Okinawa World

This week flew by and we had another great Saturday. Friday afternoon we went grocery shopping and got some awesome treats from the bakery. There were some special ones and I'm not exactly sure what this one is supposed to be maybe a cat? To be honest I was a little scared what would be in the middle because you never can be sure especially when your trying to hurry and pick things before your toddler has a melt down over wanting to eat everything in sight. To my delight there was vanilla cream in the middle when cut in half.

We headed out to get lunch and visit Okinawa World Gyokusendo Cave. The expressway is way faster to get there so we decided that we would stop at a rest stop to eat lunch on the way down. There was a little cafe and we weren't sure what there would be for food but hopeful that it would be something delicious. There was a machine to put your money in and then push a button to select the meal you want. I chose the vegetable ramen, not to be confused with vegetarian because it still included pork. The ramen was absolutely delicious and so was the gyoza that we got to share. After you hit the button you get a ticket with your food choices and give the tickets to someone at the counter. You get a number and they call when your food is ready.

There is a cave to walk through, the habu (snake) museum, and walking through the village. We decided not to do the habu museum because we weren't too interested in seeing the snakes. The cave was so awesome and it was really cool to see. The walls were dripping and there was even a small water fall. It kind of felt like we were in line to a disney ride and that was the themed line. 

After we finished the walk through the cave we walked around the village and it was set up with many locally made goods and food stands. There were lots of booths where you can make things like your own paper and kids can do crafts. There were a lot of samples available like dried fruit, mango cake, and hibiscus tea. We ended up with a bag of mixed dry fruit and a pineapple cake. There was an area with glass blowing and you could stand and watch them work. It was really cool to see and then there was a shop where you could buy a variety of things made on site. One thing that I participated in was the doctor fish. Nick had been wanting me to experience it but the place he used to go didn't have them any more. So for 500 yen I got my feet nibbled for 6 minutes. It was one of the weirdest things ever. The feeling was so strange and it tickled but also felt kind of good. 

(hahaha this was in the first few seconds and it was really weird)

After Okinawa world we drove a few minutes to a park to let Tyler run around since he was in the ergo carrier for most of the time. Since we were in the area we stopped by the outlet mall quick. The prices were great and they had a lot of awesome stores. We were pretty tired out so we needed to head back home, but of course needed a little pick me up at Starbucks first. 

(Tyler enjoying his mango frappaccino) 

It was a fun Saturday and we have another big day planned for tomorrow! 

until next time, 

Courtney

Just a little taste

We jumped right into the culture here and started trying things off base pretty quickly. When I first moved to Oklahoma we didn't live on base so I didn't really connect with anyone or try to make friends. It is completely different when you live overseas because you really stick together and help each other out. A friend of mine from Oklahoma has a cousin who is out here and she introduced us through Facebook and she has been a great friend to us! After the first couple of days we were here she invited us to join her and her two kids at a park. Luckily they have a couple of nice indoor parks here because it is really hot to be playing outside in the middle of the day, especially in July and August. We went to the ATM because a lot of places off base take yen or cash only and then headed off to the indoor park. Tyler really enjoyed running around and playing in the lego area they have. As we've gone back more he's gotten more brave and gone down slides and even climbed to the top level. The parks they have are nice and clean and have counter service food. You can also bring your own food if you don't want to pay for what they offer. It's a great way to beat the heat and let the kids get their energy out. Since I was so absorbed in watching Tyler have fun I only have a picture of the flyer we got so we had the information to visit again. 

We also had to get new iPhones over here and signed up for a new plan. au is who we went with and they were really nice and helped us set everything up. They even gave us a treat bag for signing up with them. Of course I was overly excited about this because they were all Japanese snacks that we had no idea what they were. It was fun trying to guess what they were and then trying it and seeing if we were right. There was one that definitely looked like a cracker and even had seeds on it but it turned out to be a cookie. There was a jumbo cheese puff and some flaky type candy. If anything it was very interesting and fun to try some new snacks.

