Tagged...

I was tagged by my friend Janie. I have to list 6 facts/habits about myself --here goes!

1. I love making lists and I love crossing off completed items even more. I make very detailed lists so I have more items to cross off. I have done this since middle school.

2. I love to get the mail. In Ann Arbor I would watch for the mail carrier and run out to get the mail as soon as he left. Getting the mail here is so frustrating it is driving me crazy. I have to get in the car, drive to the mail station 5 minutes away, get out of the car and walk into the mail station. After all this and my excitement to see what is in the mailbox we usually don't even have mail. Because we have a military address we don't get any fun ads or fliers. I subscribed to Shape, Women's Day and Martha Stewart Living so I would have something fun coming in the mail each month.

3. I love playing card games and board games. Some of my favorites are Bridge, Hearts, Euchre, The Great Dalmuti, Settlers of Catan, Risk, Rummikub, and Outburst. I have passed the love of games onto my boys. Some of our favorite kid games are Sequence for Kids, Sorry, Yahtzee Jr, Operation, Guess Who, Memory, Break the Ice, Battleship, and Mouse Trap. During the long,ncold dark Michigan winters we would play games every night after dinner.

4. I love playing the Wii. I have never liked playing video games. My dislike bordered on hatred. It all changed with the purchase of a Wii for Christmas a year ago. I love how interactive it is. I can actually beat Josh and Brand at some games. Max has figured out some games so we can play as a family. I can't believe how much fun I have playing with Josh and the boys.

5. I love to organize our photos. Some people would call it scrapbooking, but what I do is very plain, simple and quick. I just want our photos organized so we can enjoy them.

6. Some people like massages and pedicures, I love having my hair brushed. It is totally relaxing.

Meet Zoey!

I would like to introduce "Zoey" our first family dog. She is a 10 week old Japanese Shiba. Of course the boys are completely in love with her after just 2 days. She has a very mild temperament for a puppy and I am hoping it will continue to adulthood with some good training. Wish us luck house training Zoey!

Max's New Bike

Max got a bike for Christmas. It took him a full minute to notice the bike next to the Christmas tree. Once he finally realized it was for him he said "it is too scary" and "too dangerous" and he was on to the next present. A couple of days later Brand got him excited about his new bike and we took him for his first ride. He loved it! I can't believe how old he looks sitting on his bike. He is growing up so fast.

Zanpa Beach

We went for a drive on New Year's Eve day and found a great new beach. We love living on an island and discovering the beautiful beaches that surround us. I love watching the boys race with the tide and search for that "perfect" seashell. As the most life changing year for our family draws to an end I can honestly say we are happy. We are enjoying learning about a new culture, exploring new areas, tasting new food, and turning a small piece of Japan into home for our family. I look forward to the adventures that are in store for our family in the coming year.

Christmas 2007

Merry Christmas!

The boys posing in their new Christmas pj's. And yes, the temperature has cooled down a bit here (50's at night) making flannel pj's quite nice. We had a good first Christmas here in Okinawa. It was our first Christmas away from family and I am very thankful for web cams that helped our families feel a little closer. We spent the day with good friends, eating good food, and playing all our fun new Wii games.

Krishna's Indian Restaurant

To my beloved Ann Arbor friends Janie, Andrea, and Becky who I was constantly suggesting to that we have lunch at Shalimar, my favorite Indian restaurant.... We found a fantastic Indian restaurant here in Okinawa. Can you believe it? I am still in shock. Here is a picture of my plate to prove how authentic the food is. You may think it doesn't look like much food, but it is! The naan is 12 inches long!!! The choices are few, either chicken/lamb curry or chicken marsala and tandoori chicken, but they just happen to be our favorites. We were laughing as we paid our bill, here we are Americans paying for our yummy Indian food with yen. We are really enjoying our experience here in Japan, but every now and then we do something or go somewhere that makes this place feel more like home. Krishna's Indian restaurant is now on my list of things to do when I need the comfortable feeling of home.

Our Pet Snail

This is the coolest snail we have ever seen and it lives in our backyard. It will disappear for a while but it always reappears to the delight of the boys (including Josh)!