True Love

Jackson is so in love with Emma. That is not to say that he doesn't love Kate but he really loves Emma. He will share willingly with her and show her how toys work. The other day he sat beside her with one of Kates wands that has a button to make the sound, he sat beside her and kept saying "push it Emma"and when she pushed it he would say "Yeah Emma!!!". He is going to be a GREAT big brother.

This is true joy!!!

Good bye 2009

I am back to the blogging world and the blog got a make over thanks to some guidance from Courtney. One of my resolutions for 2010 is to update the blog more frequently to keep you up dated on our growing family and Courtney has convinced me to take on a "project". I don't know if she has released it to the world yet so I don't want to steal her thunder.

I am trying to take advantage of nap time around here on my last couple of days before school starts back up. I can't believe that two weeks has already gone by since we started our winter break. Although Jackson has been trying at times I have really enjoyed these two weeks and getting to spend time with my little man. It has also been so great to sit back and relax with Jackson and take some time to enjoy myself.

Jackson continues to amaze me everyday with new words that he says and things that he does. Some of the new things that I need to write down before I forget is that he calls the computer the "puter". While Steve is away we have been able to talk with him on Skype...thank goodness for technology...and if I tell Jackson that we are going to talk to Daddy he will nod his head in agreement and tell me that we talk to him on the "puter".

He also continues to to multiply his bedtime pals. He grew very attached to a bear that we dubbed "prayer bear" that he was given for his baptism from some great friends, the Kapples, in Florida. He then added one more, a beanie baby that Honey bought him. He LOVES these guys so much that we now have 3 of the same bear and I found 2 more dogs on ebay to keep hidden so that I can wash the animals. Since moving to Okinawa he now has to go to bed with, bear, dog (he says it very country like hound dog), 2 more dogs that Honey sent for his birthday, a Curious George that he call Dorge, and an pillow that has an Elmo pillowcase on it that Grandma made for his birthday. It is so funny when he gets up in the morning and walks over to our room. He walks in with all his pals in arms and hands them to me one by one, he then will tell me he needs his "petto". Like Geppetto with out the G sound.

Sorry for the long story but I wanted to be able to remember. Those are two of the words that I can think of right now. A phrase that he loves to say is Aww man. I didn't realize that I said it so much but when on Skype my Mom pointed out when I dropped something off the table. It is really cute when Jackson says it though..

Something new that he and Kate have started is my fault but it is not so cute when it comes out of 2 year old mouth. When Jackson doesn't listen to me I count 1, 2, 3 and state whatever I want him to do...most of the time it is give it to Kate or come here. Well now Kate counts. I don't know that she has done it directly to Courtney but she does it to Jackson when she wants something that he has. Now Jackson has started to do it to me when he wants what I have. He will count 1, 2, 3, MINE!! AWESOME!

Sorry it is blurry but Courtney has all the great ones of the two of them!

I can't believe that today is the last day of 2009. We have been so blessed this past year and look forward to all of the blessings that God is going to give us in 2010. Check back this evening for a baby watch update. Keep checking back as I continue to update everyone on our Okinawan adventures!

SOOOOOOOOO....

I know you are wondering what happen to Kathleen and why hasn't she been posting about their time in Okinawa.

• Well this being my 100 post I am very excited about making it to this milestone. I haven't blogged in a bit, and it's due to several reasons.

• Due to the fact that I have been taking a little electronic hiatus.

• Also due to the fact that I have been busy chasing around my now two year old. I cannot believe that he is that old!

• It is also due to the fact that after spending an entire day with 20 second graders and then coming home to Jackson, I am so tired. Most days I just want to sit down away from the computer.

• Also I am sad to report that it is due to the fact that Steve had to leave and won't be home for Christmas.

• In due time, I will resume my writing, and I already have several things I want to share with you.

• Finally, the main reason I haven't been focusing on my blog is that I have been sweetly blessed and am so excited to tell you that I am, well...

DUE.

Please join us in praying for this little miracle that is growing inside of me and that we are so excited will join our family in June 2010!

Goals

I know we all set out out to accomplish certain things in our lives and blogging is one of the things on the my list. I have realized that no matter how much I want to blog to all of you about everything that we do it is so hard to sit down everyday to blog. I am not complaining because I love my live right now. I have my dream job of teaching 2nd grade, but if you aren't a teacher you don't realize how much time you spend at school around other peoples children. I have a healthy almost 2 year old and a husband that loves me and does so much more around this house than I could have ever asked for. I do want you faithful readers to know that I do think about you daily and wish that I could be better. I am going to go through my photos that I have uploaded to the computer and I will back date them so that they are still in the order that we lived them. So ENJOY!!!!

A Strong Hate

I have started developing a strong hatred towards the person who invented these.

O-H-I-O

Already brainwashed. Daddy is SO PROUD!!!!

Already brainwashed. Daddy is SO PROUD!!!!

I promise to have more posts this weekend. I know I am really far behind. I have a lot of photos and stories to share!! Check back in a couple of days. Thanks!!

