BIOs on the Hill/Okinawa v. USA: Parks

Again, one of the main reason I will miss Okinawa-the parks. Where else can you get up close and personal with a hog in the thick of swine flu season? Where else can you walk goats on a leash and get a ride from an Ox? If you find a place in the States that costs less than 10 bucks, let me know. The Okinawans also throw safety and caution to the winds which results in incredible jungle gyms. Check Peter out on a pretty awesome slide! Even Pudge wouldn't get near that monster! The Orchids are in season and it has been quite some time since I have seen flowers so beautiful. Our trip to Bios on the hill was part of our farewell week with our friends. We will surely miss the Rohr girls!

Moving Day!

I am also going to put this in Okinawa v. USA . Okinawa wins, hands down. It took our Japanese movers four hours to pack and load our entire shipment of household goods. Granted, it was only about 4500 pounds but the same job took 12 hours back in the United States. These guys didn’t even accept a tip-except a couple of Burger King Whopper meals. Life got a whole lot less stressful after our stuff was gone….

Comprehensive Park-One Last Time

This is our favorite park by far…just take a look and you can see why. This park is a must for families with kids coming to Okinawa. The boys had a great time riding their scooters (Danny is getting pretty good), climbing the castle, and feeding the carp (which I find disgusting yet somehow can’t stop watching). The park was bustling with locals on vacation during Japanese Golden Week. For more on golden week check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_(Japan)

Saying Good Bye for the Summer

The boys had their last day of school and said good bye to their teachers and friends. We will be forever grateful to the teachers at the Camp Courtney CDC for taking such good care of our boys. Thank you!

Round I Part II (with Farrell)

Parents have fun too! They even get stuck. Take a look at the old man chasing after his kids and getting stuck in the net! And this guy is going to lead a battalion of Marines! Follow Me!
Well, there was some devil pup training going on. Farrell took the boys to the mats and showed them some of his moves…or did they show him their moves… who could tell?! They had a great time and we will never forget our Round I experience (where else can a pregnant lady go, let her boys run loose while sitting in a massage chair?!)

Holy Round 1, Batman!

I am going to put this in the Okinawa v. USA section too...I could not believe my eyes! I will tell you this: The Okinawan's do parks and recreation WAY better than the States. I hate to say it...but it is true. Just take a look! Where in the US can you find an enormous ball pit/play house with RELAXING MASSAGE CHAIRS for the parents to sit in and supervise?! Seriously, people. There is a roller rink, arcade, basketball court, golf cage, batting cage, soccer cage, ping pong, karaoke...and get this-once you pay for the entry fee (nominal) it is all FREE. That's right, free. Dude, what more could you ask for? Oh, maybe a coffee shop or snacks? Check, done. They got it. Can you tell I am impressed with this place? If you are moving to Okinawa, you HAVE to come here.

Daniel Patrick Sullivan, Special Operations Capable

Here is a picture of Danny standing his watch...always vigilant...

Okuma, one last time...

Okuma-our favorite vacation spot. We will certainly miss spending our holiday's here. We have very fond memories of nature trails, mini golf, the beach, glass bottoms boats and one heck of a view! We spent one last weekend at Okuma for the Easter weekend. We love Okuma!

Easter Egg Hunt!

We had a tower Easter Egg Hunt and Pot luck dinner to celebrate the holiday. Everyone had a great time and Danny didn't even notice that we gave him a pumpkin instead of a basket to collect his eggs!

Easy Like Sunday Morning...

You would never know this wasn't Sunday morning and that it was actually a Monday morning! Danny sure has it made. Homemade waffles and chocolate milk on the balcony. What a way to start the week!

LtCol Sullivan!

While Farrell and I were in Quantico the first week of March, Farrell was promoted to lieutenant colonel. The ceremony was very small but very meaningful as it was held near the brick at the Marine Corps Museum which bears his father's name and honors his father's service. The boys were there, although they found the snow more interesting so they lost out on the photo opportunity! We are so proud of Farrell and so excited for his future.

World Travelers!

Here are some pictures of the flight to the United States. Peter is showing off his passport, Daniel is in awe of the big planes and the three of us are having fun (we hadn't even left Okinawa yet, you should have seen us 20 hours later!)

Okinawa v USA

LOVE MOTELS. What are they, you ask? They are motel rooms for rent by the hour (or two). Meant for the Japanese to escape the close living that comes with an extended family or for families that want to get out of the heat during the summer (yea right) these rooms are literally rented by the hour. There are privacy precautions such as covered parking, booking and paying without seeing a living person, and private entries and exits for every room. This room, as you can see, is pretty plain. There are rooms with themes such as Space Odyssey, King Kong, and others. They are equipped with costumes (I guess if you and your family are escaping the heat to play dress up) and flat screen TVs (if you and your family want to watch sports) but the thing that got me was the mattress in the bath room. Guesses anyone? Hey, don't knock it 'till you've tried it right? Not sure if I will go back (this time I was on an all girl tour of the place) but the concept sure is interesting! Okinawa or USA? I'll let you decide....

What a mother will ignore to eat her dinner in peace...

I thought this was too funny not to mention in our blog. Since Farrell has been gone, a few of us girls have started cooking dinner for each other's families. Erica, Nicole and I were enjoying a nice adult dinner after feeding the kids (a total of 5) and were especially enjoying the adult conversation. I vaguely remember hearing the kids were setting up a "trap" for a ghost but there was no fighting, no tattle tailing, no loud screams so I ignored the fact they were in the closet. What you see above is the recycling used for a defensive perimeter and any and every toy used as an obstacle. Ahh...clean up wasn't fun but the dinner was peaceful. All in a day's work.... ;)

T

Okuma Again!

Have I ever wrote on this blog that I love Okuma? Well, I do. I really really really do. My idea of paradise would be to have my family at Okuma where we can eat all the Mongolian BBQ we want, snorkel in the one of the world's most beautiful seas, sleep in or nap all afternoon, read Twilight on the beach, and hike some of the best trails in Okinawa. Yes, I am a HUGE fan. We went for our third time this past MLK weekend. We went along with our awesome neighbors, the Rohrs. These pictures are of the glass bottom boat ride, go karts, and one of the great places to take a nature walk. I have so many fond memories of Okinawa but some of my favorites are of Okuma!