Family Dinners and Festival!!

Everyone don't forget about how important the little things are. Brad and I have been cooking almost every night. I think we have not cooked 2 nights the entire time we have lived in our apartment. Also we have had Jon and Lahrissa over for dinner most of those nights. Brad and I cook together which is fun bonding time, that we really appreciate since we did not have that time before living in the states, due to our jobs. Also we have bought a new cookbook which is wonderful and everything has been delicious. But that time around the table, goofing off, Lahrissa giving Brad a hard time, really is enjoyable. Remember to do the little things with your loved ones and friends because those memories mean more than whatever TV show is on tonight, you can watch those after dinner. Ha ha watching HOUSE. We are trying to get Brad to like it better. It is one of few prime time TV shows we get here since there is a monopoly on the TV by the Air Force. The Air Force runs everything here so remember, when you enlist or join the military the Air Force might be the easy one, but take it!! They get all the good stuff, it is a breeze to be in the Air Force. Even though you think "Oh I want to be a Marine they are the coolest!" go Air Force Life will be better...ha ha Tom!! I am just kidding!

Other information here, Brad might be going to some northern island for 2 months in April. I will be in our lonely apartment harassing Jon and Lahrissa with no one to talk to. I am writing my letter to the commander this week, so hopefully I will have that package turned in next week for him to look at for turning my tower into a pet tower.

And the good stuff: THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL!!!

This is a picture of Me, Brad, Jon and Lahrissa at the Cherry Blossom festival. There where cherry trees everywhere like the one in this picture. The story behind the cherry trees is this: Back during WW2, there was a comm/data center on this hill, well after the war the soldier that worked there would get bored, so he decided to plant all these cherry trees, now one side of an entire mountain is covered in these cherry trees, so every spring the Japanese celebrate the coming of the cherry trees. I thought it was interesting that an American had planted all these trees.

So at the festival you can explore all through the trails, the trees, and 450+ stairs. Picture of the bottom of the stairs.

the bell at the top of the stairs

We did the touring around the trees and park, and then went to all the festival carts that were set up at the bottom of the hill. There was wonderful food that I have never seen before, we all picked one thing and then shared the food, to try lots of different things. The chicken tepenyaki (sp) was the best, Brad picked it (I think he knew what it was). Here is a picture of the food that Jon and Lahrissa Picked and what i picked.

Whatever you think any of this might taste like, it doesn't. It is really good, but nothing you have ever tasted and that sauce was GOOD!!!!!! I can't even explain what they were. Kathy you might want to work on the don't ask don't tell policy for food, over here, with the no meat!!! Ha ha!

Next I had to have some cotton candy!!!! Man you guys know how I love cotton candy, well, they have bags here as big as a king size pillow case so I was in Little kid heaven!!!!

Anna Grace, Julia, and other little nieces and nephews, we will definitely have to plan some cotton candy action, when you come to visit!!!! Julia the bags were as big as you, and I thought that when I bought it. Because think how cool a cotton candy bag that is actually bigger than you are!!! TALK about AWESOME!!!!

Then the best part came!! The entertainment!!! there were Little 5 year olds dancing!!! it was so neat, please check out my video and the pictures!!

These kids were awesome! They were stomping and yelling and dancing!!! Check out my not so good video!! I will post the link later it is publishing to Youtube.com but it should be under dancing Okinawa festival- kids dancing posted by eaosmith44. Well here are a few more pics

Right: on the path at top of Mountain

Left: one of the views from the top of the mountain.

Oh my do outs: Do the little stuff, turn the TV off and have dinner together, play a boardgame, just enjoy the little things in life, and as always a random act of kindness (shout out to you Veijo and Heloise) this can be anything, a quarter in a meter, a random piece of candy for someone, or a note that says I love you on the bathroom wall...be creative and post your random act of kindness!!