Christmas Season

How was the above photo even a year ago?  How is the photo below now?  I guess this is a part of parenthood, wondering where the time went and acknowledging that it all goes by so fast.  I was just looking at my daughter the other day and thinking to myself, she really isn't a baby anymore, she is a little girl.  Her legs are so long now, she "reads" us books and has her "favorites" and her own little personality.  

This Christmas Season went by quickly for us.  It is so different on an island.  I didn't realize how much I needed the cold weather to feel festive.  We found the Christmas spirit in different ways this year.  Thanksgiving we spent with our neighbors and a few of their friends, we had Thanksgiving outside and it was sort of cold, we had to wear a light jacket. I've baked, way too much, way more than I ever have.  We visited Santa and following that visit we went to the park.  My students had a Holiday themed show.  We went to see Handel's Messiah at our church and listened to some beautiful music.  Today (Christmas Eve) our church went to a nursing home and sang carols and handed out gifts, this is one of my favorite things we have done as a family for Christmas ever, it was really amazing.  I'm particularly excited that Ely is a little bit older this year and sort of has an idea of what is going on with the presents.  She has tried to unwrap some and that has been a fun adventure keeping her away from them.  We miss our friends and family and wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  I posted a link that shares the message of Christ's birth, I wish you a Christmas filled with joy of the knowledge that we were given the best gift of all, a Savior who is our advocate, who knows us and loves us.

https://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HP_SU_11-29-2015_dMIS_fSPC_xLIDyL1-A_

Mr. & Mrs. Clause at the Kadena USO

I know this park has a more official name, I'm not sure what it is so we call it Trampoline Park.

After Handel's Messiah Concert

Christmas pictures with a timer is a different story with a toddler.  After getting wet and several failed attempts we finally had a decent one.  

 I may have gotten them a little wet.  

Holiday Showcase In Japan

Today was my first showcase with Footloose Dance Studio.  I'm on such a high right now post show that I wanted to try and write as much as I can before I forget what that was like.  I love Japan, I love that we chose to move out here, I love my new job, so let me say that as a disclaimer.  When I quit my job with Acapriccio, I had a really hard time.  I'm pretty sure that I went through/still am going through some sort of mourning process. It felt like someone had died or I had gone through a horrific breakup.  I cried, a lot.  It was one of those things that I knew I had to let go of, like Elsa says and every other 5 year old that I teach "Let it Go!"  

I often contemplated whether or not we made the right decision to move out here due to how much I missed working there.  When I got my new job, I knew that comparing the two studios wouldn't make me happier and I had to remind myself that it was an evolutionary process for me to fall as in love with my old studio and that it didn't happen over night, so it would have to be the same for this new job.  I was grateful to be able to continue teaching, and to have employment at all out here as so many spouses struggle to find work.  

Tonight finally brought  some healing.  I looked over and saw my 3 & 4 year olds about to take the stage, and had this overwhelming feeling come over me as I saw their little faces.  I'm still doing this.  I'm still teaching.  It is still amazing.  Usually there is always one tiny dancer that cries on stage, on that knows the whole dance, and one that just stands there and watches everyone else.  With this little group tonight, my dancer who I thought for sure was going to be the one who knew the whole dance and nail it got out on stage and had this uncomfortable look on her face and her eyes started to well up with tears.  My first thought " Oh no!  Not you, your the one who knows it so well, your the one all the other dancers watch".   She made eye contact with me, and started to do her dance, her uneasiness started to fade and she began looking more comfortable, she didn't cry and she did her whole dance.  She overcame this little bit of stage fright.  Not only did we have this little success, but all of these little dancers did their dance.  They all tried their hardest, and smiled, and they did so good.  My "crier" didn't cry, I have another little dancer who ALWAYS cries in class when things get overwhelming for her, but tonight she didn't cry and I didn't have anyone just stand there and watch!  Small triumphs in the world of 3&4 year old ballet.  After this little routine, my heart was so full.

It's moments like this that are mending my heart, and making me fall in love with teaching even more.  I'm so grateful to have a career and something I love to do. I'm glad that I chose to get a degree in dance and I'm grateful for a spouse that supported me in doing so.  I know that in pursuing this form of education is what has helped me find work.  I love my job and I can't wait for what the future holds at Footloose!  

Man's Best Friend

Today is the 4 year anniversary of us bringing Rocco home from the Humane Society.  How appropriate that when I came home from the grocery store today with Ely, he had figured out how to get out of his kennel (through a corner, the door was still latched!)  He had eaten a bag of chips, cleaned a bowl out I had on the table from lunch, eaten a whole jar of Ely's teething crackers, gotten a bag off of the table that had nacho cheese in it and drug it all over the house.  Happy Anniversary to me!

