Okinawa Lily - July 30th, 2013

I know...I don't even have to say it. I've been gone a while....a LONG while.
To be fair, I really have not been taking many pictures.
No, really, I have been taking crappy cellphone pictures and have completely spaced out on taking real photos with my very REAL camera.

In any case lots has gone on! Lily completed her first year of preschool, YAY! She improved in every area and is looking forward to the 3 year old room next year at the same school. I couldn't be more proud of her. She is in gymnastics once a week and TODAY started swim lessons at the local athletic club. Lessons are in Japanese and English, I don't even get in the pool with her. I'm a bit nervous, but she did great today.

First day of gymnastics.

First day of Swim

 

 

Last day of school with her teachers

So, Lily Grace turned 3 on the 24th of the month and actually started celebrating when we went back to the states to visit. Not only did she get spoiled rotten by our family, but she got to go to Disney World for 4 days! She is STILL talking about meeting Cinderella and Mickey.
For her actual birthday Jeff and I took her out to eat, then for ice cream, then home to open a few gifts from us. On the following Saturday she had a Cinderella themed beach party with all of her little friends. She had a BLAST and got a pretty good tan in the process.

Here are some photos of the last month.

Our Pretty Princess on the day of her party.

Flying the kite she got for her birthday.




Lily Grace - Age 3

Likes: Painting, gymnastics, the beach and dress up.

Favorite Food: Macaroni and Cheese

Favorite Movies: Cindrella and Monster's Inc

Wants to be a Super Hero when she grows up.

She's funny, sassy, sweet, a little bit rude sometimes, full of energy, love and joy. She's our pride and joy, the apple of our eye, and a true blessing.
She shines like the brightest star and we love her so much.

Okinawa Lily - April 12, 2013

Lily Grace had her spring concert at school last month...it was JUST as cute as the Christmas program and she was just as excited.

 

 

 

 

In other news, Lily is testing her boundaries and learning more and more everyday. I love seeing her independence growing. Some days, it's trying, other days, I am amazed at all that she can do on her own and how her mind works.

Okinawa Lily - March 19, 2013

 Easter's on It's way....



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okinawa Lily - Feb. 24 2013

Okinawa has a lot of "hidden gems." If you don't know Japanese at all, the whole island seems like a "hidden gem," but seriously there are a lot of cool things to do if you know where to look. We found this place on a website called OkinawaHai. It's an online resource for English speakers (mostly military) on the island, the website has list of restaurants, schools, tourist attractions and tons of information about the island, complete with reviews, it has been Jeff and I's main resource since we have been here.

 The place we found ourselves visiting was classified as an "egg farm," I have it in quotations because we really did not see many chickens at all and it was not so much a farm as it was a botanical garden and petting zoo full of island animals. They did have a shop and restaurant that sold ice cream, sweets, and free range chicken and eggs. We are still not sure where all the eggs came from....

Daily Lily - Feb. 18, 2013

Presidents' Day at Okuma Resort 

Okinawa Lily - Jan. 26, 2013

Life has fallen into a boring routine and I kind of like it. After the bustle of the Christmas holiday, things really settled down around here and we just began kind of living. "Winter" in Okinawa seems to be a series of rainy days in the low 50s and sunny days in the mid 60s. More rainy days than sunny I'm afraid.

The biggest event is that Lily Grace is now potty trained. It kind of happened over night even though she has been going to the bathroom at school since she started. The teachers assumed she was at least partially trained because when the other little girls would go for a potty break, she would too. I was reluctant to send her in underwear instead of the trainers, but, she was ready. We had a whole week to practice here at home and she was just THRILLED.  So we traded the training pants for real underpants at school (she LOVES the cartoon character ones and seems to have less accidents in those oddly enough) and she has been doing fabulous. A few accidents or bad days here or there, but for the most part, trained.
It's so surreal how fast I went from doing diaper laundry to washing itty bitty underpants. The time is just FLYING by....

Okinawa Lily - Jan. 02, 2013

 Folks ask me all the time, "do you think you guys will stay in Okinawa after your 4 years are up?" Days like this where I am sitting on the beach in January, watching Lily play and explore, so happily, enjoying the breeze and the view, I think, I could stay here forever. Of course, that is completely selfish and narrow sighted, but really, this place is amazing and I am enjoying it for what it is.

Happy New Year! 

Wow, 2012 was a heck of a year. It was so crazy, I don't even have the energy to write about. So....enjoy some pictures of Lily Grace at the beach today!

She use to hate her toes in the sand. She loves it now.

So, she got too hot and stripped out of her clothes. Thankfully, we were the only ones on the beach this afternoon.

Picking through the coral.

I love that she seems so FREE here...