Our Family: David, Catherine, Max and Mika

New years eve 2011

2012-01-22T04:20:00.001-08:00

Celebrating new years eve with friends and family. It was a great way to end the year and we had so much fun. We made japanese food (tako yaki, kon yaku, and fish cakes) and American food (salad and pizza) and everyone had a great time. It was delicious!

We ended the day by going to Awase Grace (a home furnishings store) and they were decorating for the big celebration the next day.

Photos for December....

2012-01-22T03:07:00.001-08:00

Sorry that these photos are being posted so late! We've had a very busy month since coming home from Hawaii. (Christmas, new year, anniversary etc) Anyway, we had a wonderful Christmas and Santa was very nice this year!

Out of all the "fancy" toys she received, she loves her new slinky!! Go figure. The classic toys are still great!

A happy Christmas morning!

I bought this funny tshirt for Max when we were in Tokyo and kept it hidden until Christmas. He loved it.

Another funny tshirt I found in Tokyo.

Max got lots of new clothes, video games and some history books that he wanted. Mika got a violin, some new toys and clothing also. (And a scooter!)

Valley of the Temples in Hawaii.

2011-12-31T03:08:00.001-08:00

I would like to take credit for these beautiful photos, but I can't. Our VERY talented friend, Eric Matsuzaki, took these photos while we were at the Valley of the Temples in Hawaii earlier this month.

I know this looks like it's staged, but it's not!

Mika and Lexie playing with the rocks. They're always so sweet together and share everything.

Mika is always drawn to Buddha's when she sees one, and she sat down next to this one and closed her eyes. She says she's "relaxing and praying to God."

November/December in Hawaii.

2011-12-29T03:27:00.001-08:00

We spent four weeks at the hospital in Hawaii with Max and just got home on December 16th. Here are some random photos that were taken while we were there.
I took Mika to the mall to see Santa the day before Thanksgiving. It was the first time for her to see a "regular" Santa in a store and not on base. I was very proud of her because she was a little nervous, but went up there anyway.

Thanksgiving lunch on the beach. It was very good.

Max took this picture in the street!

This big Buddha statue was at a restaurant close to our hotel. Mika thinks it's very pretty.

Mika and Lexie ringing the bell at "Valley of the Temples."

Our dear friends-Eric, Michelle and Lexie. They live in Kaneohe and we were able to spend time together during this trip.

Mika and Lexie.

The Koi pond at Valley of the Temples. Koi fish are very special to us because we visited a park in Changhua County where she was living in Taiwan and fed the fish the first day we met Mika.

Valley of the Temples-a beautiful and peaceful place.

Mika playing around with Lexie and Eric. She was telling Lexie "hang on, don't fall off!"

Max was with us, but not in these photos.

Our visit to Hawaii for Max to see the doctors and have surgery.

2011-12-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

This was our Thanksgiving day lunch. It was delicious.

Mika was using a bath towel to dress up and entertain herself while Max was at the hospital.

Recovering after surgery.

Max's Thanksgiving day lunch. He didn't feel good on this day, so he looks a little tired.

A few photos that were taken during our hospital visit in Hawaii....

2011-12-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos that were taken while we were in Hawaii to see the doctors. It was the week of Thanksgiving, so we had some time off to sightsee and relax for a couple of days.

Uncle Dennis sent their birthday gifts to the hotel while we were there. He was a tiny bit late because he had ordered the Angels baseball souvenir, but that's ok, we still love him anyway!! (Their birthdays were in September!)

An example of our new life...where can Max eat and what can Max eat??!! We always order the biggest, fattest, most calorie busting thing on the menu for him. He has to eat a minimum of 4,000 calories EVERY day to maintain his bloodsugar.

Merry Christmas....we made it home in time!

2011-12-23T20:55:00.001-08:00

As most of you already know, we've been at the hospital in Hawaii with Max since November 20th. We're so happy to finally be home in time to celebrate Christmas! We're so thankful for all of your prayers and support over these past four weeks, and we are so blessed that both of his biopsies came back benign and he's now feeling much, much better with the new medicine and the new nutrition plan. We're especially thankful for our dear friends, Eric and Michelle (and Lexie too!) who surrounded us with joy and love while we were in Hawaii and made us feel like part of their family.
I'll be posting more photos as soon as I can.
Merry Christmas!

A few extra photos.....

2011-10-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

I had some extra photos, so I thought I would just post them together......
We went to "Seaside" arcade and I won some Halloween stuffies with the claw game!

Mika is learning how to use a knife and fork, so she's practicing with pancakes and a child safe knife.

My friend Yoriko made Mika a bento box lunch.

Mika loved it!!

I'm in the process of teaching Mika how to read. She loves to learn new things!

At a soba restaurant

Mika was excited to see a Japanese school group. They wear color coded hats when they go out for a field trip. So cute!

