Shurijo Castle

                                 

After 5 and a half years we FINALLY made it to Shurijo Castle.  I was told before that it wasn't very stroller friendly and to go when it wasn't scorching hot out.  The stars aligned perfectly  and we finally made it.

 It was a busy day when we went, lots of visitors.  The castle opens at 9 am, we left at 9 am ( took us about 30 minutes to drive there).   Unfortunately it wasn't early enough, all the free parking lots were full, but we were able to pay for parking pretty close to the castle.

Seeing the castle was pretty cool.  You are able to walk around outside and check our the castle grounds for free.  There is a small fee to go inside the castle and tour the rooms.  When touring inside the castle you are not allowed to wear shoes.  The staff hands out plastic bags to carry your shoes around.  Inside the castle was like a museum, lots of artifacts and information.  The kids were not that into it.  They shuffled quickly from room to room, while Morgan and I tried to read up on the displays.  All in all it took about 1 to 2 hours to tour the castle and the grounds.  It was a nice morning trip with the Oki Fam and finally checking this site off our Oki Bucket List.

Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa

                 

This recipe is PERFECT for the summer! No cooking inside required! It's already hot enough in the summer,  I don't like to turn on the oven or make a big mess over making a meal.  This requires just firing up the grill and a lil knife work.  Not to mention how light and refreshing this is.... this won't leave you feeling sluggish or heavy.

Fire up the grill.  Prep the salsa first, it will need some time to chill in the fridge.

Mango Salsa//

1 Mango; peeled, seeded and chopped

1 Red Bell pepper chopped

1/2 large Red Onion

2 tablespoons Cilantro chopped

1 Jalapeno chopped 

2 tablespoons Lime juice

1 tablespoon Lemon juice

salt to taste

In a bowl, mix mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and lemon juice.  Lastly add salt to taste. Cover, and chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

Salmon//

2 salmon fillets {buy wild caught for flavor}

2 tablespoons Coconut oil

2 tablespoons Lemon juice 

Salt & Pepper to taste

 Drizzle coconut oil on fillets, front and back.  Add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle lemon juice.  When the grill is hot and ready cook the salmon.  Put them down skinless side first. The salmon will release itself from the grill when it's ready to flip. It will not be long,

It cooks pretty quickly.

Plate salmon first, then add salsa on top!  Super easy, flavorful, and a great summer dinner!

Summer Time Fun

Summer is well underway here in Okinawa!  We decided to make a list of fun stuff we wanted to do in the next 2 months.  Summer days can get long here and the intense heat can make them longer. Making this list with the kids keeps us from sitting on the couch all day and gets us doing fun activities. These are all really easy to do and don't cost a lot.  A lot of these remind me of my summers as a child.  Now I'm making the same memories with my kids!  Hoping to check these all off by the time school starts in late August!  

Schools out for the Summer!

I cannot believe the school year is over!  It really feels like I was JUST school shopping for the new year.  This year was the first year both of the kiddos were in school. Amelia in kindergarten and Nolan in preschool.  

::Amelia::

Amelia had an end of year performance celebrating what they learned in kindergarten and being ready for first grade.  It was super cute! Each class had a song and in the end all classes sang "first grade" to the tune of New York, New York.  Amelia also received an award for most bubbly,  of course my daughter has a bubbly personality!I have to admit,  I cried!  I'm seriously so emotional when it comes to the kids.  I just can't believe how much she has grown and learned in just the first year of kindergarten.  My girl is doing math and reading! In my day of school I don't remember doing that stuff in Kindergarten,  I remember colors and numbers!  Kids these days are so smart and learning so fast.  

::Nolan::

Nolan started preschool this year.  He was in the toddlers class {2-3 year olds} going in on MWF.  The end of year performance was for the whole school.  It was also the graduation for the adventures class {4-5 year olds} moving on to kindergarten.  Nolan's class is pretty young so they just did one dance and got awards.  I was really proud of Nolan!  He kept dancing and didn't cry.  A lot better from his Christmas performance! Lol He also got most improved award.  So awesome because I've seen so much improvement from him.  At the beginning of the year he was shy and quiet and now he is talkative and has lots of friends.  I was worried about putting him in preschool so young, but it's helped his speech and confidence so much that I know it was the right choice. 

They have grown so much! My babies aren't babies anymore!  Just looking at these pictures and writing this post makes me tear up.  

On a happy note, summer is here in full swing!!! We are slowly but surely working on our summer bucket list!  Much more fun to come!

Malasada Doughnuts

I have a MAJOR sweet tooth! I've said it before and I'll say it again,  I would totally eat sweets 3 times a day for my meals.  Buuuuut diabetes runs in my family and I have to set and example for my kids.  Hahaha

The first time I had malasada doughnuts was while I was on vacation in Hawaii at Leonard's .  They were amazing!! After my first one I went back almost everyday after.  Unfortunately I haven't been back to Hawaii since 2004!  

