1st week of January 2011

The first week of the New Year started off with a bang. We got together with some great friends and actually stayed up until midnight this year. We could see the fireworks going off at Sunset beach from where we were in Kishaba housing. It wouldn't be New Year's without a New Year's kiss.

My sweet friend Correna went into labor with her 3rd baby on January 6th. This is her second baby while her husband has been deployed. I had the privilege of being with her during her labor and delivery and, man, was she a trooper! I have never been in the delivery room for a baby being born except with my own kids. It was a tender experience and I'm so glad to have been there to share it with her.

Rob was awarded Junior Officer of the Year for 3rd Dental Battalion. He is an amazing dentist and officer and I couldn't' be more proud of all the hard work he puts in. Here he is talking to the other dentists and enlisted (I think) at his clinic. Standing with him are the XO and Master Chief of 3rd Dental.

Speaking of Rob, he turned 33 on January 9th. Rob spent the day in true Rob fashion....serving others. He attended two branches for church meetings and then spoke at a fireside that evening. Here we are catching him for dinner and a song. In true quintessential Rob fashion, he's got his bow tie on.

There is a cave that supposedly houses hundreds of bats that we decided to explore. Thankfully (uh, I mean, unfortunately) there were no bats there the day we explored. We had fun on our little adventure trekking through some mud and water with our little flashlights. Rob went back the next weekend with the boys and our neighbors and they did indeed see some bats.



New Years Day we went to the Chula-U spa with our rockin' friends, the Neals (same folks we hiked Mt Fuji with). We had fun in the hot mineral water pools and skinny dipping in the single sex bathrooms (there are two pools in the women's bathroom that are purely for women skinny dipping---it's a cultural thing, folks!) There are also two pools in the guys bathroom. Afterwards, we did Doctor Fish as evidenced in this video.

The year is off to a great start. It's weird to think we are moving in just four short months back to the States. We sat down and scheduled out things for the rest of our time here. Whale shark diving, a Keramas trip, a whale watching trip, a bike ride around the circumference of Oki and a Battle of Okinawa sites tour are all things on our bucket list before we leave. I think we'll be able to do it! I know the time will fly by.