Cape Zanpa

It's been beautiful this weekend so we've gotten out of the house, hit the road and saw some sites. Today we went to see the lighthouse at Cape Zanpa.

It was such a blustery day. The winds made the usually non-existent waves huge!

The girls were so excited to see the water and feel the spray on their faces. They ran down the steep hill and hurdled the rocks.

That was a big one! Don't worry, they really aren't that close.

The sun was starting to set.

Spring Has Sprung

It's spring in Okinawa!

Today we went to the Cherry Blossom Fest in the northern part of the island. The trees have bloomed a pretty bright pink.

I was able to get some good shots of the girls.

I even got a good picture of me.

I'm a Military Wife

My kids teach me so much everyday. This day was no different. On the ride home from school I broke the sad news to the girls that daddy's plane did not leave and that he is still on his base. They looked up at me and I could see the disappointment in their big brown and green eyes. Suddenly, all the things that they had planned to do would be put on hold. They wouldn't be able to wrap their little arms around him or climb on his back. They wouldn't be able to tell him all the things they had learned or show him how much they had grown while he was away. They wouldn't be able to play with him on the floor or sit on his lap. But each of them looked at me and said, "It's ok mommy, he's safe. That's all I ask."

The girls are so strong. They've never asked for anything. They are happy and grateful kids. All they need to know everyday is that their daddy is safe.


The Silent Ranks

I wear no uniforms, no blues or greens.
But, I am in the military, in the ranks rarely seen.
I have no rank upon my shoulders. Salutes I do not give.
But in the military world is where I live and am rarely seen.
I am not in the chain of command, orders I do not give or get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget.
I am not the one who fires a weapon, Who puts his life on the line.
But my job is just as tough, I'm the one who is always left behind.
My husband is a patriot, a brave and pride filled man.
And the call to serve his country not all can understand.
Behind the lines, I see things needed to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do my kids and me.
I love the man I married. The military is his life.
So I pledge to support my hero and stand among the silent ranks known as
THE MILITARY WIFE.

You've Gotta Laugh Sometimes...

It's funny how our brains process information differently. I'm always aware and careful of what I say not to confuse anyone around. But this time my country side took over.

So today I was standing at the top of the stairs. I hollered down to whomever would respond to me,

"Can someone throw up some toilet paper?"

Kiera comes running to my rescue.

"Yes, mom?"

"Can you throw up some toilet paper?"

She looked at me puzzled.

"Say it again?" She asked.

By now I could have gotten it myself. Patiently, I asked it again.

"Can you throw up some toilet paper?"

And with sarcasm she responded,

"Mom, I don't EAT toilet paper."

A Break From the Rain

So, ok, it's been a while since my last post. The rain has been falling here in Okinawa and has caused us to stay indoors. The girls have been keeping busy with lots of homework and studying for quarterly tests. So it's a good thing that we haven't been able to get out much.

Today the sun was shining. And since Maya and Kiera had a half day of school we checked out a new park nearby.

The girls enjoyed climbing, hiding, swinging and exploring new places.


They were also able to run off some built up energy from all those rainy days.


We even did some reef walking.

The park has some really nice places to sit and relax. There is a koi pond where kids enjoyed feeding the fish and turtles. They would love to hang out here on a nice afternoon. Can you imagine Maya and Kiera sitting out here and chatting when they are our age?

Of course I got a few really nice shots of them also. This one is my favorite. Maya will let me take a million pictures of her.


Kiera doesn't have the patience for me but I got one in.

My Sweet Sandy

Sandy is my Oki mix that I rescued from the local kennel. Isn't she adorable? The first time I saw her she was so weak. She didn't bark or whine or even get up to greet me. I brought her home Charlie said I picked the most pitiful dog.

But she's been really good for me. She has helped me through Charlie's deployment by keeping me company, asking for daily walks, securing the house and giving me lots of love and happiness.

She performs some tricks. She sits on comand. She shakes her paw to your hand when you say, "paw". And saying, "Mama" means to show me "who's your mama".

She also has us play some tricks too. She scratches the door when she wants in or out. And she pushes the back of my knee when she wants to go on a walk. Where she got that one I don't know. I guess she's trying to push me to the door.

The girls love her too. They look forward to coming home to see Sandy and play with her. She's become a great addition to our family.

Sayonara...

It always happens with the military...You finally really get to know someone and then they leave. We said sayonara to a friend that is moving back to the states this week. We also welcomed two friends back from deployments to Qatar and Iraq. Before we know it, Charlie will be home as well.

Happy 2009

The Starnes family was the first of their family and friends to ring in the new year being 14 hours ahead of eastern standard time. We had friends over for a game night. The kids enjoyed playing games together while the adults played games too. Midnight came quickly and we had our own countdown. We celebrated the new year with confetti poppers, horns and great food. The girls and I called daddy also so we could share the new year together. We called it a night around 3 am.

The next day we had a little celebration watching the ball drop in Times Square on tv (it was already 2 pm our time). Later that night, we went on base to see "Tops in Blue" perform. They are the Air Force's singing and dancing group. They are chosen out of many to take one year away from their job and perform shows at all the bases around the world. This year they sang all the songs the girls knew. Their faces were lit (especially Maya) through the whole show and sang along. It was a lot of fun.

The girls are working at getting back on a schedule reluctantly. That means 9 pm bedtimes and 5 am wake-ups (Jas has to meet the bus at 6 am) :( They start back to school on Monday the 5th. They are happy that January is here though because they know daddy comes home at the end of this month! We have left the Christmas decorations up so we can have a small Christmas with Charlie once he makes it home. The girls are excited about that!

We hope that everyone is enjoying the new year. We hope that it brings good times, prosperity and good health to all. Happy 2009!