Mommy, Mika and Daddy.....
(Max was at school)

Enjoying a sushi lunch while Max is at school. Mika loves these little yogurt drinks and used to drink them when she was a baby in Taiwan.

Fresh sushi! Yummy. The chef is scorching some crab meat and mayo.

Halloween decorations off base at Mihama Village.

Mika enjoying a "kids set" at the Thai restaurant.

We enjoyed some Thai food for lunch and I had shrimp cakes and beef salad.

Pineapple rice.....

Max didn't feel too good on this day, so he looks a little tired.

This was Max's lunch-chicken with cashews.

Max got an ice cream for dessert off base.

Happy 18th (gasp!) birthday Max.....

2011-10-03T00:10:00.001-07:00

Our "little" boy is 18 years old! We can't believe how fast the years have gone by.
His birthday was on a school day this year, so we celebrated after he came home from school.

Mika and I went to the school parking lot and decorated Max's car before he got out of school! He was very surprised and it was very funny!

We decorated his room a little also. The birthday sign is handmade by my dear friend Toni. He's had it for two years now and likes it because it has a little white car on it that looks like his car.

Home from school and time to celebrate.....

Mika put the balloon in his car!

I took Mika to the PX and she chose Max's birthday gift all by herself. She decided to buy him a remote control helicopter and they enjoyed flying it outside. Max is good at it!

David and I gave Max an IPod Touch and loaded lots of his favorite songs and photos and games onto it. He was super happy and loves it. He can listen to it in his car also thru the radio adapter we bought for him.

He likes to read history books!

History books and DVD's are his favorite things!

Max asked to go to his favorite Mexican restaurant for his birthday dinner. Mexican food in Japan is VERY interesting and unique. This restaurant has been open for many years and lots of the high school kids hang out there on the weekend. These little privately owned places are all over Okinawa.

Happy birthday to our wonderful, handsome, smart, funny and adorable son!!!!

Mika ADORES her big brother!

September 15, 2011

2011-10-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Mika loves to do "school work" and does an activity everyday.

Going to ballet

This is my dragon vase. I've been working on it for the past month.

Here's the photo from September 14th.....and then another photo later that night after working on it for three hours.

Max working on his dragon vase.

Happy 5th Birthday to Mika!

2011-09-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

Mika celebrated her 5th birthday on September 6th! We went to an indoor kids arcade called "Round 1" and she ran around and played lots of games. She had so much fun and had a great day. We went out for dinner after Max got home and then had cake and she opened her birthday gifts. She said her cake was delicious!

Max gave her a Disney watch and a pair of purple pajamas. She loved both presents and gave him a big kiss!

Enjoying some birthday cake. She's wearing the purple pajamas Max gave her.

Playing miniature golf at Round 1.

She loves to ride the little bikes around the track and jump in the ball pit!

We had a ball fight with these air guns! They shoot balls across the ball pit and it's lots of fun. She got me a few times!!

Look out Mommy!

All played out and ready for lunch.

Photos-- September 2011

2011-09-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Keimi recently got married and I was invited to the reception. It was not at all like an American reception, and it was more like a party. Everyone had lots of fun though! It was very interesting. We played bingo!!

Me, Yoriko, Saito San and Midori. We were laughing because there was a group of men sitting next to us and they were all trying to speak English. (I was the only American)

A co-worker of the groom was feeling a little happy and friendly.....he kept telling me he wants to visit America and go to Boston to see the marathon.

Keimi looked so beautiful and very happy!

I went out to dinner with Yori and Midori and Max went with us. They gave him a birthday gift because his birthday is next week.

Yori gave Max a pair of Japanese slippers. He loves them!

Max and Midori at the restaurant.

An Okinawan coffee....look how tiny the creamer is!

I made a Japanese garden in front of our house.

Max and I are going to a pottery class together. We're each making a dragon vase with clay! It'll be finished at the end of the month. Check back for more photos of the finished product!

Max went to a pirate party with friends! He looked adorable.
Check out the "Anaheim Angels Rally Monkey" on his shoulder! He's had that monkey since he was a little boy.

Max was reading a story to Mika and I snuck up on them to take a photo....

Our time in Hawaii: July and August 2011

2011-09-11T03:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos I took while we were in Hawaii......

Max goes to this hospital. It's excellent.

Taking a few minutes to swim in the pool before we leave Hawaii.

This restaurant is very good in Waikiki.

Mika and her best friend in Hawaii, Lexie!

Mika loves spending time with Lexie.

We bought Mika a floatie, but she couldn't wait to go to the pool so we put it in the bathtub and she LOVED IT!!

Mika and I signed up for a flower class in the hotel lobby before we left to come back to Okinawa. She made the white Gardenia and I made the orange Hibiscus. They're made out of modeling clay. Guess what?! Our instructor was Japanese and used to live on Okinawa!

Walking to get something to eat after a long day at the hospital......

Max is a Senior....first day of school!

