We had a great Easter weekend, even though our Sunday was rained out for the second year in a row. Saturday was beautiful and filled with lots of activities! We started the morning going to see Duane participate in an underwater Easter egg hunt and then went to the Springfest that they held here on the Air Force Base. The kids were able to play in the sand and then play games and pay a visit to the Easter bunny. The neighborhood dyed Easter eggs and conducted a nighttime egg hunt using flash lights to find the eggs. The kids had a blast and Olivia was so excited to find the eggs. This was a fantastic idea and we hope to make it a tradition. We had big plans for Sunday, with another egg hunt and potluck BBQ, but the weather did not cooperate. Despite our rainy Easter day, we had a great Easter weekend!
I had to stop the kids from changing right after church, so I could snap a few pictures of them in their Easter outfits. I'm so glad that I am able to shop online to get coordinating outfits!

In order to get them to sit still, I bribed them with candy that the Easter bunny had left them the night before.

All of the neighborhood kids gathered together and dyed Easter eggs. Outside is the best place to do this, with the easy clean-up.

Ryan had a great time dying eggs. You can see how many eggs were dyed, if you look at the big basket on the table!

The kids were able to pose for a picture with the Easter bunny at the Springfest. It is very difficult to get all three children looking at the camera at once. Olivia was a bit apprehensive of the Easter bunny at first glance, but walked away waving.

Olivia loves to get her picture taken and this is her typical smile to the camera. I try to get her to look at me, but she insists on this signature look.

Olivia loves dogs, especially dogs this size. It was so cute because she knew I wanted to take a picture and she kept telling the dog to say cheese. She spent a good 20 minutes playing with the dog and the Japanese lady and her son were very gracious to let her play with it for so long.

Ok, so Miranda said she built a mansion in the sand. She was so proud of what she had built, but I had a hard time decifering where the mansion was. I saw a few mounds, so that is what I took a picture of, but it really just looks like kicked up sand. I took her picture with her masterpiece, told her she did a great job and walked on.

Here is Duane posing for a picture with his scuba diving partner. They managed to win a few prizes, which is better than last year, where he came up empty handed.

After waiting, we finally saw Duane emerged from the water and he and his partner were able to find their limit of eggs. Duane loves diving and does it almost every weekend.

Our Littlest Cheerleader!

Olivia has officially been named the mascot for the team Miranda cheers for. I couldn't resist snapping these pictures of my littlest cheerleader. Her sister has taught her quite a few of the cheers and she chants along with the rest of the squad and screams, "Go Giants!" at the end of each cheer. We'll see what the future has in store for Miss Olivia.

100 Things List

Okay, so my great friend Marisa tagged me to come up with this list, which proved more difficult than I imagined. I guess I thought I was more interesting than I really am. I am warning you that this is long, so you may or may not enjoy reading it.