Fast forward to 2013 when we moved to our new neighborhood {Yomitan},  I was driving down the main road and I saw a yellow signed that said malasada Doughnuts....I had to to try them!  They were as deliscious as I remember and right down the street!  When I first discovered them I went weekly!! It was bad.  My all time fave is the beni imo flavor.  Nolan and I love it! Amelia prefers the cinnamon sugar ones and Morgan usually eats whatever is left.  They have the core menu but they usually have specials with different flavors and toppings.  I love trying all the new ones, its a must when I go. Lol Now I've toned it down and get them maybe once every two months.  Its really hard since I drive by almost everyday!  

Directions// 

Go N on the 58

Turn Left onto the 6
It will be on your Left hand side, has yellow banners flying when open and almost directly across the street is a Hotto Motto

Yen only

Tipsy Painting Girls Night In

My dear friend Melliza turned 28 and for her birthday she wanted to have a tipsy painting party. Im the only one who has been to a party like this , Lol so I took it upon myself to make this party happen.   There are people and companies that do party set ups for these kind of parties,  but with the short notice and cost I thought I could do it myself. 

This was my set up!  Got everyone a canvas, brush set, and an apron.  I had Melliza to choose a painting, she choose a sunset reminiscent of an Okinawan sunset.  Something we can all have as a keepsake.  Almost all the items were found at Daiso!  Daiso even carried paint,  but I wasn't too sure how the quality would be so I ended up ordering from Amazon.  I got a couple packs of the Basics paint in the primary colors.  It was more then enough.  

We definitely had a good time!  It was a nice change from just going out for dinner and drinks!  I've never seen any of my friends' artistic sides so it was fun.  Some of us were more artistically inclined then others.  All in all it was lots of fun and memories for a lifetime.  I'm so glad that I took on this party.  Melliza was so happy and I know she enjoyed her birthday.  It was super simple and didn't break the bank!  I may even use the idea when Amelia's birthday rolls around!

My finished product.  I'm definitely not going to quit my day job! Lol

The NEW mall is open!!!

FINALLY made it to the new Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom!

The mall boasts 5 glorious floors filled with shops and restaurants! It's the 2nd biggest mall in Japan, and of course the biggest mall in Okinawa.  It actually has the largest food court in the world and has 64 places to eat!  

It's so shiny and new!  I love it.  I was only able to go for a couple hours and I didn't even scratch the surface.   Some stores that I'm excited about are forever 21, Old Navy, Body Shop, and American Eagle.  It's so nice having American stores.  All these stores DO ship, but it's nice to go and see the clothes and try stuff on.  When ordering online it's always a guessing game.  Plus a mall is just so much fun.  In Japan their style malls are a one stop shop; there  is a cinema, stores,

restaurants, beer garden, arcade, and grocery store.  Literally everything you need in one place! 

The hasn't officially opened yet.   The soft opening was on the 22nd,  it has been open ever since.   The grand opening will be on the 25th, with a big ceremony and special prizes and sales for the shoppers that day.  I don't want to battle the crowds or lines, so I'll stay away from the mall this weekend.  I can't wait to go back!

Hale Noa Cafe

Went to the Hale Noa cafe for breakfast!  It's a Hawaiian inspired cafe, located in Chatan.  It's hours are from 8am to 4 pm

They accept card & yen

This lil cafe is so cute!  The decor is shabby chic beach cottage.  It's a small cafe only have about 7 tables.  They offer breakfast items and island favorites!! 

I wanted a classic breakfast of sweet and savory.  I got the #2 breakfast:: pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and your choice of coffe or tea, hot or cold.  It was delish and only 950¥!  I saw they had a poke platter,  I'm going to have to come back and try it!

Read Across America

In most schools across America, March is read across America month.  Celebrating reading and the almighty Dr. Seuss. Just because we live overseas doesn't mean we can't participate. haha We'll Amelia goes to a DODEA school so lots of stuff is just like being in the states. Unfortunately Amelia wont get to participate with most the activities since we'll be on vacay for half the month.  But, we're gunna make the most out of the time we are here.

M is already on leave so we decided to volunteer at Amelia's class to decorate their door for the Read Across America door contest.  So happy that he came with me because we were the only parents that volunteered.  Plus Amelia was so excited to see us in her class and her teacher was super grateful!  We were more then happy to help!

 M and I were able to tackle most of the door ourselves.  We picked Dr. Seuss' Oh, the places you'll go as our theme.  I LOVE this book.  Its' been a favorite of mine ever since I was a lil girl.  I was more then happy with this theme.  It was a fun task to do together for our lil sweet pea and her class.  Her teacher was so stoked, she just wants to personalize it with a lil something for the kids.  I can't wait to see the finished product!  Fun times

Got my badge!  The bathrooms are so small and cute!

Couples that volunteer together, stay together!

LOVE it, turned out soo good!

