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!