September 2011 - Okuma

In September 2011, we took a small stay-cation to Okuma. Just us. And it was wonderful. The weather cooperated for the most part. We were able to swim, Daddy rode the jetski, we went on a glass bottom boat ride, sat by the fire, ate smores and more... Take a look.
Hanging out in tubes: Mommy and Olivia

This year, Olivia had no fear of the water. She was a fish!

Yucky - Salt water doesn't taste so good...

Floating in the tubes: Daddy and Olivia

Building Sand Castles:

Hello!

The beach feet picture you always have to take:

The sassy, I'm at the beach - you're not, picture you always have to take:

Mommy doing yoga on the beach! Perfect, expect when the wind blows...

We played some, ok lots, of mini golf:

We rode the buggies:

We enjoyed this beautiful island we live on:

Miss sassy was completely done with taking pictures, so the only way I could get her face was to say "Olivia look!" ...And this was the face I got...

Landslide from the typhoon in August!

Yikes, I got another look:

At least Daddy smiles:

August 2011

In August we had to start to say goodbye to our great friends, Tesha and Tom. They headed to Germany in September. We miss them! Taylor and Olivia got in all the playdates they could. You can see the princesses here:

And here:

And Miss Olivia's princess foot, complete with purple polish:

YIKES! Look at this fellow we saw while out to lunch one day...glad I was wearing shoes!

We had a big typhoon. Not so much big, as it was loooooong. It just came and sat over the island. Typhoon Muifia had us locked in our house for 3 days straight....without AC...in August...with a 3 year old...and Mike... Haha, actually it wasn't that bad. At least we had power most of the time and we were safe and prepared. Muifa was pretty strong though, big gusts. Here's a pic of the big banyan tree outside Gate 1 he blew over while he was visiting Okinawa. WOW!

And we went to the Eisa Festival. This is the drum festival we have gone to almost every year we were here...

Olivia loves these swings and rides them any chance she can get:

Mommy and Livvy watching the fireworks:

One tired baby:

Here's Daddy back in 2008 trying noodles for the first time at our first trip to the Eisa Festival! We had only been in Okinawa a few days! (Note: Daddy STILL wears this shirt...)

And this is Olivia at her first trip to the Eisa Festival! Sleepy baby then too!!

Also in August, I started the 18 week Yoga Teacher Training Course. Here I am on my first day of school!

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.