
 
Well - our first ear piercing happened August 29, 2009 immediately following Brenna's last softball game of the season. She had a big support team: Emma and Reece (my friend Melissa's twins), and of course her number one fans: Morgan and Sydney. It was a fun afternoon and Brenna loves her new look!

Summer Recap

Well - I guess it's about time that I make a post. I have pretty much taken the summer off, partly because I didn't have much to say, after our visitors left, and partly because I have been lazy!!! I will get back on track now. We had a great summer first with visitors, then with all of the daily activities we did. The kids did golf camp, tennis camp, swimming, gymnastics, softball, Japanese classes, and lots of playing and beach activities. We helped several new families get adjusted to Okinawa, said goodbye to many friends, and have had some time to relax with old friends. We are all looking forward to starting school - mostly because we will still have summer and beach weather for at least 2 more months! Hope everyone had a great summer!

Okinawa Visitors

Lucky us! We have visitors! Stacy and her family came all the way from Oregon and are on a 3 week visit to Okinawa. We are having the times of our lives - not wasting a single moment - it's go, go, go with no rest for the weary. We have been sightseeing from the Northern Tip to the Southern Coastline and everything in between. For the most part, the weather has cooperated, but it is hot and humid, so we are pretty stinky by the end of the day. Everyone is enjoying our time together and unfortunately, time is flying by. I want to encourage everyone to visit Stacy's Blog, which I have a link for in my link section. She has done a fabulous job documenting their stay here and has some beautiful pictures. I probably will just refer to her link for this visit, because her blog is so AWESOME!

Spring Piano Recital

With the theme of "Favorite Songs from the Silver Screen," the Spring Piano Recital was a huge success. Brenna played the opening song of the recital, the theme song from the movie Titanic, and it was flawless and beautiful. She also played songs from The Little Mermaid and Dr. Zhivago. Morgan played songs from the Lion King and Sound of Music and did wonderfully. Sydney played very well for her very first recital. Nerves got to her a little bit, but she played "Tomorrow" from Annie and "You'll be in my Heart" from Tarzan. She did great and we were proud of all three girls!!

Son Rock Kids Camp!

This year's VBS theme was "Son Rock Kids Camp" and we had a great turn out. Our head Chaplain said we would turn no child away - and we didn't with almost 300 kids enrolling for this year's program. The planners and volunteers are exhausted, but the kids are going strong!

Thank God For Our Loving Husbands

Well, somehow the Seoul Sisters managed to sneak another trip in. We didn't think it would go over, but it was a success. Our friend Liz leaves in 8 days, so in honor of her departure, we had to hold with tradition and plan a girl's get-away. This time, Melissa, Liz, Carrie, and I headed to nearby Ishigaki Island, south of Okinawa, to Club Med, where we relaxed in style. Of course we had some wild and crazy times and we will remember it for a long time. This is one of my newest favorite get-away sites! My list keeps on growing and growing!

Livin' In A Fish Bowl

You know we never sit still for long. After two days at home, we packed back up and went on a Kerama Island Adventure to Tokashiki Island, the largest of the Kerama chain. It was a 70 minute ferry ride from Naha to this remote island. We went with a huge group of people (there were 39 of us total) and were invited thanks to our neighbors and friends, the Day family. Our housing was the Okinawa Friendship Center, a government funded "school" and our mission was to learn more about the topography of the island and the marine life surrounding it. For a total of $121, our family of 5 stayed in this place for two nights/three days - meals included!! Can't beat that deal, but it did come with some interesting commitments. First of all, we slept on tatami mats - not the most lush and comfortable things, thus the reason for the mandatory morning flag raising ceremony and exercises - to work out all of the kinks from the night's sleep!!! The meals consisted of a lot of rice and fish, but everyone was pretty good about shoveling it in. Luckily, we all brought lots of snacks for the beach. The Kerama Islands are known for the beautiful waters for diving and snorkeling - all of which we did. I included lots of underwater pictures - not to bore you or make you jealous, but to hopefully enjoy the sights we are being able to experience here in Japan. If it weren't on the other side of the world, I could live here the rest of my life. This was one of the most culturally expansive excursions we have taken to date, and one worth remembering. Love to all.

Memoral Day at Okuma

We spent Memorial Day weekend up at Okuma! High winds brought the surf up, so the kids had fun in the rare waves. We also got a good snorkel and dive trip in. With my new camera, I tested out some underwater photos. I have some work to do, but it was fun trying to get some different pictures.