Licensed to Drive and Okinawa Zoo

Today I took the test so that I could have my overseas license and passed on the first try!  Amazing what a little studying will do for you since I failed NC and AK each at least once.  The best part - Jon has a 4 day already so we decided we would be going out no matter what the weather did.  Armed with a map of the island, my iPhone with Google maps downloaded and a brochure of where we were going we headed out of Camp Foster to the Okinawa Zoo.  Something interesting about the island life - there are NO street signs except for the major roads.  That means expect for about 5 roads nothing else is labeled (not that I could read it anyway but still).  Praise God for google maps - we put in the name of where we wanted to go and while everything on our screen was Japanese the lady still spoke English to us.  She however did not tell us the name of the street we would turn on just 50 meters left turn but I will take that!  We made it on the first try and no major issues.

Once in the zoo we walked around, enjoyed the wildlife and had a good old humid time.  It seemed warm to us so we were in short sleeves but we were a little under dressed compared to the locals who were in long sleeves, pants and hats.  I realized a zoo in a different country is just my style - no worry about reading the signs because I couldn't read them if I wanted.  Luckily some signs translate as you will see in one of the pictures.  Molly's favorite part were the cars.  For 100 yen you got to drive a car in the circle and they had a Hello Kitty car.  Riley was by far the funniest driver ever.  Her second turn I let Jon be her partner so I could get a video. 

Lunch was also fun - I was glad for a point menu since I can't read Japanese.  It was all going great until breaking into something for Kelly (after eating one a loving it) and noticing the purple swishy leg staring back at me.  I had to pop it in my mouth whole and not think about things or I wouldn't be able to eat it.  We got 4 different things with only one being American (the corn dog) and everyone seemed to enjoy the selection.  I would never be able to order it again without my pictures:)

Successful first adventure and tomorrow we go with friends to see some other sites - should be fun.

 

Okinawa Zoo - little rainy but nothing too bad

Hipps - they loved being sprayed!

Can't read the words but I get the point - stay back from the lion cage!!!

Lunch at the Okinawa zoo - not your typical lunch in America.

All good until I saw the purple leg!

Hello Kitty and her biggest fan driving the track

Riley the crazy driver

Kelly in her taxi cab

Bites her tongue like the members of the Head family. 
Some Head genes are pretty strong like blue eyes and biting the tongue!

Flying Fox Molly

Flying Fox Riley

First real Japanese Food

Today we tried to get my Japanese license but were a little late and the Marines don't joke around about time.  The door was shut for testing in process and so we will go back tomorrow.  While on Camp Foster we went to the hospital to see where we would be seen for the next few years and for Jon to get everything squared away so I can get Kelly's 1 year appointment in the next few weeks.  The hospital is nice - for those keeping track in our 3 duty stations that would be 3 different military services we have used as our hospital.  AK was Air Force, NC was Army and OKI is Marines.  I haven't done much with Marines but will find out after this one how awesome they are I am sure:)  Since it was almost lunch time Jon said he would take us to a restaurant he got to go to the other day and he liked.  Our first official outing in Okinawa as a family.  It was AWESOME!  We had noodles and sat on lowered bench seats which we had to explain over and over were not for sliding around on.  Glad we had lunch before the rush hour because we are probably the messiest family they served.

First time to eat off post

excited about chopsticks

Awesome food!

Rice, chicken and noodles - the way to this girls heart!

Trying to keep Riley in her seat but small tables were quiet exciting.

"take my picture with Kelly"  says Molly. 
Don't they look like they are having fun?

We now have a van and home (kinda of)

Jon was offered 2 houses yesterday.  He arranged a ride with a friend and took Riley with him to check out one of the houses.  It has a huge living room, kitchen and dining room.  The bedroom are upstairs so we will probably be getting a baby gate but everything else is awesome and there is a huge playground out the back.  Now we have to accept it and start the moving in process

Jon took and passed his driving test yesterday and we found a car on bookoo.com (a craigslist for Okinawa!)  We didn't want to have to spend a ton on the car because it is only for 3 years and the max speed on the island is . . . 50 kpm.  That is kilometers per hour which is 32 mph, me and my lead foot are going to have fun with that!  Tomorrow I get to take my test and hoping I pass so I can drive too - AK and NC gave me issues but I have actually been studying for this one so I should be ok. 

Today the girls and I walked across the street in the rain for story hour at the library.  It was awesome and the girls loved it.  They read books on rain and clouds and we made a flower craft which made Molly super happy.

To celebrate all that has been going on in the past few days we are going to Chili's for dinner!

 

The "new" swagger wagon - 1997 Honda Odyssey $1,200
After road tax, insurance and JCI (Japense something) $1,800

Testing out the steering wheel on the other side

Creating our flowers

Story hour is popular here!  Made some friends today.

The outside of our potential new home

The kitchen

$4 worth of blueberries - sticker shock!

50 hours of traveling - not so bad thanks to AMAZING FRIENDS!

