Hermit Crabs

We headed out of the house today to go swimming at the beach. Storms blow in really fast in Okinawa and we didn’t notice the dark sky on the horizon until we arrived at the beach. We knew there wasn’t time to go swimming before the storm hit so we decided to explore the rocky area next to the beach instead. Josh and the boys found all sorts of creatures but mostly hermit crabs. The hermit crabs were huge with shells the size of golf balls. They thought it was so cool.

We stayed a minute too long and ended up getting soaked in the 20 seconds it took to run to the van in the rain. Good thing we had our swimming suits on :) .

Our Home

Welcome to our home in Japan. We live on-base at Camp Lester, a central camp on the island. The commissary, exchange, post office, and Brand’s school are a 5 minute drive to a neighboring camp. The beach is a 10 minute walk from our home. Today we found a really cool sidewalk that runs along the beach so we can go running right next to the China Sea. The shipment with most of our belongings hasn’t arrived yet so our place is pretty bare. I took a few photos so you can get an idea of our place. We can’t wait until our stuff gets here so it will feel more like home. The furniture that you see is all government issue. We will keep the table and chair set with the matching hutch and all the bedroom furniture. We are watching for a good deal at the exchange on a new couch.

The front of our place. The door you can see behind the cinderblock area leads to the laundry room.


Standing just inside our front door looking down the hall toward the living/dining room and up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Standing in the living/dining room looking down the hall at the front door. The doorway on the right leads to the kitchen and laundry room.

Kitchen, laundry room is on the right.

Laundry room, metal door leads to the front of our place.

The boys room, they love their bunk bed. Look how great the quilts look Aunt Michelle.

Our backyard. The view is from our back door which is located in the living/dining room. The boys love the playground on the right.

I thought this was so funny I had to include it. Max fell asleep at the table eating diner while I was taking pictures.

Once our stuff arrives and we are all settled I will take you on a video tour of our place.

Our New Van!

Most of you know I have been dying for my first minivan for a long time. It was a very exciting day when we picked up our very first seven passenger vehicle. Buying a vehicle here is very different from in the states. You can’t look it up in Consumer Guide because the models are different here. You don’t take it for a test drive and have your trusted mechanic check it out. New vehicles are very expensive, so the only reasonable purchase is a used vehicle with an uncertain history. You have two options when looking for a vehicle to purchase, the “lemon lot” on-base where military people leaving the island park the vehicle they are selling or the local Japanese used car lots that cater to military people. We choose the local used car lot because they offered a one year warranty and that helped us feel better about the purchase. After walking around several lots in killer heat and humidity we made our selection based on the obvious condition of the van , the miles, and very importantly how fast the air conditioning cooled the van. After handing over $3600 in $50’s (cash is the only accepted payment, no checks or credit cards) we drove away. So cross your fingers and hope our van lasts our 3 years here.

Getting use to driving on the island has been crazy. Think about everything you do when you drive. Start with the side of the car you walk up to, putting on your seatbelt, putting the vehicle in gear, and looking over your shoulder to back up; it is completely opposite here. The blinker and windshield wiper controls are opposite as well, so we were constantly turning on the wipers when we were making a turn (Brand thought that was hilarious). Driving down the road is fine, it is when you need to make a turn that you have to think “keep my butt on the center line” and turn onto the correct side of the road. Now that we have been driving around for the last 2 weeks it feels more natural, I am not as nervous. It helps that the speed limit on-base is 30 kph (18 mph) and 50 kph (30 mph) on the major off-base roads.

Happy Birthday Brand!

Brand is the first member of our family to have a birthday in Japan. Brand says “it was the greatest birthday ever”. I think it has everything to do with playing in the waves at the beach. The annual Dental Battalion “Family Fun Day” was on Brand’s birthday so Josh didn’t have to go into the clinic and we spent the morning at the beach with everyone. It was the first time the boys played in waves and they loved it, especially Brand. The water of the China Sea is so warm you can really enjoy swimming and letting the waves bounce you around.


One of the first things we noticed when we drove from the airport to the hotel our first night here was a huge neon lit ferris wheel. It looked so fun! We ended up living 3 blocks from the ferris wheel. We went on our first ride for Brand’s birthday. The view from the top is amazing. You can see for miles.

Brand with his new bike. Happy Birthday Brand!

Okinawa, Japan

After traveling for 27 hours through 4 airports, with very little sleep, we arrived in Okinawa, Japan. Much to Josh and my pleasant surprise, the boys did awesome. We all sleep very little on the long 13 hour flight from Chicago to Tokyo . The boys were very entertained watching Shrek the Third three times, playing the Gameboy, doing sticker books, and playing with silly putty. After a five hour layover in Tokyo we all finally got some sleep on the two and a half hour flight to Okinawa. We arrived at the hotel in the middle of the night completely exhausted. When we opened the curtains the next morning we were stunned at how beautiful it is here. This is the view out our window at the hotel.

We are staying at a military hotel until we can move into on-base housing later in the week. Josh is able to spend the first two weeks checking-in to the command and getting us settled. It is nice adjusting and exploring together. Here are some fun things about Okinawa. First, there is only one American radio station and it plays everything from Reba to Snoop Dog. Second, the milk you buy at the commissary has a slightly different taste that we just can’t quite put our finger on. Third, LIZARDS!!! Fourth, it is completely dark outside by 8:00 p.m. making bedtime a snap. Fifth, driving on the left side of the road or shall I say remembering to drive on the left side of the road. After spending 11 days on this beautiful and very hot and humid island we can say WE LOVE IT HERE!!!

Muskegon, MI

Josh went on rotation at a state dental clinic in Muskegon, MI last week and the boys and I went along. Last week was Brand's Spring Break so it worked out great. The highlight of the week was definitely the motel's swimming pool. It was the warmest pool we have ever swam in, around 99 degrees. Brand, being the fish he is, loved every minute he spent in the water. He is becoming a really good swimmer. His favorite thing was throwing a weight in the deep end and diving down to retrieve it. Max loved jumping from the side of the pool into the water (and my arms of course).

I love Lake Michigan, the beach and water are beautiful.



Friday was the only day nice enough to spend outside, it was a very cold week even snowing one of the days. We found a great park with a hiking trail that looked down on the lake. Brand and Max had a great time exploring the woods and playing at the playground. Brand also got to ride his new scooter for the first time.

Hello

It's almost time! Time to pack-up our things, say goodbye to family and friends, and move across the ocean. Thank goodness we still have a few months to really enjoy our life here in Ann Arbor. We love it here! We have great friends, cheap movie theaters, delicious Indian restaurants, tons of fun parks, and many wonderful family memories. But we are excited to leave extremely cold winters and dental school behind us. We will spend the next 2-3 years in Okinawa, Japan with the Navy. Okinawa is often referred to as the Hawaii of Japan (we will let you know how true that is in a few months). We have heard only great things about Okinawa and are looking forward to our time there. The only downside is being so far from our family and friends, we are really going to miss you. So as we prepare for our next adventure starting a blog seemed like a great way to stay in-touch. So here we go...