2011-09-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a very special day, Max had his first day of school as a Senior! I still can't believe my little baby boy is in his final year of high school. He woke up early and was excited about the school year.
Go Panthers, class of 2012!

This Japanese Noren hangs over his bedroom door.....

Ready to go! The school is only 5 minutes away and across the street, but he drives his car everyday.

There he goes........

Enjoying the pool at home....

2011-09-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

We bought an inflatable pool while we were in Hawaii and mailed it home. Mika has had so much fun swimming and splashing around! She loves water and we're teaching her how to swim.

Finally....a new posting! September 9, 2011

2011-09-09T02:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
I know it's been a very long time since I have posted anything new. I'm sorry it has taken me so long. We just got home from Max's hospital visit in Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, and we're now back into a routine. It's really great to be home!
I recently went to Yomitan Pottery Village to buy a wedding gift for a friend who's getting married. It's made up of lots of individual potters who have small studios where they make the pottery and sell it. It's very interesting to watch. I took a couple of photos while I was there.
I'll be working on updating our Blog this weekend, so please check back soon!

Back to Hawaii July 11, 2011

2011-07-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

We just found out that we have to take Max back to the hopital in Hawaii. We're flying tomorrow and aren't sure how long we'll need to stay.
Thank you for your prayers and support. I'll start posting on our blog again when we come home.

Fathers Day 2011

2011-07-10T03:14:00.000-07:00

David had a nice Fathers Day. He asked to go to his favorite sushi restaurant (Ichibantei) for dinner. Max can't eat sushi anymore, so he had fried chicken and potatoes. Mika loves sushi though, so she was very happy.

A Fathers day sushi feast!

Mika recently started watching the Toy Story movies, so she was very happy to get an Annie doll.

Max and Mika wore funny sunglasses for the 4th of July!!

Max's Piano Recital--June 2011

2011-07-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

Max had a piano recital at the Schilling Ballroom on Kadena. He played "The Gigue by Bach." He did a great job and was the closing performer! Mika asked to sit at the piano before the concert started. She loves the piano and is always asking if she can start having lessons.

Max's teacher is wonderful! Her name is Mrs. Forney and she lives in our neighborhood.

Daddy came straight from work to the recital.

Max and Mika LOVE to play the Wii video game together!

Max gave a wonderful performance.....

Our little ballerina!

2011-06-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of Mika's ballet recital on May 14th. She had so much fun and was very happy!

Mika loves to sing.....

Mika's first ballet recital......May 14, 2011

2011-05-24T02:22:00.000-07:00

Mika had her first ballet recital last weekend. She did such a great job and we're so proud of her!

Lots of little ballerinas!

Mika loved her costumes......

This costume is her favorite!

Her friend Will came to the recital and gave her some pretty flowers. He lives next door and they play together at the park a lot.

Taking her bow on stage.

Lots of flower bouquets for the star ballerina!

It was a very happy day.

Mika's gymnastics class and Mothers Day....

2011-05-22T00:10:00.000-07:00

Mika loves gymnastics class and is very good at it! She doesn't like running to warm up, but she loves the tumbling part.

Mika and her friend Mia......at ballet practice.

She LOVES to wear her tutu and go to ballet!!

Having fun in her room.......

Mothers Day with my two favorite people!

Our two year anniversary with Mika......April 28, 2011

2011-05-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a very special day! It was our two year anniversary with Mika. I took her to the Okinawa Wonder Museum and afterwards we had a yummy dim sum lunch. (Daddy had to work and Max was at school)
We had a really fun day!

Sitting in lots of cute chairs! She liked the large one the best.

Practicing the obstacle course....

Having fun picking up peas using chopsticks! I couldn't do it but she could. She thought that was VERY funny!

Japan was celebrating Koi No Bori, so there were lots of carp fish streamers everywhere.

She wanted to take her toys outside, so she sat on a blanket on the grass and was very happy.

At the park behind our house. She plays here everyday when the weather is nice.

Daddy came home at the end of the day. She tried to give him "bunny ears," but she can't quite do it yet.

A very Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! We had a very good day opening our Easter baskets, hunting for eggs and having a delicious brunch at the Kadena Officers Club. Mika summed it up when she told Max that Easter is like Jesus' second birthday! She's so smart.

Mika took this picture of Max using my camera!

Easter brunch at the O'Club.

Mika's basket had lots of outdoor toys and candy. Max's basket had chocolates and a giftcard (money!) for the PX, so he was also happy.

Look what the Easter Bunny brought!!!!

Playing a game of catch with the new Easter toys. The mitts have velcro, so Mika was happy that she could catch the ball.

Time to hunt for eggs in the backyard! Yea!!

Mika and I made a bunny cake.

Enjoying Shuri and Mika has her first dentist visit.........