We are so grateful for so many amazing friends who helped make our travels not so bad!!  Starting out on our 50 hours of travel my carry on was loaded down with brown paper bags, ziplock bags and books given to us by many travel experts.  Every few hours the girls got a new adventure toy or activity and it seriously made the hours on the plane fly by:)  The best surprise was a 16 hour layover in Seattle where we intended to do a late lunch with friends and sleep in the car until we needed to check in but they frowned upon our silliness and told us to crash with them.  And well mid conversation I literally crashed - Thanks Beth and Justin even though I didn't get to say good bye we could not have made the second half without our break at your house!!!  Here are some pictures from the past two days in no particular order.

 

 

A bounce house at the 2 story px across the street from the hotel. 
Thank you God for something familiar that made the girls so happy after 2 crazy days!

Nothing broke in our luggage and everything was great until I dropped it in the hotel

In case you wanted to see what a changing table in an airplane looks like.
So glad they kept the messy stuff for roaming around and not on the plane!!

Getting ready to leave America - Hello Kitty riding in style

Kelly loved her light up toy

A few last minutes with Granny and Nene

Seriously he can sleep anywhere

Doing an awesome job watching Kelly.
When I woke up and didn't see her I was panicked until I saw the flight attendant walking the aisles with her.  Good job dad!

Paper, tape, crayons and some take off fun

First picture in Okinawa

Thank you Jesus for friends!! The Pritchards fed us, talked to us and let us sleep all over their house!

Seattle airport play place - Thanks again Pritchards for the heads up

Waiting for the last flight - which was actually 3 flights. 
18 hours and 2 stops later. 

Perfect size for traveling - head to toe they fit perfectly on both seats

Just starting and so happy.  Playing sticker madness.

I pad during the plane ride.  Thank God for technology

Kelly's water table or our hotel bathroom.  Don't worry we keep the doors shut now!!

Making bracelets

Take of and landing were always a little hairy because you couldn't use technology but we had plenty of supplies to keep them happy.
Many thanks to our friends who created busy bags and books for the girls.  Seriously we used everything we were given and I can't imagine those 2 days of traveling without them!

Some things included (for those prepping to travel with small kids).  Most were wrapped in brown paper bags so they go to open the gift and play with it.  Also the bags were great for holding trash.
* crazy creatures you hit and they had a light in them that went off
*paper, crayons and tape in a bag so they ripped and taped
*post it notes to write and stick everywhere
*stickers and paper to put on things
*Disposable placemats - great to cover the tray tables and for easy clean up.  We put stickers on the hang over part during take off one time
*scratch art
*coloring/ activity books
*hand made awesome book by Erika Sieg
*bracelet making pack found at Target (my one contribution)
*1 doll and brush
*bandages to put wherever
*SNACKS galor!!!!

The cost of a PCS

What does an overseas PCS (permanent change of station) cost?  

It costs giving up all the liquids in your house - things like oils, household cleaners, bath soap, nail polish and any other opened bottle.  It also costs all your candles or things that can melt, batteries and random things that add up.  It costs getting cleaning out your house and not taking 1/3 of your household goods and explaining to your kids they can only take so much.  It costs uprooting your kids from their preschool, friends and sense or normal.  It costs giving up driving up to your parents for the weekend or calling them for help when emergencies come up.  It costs leaving the people you have lived life with and become good friends with.

BUT - what do we get in return?

We get the adventure of a lifetime! We get to show our children other cultures and open their eyes to things they would never experience in America.  We get to get outside of our comfort zone and see God move in our lives.  We get the chance to make friends we would never have met.  And most of all Jon gets to be called my dream achiever!!  Earlier in our married life I tried to convince Jon we should camp around America before getting jobs but he mentioned we might need money for that.  So we went the more responsible way of getting jobs but I did call him my dream killer in jokes for a few years.  I wasn't sure how I felt when he wanted to join the Army since I few up and Air Force brat but alas the Army has been sending us to places beyond my wildest dreams thanks to Jon for listening to the Lord and doing what he was told.  While I am sad to leave America and the normalcy I know here and my friends and family here I can not wait to see all that God has in store these next few years!!!!!

Molly is going to miss her summers with Nene.
For the past 3 years Molly got to go to the mountain for a week

Riley loves her Nene
She got to spend a lot of time with her when Jon got her hurt last summer
and  they came and took the girls for a week so I could focus on helping him get better.

Kelly really loves Nene's thumb - she spent an entire trip screaming if she didn't get  her touch

Jon's birthday dinner with both sets of parents.
I love that we could all get together for Easter and one last dinner!!
The girls were in heaven being spoiled

Spending the weekend at the mountain

Easter with Granny and BertBurt.
They came for birth of Kelly and Riley and watched and helped me recover!

Last day in America.
Molly wanted to play in her shadow (shade) because it was too hot.
Boy is she in for a surprise in a few days.

Daddy making some fun memories before having to go back to work in a few days.