1. I really dislike mopping.
2. I can’t go to bed without making sure everything is put away.
3. I got my undergraduate degree in Sociology with an emphasis in deviance.
4. I am pursuing my graduate degree online in Public Administration.
5. I miss the mall.
6. I love to go to TJ Maxx, Ross and Marshall’s to see what I can discover on the crowded shelves. The gift shops here on the island are the next best thing and I’ve found many things to display on my shelves.
7. I love a good deal and can’t resist a bargain. I most likely got this trait from my mother.
8. I was in the BYU Marching Band for my first two years of college.
9. I was in Army ROTC in college and a member of the all female Ranger Challenge team.
10. I have learned to enjoy running, but dislike running uphill.
11. I love to cook and try new recipes.
12. I would love to buy more furniture, particularly dark stained teak, but I don’t have any more room in the house.
13. I love to decorate and am convinced that I may eventually need more than one home to represent all of the styles I would love to display.
14. I always have an opinion and most of the time I am not afraid to share it.
15. I can never get enough hugs and kisses.
16. I love to watch any shows that involve crime solving (ie 48 hours, Without a Trace, Cold Case).
17. I’ve also become addicted to Lost, Prison Break and Heroes. Living overseas, I’ve had to be patient and wait until the season comes out on DVD because everything comes here later.
18. I am a list maker and make them often. I love the feeling of crossing something off, knowing I’ve accomplished something.
19. I find it very difficult to let my children clean because it is never up to my standard and it is easier to do myself. I constantly tell myself that I am teaching them something.
20. It is hard for me to let my children help me cook, but I am trying to relax a little more.
21. I love to do paper crafts (ie stamp, scrapbook, make gifts out of pretty paper).
22. It is hard for me to use my craft supplies because then they’ll be gone, but I am working on using what I have since things are limited here.
23. I probably expect too much from my children and I am trying to ease up a little bit.
24. I raise my voice too much to my children, well, I probably yell too much. I am still trying to find a way to get my kids to listen the first time and end up yelling at the sixth or seventh time.
25. I love to eat licorice and sour patch kids.
26. I love to eat at Panera Bread and get their ½ sandwich ½ salad combo. I would probably eat there every day if I lived near one.
27. I have discovered that I really enjoy sushi, particularly California rolls and the ones with tempura chicken in the middle. One of these days I will try to make them myself, for now I go to Jusco (Japanese grocery store) on Saturdays to get them. My favorite sushi place here is Yoshi Hashi’s.
28. I love the soreness of a great workout, even if it means I can barely move the next day. It makes me feel like I’ve worked hard.
29. I hate to diet and have realized that I have to make permanent changes in my eating. I wish I could be one of those people who could eat anything and not gain a pound. I was not blessed with that ability.
30. I would much rather write a research paper than take a test.
31. I was a cheerleader in high school and my daughter appears to be following in my footsteps.
32. I was a huge New Kids on the Block fan when I was younger and now I have a daughter obsessed with High School Musical.
33. Until my parents bought their first house, I had the typical messy teenage room. When they moved into their house, I became a neat freak.
34. I complained about laundry not being done as a teenager and then my mom started making me do everyone’s laundry. I don’t mind doing laundry, but I dislike folding it.
35. I think the welfare system is broken.
36. I would love to go to law school, but I don’t have the time right now and it is very expensive.
37. I feel like I waste too much time.
38. I stay up really late, especially when my husband is away.
39. I would love to do everything for everyone, but I am learning that it is impossible. I am learning to say no.
40. I enjoy time alone, which is probably why I stay up late.
41. I would love to visit China, Russia and New Zealand before I die.
42. I tend to get road rage and it displays itself every time I drive my kids to piano lessons. I think the longer I stay here, the crazier the Okinawan drivers will make me!
43. I love to entertain, but don’t get to do it very often. I hope to throw some great parties when I have my own house with more space.
44. I like to bake, but don’t do it very often because I will eat it.
45. I would rather be cold than hot.
46. I love to sing to the radio and had a great time singing at a Japanese karaoke restaurant.
47. I enjoy most types of music and have grown to really like some types of country, thanks to my husband.
48. I like to be right. Ok, who doesn’t like to be right?!
49. I feel naked without earrings on.
50. I’m not afraid to leave the house without make-up.
51. Fall is my favorite season.
52. I love to watch football and tell my husband he is a lucky man for it.
53. The best thing about living in Okinawa is the view of the ocean that I get every time I drive down the hill to where I live.
54. I went scuba diving in Thailand for my husband, but I haven’t decided whether I want to make it a hobby.
55. I miss having sliding doors on both sides of a mini van. We have a really old Toyota van with only one sliding door.
56. I’ve developed eczema on two fingers since I’ve moved to Okinawa. Strange, I know!
57. I’ve flown military space-a with three children and would do it again. I learned a lot on that trip!
58. I enjoy reading for pleasure, but don’t take enough time to do so.
59. I tend to start too many projects at once.
60. I love the movie Rudy and just watched another great one, Meeting Jane.
61. I used to watch the soap opera All My Children in the US. I don’t watch it anymore because we don’t get it here.
62. I like to watch Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight.
63. I was a telemarketer for a month and hated it.
64. I’m always running late.
65. I can be a perfectionist.
66. I took 13 years of dance.
67. I took five years of piano lessons.
68. My first job was a paper route.
69. I worked at a nursing home as a dietary aide in high school and when I came home from college.
70. I was a crossing guard for the city of Springville, UT. I did this for extra money and was able to bring Miranda with me.
71. I took French Horn lessons in junior high and high school at the Peabody Preparatory Music School, which is part of Johns Hopkins.
72. I’ve ridden an elephant uphill, which made me nauseous.
73. I love amusement parks, especially roller coasters!
74. I love to get my hair done, but don’t do it nearly as often as I should.
75. I enjoy a house that is filled with the aroma of a good candle.
76. Christmas is my favorite holiday! I enjoy the season that surrounds the holiday the best.
77. I enjoy sitting on the beach, more than I enjoy being in the ocean.
78. The exception is riding banana boats! We did this at Okuma and had so much fun I couldn’t stop laughing!
79. I get sick on the landings when riding an airplane.
80. I would love to visit all 50 states. I’m not too far away from this!
81. I am getting more adventurous. I hope to take the kids somewhere this summer, maybe Alaska, Korea, Tokyo or Guam.
82. After living here, shopping isn’t as much fun in the states as it used to be. I never thought I would say this. I think there is too much pressure to get everything on my list and I can’t take my time to find the best bargain.
83. I would love to try running a marathon some day. I figure if Oprah could do it, so can I.
84. I would love to do the show The Amazing Race with my husband, so that we could see the world.
85. In high school I took band trips to Toronto, Canada, Virginia Beach, VA, Charleston, SC and Orlando, FL.
86. I was the president of the Varsity Club in high school, which required very little work.
87. I teach Army Family Team Building classes and would love to become a core trainer some day.
88. I wish there were more hours in a day.
89. I can easily spend three hours at the grocery store without kids.
90. I use as many coupons as I can at the grocery store. I save more money shopping without kids.
91. It is both sad and exciting to see my kids grow.
92. I went to seven different schools growing up.
93. My husband and I have moved eight times in ten years.
94. I’ve given birth without drugs. I don’t necessarily recommend it.
95. I love to go to the movies.
96. I hope to go see the Oprah show live before she goes off the air.
97. I can’t seem to develop a good green thumb. Maybe it is the heat here, but I can’t seem to keep flowers alive.
98. I don’t like gloomy, rainy weather, which is why I could never live in the Northwest.
99. I love the sunshine and always open the blinds first thing in the morning to let it shine into the house.
100. It took me longer than I anticipated to write this list!!