2011-04-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

I recently went to visit Daruma Temple in downtown Shuri. This temple is famous because it is named in honor of a Chinese Monk. I always enjoy visiting shrines and temples because they're very peaceful and beautiful. It's nice to sit quietly and talk with God.

The entrance to Daruma Temple. We walked here from Yori's house. Midori and Yori went with me after eating lunch together. Midori made homemade sushi and Yori made corn croquettes. I brought cheesecake.

These are prayer cards. You can write your prayer and leave it.

I went to the pottery studio to pick up the Shisa I made. These shisa's are huge!

This pottery was bulit into the side of the studio by the owner.

This pottery studio is on a very quiet street and the houses are older.

Mika had her FIRST dental visit today on Camp Kinser! She was very brave and not afraid or nervous at all. We were so proud of her!

Ready for my checkup!

NO CAVITIES!!!! YEA!!!

We enjoyed a celebratory lunch at Burger King.

Mika and Daddy

Max was out of school for Spring Break, so he joined us. Mika shared her crown with him.
She loves Max very much!

Max at work and Mika's first modeling job.............

2011-04-16T02:52:00.000-07:00

Mika modeled a summer Yukata for Kimie San today. She had a fun time and did a great job posing and smiling for the camera! These photos will be used for advertising for the kimono shop.

Max enjoys his new job and says the uniform is super comfortable.

Dinner with friends.....and Mika gets a modeling job??!!

2011-04-16T01:56:00.001-07:00

We had dinner with our good friends, the Beall family. It was a great meal at Poco A Poco and everyone had a fun time. On another note.....Max got a temporary job at a Japanese vendor on base at the PX. The name of the store is Sakuran, and they sell kimonos and obi's. He'll work on Fridays and Saturdays for the next 6 weeks, then the vendor will move and the job will be finished. He really likes it so far! We went to visit Max at work and his boss, Kimie San asked us if we would consider letting Mika model some kimonos for her. Mika was very excited and wanted to do it, so we said ok.

Mika and Kimie San.

Mika loves to have her photo taken!

David and I celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary!

2011-04-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

David and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary on April 2nd. We had a happy day and enjoyed a nice dinner. David gave me a necklace made by a local artist on Okinawa and had it engraved. It's very pretty.

A trip to the Churaumi Aquarium and Mommy's birthday......

2011-04-11T04:35:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my birthday on March 19th and had a wonderful day. I got a beautiful cake, Max gave me a Japanese sake set, Mika gave me perfume and David gave me a docking station that I can use in the kitchen to listen to my IPod while I cook. I love it! I got to choose where to go for my birthday lunch and I picked my FAVORITE burger restaurant called "Ishigaki." They make homemade buns and use Ishigaki beef for the burgers. They're my favorite. The weekend after my birthday, we drove up north and went to the aquarium. Mika loves going to the aquarium, but it was cold the day we went so we didn't stay too long.

My favorite burger on Okinawa!

My friend, Michiko San brought me flowers!

Mika is ready to go to ballet class.

Max participated in "open mike night" at school with a group of guys. They sang "Baby Don't Hurt me...no more." It was HYSTERICALLY FUNNY!!" The audience went crazy. Max is on the top row-second from the left.

Some photos from our time in Hawaii

2011-03-13T04:05:00.000-07:00

My two babies are tired!

We took Mika to visit our adoption agency in Honolulu. John was our case manager and actually found Mika for us! Shannon is super sweet and works there also. They gave Mika the green frog toy when we said goodbye.

We went out to dinner with our friends Eric, Michelle and Lexie for the Chinese New Year. They adopted Lexie from Taiwan and used the same agency. They're really nice and will be lifelong friends!

Mika and Lexie. They got along GREAT.

Daddy took Mika shopping because we needed more clothes. We had to stay in Hawaii a very long time and didn't bring enough.

A beautiful sunset.

Max was a little weak when he was finally out of the hospital and needed to use a wheelchair for a couple of days. He got his strength back very quickly though and felt better. We went outside for a walk and to get some fresh air.

It's good to be home again....

2011-03-03T02:11:00.001-08:00

We've been home from the hospital for a few days now and it's good to be home again. The doctors were really great in Hawaii and we were able to get a diagnosis and a good treatment plan. Now it'll just take some time for the medicine to start working and he'll get his strength back and start to feel better. We're truly blessed and very thankful.

We're finally home

2011-02-25T03:43:00.000-08:00

We're finally home after being at the hospital in Hawaii for 24 days.
I'll post some new photos very soon.

On our way to Tripler

2011-01-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

The doctors here have decided to send Max to Tripler Hospital in Hawaii to see a specialist. We're leaving tomorrow and aren't sure how long we'll need to stay.
I''ll start posting again after things have settled down and Max is feeling better.
Thanks for your support and prayers. We appreciate your emails wishing Max to feel better soon.

A Merry Christmas 2010

2011-01-09T02:31:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite Christmas photo this year!

Making cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.......

