I give up on Okinawa

When we first got to here I was very driven, writing things on the calendar for every weekend -- a new beach, a new park, something -- kind of a bucket list mentality without having written down a real bucket list. I had been fed a steady diet of "you need to do this!" and "you need to do that!" by everyone who'd ever been here, from the time I announced we had orders. It was nice for awhile, but a little exhausting. So much to see and do, so little time! I wanted to hit up all the good beaches. Then while we were stuck inside one weekend after another either due to typhoon conditions or restricted liberty status due to events outside our control, summer abruptly turned to fall, then to winter (winter mostly characterized by temperatures of around 60 and lots of rain). My checklist got squashed after I cancelled Okuma resort for the second time. My expectations plummeted from way up there to waaaay down here.

And you know what? It's been a good thing. I'm back to appreciating the little things and not getting all worked up over plans that don't work out. I'm enjoying this lull before we have to gear up for the move back to the States. We're having a low-key holiday season over here. The biggest plans we have for the next two weeks are a viewing of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (whenever a certain child stops being difficult and starts being deserving of such an outing), and a visit to the third biggest aquarium in the world. 

In the meantime I'm content. I love this little neighborhood we live in where the kids have the freedom and space to run and bike all over the place. I enjoy taking a walk at sunset with a couple of the kids, letting Annie buy herself a smoothie at the Shoppette. I look forward to our dinners out every Saturday, and now that we've finally found a babysitter, Tim and I will be getting out by ourselves soon. We won't even need to go far! We can walk over to American Village and eat somewhere that we wouldn't with all our picky kids in tow.

It took throwing up my hands and "giving up on Okinawa" to make me come back to the realization that we are simple people. We are happiest and most grateful when we're in our own little bubble, wherever that happens to be, just enjoying one another.

We take a lot of pictures and I don't blog a whole lot anymore, so here's a photo dump from the last month or two. (Also to serve as proof I have more kids than just Joey.)

Coach Dad 

The best we could manage on Thanksgiving Day

Tim is so uncomfortable here, it cracks me up. Western style seating for us, please!

Delaney has gotten involved with the Okinawan American Animal Rescue Society here, and just loves it. She has signed up for every event she can, and has a nice collection of t-shirts she'll eventually grow into. She also got herself a dog-sitting job for a week this Christmas with a cute Boston named Sushi. She is going to be in heaven. I have to say, I am looking forward to seeing this girl with a dog of her own.

My favorite decorations are the origami Christmas trees the girls made. 

A street on Camp Lester