We also went shopping off base which was a little bit difficult the first couple of times. We couldn't buy much because we still didn't have a car at that point but there was a grocery store that wasn't too far of a walk. The mayo and ketchup come on soft squeeze bottles and wrapped in a plastic bag. Also some of their stuff has Kewpie doll on it. Mayo is used on everything! even pizza... although I haven't tried that. But I did have pizza with corn on it. Corn is another popular food here. Of course we had to try even more of the different snacks they have. Japan is known for their many flavors of kit kats so of course we went with the green tea ones. They are not my favorite... but if you love green tea then you will love them. We got these fake ice cream cones. I think the inside is like freeze dried ice cream. It was kind of like astronaut food and is shelf stable.

And of course we had to try Coco's curry house. A very popular restaurant among everyone. Curry is definitely a favorite dish. Nick had talked a lot about Coco's and even did his best to recreate it at home. Basically you can pick what kind of meat you want from pork, chicken, shrimp, beef, veggies, eggs, and others. Then you pick a spice level 1-10. I'm a wimp and get the mild which is below a 1. Japan also knows how to take care of the kids at restaurants. They always have cute divided kids plate with kid sized silverware. Also a little cup and bib to try and keep him somewhat clean. Tyler loves Coco's for the little jelly dessert he gets and the toy he can get out of the machine at the end. 

(Tyler's chicken nugget curry)

(my crispy chicken with cheese mix)

So that was our first little taste of some of the different snacks and foods they have here. We have a ton more we want to try but with four years here we will take our time. Its a small island so we want to space our adventurous times out a little bit but we are excited to keep exploring all that Okinawa has to offer. 

until next time, 

Courtney

First glimpse of Japan

So when we first arrived in Japan we were focused on where we needed to go to get our bags and get them checked again for our domestic flight to Okinawa. We were ready to lug all our bags again to get them checked but in Japan things are much different than in the states. We started pulling our bags off the belt and one of the employees got a cart and helped us with all our bags. He waited in line with us to get the tags put on and they even took all the old ones off for us. I was just taken very much by surprise when they were so willing to help us when we had no help before and when we asked for help they wanted money in return. We then went to get in line to go through customs and that was pretty easy. We figured out where our gate was going to be and started to go through security. We were not sure if the restaurants and shopping were inside or outside of security so we asked if there was food on the other side of security and they said that there was. The security was really laid back compared to what they have to do in America. We basically had to just put our bags on the belt and walk through a metal detector. They had to put Tyler's carseat through the x-ray machine and kept apologizing when it wasn't working. We were then very disappointed to see that the only place down by the gate was a small area where you could buy drinks, snacks, and there were a few soup/noodle options but no actual restaurants or anything. We did end up getting a milk tea and a green tea because we were so thirsty and at least needed a drink while we figured out what we were going to do.

We were pleasantly surprised to see that they had a kids play area so that tyler could run around and let out some of his energy after sitting for so long. We had at least a couple of hours before the plane would board so Nick went off to go explore and see if he could find where all the other stuff was since it is supposed to be a really big airport. It turns out that all the food and shopping areas were before you go through security and the guy at security was very confused as to why we wanted to go back out. The security is kind of a one way thing where once you get out you have to back the same way. Thankfully they were fine with letting us out and we went to go find something to eat. There were a lot of different places and even a McDonalds but not all the same menu items. Plus I couldn't read anything so the fact that most restaurants have plastic displays of the dishes they serve made it a little easier in choosing. Nick can also read a little bit and speak some Japanese but it has been 6 years since he has been back. A lot of the options were curry and soup and we wanted something more light and cool so we ended up getting sandwiches. Even the way they make sandwiches are different. Mine was shrimp and it also had egg salad on it. It sounds weird but it was really good!

I also got a melon soda and it came with some broth on the side. They also usually always have a self serve water station and we had our fair share of ice water before we went to go look around more and head back through security again. We ended up getting iced cream at McDonalds and they had blueberry oreo mcflurries. I tried to order a kit kat one but they were all out. The portion sizes are also much smaller and with the mcflurries they only came in one size. Sodas off base are usually not unlimited refills unless you have the option to buy "drink bar" which is serve yourself drinks.