We went to the Okinawa Zoo on Christmas Eve and had lots of fun!

The Zoo shipped in some snow and ice and let the kids play in it. They had toboggan rides and a tiny igloo. Mika was very interested in the snow!

Enjoying a snack at the Okinawa Zoo on Christmas Eve. Mika was telling Max to "smile big!"

We open one gift on Christmas Eve. It's our family tradition. Max and Mika both happened to open books! We were very surprised and it was a funny coincidence.

Mika tried egg nog for the first time. She LOVED it!!

Happy Christmas morning........Santa came and left lots of great presents!

Max got a new razor and he and Daddy got matching tshirts from a friend.

She loved her little Hello Kitty suitcase filled with snacks.

She opened all her gifts by herself this year!

Mika loves books.

It's time to open the stockings!

She had fun playing in the wrapping paper.

A Very Merry Christmas!

Time for dinner.......

Preparing for Christmas......

2010-12-16T02:09:00.001-08:00

As most of you already know, Max hasn't been feeling very well these past couple of weeks and has been spending alot of time at the hospital. We're now in the process of testing for a specific illness, and it's taking most of our time right now.
I'm sorry these photos were posted so late, and as soon as things are better, I'll be posting on a more regular basis.
We're looking forward to celebrating Christmas and wish all of you very happy and blessed holiday season.

We went to the "Tinseltown" celebration on base and Mika saw Santa Claus!

Decorating the Christmas tree.....
Mika's FIRST letter from Santa!

Wrapping Guh-Guh's present by herself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-12-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year with our friends, Yori and Midori joining us at our house. We cooked a huge turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, yam souffle, homemade rolls, cranberry sauce, a homemade peanut butter banana cake and a pumpkin pie. We were exhausted by the time we were finished, but it was lots of fun!
Afterwards, we went to Naminoe Shrine to celebrate Shichi-Go-San with Mika. In November every year, the children go to the shrine and receive a blessing from the Priest for a happy and healthy year. Mika did a great job and sat there very quietly. She was very excited when she received a special medal, a bag of treats and a balloon from the Priest! Naminoe is a special place for us because Max also received a blessing at this shrine in 2001 for the very same occasion.

Mika asked for the turkey leg. She took two bites and then said "it's too heavy!"

Preparing for the ceremony.....

Inside the shrine.....it's very peaceful and beautiful.

Time to go home

Ready for bed and enjoying a special snack from the bag of goodies she received at the shrine. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Our trip to California: November 5th-14th

2010-12-04T03:10:00.000-08:00

We went to California to spend some time with Uncle Dennis and our friends. We had lots of fun and we were very happy to be in California again surrounded by our extended family.
This was Mika's first trip to California!

On our way!

Arriving in Los Angeles....we're finally here!

Playing a game of pool at Uncle Dennis' house on the beach. It's a great place and is very relaxing.

Enjoying a delicious dinner together. Me, Max, Mika, Uncle Dennis, Katie, Kevin, Nicole and Linda.

Mika with her Godfather, Uncle Dennis.

A beautiful California sunset.....

Mika and Kathy's Mom, Sandi. Kathy was my best friend who passed away six years ago. Sandi has a special place in my heart and she and Mika got along great with each other immediately.

Uncle Dennis got me a rental car to drive while we were there as a surprise. I love this car!

Going for a walk at the street fair on the Huntington Beach pier.

Having a fun day at Disneyland.....

Having a fun day at the ESPN Zone at Downtown Disney.

Mika with her Godmother Katie. They baked cookies together.

Snuggled up on the couch watching a movie at Uncle Dennis' house.

Enjoying a carousel ride

Mika with Katie and Kevin. Kevin is Katie's boyfriend and he's super nice. We went to Dave and Busters to play games, eat dinner, and have lots of fun.

We love going to Dave and Buster's! It's a fun restaurant that serves great food and we played lots of fun games.

We won lots of tickets at Dave and Buster's! Mika got a beach towel, a purse, a yo-yo, and a princess book. Max got a sweatshirt, a tshirt and a yo-yo.

Three days in Las Vegas is enough for me! November 13th, 14th and 15th

2010-12-02T03:23:00.000-08:00

Uncle Dennis invited us to join him in Las Vegas! It was alot of FUN and it's an exciting and very unique place. I even won some money on a slot machine. We ate lots of great food and saw some great shows while we were there.
After three days though.....we were ready to go. It's a little too weird for us! It was a good experience though. We stayed in a suite at Ceasars Palace and the room even had a piano in it! Uncle Dennis spoiled us and we always have fun with him. This was his first time to meet Mika, so he wanted everything to be very special. He's also her Godfather.

We rode in a limousine from the airport to the hotel!

One of the bedrooms in our hotel suite at Caesars Palace. It had THREE bedrooms!

Our hotel room...

We saw the Lion King show at Mandalay Bay hotel. It was fantastic!

