Date Night {Military Life Style}

Everyone says it, every book, every article, every talk show, radio show, blog, etc. etc......

Everyone says you gotta have date night!

Sooooo easy to say, way harder to get done!  

Morgan and I have been married for 12 years, the first 6 years were childless. Easy peasy, every night out is date night! Lol  The last 6 years with child we have lived away from family and 5 of the six have been overseas. So date nights have been few and far between!

Just last week Morgan and I went on a date!  It was even last minute!  Something that never happens!  Most of our date nights are planned like a month in advance!  Come to think of it, I don't even remember when we had a date before that?! It's not that we don't have time it's that we can't really find a babysitter.  

For instance if we were in our hometown we would have an abundance of babysitters! Grandparents, uncles, aunts, and family friends.  But when you live far from your family that just isn't the case.  Sure we have friends that have offered,  but I feel kinda bad.  All our friends over here are in the same boat, away from family and husband is in the military.  Our husbands work a lot, some are deployed, some are TDY, and some are on duty.  So when they get home lots of the time spent is family time, I feel bad dropping off my kids on THEIR family time.    Sure they assure me it's not big deal,  but I just don't want to be a burden.  Amelia is no problem, but Nolan he is younger and needs more watching plus diaper changing! Sooooo he needs some supervision lol

Option 2, hire a babysitter.  Sure we can do that but first and foremost I'm scared to death leaving my kids with a stranger.  I wouldn't even know where to start with hiring a complete stranger. Well, we could hire a babysitter a friend recommends and uses.  Let's go with that scenario because it's more likely to happen.  The going rate on island is about $5 an hour per kid,  we have 2 so that is $10.  $10 an hour for date night can really get to be a pricey date night.  For example, Morgan and I get a sitter for dinner and a movie, movie starting at 8pm.  We have the sitter come  at 6pm.  We go to dinner before, let's says that's $60. Movie tickets, popcorn, and a drink, $30.  Get home 11pm, 5 hours of babysitting $50. So all together that's $140 for just dinner and a movie! If we want to go have some drinks and catch a cab home that could easily add another $100 { I also think I may be low balling the numbers a tad lol} We only have 1 paycheck for a family of 4 and $240 for one night on a regular basis is out of the question!  $140 would work maybe monthly....but then I just think of what a fun family date $140 could buy us.....or just putting that in our savings!  Hahaha it always comes down to that! 

Now a days we mostly do day dates!  That has been working for us.  We pick a day both kids are in school and Morgan takes a day of leave. He surely can't take a day off weekly or even monthly!  We try to fit it in when we can.  He's taken off our anniversary and a day here and there.   We go out to eat and do something,  it's nice and it gets the job done! Couples time during the day not a bad deal, no babysitter fee {not if you don't count the school tuition} , and way less crowded since it's daytime and most people are at work!

I know someone out there could totally refute me all day!  Give me a million ways to go on a date.  Give me a million reasons why we should go on dates.  The fact of the matter is, it's hard with young kids, being away from family, and being a military family.  So for now,  I'm happy with our day dates.  I'm happy with whatever night dates get get.  We will make it a regular thing when the kids are older and we live closer to family!  I can't wait for sleepovers at their grandparents house! Hahaha 

{on our date}

{some food pics from our date}

We tried Kami Sushi on our date.  We have heard a lot about it.  We weren't big fans of it.  We are so used to eating sashimi and nigiri that all the rolls here kinda seem "overdressed".  We have become sushi snobs! Actually Morgan was always like that,  he just pulled me over to the dark side! Haha

Yippee for New Freinds!!

Confession time, I am terrible at meeting new people.  I suffer from a condition called permanent b!tch face.  My condition is acute and almost always hits when I'm meeting new people.  I think because I get nervous and I don't know what to talk about.  All my life people have been telling me about my face.  Even when I'm happy the face can strike.  I've been told numerous times to smile.  But, I think when I smile it looks fake!  Anyways, Hecuase of this "condition" I have trouble with first impressions, but if you get past that hump I'm actually a pretty awesome person. Lol {Not to toot my own horn but *toot toot*} I'm thankful for the friends that make it past the first impression, because if they didn't I would be one lonely person.  

Back to the lecture at hand, new friends.   It's always been hard for me.  I grew up in the same neighborhood and I had most of the same friends from elementary on up.  It wasn't until Morgan and I got married and we started moving around the country , I had to make new friends.   Most of my friends I acquired through Morgan.  His co-workers wives or girlfriends.  But I wanted friends that I could call mine, not through any association.  So everywhere we moved I got a job and made friends.  Some till this day are lifelong friends, even considered family.  Other then Morgan and work I didn't make friends out of those circles because of my terrible first impressions.  Until now.  

Facebook and Instagram helped me find me new friends. Hahah We were in a foodies group on FB actually, and then we started following each other on IG.  We chatted and commented on each others pics for a few weeks then one of the gals brought up a suggestion to meet up.  I was a lil nervous cuz of my condition.  We have been chatting for a little bit and getting along, so it helped me to feel more comfortable wih them.  But really... who does this?  Haha I mean,meeting complete strangers and it's not a date. Well it felt like a blind date of sorts. We had stuff in common, and we were available so why not?  To be honest, I don't know if I would do this in the states.  Being in Okinawa and the military community I felt safe about it.   So, we set the date, a dimsum lunch and coffee before. 

