Okinawa Forest Adventure

Grammy and Papa were ready to get out and about after being stuck inside from the typhoon.  There's no better way to enjoy the outdoors than ziplining through the forests of Okinawa.  We were blessed with a beautiful day and took full advantage.  We completed the course with no broken bones (or injured knees) and had fun in the process!

Kindergarten & Pre-K 3

Today was the "official" first day of school for the boys' new school year.  Bennett is beginning the kindergarten program and Beau is in the pre-K 3 program.  We're excited about what this year has instore for the boys and eager to see all the fun things they'll be learning.  Look out Santa Monica International.....here we come (again)!

Grammy & Papa come and so does Bolaven

We've been counting down the days until Grammy and Papa arrived.  Shortly after their feet touched sand, so did Typhoon Bolaven.  We were all wanting family time and that's exactly what we got....a confined to the house, concentrated dose of family time!:)  Bolaven was the biggest storm we've seen come through Okinawa since we moved here two years ago (the military says the biggest in 13 years) and I'm glad to see it gone.  We can only watch Davy Crockett so many times before it was time to break out the construction paper, forts, and whatever else we could find for entertainment.  All in all, we survived and dare I say, even had fun in the process.

T-Ball & VBS

This past week has been a whirlwind.  We started the week off with a tropical storm blowing through that lingered a little longer than expected.  The boys got a little stir-crazy and resorted to crafty mustaches for entertainment.  I thought they looked like Cheech and Chong, but Bennett said  it was Mario and Luigi.  It was the boys' last week of 8:00 am swim lessons.  They've gone all summer and loved every minute of it, but it's about 35 minutes from our house.  We've had a summer full of early mornings.  We had VBS every night this week as you can see in the picture of Bennett playing Jesus Twister.  Again, the boys have so enjoyed it, but that made for a week of late nights for us.  Early mornings and late nights.....we're a tired Tidwell clan!  Saturday was Bennett's first t-ball game and he was beyond excited.  All the kids got to bat and run the bases and they rotate positions, so it's a great opportunity for the kids to learn the game.  Mom and Dad, you'll appreciate the first position Bennett played.....maybe he does take after his momma!:)  Bennett had a blast and Beau was suited up to cheer him on (and play a little soccer when he got bored).  I snapped a few pics along the way to share.

Guam Getaway

We decided we needed a little adventure and the boys needed a summer vacation (as did their mom).  We packed our bags Friday night and hopped a space A flight to Guam on Saturday.  Arriving in the middle of the night, we woke up Sunday ready to explore.  Our hotel was awesome with a great pool and beach with lots to do.  We kayaked, snorkeled, paddle-boated, and snorkeled some more.  We hit up a water park which was a highlight for the boys....who doesn't love a good lazy river?  We got our "America" fix with all the chain restaurants and even got to go to a shopping mall.  There was a Macys!  Driving on the right side of the road looked pretty odd at first, but it was like riding a bike.  Space A is a tricky thing though.  Lots of flights to Guam, but none out of there, hence why people call it the "black hole" of space A travel.  We explored until the only place left to explore was the Chanel store, so Fletcher thought it cheaper to buy commercial tickets back.:)  He's probably right.  Beautiful beaches and great shopping make for a recommended destination. 

Snorkeling at Maeda Flats

The boys love to snorkel and we have the perfect spot just up the street.  What a fun afternoon!

Date Night at Sea Time

Fletcher and I had a date night with some sweet friends at one of our favorite little restaurants up the street.  So nice to have adult conversation and eat great food sans kiddos.  The weather was beautiful, so we stopped to enjoy it before heading into our dining spot.