Alooooooohhhhaaaaaaa

After a very fun time in CT it was time to head out and have a little adventure time in Hawaii! The flight went very well and I flew on a very large plane. Tyler did great because he was in his car seat and was all cozy and able to sleep a lot of the time. He was very tired from staying up very late the night before due to our last minute packing. Of course Tyler was a little bit antsy toward the end.... I can't blame him I was ready to be there already as well. He did watch some cartoons on the screen on the back of his seat but with no sound since he wouldn't wear the head phones that they provide for you.

                                                                                        

We finally arrived and went to go find were our rental car was. We knew we had a jeep on reserve so we were really excited about that. Then it was time to collect the whole load of baggage we had and get it back over to the jeep so we could head out. We were able to get a cart to load all the stuff up and thankfully it all fit well. Our internal clocks were all messed up at this point because it was only a little after lunch time in Hawaii and back in CT it was bed time. Nick suggested that we eat lunch and go with the local time to get us adjusted. So we went and found our room and it wasn't quite ready which was fine because that gave us time to go enjoy some subway right next to the beach. 

Tyler absolutely LOVED the beach. You could see and hear the ocean from the front door and he would keep pointing and trying to walk over to the water weather we were coming or not. He loved the little waves splashing on him and would smile ear to ear. His little lips would be shivering and blue but he would not want to leave and would try to get back to the water. 

We were only there a couple of days so we tried to pack as many touristy things in as we could. We did a great job of getting up early to start the day since we went to bed so early because we were getting used to the new time. The Dole pineapple plantation was a lot of fun! There was a little self guided tour were you could learn about the different native plants around Hawaii and how the pineapple plantation got started. We had to rush by the bananas so Tyler wouldn't scream "NA" the whole time because he is obsessed with bananas. We saw cute little pineapples! 

We also did some of the maze they have which was declared the worlds largest maze in 2008. We didn't get to finish all of it because it was a pretty warm day and Tyler in the ergo carrier gets overheated if he's in there too long. So we decided to go and enjoy some dole whip mmmmmm. The only other place you can get dole whip is at Disney so that was a pretty awesome treat. We also wanted to eat somewhere local and Nick ended up finding an awesome little hole in the wall place that actually was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. 

One of the places I wanted to visit was Pearl Harbor and we did go but it was very hard to really pay attention with Tyler with us. There are a lot of things to see but we went later in the day and a lot of things close so we didn't want to spend a fortune when we wouldn't be able to take our time. There are buildings you can go into and read and see pictures and actual recovered items or replicas from the attacks. We also tried to watch a film that the show for free but there was no way Tyler was going to sit through a movie and be quite enough. So we quickly left the movie as to not disturb the rest of the crowd any longer. We were actually just going to leave but Nick was missing his phone...... Yup it was in the theater that we had just snuck out of. So we went back to get the phone and one of the staff was outside with it. She asked us if we still wanted to go and see the USS Arizona memorial and that was what I had wanted to be able to visit so she said we would be able to catch the last boat ride out there. A beautiful tribute to those who lost their lives in the attacks. 

We also got a chance to hike Diamond Head which was really amazing. The view was breathtaking and was a good experience. Tyler rode in the backpack carrier and loved pointing at everything we passed. 

The 99 stairs and the tunnel were kind of tough but it was definitely worth the trip up. It was hot but we had a lot of fun and saw so much of the land and ocean from way at the top. Of course after I was really thirsty and wanted something refreshing so we ventured off to find some shave ice. There are little stands all over the place but unfortunately most of them take cash only (thumbs down). We did finally find a place that had an ATM inside of the building and got some very delicious and refreshing shave ice.  These were so cute I had to get a picture.... Tyler just wanted to run around. 

We tried a few more local things like pineapple wine, watermelon juice, and I tried some local beer. The wine was very strong and tasted more like a hard liquor. I'm pretty sure Nick liked the watermelon juice but I wasn't crazy about it. The local made beer was tasty. Tyler did not want to leave the waves and sat in the way in protest of us leaving. I tried to tell him that we were going to be going to other waves but its hard to convince a 16 month old. Plus it meant another pretty long flight and I didn't blame him but it was time to pack up and head on to our final destination...... Japan. 