I couldn't belive how well we got along. The whole time we were laughing and talking.  It was a good time.  It did kinda feel like a date since we were all getting to know each other, but it was fun.  I'm so glad I did it.  I think in the past I wouldn't have gone through with the meet up.  I'm happy I met two new friends and we can share our adventures in Oki.  Now we can't stop planning our future "dates".   You just never know where your going to meet new friends :)

                               

       

                                  

:: we actually didn't get dimsum.  We went to Laguna Hotel, but they don't offer dimsum on thr weekdays.  This day they had an Italian buffet, still yummy.  I'm still craving dimsum tho lol ::

Sunday Fun Day

For our Sunday Fun Day this weekend, we took a trip down to the southern part of Okinawa with the B fam and went to Thai in the Sky.  It’s a Thai restaurant.  I’m not really one for Thai food, but 1) I’m pregnant and hungry 2) I heard this place was to die for.  I don’t eat spicy foods either, regardless of Thai food being known for their spiciness. I stay away with no chili and I’m just fine.  I this place was a bit of a trek, it was well worth the trip and we will be coming back again. 

We got there, the place was packed.  We were told a 30 min wait.  Since we drove like 45 min to an hour to get there, we waited.  The wait wasn’t even as long as expected, it was really about 15 min.  The restaurant takes reservations, which most people had that came in, maybe next time we’ll do that before we leave so we can be seated right away.  The place was very English friendly, ( a lot of the places in OKI have a separate menu for English and usually it doesn’t have all the items they offer) everything was translated with pictures.

 As soon as we ordered, our food came out immediately.  I don’t know how they did it???  The B family ordered about 5 things and we ordered about 5 things, literally within minutes food started coming out.  I was expecting to wait and I was already starving.  So I was definitely happy with our quick service.  The food was so delish.  I couldn’t help but pick at everything, except for the curry the guys got I was afraid it might have been spicy for me.  Everything else was fair game.  The plates of our dishes took up almost our whole table.  We ate till our hearts content and then some.  After our feast Mills and I even shared some dessert. Nowadays I get dessert everywhere, I have quite the sweet-tooth.

After we came up for air and rested for a lil bit, we paid for our food and enjoyed the scenery.  The restaurant looked right over the water.  There were benches, chairs, and swings placed all over the back for everyone to admire the view.  It was really pretty.  The Dads took the girls exploring while me and the other prego (Len) hung around.  We weren’t up for all the exploring.  We could hear the girls laughing and having a good time. They were all probably walking off all the food they just consumed.  We took some pics of the girls playing and pics of the view.  That day was totally a fun day, especially for our tummies’!

On a side note>>>

{I have a doc app this Thursday, going to check up on how the baby is doing.}

{Played the baby Bob Marley, he kicked a lot!  Don't know if that means he likes Bob or not.} 

{Found an aweseome farmer's market this weekend.  Wish I knew about it sooner.}

{It's Fat Tuesday, don't know what to give up for lent??}

Well Hello There Friday..... We Meet Again!

Friday is definitely a good day, it’s the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend, what’s not to love?  Friday was always a love of mine and became even better when a girlfriend and I decided to spend Friday nights together with our girls (we both have girls that are only 2 months apart). 

It all started with my husband’s love for basketball.  As long as I’ve known him he’s played ball recreationally.  Since moving to Okinawa he got more serious about his passion and joined a league.  His team practices 2 times a week and when the league starts he has games every Saturday.  Well when we first got here, let’s just say that Friday nights weren’t the best.  Generally after work he would come home for about an hour and head off to practice for 2-3 hours.  I would be stuck at home because I didn’t really have any friends.  I think Morgan began to notice the toll it was taking on me,  I was lonely and in need of adult conversation.  So he got together with his teammate who has a wife around my age and a daughter around Mills’ (Mills is Amelia’s nickname) age, they got us together and the rest is history.

One of the first times we had the Basco's over for our Friday night get togethers

Every Friday ever since November 2010 we have spent together.  We trade off houses every other week and host.  The hostess would prepare dinner and the guest would generally bring adult beverages.  (Hostess and Guest sound so fancy).  It’s always a good time!  We sip on our dranks and chit-chat, the girls get to play, our husbands get to practice and everyone is happy.  Since we are pregnant (Yes, her and I are both pregnant her more recently) we have cut out the adult beverages and added in desserts! It’s a time that I look forward to every week.  It is so comforting to be able to talk to someone who is riding the same rollercoaster.  She is a Navy wife, has a toddler daughter, and moved to Okinawa around the same time.  Through the dinners we have become great friends, well more like family.  We’ve vacationed together, spent holidays together, celebrated birthday; being in the military your good friends become your family.  The military really is a tight knit community, even more so being overseas.  I’ve never really been too involved, she is actually my first military wife friend.  I just realized that.  Wow, after all these years Morgan has been in the Navy.  Anyways, all in all, it’s a good time!  Good food, good drinks, and good times. 

A pic of the girls now :)

On a side note>>>

{I’m 23 weeks prego and feeling big! I really need to start getting stuff ready for baby.  Morgan and I still trying to narrow down boy names.}

{I made a Filipino dish my mom makes, and it was pretty good!  I was pretty proud of myself.  Made me really miss my mommy.}

{Wondering if I should take maternity photos???? I never took any with Amelia and this might be my last pregnancy.  I need to figure that out, soon!}