You've come a long way, Baby!

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me,

Happy Birthday dear Melissa,

Happy birthday to me!

Tink and Peter Pan

So, Halloween has to be one of my favorite holidays since moving to Okinawa. Being from Minnesota, the trick was to figure out what your costume was going to be, while still fitting it over a winter jacket. Definitely not cool for a princess or ballerina. However, the weather here is perfect for costumes and the greatest thing- NO NEED FOR WINTER JACKET!!!

This year, Kenna was more excited about getting dressed up and even remember how to say "Trick-or-treat". With her obsession with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, nothing else would do for Halloween. Plus, it mean that Daddy could get in on the fun! What a daddy won't do his daughter!

Happy Anniversary!

I join my life to yours, not merely as your husband, but as your friend, your lover, and your confidant. Let me be the shoulder you lean on, the rock on which you rest, the companion of your life. With you I will walk my pathfrom this day forward.

With you I will walk my pathfrom this day forward. Whatever lies ahead, good or bad, we will face together. Distance may test us for a time, and time may try us. But if we look to each other first, we will always see a friend. Look to me for all the days to come!

I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give. I promise to respect you as your own person and to realize that your interests, desires and needs are no less important than my own. I promise to share with you my time and my attentionand to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face changes in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how. Completely and forever.

A good marriage must be created. In marriage, the little things are the big things: Never being too old to hold hands, Remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day. Never going to sleep angry. Having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. Standing together facing the world. Forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. Speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. Having the capacity to forgive and forget, and the forgetting what you forgave. Giving each other an atmosphere in which to grow. Not only MARRYING the right person, but BEING the right partner.

Chinese Garden of Zen

In the middle of downtown Naha. In amongst the cars, noise and hustle and bustle of the city, is a small garden. It is peaceful and quiet except for the roar of the waterfall. There are fish and turtles to feed and even a view worth seeing from behind the waterfall. Kenna managed to make some friends with a young couple who shared their bread with her. So that she could feed the fish. Imagine their surprise when she said "Domo" (thank you) and even bowed. Aside from the two elderly couples that had to take pictures everywhere and of everything, we were pretty much all alone and on our own!

Kenna and Mommy resting

Kenna looking up the pagoda

Simply beautiful! (Look closely, there is an aparment building behind)

Kenna and Daddy feeding the fish and turtles

Beach Time!

Kenna has been asking to go to the beach. So we took some family time on Saturday morning before things got busy and headed to a small beach on Camp Courtney. We were lucky that we were the only ones who had this thought as we got the beach all to ourselves! Kenna and Shawn were free to run and scream and play without me having to worry to much about who they were bothering! :)

It is always fun to watch Kenna play in the water!

Shawn and Kenna exploring the caves at the beach

Another creature enjoying the beach!

Trip to Cocoks

Here in Okinawa there is a wonderful place that all of the women love- Cocoks. I have to admit it is a favorite way to spoil myself! Recently, I took Kenna with her bestest friend ever- Becca! They both were tickled pink about sitting and soaking their toes and getting to pick out what they wanted on their toes!

Kenna and Becca

Here they are soaking their toes and Becca is still trying to decide what she wants!

Sitting in the big chairs watching their toes get done!

Birds, Birds, Birds, and a Scared Little Girl

Since it was Labor day weekend and we had a family pass to Neo Park, we took a trip up there. Kenna and I had been there before, for a birthday party, but this was the first time for Shawn. The park is full of wonderfully beautiful birds and opther exotic animals. We fed the birds bread and dodged the rain drops as it decided to rain while we were there.


Shawn developed a friend with this bird. It followed us through the park, eating from his hand. It was the prettiest color. It had a bright yellow beak and tail feathers, light blue eyes and a black body! Note the other on-lookers!

As you can see, Kenna is deathly afraid of birds! If we weren't holding her, she was glued to our legs!