~ Courtney

Getting out of OKC

I'm finally back!!!

Life has been busy busy busy these past couple of months. Packing up the OKC house and getting everything done with wrapping things up in Oklahoma before we left. But of course leaving Oklahoma in May come with the start of tornado season. We had movers at the house packing while tornado sirens were going off.... no big deal. We also decided to go off base to get some dinner one night since it was really late and we didn't have any energy to cook. We were then unable to return to base for a while since there were still sirens going off and there was a flood warning. When we were finally let back on we couldn't get to either our hotel room or the old house because of the flooding on base. We continued to get rain and the base would keep flooding every time it would rain again.

                                      (water covering the street and coming up the side walk)
Sooooo after all that fun stuff including having to repaint two of our bedrooms, having the stomach bug, and having to pay to have our house cleaned twice we started our journey to Texas and then Connecticut. But of course we couldn't leave Oklahoma without having some of the best BBQ one last time!

We had a fun time in Dallas. Tyler loved the pool they have and we stayed at the same hotel we had stayed at before he was born. Of course we enjoyed in n out burger and a trip to ikea before it was time to head out. We ended up getting to the airpot an hour and a half early for our flight. That proved to be NOT ENOUGH TIME!!!! We pulled up and saw luggage check at the curb and thought oh this is perfect and we won't have to lug all our baggage around. Tyler and I could check in and go through security and Nicholas could go and return the rental car quick and then come check in shortly after. Yea that plan quickly went out the window. When we asked that guy if he could check our bags there he told us he wouldn't do free baggage and that you have to pay for the bags. We would have to some how bring all 6 suitcases, 3 carry ons, a carseat, and a toddler up to the second floor. On top of that we still had a rental car to return and its not a right there return. You have to drive it to the place and take the shuttle back. Well needless to say all this stuff took way too long and we ended up missing our flight and had to change our plans. We ended up going to Houston for the night and ended up getting to CT a day later than we planned.

                   (The huge amount of luggage that was way too much for two people to carry)

We had a great week of visiting friends and family and didn't make anything to stressful we just relaxed and had a good time.

(Sushi and cupcakes trip with auntie Erica)

                  (I still can't get over his face.... he was so excited about splashing in the water)

(Having a blast pressing the buttons with Issac at the science center)

Tyler was loving sharing some cake

selfie with Livie ;)

Loving walks around the yard with grampy cunningham

And all too soon it was time for us to head off to the next part of our journey.... Hawaii!!!!! But thats  for another post 

Courtney 

Baby's first hair cut

This is the picture I sent to Nick that was the deciding factor that Tyler really needed to get his first hair cut. He was having some crazy bed head and looking like he was rocking an 80's hair style. We found the cutest little place called Sharkey's haircuts for kids. They had cars that the kids sit in and flat screens with cartoons for distraction. Genius idea! Tyler was pretty ok with sitting in the Lighning McQueen car until she started spraying his hair down with water. 

He was really done with the whole thing when she took out a buzzer to do his neck and ears! He is totally afraid of anything that makes a whirring sound (the vacuum, the blender, the mixer, ect.) So needless to say, I had to hold him to try and stay still so she could finish while he acted like a cat about to be submerged in a bathtub. Hair all over the place!! But he was finally done and got a lollipop and a balloon. 

And now he had a very handsome big boy haircut. 

Winter Wonderland

Happy Tuesday from winter wonderland! HAHAHA yea not really but for Oklahoma we ended up getting a good amount of snow here yesterday. I was surprised that school wasn't cancelled since there was quite a bit of snow on the ground. Everything usually shuts down for even a dusting! Well I got Tyler and I ready and dropped him off and headed to school. When I got out of class it was snowing really hard and it was definitely sticking to the roads. Nick was sent home after sitting on the plane for 4 hours since it took them that long to decide they weren't going to fly that day. (that's how things roll in the Air Force) I bundled Tyler up to play in the snow since this snow is the only snow we will see for a while. Well we might get more this weekend but the stuff we have now should melt tomorrow since it's supposed to be 50 degrees tomorrow. Pick a season Oklahoma! Of course it took 10 minutes of dressing time for like 2 minutes of play time but he actually liked the snow until he kicked his boot off.