The lobby at our hotel

The view from our room was great....

In front of our hotel....

We went to M&M World. It was four floors of M&M's! Yummy!

Max playing the piano in our hotel room....

We saw the Cirque Du Soleil show: The Beatles "Love" show. We love Cirque Du Soleil and have seen a few of their shows.

The lobby at our hotel was so beautiful.

Our last night in Las Vegas. Max, Mika and Uncle Dennis.

The front door to our hotel room. Time to go to the airport and start the long flight home to Okinawa. We're looking forward to seeing Daddy! He stayed home because he had to work.

Daddy surprised us with a Welcome Home cake!

Happy Trick or Treat!

2010-11-01T03:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! This was our second Halloween with Mika and she was very excited this time. She enjoyed walking around our neighborhood and was very friendly to everyone. She especially had fun handing out candy to all the Trick or Treaters at our house!
She wore a Hula girl costume this year and really liked wearing all the necklaces.

Ready to go!

Mika and Max passing out candy to all the trick or treaters.

She wasn't sure what most of the candy was, but she was happy.

Happy Halloween 2010! At the end of the night, we overheard Mika singing outside and discovered she was actually singing Jingle Bells!! She was a little confused and thought it was a Halloween song. It was very cute.

Mika's visit to a Japanese portrait studio.....

2010-10-29T03:22:00.000-07:00

We went to the Rio Portrait studio and Mika got to pick out a kimono to wear and have her photo taken. David won this portrait package and we found out it was worth $200.00!
The pictures turned out great and it was such a special experience. The staff did such a great job!

Mika chose this pretty blue kimono and she looked so beautiful.

She got to wear makeup! She loved the lipstick and said it felt like a princess.

Her hair looked really pretty and she loved the flowers.

She was very patient and did such a great job.

We had to remove our shoes and wear slippers they had waiting for us. Poor Max....his big feet never fit.

Outside the portrait studio in Okinawa City.

Enjoying a lollipop as a reward for doing such a great job!

Halloween storytime and gymnastics....

2010-10-24T03:02:00.000-07:00

We had a fun weekend! We took Mika to enjoy a special "Halloween storytime" at the Camp Foster library and she wore her Snow White dress that Max gave her for her birthday. The librarian read three stories and then we made a pumpkin mask. It was lots of fun.

Mika loves going to gymnastics class every Friday morning and she's very good at it. She loves to tumble and use all the equipment. Her favorite is the uneven bars.

Max goes to his first Homecoming dance....October 9, 2010

2010-10-21T03:40:00.000-07:00

Max went to his first Homecoming dance on October 9th! His school chartered a bus and all the students rode the bus up to Camp Hansen to The Palms where they had the dance. He really likes Kadena High School and has excellent grades this year so far. Six A's and One B!! He didn't have a date for the dance, but went with a bunch of friends. He had a great time. He also ordered his class ring this week. Yikes, lots of milestones lately!
After Max left for the Homecoming dance, we took Mika out for dinner to "Kentucky Colonel." (Kentucky Fried Chicken) The menu is VERY different in Japan, but the food is very good. We especially like the corn soup.
We stopped at the supermarket on the way home and bought some steamed buns to take home. Mika loves them and they're very yummy.

A visit with Hsin Hui: September 23, 2010

2010-10-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

Hsin Hui came to Okinawa for a vacation and we were able to spend a few hours together. (she was a foster sister to Mika in Taiwan) We went to Ryukyu Mura and then enjoyed a delicious sushi meal together at Ichiban Tei.
We were happy that Mika remembered her because she hadn't seen her in 17 months. Mika definitely remembered her though and was happy to see her again. It was a very good day. We feel very thankful to have such a good relationship with the Foster family that Mika lived with in Taiwan.

Okinawa Shisa on a rooftop.

Feeding the Koi fish at Ryukyu Mura.

Mika LOVES sushi!!!

This sushi is a specialty of Okinawa and has "sea grapes." It's a plant that grows in the ocean. It tastes like little salty pebbles that pop when you eat them.

enjoying Okinawa sushi...

A royal Ryukyu dinner at Ryoutei Naha Tea House: September 23, 2010

2010-10-01T22:39:00.001-07:00

Today was a very special day. My Ikebana Sensei invited us to a traditional Okinawa dinner at the only remaining tea house on Okinawa. We joined Yori, Kojo San and Keimi San once we got there. They serve traditional royal food from the Ryukyu kingdom and perform dances and songs while you eat. This tea house has been open since 1963 and is very famous. It was so beautiful and very peaceful and relaxing. It's amazing that just outside the beautiful building is a noisy city! It was like being transported to another time once we stepped inside.

Pig bowel soup and steak with bitter greens and corn. Thank goodness for the steak!

Seaweed in vinegar sauce, tofu in peanut sauce, shaved pigs ear in peanut sauce, and a variety of sashimi. The pigs ear was actually tasty!
Raw abalone in vinegar sauce with ginger.

