It's Not a Fax Machine

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Santa Came to Okinawa!

Santa came! The boys were so excited and I think even a little relieved considering because of the days leading up to Christmas, the jury was still out as to whether some in our house would end up on the naughty or nice list. We're grateful Santa gives credit for effort.

Santa is Coming!

Dancing Duo on Christmas Eve

Bennett and Beau were SO excited for Santa to come this year. While I made Christmas cookies for Santa, the boys put on quite the dancing show. Fletcher was a little worried (and even mentioned that a trip to Hooter's might be in order)....I on the other hand thought Bennett's dance moves showed real potential. You can judge for yourself. If you would like to see more, we have about an hour of footage. The choreography was tailored to each song. :)

Bennett Turns 4!

Happy Birthday, Bennett! 4 years ago, today I got inducted into the coolest club on the planet.....the Mommy's Club! I have to say I have learned so much from these two little boys. Bennett, bless his heart, came right before Christmas, so it's always a challenge to organize something fun and special. We decided to have a party for Bennett at school with all of his little friends. His main request was that he wanted a firetruck birthday cake. We had one of those last year if my memory serves me right, but it's his bday. I managed to come through on the cake and even got a picture of his face when Fletcher showed him the cake. His classmates were wonderful in celebrating with him. We're so blessed by this little boy. Happy birthday Bennett!!!

P.S. As you can see, Aunt Katie's super hero gifts were a big hit! Beau likes to wear him naked.

Churaumi Aquarium

Saturday (our family fun day) we loaded up and headed out for an adventure. We've heard so much about the Churaumi Aquarium and wanted to check it out. Our expectations were high coming from Atlanta, the world's largest aquarium, so we were eager to see how the world's second largest compared. I have to say we were very impressed. The fish tanks were huge and the aquarium grounds had beautiful gardens and fun playgrounds for the kids. They even have a great little cafe where we enjoyed lunch with a view of the stingrays and sharks. Pretty cool!Nina and Pa treated us to year passes for Christmas, so needless to say, we'll be venturing back.

Meeting the Big Man

We went to a Christmas party for Fletcher's work on Wednesday night. There was a clown making balloon animals and a pretty elf painting faces. I think we've found the way to these kids' hearts....balloon animals! What a hit! Give these kids a sword made out of balloons, put a batman sign on their cheek and they'll be happy for hours! At least Bennett will be. Beau loved his balloon gun, but wanted nothing to do with the face painting. As a mom, should I be concerned that my children request balloon weapons in place of animals??? If so, we've got a problem. Although this was a potluck party, Bennett and Beau wanted nothing to do with the food. That was a waste of time as far as they were concerned. Santa arrived around 7:30 just in time to pass out a few gifts. Beau was a little hesitant, but warmed up when the big man offered him a wrapped gift. Bennett was on best behavior exuding a never before seen patience and calmness waiting on his named to be called. I wish I could see that calmness more often, but I'll take what I can get. This time of year really is the best! Seeing everything through the eyes of children make renew the joy in the little things. I do have to say we so miss being near family during the holidays and hope this is just one of the few that we'll spend away from loved ones. We're counting our blessings and sending love back home.
P.S. I had to throw in one pic of Beau playing at home. Some of the things he puts on cracks me up!

Christmas Program at School

The boys had their Christmas program at school today and it was too cute. The teachers work so hard with the kids to teach them their little routines and make them feel special. Whether the kids will actually perform is always a roll of the dice. I was so proud of Bennett and Beau today. Just wanted to share....

Happy 2nd Bday Beau!!!

My precious baby boy turned 2 years old yesterday. We celebrate him every day, but especially yesterday. We had a little party for him at his school on Friday with a pizza lunch and Mickey Mouse cupcakes, a birthday dinner Friday night with Daddy, and opened presents Saturday. Beau blesses us daily with sweet things he says, endless hugs and kisses, and his adorable sense of humor. Happy Birthday Beau-handsome! We love you so much!

Exploring New Parks

We're always up for an adventure and decided to explore a new park we'd heard about. It had a huge roller slide and a little toddler park. I packed us a lunch and we headed out to explore. After downing our sandwiches (literally shoving it in at once on Beau's part), the boys took a go on the roller slide. We can't wait to get some of the grandparents on that thing. Bring your cardboard....makes it a little easier on the 'hind end!

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

I'm a little (a lot) behind on my posting. Fletcher came home from the ship for about a week and a half and we've been soaking up every minute with him that we can. We loved having him home for Thanksgiving, for our anniversary, and for Beau's 2nd birthday. What a great surprise! Thanksgiving was a potluck of families and food and we enjoyed getting to spend it with new friends. We have a lot to be thankful for this year and we definitely are counting our blessings. Happy Thanksgiving to you!!!

Hong Kong Day 4 - Our Last Day!

On our last day we decided to take it easy. We had heard that the Stanley Markets was a must-see, so we hopped a taxi and headed that way. It was a beautiful day (really beautiful the entire week) and I'm always game for a little shopping. I had a few left on Christmas list and I really wanted to find something special for them. Of course, I loved looking at all the local vendors. You name it, they had it. The boys weren't as excited as I was about the shopping, so after a few stops, we headed to the Stanley Waterfront which was lined with cute little bars and restaurants. The was a neat little boathouse, the Smugglers Inn, and the Pickled Pelican were our favorites. We saw the Maritime Museum, a cool temple, got to watch a fisherman cleaning his net (which smelled a little fishy), and even stopped for a drink at the Pickled Pelican. We headed back to Kowloon to see the Hong Kong Museum of Art which was wonderful (and conveniently right in the middle of Beau's nap). Later that evening, we ventured out for some local dining. I did have flashbacks of the infamous scene in "A Christmas Story" with the ducks hanging in the window. Once again, we were pleasantly surprised by another delicious meal. Bennett loved that my fear of drinking the water resulted his getting to drink Coca-Cola which NEVER has happened and probably won't again.....he was up until 11 that night. :) After dinner, we watched the Harbor Light Show which is the largest permanant running laser light show in the world. Fletcher headed back to the ship and the boys and I headed back to our hotel to pack for our early departure back to Okinawa. Thanks Hong Kong for an amazing adventure!