And of course we always like to go out and adventure in the snow. We went to Kohls to look at Fiestaware because my mom is obsessed with it and Nick liked it when we went shopping for some when she was here. They had a sale on the 4 piece sets but the sale had ended. A lot of stores were closed early because of the snow so we ended up going to the mall. Dillards is where my mom told us that she always hears about really good deals. So we drove out to the mall and Dillards was one of the only stores that were open. The sets were $27 instead of $51! We got a bunch of place settings and were on our way. Only we would brave a snow storm for dinner ware! 

 We also worked on cleaning out our mugs because we got some mugs with the sets and we want to add some of the bigger mugs in the sunflower yellow color that they have. I think we may have a mug problem....

We are doing our best to replace things and get rid of things we don't need/want before the big move comes up. We have to sort our stuff into different categories of what will go by boat. (YUP A BOAT!) what will be flown and what we will take with us in suit cases. This is going to be quite the project and adventure! 

Happy 1st Birthday!

I can't believe that I have a one year old! More like a teenager with the way he slept in today. I woke up and went into Tyler's room and he was still asleep and it was after 9am! I sat in the rocking chair in his room and he started to roll around and started to wake up. He sat up, saw me and smiled a big sleepy grin. We went downstairs so he could have a bottle and snuggles before I needed to go and pick up his cake. I didn't know that we had gotten some winter weather over night and that my car was covered in ice and so were the roads. I was determined to get there and pick up the cake and the weather in OKC is never as bad as what I'm used to driving in in CT. So I started the car and blasted the heat, got out the scraper and started clearing off the car. Of course I was so excited to get there and a little worried about the slick conditions that I didn't even stop to get cash to pay for the cake before I got there! Well then I felt pretty dumb that I tried to pick up a cake with no money so I had to drive down the street to the bank.... ATM was broken! So they said try 7/11 and they weren't doing cash back.... UGH!!! So there was another gas station across the street that didn't look that nice but I was getting desperate. I just parked near a curb since the little bit of ice and snow that had fallen were covering any parking spot lines and walked up to the front door that had bars on them. I looked around for an ATM and there wasn't one. I went up to the counter and asked the man if he did cash back. He didn't speak the best english so I tried asking him if I bought something could he give me cash with my purchase. At first he didn't understand but then he told me yes he could but that it would cost me $2.00. I told him that was totally fine I just needed the money. I finally had the money to pay for the cake and drove back to pick it up. Thankfully there were only a few slick spots and got back with both cakes in tact. I also found out that my school was closed due to weather which was nice because I didn't have to leave again to take the math test that I was supposed to do. We ordered pizzas to be delivered and then just hung around the house until we had a few friends come over. Tyler's friend Grayson who he plays with while i'm at school came over to celebrate. Along with Evan (Grayson's older brother) and Rose and Matt (their parents). We had cake and Tyler was more excited about the Molly and Gill Bubble Guppie characters that were on top of the cake. He ate a little bit of it but it didn't seem like he loved it all that much. I don't think Tyler likes chocolate too much.... I know HOW COULD THIS BE?!?!? But he did eat a little and then went down for a nap. Our friends had to go and Nick and I went by ourselves to check out new couches since the frame in ours snapped in the back. When we got back Tyler was still asleep but woke up not much longer after that. We were able to FaceTime with family so they could watch presents being opened. He loved the little tikes car that he got and was so cute as Nick pushed him around the dining room in it! We settled down by watching some bubble guppies since he got a new DVD of episodes and then it was bed time. I think he had a really great first birth day. I just can't believe that it had been a whole year! Last year I had a little tiny baby to snuggle with and was so exhausted. Now he is almost walking..... He took one step today!!! Still no teeth but he eats pretty much anything and signs eat and milk constantly. I think he does it over and over because it is something that he can communicate something that we understand. Here are some pictures of the festivities: