August 2011 - Beach Yoga

I forgot to mention that Mommy discovered yoga in July. It all happened while I was doing a workshop for work. It was something geared towards helping kids handle stress during deployments. The organizers had someone come in and do yoga with the kids. It was amazing to see 30 kids get their mats, get to floor, LISTEN, and get into poses. I thought, I want to teach kids and families this. I want to do this myself. I want Olivia to do this. I mentioned it to my co-worker who is a yoga teacher and she told me about an upcoming yoga teacher training on island. SIGN ME UP! So I did. But I figured I better start going to some yoga classes if I was going to be a teacher. So I did. And one class was offered at the beach. Yoga. Beach. Perfect. It was a beautiful day, so I brought my camera to snap some shots after the class. I love the story they tell.

Walking down to the beach, with this view, it was easy to relax:

We practiced under one of those pavilions with the red roof:

My view while relaxing into the poses:

Savasana view:

Inversion View:

Finished:

Leaving:

Peaceful:

Mindful:

Namaste:

July 2011

I know! It's the next year. Oh well. Here is July 2011!
Let's see what happened in July? Well, if you didn't know already, Olivia moved to a different CDC, because she went into the pre-school (3yr old) room and it took a little while to get her there. I think she transitioned in June. But in July they had a 4th of July parade, and Olivia got to lead the line for her class! She was so proud:

And we moved in July too! (or maybe it was June...?) I guess that would be the benefit of keeping up with things :) Well anyway, here she is on the 4th outside our new house, or tree anyway.

Later that day we went to Amerifest with Tesha and Tom and kids. It's the 4th of July festival on Kadena. They have booths, games, rides, food....and airplanes! Here is sweaty betty now inside a fabulous C-130! (It was July... AND HOT!) Those that have visited haven't had the pleasure of Okinawa in July....

Best Airplane in the Air Force (or so Daddy says)...

Here Olivia is watching 4th of July fireworks with Taylor and the little girl across from us. They got to use glow bracelets (courtesy of Aunt Dandy)...

Here's our star at gymnastics! She loved it, although now she is in ballet and tap.

Here mommy and daddy are at the MSgt Select Promotion dinner :)

We got to walk through the swords! (But I didn't know to pose for the picture!)

YaY!

And here the Ellis family is out eating. We all eat with chopsticks when the occasion calls for it!

Mommy took a day of and we played hooky - Olivia and I went up to the Aquarium and hung out all day!

We watched the dolphin show and even were splashed by the dolphins!

Mommy was splashed too! (Good job Olivia taking the picture!)

Later, we ate dinner and had ice cream, messy face!

Olivia got a "lucy" - aka a whale shark stuffed animal. So named after seeing a Diego show about a whale shark named Lucy.

It was an awesome day. It was also the day Mommy decided to start working part-time :)

Although, that didn't officially start until September.

June 2011 - Peace Prayer Park

In June 2011, I went to Peace Prayer Park with work. It is a memorial park for the Battle of Okinawa for World War II. I got a nice big history lesson and a chance to see the history that fills this island.
Here is one of the caves that the Okinawans hid in during the war. Very sad stories come with this that I will not share here:

This is one of the battle sites, the stairs lead to another memorial. The wall in front is a piece of concrete left from the war, with bullet holes still there.

They are still recovering weapons from the war. Divers find things in the water, stuff turns up on the beaches, things can be found in the jungles. It's everywhere. This gun was found only a few months earlier on one of the Marine bases.

Paper cranes made by Japanese elementary students for peace. These hang in the beginning of the Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters. The war was mostly strategized underground.

Map:

Showing US forces:

You can click and read this one:

Walking thru the underground headquarters. Very low and tight.

The corner stone of peace. Memorial at Peace Prayer Park. Beautiful scene:

Peace:

In the background are walls with the names of those who lost their lives. American and Japanese.

The Walls:

June 2011

Ok, so it's been a while since I last posted. Why? We've been busy!
I'll bring you to speed a month at a time. I'll try not to leave anything out. But, let's face it. We've probably already told you most of our lives via the phone or facebook. But, nonetheless, here it is. Complete with pictures.
First up is June. June brought many, many things. Along with our daily activities, we moved, Olivia got her second set of tubes, and my grandmother passed away. I love her and she is missed. I love these pictures that I have of her and Olivia. She didn't like getting her pictures taken much. But you can't really tell from these.

I can hear her talking loudly to me in this picture. And by my smile, I'm sure it was something like "I'm gonna kick her butt"

These were taken in August 2008. Olivia was 3 months old! Seems forever ago.

So, June took off with Daddy celebrating his promotion selection. You can see the pretend sticker stripes in this pic:

Olivia also changed "schools" aka day cares. Since she turned 3, she moved up to the preschool rooms, which are at a different center. Here is one of her last events at Shima No Ko. It was a cultural celebration day. And her room had Mexico. She is making a maraca.

We jammed out to the finale of American Idol:

We won a sprinkler at family night and played in it outside:

This is outside the new house. We got to move out of our tiny 2 bedroom into a bigger 3 bedroom, since Mike made Master. Yippee! We moved to a different house, one that is actually on Kadena. Much more convenient. Also convenient that we got to get new furniture. Our couch was from when we first moved in together, and it was pretty loved (and falling apart). And we moved into a neighborhood where we already had friends. Pretty awesome.

Oh and Olivia got a hair cut! A major hair cut. Before:

During: She wasn't that sure. But no tears!

More During: Still not sure.

Beginning to look really cute and feels a little famous with the stylin' going on:

After: Sportin' a new 'do! Very sassy.

At the hospital in the hospital clothes, ready to have the second set of tubes put in her ears, and the adenoids removed:

After the surgery: Still passed out. She recovered just fine.

And you get a glimpse at the new furniture. Couch, loveseat, and Daddy's recliner (although Jill tries to steal it from time to time).

Ok, July coming soon!