CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS 2009

Hello again. This is our Holiday special edition. We ended up having a wonderful Christmas, birthday celebration, New Year's and anniversary celebration. We start off with Ellie ready for Christmas Eve mass.

You can see our tiny tree in the background. We mentioned how many gifts we got this year...although most of these had Ellie's name on them.
This is our Christmas Eve feast...A little Japanese food really makes the holiday complete

Ellie hasn't quite worked up to sushi yet.

We couldn't get it all down...so Maddi got to enjoy some as well.

Ellie doesn't want to go down for a long winter's nap.

Even Maddi got in on the action this year. She knew all week that a present was waiting.

One present only allows for so much fun.

Now it's Ellie's turn to open!

Ellie's first spelling lesson.

Thank you to the Nicholson's

Katie's shorts for her new year's resolution...

We haven't met too many Jayhawks in this hemisphere.

It may be small but the table was just like home!!

Katie and Ellie as we sing happy birthday! You may not believe us...but there really are 7 other people in the room. We do have friends here in Okinawa. Although no dance party friends yet.

Ellie's face tells you just how delicious the birthday cake looks!

The best birthday cake in the world...seriously we might be saying goodbye to the Navy to open a pastry shop!

We celebrated New Year's with the neighbors this year...had a tent out back just like Thanksgiving. It was in the 50's that night with wind out of the north at over 25 kph...we had to break out the fleeces. All in all we rang in the new year with cheer.

Happy new year to all! Happy 4th anniversary to us!

DECEMBER 2009

Here we go. You will have to forgive us. These photos are all backwards chronologically...but I suppose it doesn't really matter all that much. We had a decent month of December weather wise...started off beautiful (as you will see at the beach below) and ended mild and windy. Getting ready for the holidays had an odd feeling but by the time they came around we had a wonderful Christmas and New Year (which you can see in our special edition blog). Enjoy.

So...we made it back to the Awase Fish Market (one of top 5 coolest places on Island). We enjoyed the shopping and lunch with friends. This place really is a riot. You have to see it to believe it. Above is this humongous grouper...they dismantled this fish in 5 minutes.
This guys is pouring hot water on grouper filets. He immediately dunks them in ice water to stop the cooking. They are basically raw and sold to be eaten that way.

Above is a tub of yellow fin tuna and mahi mahi...you basically grab a fish, take it to the counter and tell them how much of it you want.

Here is Will posing with his favorite fish on the planet...we took some of this home!

We don't know this lady's name but she wanted her photo with Ellie.

This is Ellie's first taste of cereal...Katie was unsure if she was ready...but it took her a day and she is now a pro with utensils.

Here Ellie is getting ready for her first bite.

Here (and the two photos that follow) are Ellie and Katie at Alligator Steps class. They start Japanese lessons at 12 months.

We had a wonderful day at the beach toward the beginning of the month. Above Ellie is waiting for dinner. Below is one of the water glasses that they served to us...even on a small island in the middle of the pacific you will find things from the US.
Sorry these are out of order. Two photos down Ellie is taking a dip, if you look at the photo immediately below you will see what she thinks about swimming in December. The water really was nice...brisk when you first get in than it was really nice...unless of course you are 4 months old.

So far this is our favorite beach on a tiny island called Hemahiga (in Japanese it goes by Hemahiga Jima)

We have decided to spruce up our home by giving parts of it fancy names. This is the door that Will built out on our courtyard. If you look below you will see it mid-construction. We love this door...we can let the dog out in the courtyard and not worry about her and have a little privacy at the same time.

We bid you adew for 2009. This hat was given to Ellie by her great aunt Margie and great uncle George. Stay tuned for our Christmas and New Year special addition.