Kojo San had told the restaurant that it was Max's birthday the day before and they gave him a gift. It had giant Okinawa donuts inside!

They gave Max a birthday cake....yummy.

Mika and our waitress. They liked each other and she gave Mika a small keychain at the end of the evening that she carried attached to her kimono. It was very nice.

This was the most interesting thing we've ever experienced since living on Okinawa. We'll never forget it. It was really wonderful and very special.

Max celebrates his birthday! September 22, 2010

2010-09-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, we can't believe our little boy has turned 17! The years have flown by. It was a school day, so we surprised him with Taco Bell for lunch and then went home and decorated his bedroom with balloons. Much to his total SURPRISE, we bought him two hamsters for his birthday. He has named them Bleu and Squeeky.
We went out for dinner to his favorite Okinawan burger restaurant, and then we enjoyed cake!

We had a picture of his car put on the cake. He loved it!

Mika gave him a Chinese Terra Cotta warrior.

Max enjoyed the "doctor fish" experience that's very popular on Okinawa right now. He giggled the entire time!!!

The Toyota dealership has a Pokemon car!

Mika loves to sit in her bedroom and read books....

Orion festival 2010

2010-09-28T03:45:00.001-07:00

We went to the Orion Festival with Yori and Midori and had so much fun. Much to my shock and total delight, my FAVORITE Okinawa band was there and Yori, Midori and I wiggled our way into the "invitation only" area for the concert! David and Max weren't interested in that, so they walked around the festival and played games with Mika.
It was such a great evening.

This little girl came over and gave Mika a balloon!
Enjoying dinner on the lawn.....

Mika has a birthday party....September 5, 2010

2010-09-09T03:31:00.000-07:00

Mika had a birthday party to celebrate her 4th birthday. We had the party at the Camp Kinser bowling alley. She LOVES to go bowling and had lots of fun. We were so happy and thankful to have so many friends join us to celebrate Mika's special day! Her birthday is on September 6th, but we had her party a day early.

Blowing out the birthday candles!!!

Mika and Ayana having fun.

A fun game of bowling....me, Yori, Midori, Erika and Kazuno. Kazuno won!

Aunt Yori gave Mika a Chan Chan Ko. She loves it!

September 6th....Mika turns 4 years old today!

2010-09-08T04:21:00.000-07:00

Mika turned 4 today!! We celebrated by going out for a quick lunch and a nice dinner. We went to Awase Grace to look for a new dresser for Max and we ate lunch at the yummy soup restaurant there. While we were eating lunch, Mika noticed the Baby Room video screen in the restaurant and could see all the toys. After we finished eating lunch, she begged us to go to the "baby room" and let her play while we shopped. The baby room is a play area for kids to stay in while their parents shop at the furniture store. They have child care employees that play with the kids and it's lots of fun. There are video screens around the store so you can see your child playing while you shop. We kept looking at the video screens VERY often, but everytime we checked, she was happy and playing. She stayed about 30 minutes and then we picked her up. Today was the first time for her to stay with a "babysitter" and it was on her 4th birthday!! We're very proud of her because she's normally very clingy and doesn't like to be away from me. Of course it helped that they were also playing the "My Neighbor Totoro" movie in there. She loves that movie.

Max gave her Disney Princess dresses for her birthday! She loves them.

David and I gave her a baby bed for her dolls.

Max is such a good big brother Gu-Gu!!

We ate dinner at Bikkuri Donkey and it was delicious.

Max's first day back to school....August 30, 2010

2010-09-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

A new school year has started and Max is now in the 11th (GULP!) grade. Mika was upset that he was going to school, so she sat at the table and they had breakfast together. She loves her "Gu-Gu."
We've had two typhoons since school started, so he's already had extra time off.

I snuck up on him while he was shaving, I love the funny look on his face!

My little boy is not so little anymore. Isn't he handsome?!!!

walking to school......it's only 5 minutes from our house.

Mika received a birthday package from her Foster family in Taiwan! She's always very happy and excited when she gets a package from them! She calls them "Mama Taiwan" and "Baba Taiwan."

She loves eating Taiwan snacks! This is a pineapple snack cake.

Enjoying a frozen "Chiqua watermelon icecream."

Pineapple Park

2010-09-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

We drove to Nago last weekend and spent a few hours at Pineapple Park. It was a beautiful day with lots of good fun and yummy pineapple! (free pineapple samples were everywhere!!!) We've already made plans to go back again and do some Christmas shopping. Max and Mika both had fun driving the pineapple cart. Don't worry, it was on a magnetic track and really drove itself.....

Max teaches Mika how to wink!!!

2010-09-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Max taught Mika how to wink.....be prepared to LAUGH!

some random photos from this month....