Sunday's Best

This year, I really wanted to grow spiritually.  I've struggled with my faith for awhile now and every year it weighs more on my heart.  So that's why I've made it a point to focus on my religion this year.  M and I have struggled  with it too.  I grew up catholic, he bounced around a few churches and religions.  We couldn't really find a happy medium.  Well, I wasn't really willing to budge.  {I know such a B} I was scared, Catholicism was all I knew, for a long time I thought he would convert.  Change is very hard on me, especially when I was younger.  We got married in a Catholic church and baptized both of our kids in the Catholic church, because that's all I knew....it was a safe bet.  But here was always a part of me that felt like it wasn't the right fit for our family.  I know how the church can be and how intimidating it can be , M was always such a good sport and very supportive.   I knew I wanted something different for our family, to be comfortable in a church and to have religion in our household. 

For the first time in a long time, I agreed to go to a church that wasn't catholic.  This was a BIG {huge, gigantic,ginormous}  Truth be told, I was always so scared.  The catholic church is so intimidating, I thought that's how most churches were going to be like.  So I asked a friend {who grew up catholic too} about where she goes and she told me of this church that was so friendly and welcoming. 

The first Sunday of 2015 we went to Calvary Church.  It was like a breath of fresh air.  It was so different.  When we left, I felt like I understood what the pastor was talking about.  I understood the passage in the bible in a whole new way.  I was able to understand the passage and I could relate to it in my everyday life.  After the service we went out to eat and M and I were talking about the church.  We talked about how much we liked it there,   I was so happy to have found a place that fits our family. 

We've gone every Sunday since, and every time I'm more convinced that this church is great for us.  I'm definitely not knocking the catholic church, it was really great for me growing up.   I've learned a lot from it and its word.  It got me through a lot in my life.  It was great for my mom, dad, brother , sister and myself before I was married.  But once you get married and have a family sometimes what worked for you growing up with your family, doesn't always work the family you've made.  As of right now, its still very new for us.  Its still the same bible and the same teachings, just in a different way.    I feel so terrible about waiting so long to find a church for our family.  I guess, its better late then never.  I'm just so happy for myself and my family.  2015 you are so awesome so far!!!

Our Sunday routine now consist of church a lunch out.  Last Sunday we went to one of our favorite sushi spots!! Yuuuum

Keep calm, it's my Birthday!

                  

    

                       

      

                                

I turned 31 over the weekend.  Where does the time go?!  This year I opened for a low key bday.  After Christmas and New Years I was a little burnt out.  

Saturday, on my birthday we went to my fave restaurant Thai in the sky!  It was a gorgeous day and the views there were amazing.  The food, as always, was delish.  I even ventured out of my comfort zone and ordered food that I usually don't.  It was a tad bit too spicy , but it was yummy.  I had to eat in small bites and drink water constantly. Hahaha after lunch we went to the Ashibina shopping center to look for my birthday gift.  M, mentions constantly that I'm a hard person to shop for, so he just let me pick out my own gift.  It was a total mad house there.  The parking lot was so full that we had to park at an adjacent lot and be shuttled to the shopping center.  The few days after New Years is equivalent to the day after Thanksgiving shopping.  There were sales all over the place and stores offer lucky bags.  You buy the bag and you can't look what's inside, it's a blind bag so to speak.  These are pretty fun and lots of the time the customers are pretty happy with what they got.  They sell them until they sell out.  Unfortunately the stores I went do did not have any.  We did go 3 days after new year, it's best to go on New Year's Day.  So I'll remember that next year. For my bday gift I found these Tory Burch flats that I've been trying to order online but they didn't have my size.  So I left a happy girl!  After shopping we headed to a goodbye dinner for a friend that is PCSing.  My friends got me a birthday cake!  It was a good day!

Side Gigs

Being a SAHM, its important to have your own thing.  I practically work at home all day every day, 24-7.  There needs to be some away time to recharge your batteries, get your mind away off the chores, the babies, the bills, the house.   Morgan is always encouraging me to get into something , go out with the girls, go to the gym, go shopping, go do something.  He totally understands!  He likes to go to the gym and play basketball.  He goes to the gym weekly and is in a basketball league.  So I did it, my friend and I signed up for cake decorating classes.  I always loved baking, but totally sucked at decorating.  To be fair, I haven't put much effort in trying to decorate.  I've always used fairly easy methods to decorate my cakes and cupcakes.

The class was a Wilton cake decorating class.  There are 4 courses and 4 sessions per course.  One, two and a half hour class a week. Course 1 is building butter cream skills.  First week we decorated cookies, second week we decorated our first cake, third week we learned how to pipe flowers and decorated cupcakes, the fourth week we decorated tall cakes all on our own from start to finish.  Our last sessions ended last night.  After all is said and done I'd have to say that its a lot harder then it looks.  I watch all those cake decorating shows on TV and they make it look super easy.  I was fooled.  Its no joke.  There are a lot of components that go into making a nicely decorated cake.   I'd have to say tho that I loved it, it was very informational, challenging, and fun.  Its a great beginner class and the tips I learned I'll probably use for the rest of my days.  I liked this class so much that I'm planning on taking all 4 courses.   I'm definitely not opening up my own bakery anytime soon, but you never know. lol