(Not today, a few years ago when he ate Christmas.)

    Sean is TDY right now and not on the island at the moment so I get to deal with the mess.  I told Sean tonight I was done with dogs.  I was lying, we all know I was lying.  I love animals, I love my Rocco. I want my children to be around animals and grow up with them in their life.  We knew what we were getting into four years ago when we adopted Rocco.  We are his 3rd family, he had been taken to the Humane Society twice before.  I think this is why I am so fervent to continue to keep him a part of our family. I remember when I got him that day, that I told myself " You are not getting this dog to make your life full, you are getting this dog to make his life full."  It's like the universe is testing me to see if I will stay true to my word and to myself.  Bringing him across the ocean was one of the most stressful things I have ever had to deal with.... but, I am glad I did it.

In all reality, our dog has brought us so much joy.  My daughter loves animals, something that makes me so pleased, and I attribute that to Rocco and our cat Converse.  Even though he is a handful, he also makes me feel so good about myself.  He was my best friend while Sean was deployed. He is SO excited every time we come home.

When either of us comes home from work he has to be the first one to greet us and his whole body wiggles with excitement.  I yell at him on days like today, and instead of holding a grudge he immediately wants to know that I still love him and forgive him.  What an amazing little friend to have.  I'm grateful for my husband who took me to the Humane Society that day, and brought Rocco to my attention.   It was a special day.  When Rocco became a part of our lives my goal was to make his life full, but he has also been a great asset to mine and has helped make my life full. I'm grateful we were able to make things work to get him here, and hope that we continue to be able to have him in our lives for a long time. 

The day we brought Ely home

The day we brought Rocco home.  

Halloween

For Halloween we were the Little Mermaid crew.  I figured, we should take advantage of the fact that the weather would be hot here and that when we are finished living on Okinawa we might go some place where we would have to go trick or treating in big, bulky coats.  I remember one year freezing as a child because I was not going to cover my Jasmine costume up with a coat.  What could be more warm weather friendly than the Little Mermaid? We went to a Halloween party off base and had a Okinawan local as to take a picture with us.  It was a fun year, I love having a little girl to dress up and can't wait to see what she wants to pick when she is old enough.  

And here is my silly daughter, who is always putting things in her mouth.

1 Tiny Year

About 2 weeks ago a young man that attends the Sunday School class Sean and I teach gave his farewell talk in church before his departure for his LDS mission.   About 30 seconds into his talk I started to cry.  Now, I don't really know this boy as we have only been Sunday school for a few weeks, and while the opening statements of his talk were good my weeping was related to something else.  I was crying for his mom.  Since I've graduated high school I've always associated missionaries as my peers, they have always been up until this point in my life fairly close to me in age.  That Sunday with this particular young man, I didn't see one of my peers, I saw a boy (yes, I am getting old), I saw someone who was leaving his family for the first time, I saw someone's baby (p.s his mom looked so proud.) The days leading up to my little lady's birthday have been quite like this one, random tears, thoughtful conversation with my husband  about her future, pangs of anxiety one minute because my baby is no longer a baby,  and yet an overwhelming feeling of joy that she is growing so beautifully.    To my future mommies out there, everyone will tell you it goes by so fast, they are right.    Being a mother has changed me in so many different ways.   I'm not one of those people that think being a wife and mother is the only thing women were put here to do, but hands down, being a mother has been the most fulfilling thing I have ever done. I have had a number of joyous occasions in my life,  my daughter has brought me the most pure form of joy I have ever experienced.   I can't imagine my life without her.  Because I knew that having her turn one was going to be hard on me, I made a rather ambitious goal to take pictures of her everyday throughout Okinawa the week leading up to her birthday.  I only made it out on the island 2 days, but I managed to get some favorites of my "baby" before she became a toddler.  I can't believe she is a toddler now.  Ely walking and saying "da" for yeah is one of my most favorite milestones of hers ever.  She loves the kitty and her doggie, and is obsessed with purses and baby dollies. I love her so much and everyday I thank my Heavenly Father that he trusted me enough to give me this awesome little spirit to watch over. Happy birthday little girl, you are so loved!

We took several pictures, it was a big week.

The American Village in Okinawa, Japan

Cape Zanpa

Ely & her friend Mr. S

Birthday Morning with Balloons

For Lunch we went to the sea wall

 A kitty cat cake for the girl that loves kitties

We tried really hard to make sure her first cake was her first sweet..... the result was she didn't really know what to do with it, she only took a few bites. 

 

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