2010-08-29T01:41:00.001-07:00

Yori, Midori and I went out for dinner at an Izakaya. It was a teeny-tiny little place with only four tables! Yori ordered for me, and I told her NOT to tell me what I was eating until after I ate it. It was a big adventure and lots of fun!!
Midori and I first met each other back in 2001 when I taught english at Minatogawa Elementary School the first time we lived on Okinawa. She was my translator/Co-Teacher. She's a great friend!

We were very adventurous after dinner and made a spur of the moment decision to go to a Pachinko Parlor to look around! It was the first time for any of us to go there and it was so funny. Midori was scared and kept saying the Yakuza was going to grab us! Yori and I giggled so much we could barely walk! (Yakuza is the Japanese crime boss that runs the Pachinko Parlors...that's the story)

Max's last day of work at the pharmacy for his summer job. All his bosses were women!

Mika having fun fingerpainting.....we sent the painting to her foster family in Taiwan and they were very happy to receive it.

Mika starts gymnastics class and Max is driving his car with pride...

2010-08-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Mika has started taking gymnastics class and she absolutely LOVES it! She's very good at it and is always excited to flip upside down or tumble around. She has a great teacher and we really like her.
Max is still working on his car and is now enjoying the freedom that comes with it. He went to the commissary for me for the first time......hmmm, this driving thing might be great after all!!!

David gets promoted and Max buys a car! August 2, 2010

2010-08-24T03:55:00.001-07:00

This was a busy day for our family. David got promoted to CWO-3! Yea!! Our friends, the Wolfgangs joined us for the ceremony. Mike is a Captain in the Navy and he performed the ceremony in his conference room. We've known them for about 8 years now and they're stationed on Okinawa also. Later that day, Max bought a car for only $1.24......yep, that's right. Our housekeeper, Michiko San had bought a new car and was planning to junk her old car. When Max heard about this, he asked if he could buy it using his summer job money. She said NO, you can not buy it, but you can have it for FREE! Max and I both told her we didn't feel comfortable taking the car without paying, so she said..."OK, Y100 yen." We all burst out laughing because Y100 yen is only $1.24. Max reached into his pocket, gave her 100 yen and then she said "Do you need receipt??"
Max spent the evening cleaning it and making appointments to have the oil changed and the A/C charged. David and I are so proud of him because he's using his own money from his summer job to pay for everything. Our baby is growing up!

A short trip to Okuma with friends- July 31st

2010-08-24T03:26:00.001-07:00

Parasailing and miniature golf at Okuma......

Max, Mika and I went to Okuma last month with our friends Yori and Midori. We only stayed for one night, but we had ALOT of fun! We went parasailing for the first time and it was really funny. Once we stopped giggling, it was a very serene experience.
David was busy at work, but he joined us later that night.

TV commercial for the Okinawa Electric Power Company

2010-08-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

OK, I've been trying to load the tv commercial, but I can't seem to figure it out. Here's a link to the tv commercial I did for the Okinawa Electric Power Company! It was so much fun, but boy, for something that took 7 hours to film.....the commercial is very short and if you blink, you'll miss me. The commercial is also on the website and you just need to click on the tab that says TVCM in the top right corner tab. Then click on the clip that is labeled "Experience all-electric Hen Poll15 seconds." (it's the 2nd video toward the bottom of the screen.) http://kaeru.tv/topics/tvcf/index.html

ウチナー主婦の生活をカエル。オール電化　｜　沖縄電力
kaeru.tv
ウチナー主婦

Eisa Festival! August 1, 2010

2010-08-09T02:36:00.000-07:00

We went to the annual Eisa festival on Kokusai street. It wasn't as good as last year, but we still had fun.

If you look in the background, you can see a Monk. They don't speak and they don't like to have their photo taken, so I had to be very discreet.

Mika and Daddy drinking a "Quickly" drink....tapioca and yogurt. It's delicious!

This guy was playing music using a broom!

We stopped for a cold treat. Mika is eating frozen pineapple.

Okinawa Awamori! A very strong liquor with a poisonous snake inside.

Me and Midori with some funny street performers.

He really liked Max's "Jenbe." (Okinawa casual summer clothes)

Midori and Mika--time to go home after a long day.

A day at Araha beach--July 24, 2010

2010-07-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

We spent a day at Araha beach last Sunday. It was a little cloudy, but not too hot, so it was perfect. Mika and Max played in the sand building a sand castle and enjoyed the ocean too. Mika made a little friend while we were there and they played together. Her name was "Moka Chan!" David thought it was a very funny coincidence because hot cocoa is one of my FAVORITE things!! of course, Moka is a name here, not the name of chocolate.

Summertime is here

2010-07-18T03:18:00.000-07:00

We bought a small pool for Mika and she loves it. She didn't know what it was when she saw it after it was inflated and she told us it was a new bed. After we filled it up with water, she got very excited! We discovered that she hates the sprinkler though and she was upset because it was "raining" on her.

It was fun to sit on the patio and watch her play.