First Visitor

About a month after we arrived here on the island Steve's friend Karen was able to come and visit us. We were very excited about our first house guest and Jackson was so excited about his "Fin". He refused to learn her name or call her by anything but "Fin". He would wake up in the morning and call for her not Mama or Dada. Jackson continued to ask for her for days after she left. He was too cute!

Outside of the aquarium. What a beautiful view!

Jackson loved the Star Fish. Mommy was not excited about him putting his hair in this yucky water.

The beautiful Sea Turtles.

While Karen was here we ate at some great restaurants, went to the aquarium, Steve and Karen hikes Higi Falls, and Karen and I went to get our nails done. Her is Jackson with his "Fin".

Enjoying the music at the dolphin show. It was so hot that day we were all sweating as we stood outside.

Karen enjoying her Cocok's pedicure. The pedicure even last through her hike up Mt. Fugi.

My new toes!

Karen and Steve at Transit Cafe!

In the Swimming Pool

We enjoyed some great family time together at the base pool. They have a splash pad at the pool and I think that Jackson wanted to spend more time there than actually in the pool. He loved playing with all the other kids and sticking his head through the water.

He is figuring out how to float and "swim" on his own. He is such a water baby.

He loved this. If she stopped than Jackson would ask for more and get upset if Steve wouldn't throw him up.

I love him!!!

Extra, Extra

These pictures were too cute to pass up. He loves to read the paper after Steve or I have read it.

Konnichi wa

Here is Jackson's little Japanese outfit that I got a while back but I have finally gotten some pictures of him.

Only in Japan

Only in Japan and Okinawa would you find a drink machine on every street corner. These machines sell everything that you could possibly want from water, flavored water, sodas, hot and cold coffee. It is great that you can find these everywhere because if we get thirsty while we are out I can just pull the car over and get a water. I don't have to stop at a gas station and get Jackson and go inside. People around here just pull there car over to the side of the road. And by the side of the rode I mean as close to the curb as you can put still in the driving lane. You really have to learn to be a good weaver when you are driving around here.

Since we find all of these machines everywhere you can also find these great straws at all kiddie stores. The screw right on the top of a water bottle. Which is great when I have forgotten to pack a cup. Jackson really likes the straws though.

Another thing that we have seen around here is that just like people pull over to the side of the road for a drink they do the same thing if they want to run into a store. Parking on the street in the driving lane is not uncommon but if you put your hazards on I guess that is okay. The other day we were waiting for a parking spot at one of the local grocery store and as I was waiting for a car to pull out of the parking spot, I had my blinker on, another car pulled on the other side of me and pulled right into my spot. I could not believe it. Of course I can't say anything because the person would not have been able to understand me. The culture over here is taking some getting use to.

CoCo

There are so many places around here that are called Coco's but this is a restaurant. One of Steve's favorite now that we have eaten there. It is a curry restaurant and the Okinawans version of fast food. I have only ever seen Americans eating there though. It is set up like a Waffle House where they yell out the orders and there is a counter for people to sit at. Coco's is famous for their different levels of spicy Curry. It goes all the way from 1 to 10. They will not even let you go above a level six with out eating a complete meal at a level five.

A lot of the places around here do not have waiter that come to your table to check on you often like in the States. If you need something you ring this bell and they will come running over to your table. This is Jackson's favorite part of the meal. We let him ring the bell. :)

The counter.

I love that all of the places that you go to eat bring you pitchers of water. It is so nice to not have an empty water glass.
My meal. Chicken Curry.

One of the greatest things that I have noticed is that when you walk into a restaurant or a small shop everyone in the store welcomes you. I told my Mom it is like when you walk into Moe's Mexican restaurant in the States. For those of you who have not been to Moe's when you walk in everyone yells "WELCOME TO MOE's". That is how I feel when you walk into anywhere around here. The Okinawans are so FRIENDLY!!!!

Typhoon Season

These we have been preparing for a possible typhoon. We think that we are just going to get the outer bands but we have our supply now. When we drove into the driveway this evening this is what we found.

This is the sign that the housing agency puts on the house to tell you what you need to do to prepare for the typhoon.

Jungle Fever

This is how we found Steve when he came home from work. Today he had some training in the jungle. Jackson sure didn't know what to think about him when he came around the corner. It took so much time for him to get all that make-up off his face.

Here is Jackson helping Daddy get the "yuck" off of his face.

Sleeper

When I went to bed tonight I found Jackson half way out of his bed like this. I ran and got my camera and then helped him back into his bed. I thought all was well until I heard a thud after I went to bed. When went into to Jackson's room and found him crawling to the other side of his room where his chair is. He crawled up unto the chair and was sound asleep. After awing over him and capturing it on camera I picked him up and carried him back to his bed. I love carrying that sleeping baby. However, he is getting bigger and bigger by the day.

A

This is what happens when you try to pacify a one year old with a pen that has bells on the end of it while you are on the phone. We were in the car and I handed him the pen to shake while I was on the phone. I was pulled over on the side of the road because it is illegal to drive and talk on the phone here. After I hung up the phone I didn't even think about it and he kept saying "A", "A", "A". I turned around and this is what I saw. He obviously had been writing A's on his legs. He now calls anything that can write on paper A's.