Easter Activity

This past Saturday our branch had an Easter activity at Kadena Marina. There was an egg hunt and games that we were able to participate in. We all had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful weather! It was so warm that I couldn't keep the kids out of the water! Miranda and Olivia managed to stay fairly dry, but Ryan ended up completely wet and covered from head to toe with sand.

Ok, so this picture didn't turn out how I planned. I couldn't get the kids to stay still long enough for a photo on the beach. At least I got one person to flash a smile!

Miranda just rolled up her pants so she could wade in the water. Until looking at these pictures, I didn't realize how long her hair is getting!

Olivia is eating the results of Mommy's try at the chopstick/jelly bean game. She was definately happy that Mommy got her so many jelly beans.

Miranda tried her best to pick up those jelly beans with chopsticks, but they kept getting crossed, making it difficult to pick them up. I guess we need to have her eat with chopsticks more!

This is the best thing about living here! I love the beautiful views and the clear water that we are surround by! I also love driving or running down the hill to our house and looking out to a spectacular view of the ocean!

Ryan did not want to stop for this picture because he was convinced there were more eggs to find even though he had a basket full!

Miranda was the only girl in her age group to hunt for eggs, so she got overrun with boys. This made it so she was only able to find a few eggs. The great thing is when her brother found out, he was more than willing to share his eggs.

Olivia loved picking up eggs and was able to find quite a few!

Bob Hope Primary School Literature Character Parade

Every year the school has a Literature Character Parade where the students choose a book and dress up as one of the characters. Well, our creative resources are limited here and so we utilize what we have. Miranda wore an old ballet costume to go with a ballet book she has and Ryan put on his football jersey to go with the football book we have. I know, not too creative, but maybe next year I'll plan ahead.

Olivia insisted that I take her picture outside, so here she is donning her famous grin!

We're Free!!

Ok, some of you may have heard that we've been under a "period of reflection" and were not permitted to frequent off-base establishments for about two weeks, due to the actions of some service members. The horrible yen rate, which has been equal to the dollar, has had an impact on how much we do off-base, so the restriction was not too restrictive. Well, we've now been permitted to stop reflecting and things are back to normal for me, but Duane has to be on-base by 10pm. I guess if there are any late night McDonald or Coco Curry House cravings, I will be the one to make those. The kids are really glad to be able to go off-base again, since they couldn't understand how someone could control where we could and couldn't go, which lead me to a Constitutional teaching moment. What smart kids I have, to recognize that they are entitled to certain freedoms!