playing in the backyard

I love this picture!!

its fun out here!

sleeping-yes this is really her sleeping!

whatcha want?!

The outdoor pictures are in our backyard. Lola doesn't really know what to do out there yet. She would either just sit or stand there, but we also don't have any toys out there for her yet!
Things are still going well here, not much longer until we go to wilmy!

playing in the backyard

"Experience is what you get, when you don't get what you want"
"Brick walls are there to prove how bad you want it"
Be a Tigger not an Eeyore!
Work and Play well with others!
these are just a few quotes I heard today and enjoyed. For some reason the website is not allowing me to upload more photos so I will post more later. I have some very cute ones!

reading already!!-jk!

reading the classifieds-looking for a job maybe?!

of course she has to have a wade jersey!!

eating my breakfast and reading the paper-talk to the hand!

happy even with a big bump on her chin

what?!am I not supposed to be doing this?

Lola has had a rough week. Shes getting another tooth, yesterday she fell and hit a chair and busted her mouth open, and then today she picked up the camera and dropped it on her toe, which is now bruised! Yesterday when she busted her mouth open I think it hurt me more than her! Everyone told me that when she started walking she would get banged up, but I didn't think it would be this bad. She was doing so well for awhile not getting herself banged up, but this week has been rough! I think she might be getting too confident in herself!
Its actually starting to feel a little like fall here!!! Yesterday it was really cool outside-I actually wore jeans and a light sweater! Today wasn't as cool, but was in no way hot like it has been. I watch the weather for Iraq daily-sorry Chris doesn't seem to be cooling down that much over there!
We will pretty much be busy until we leave for the states. We have meetings, birthdays and of course the Marine Corps Birthday Ball coming up!! Not much else to update! See everyone soon!

the day chris left& more recent ones

so silly!

da-da is silly!

mommy and Lola driving (not really we were parked!)

I think this might be my favorite picture of them!

and she's movin'!!

takin' a little break! this baby stuff is hard work!

she loves spaghetti!

even though shes moving like crazy she still has her adorable chubby arms and legs!always eating & posing!

hugs for Abby-Lola has started giving great huggies!!

serious

now silly!

she is beginning to walk more and more on her own!

Chubby Cheeks!! I love them!

Lola and I are staying very very busy here in Japan! I have been very blessed with great friends and a great support system here! I am not taking classes this semester, for various reasons, but will definitely be starting back at the beginning of the new year. We will both be home for Thanksgiving, Lola's 1st Birthday(stand by for invitations!)Christmas and the Schwind wedding! (love you Kevin and Andria) I can't wait to see everyone and share all these special moments with great friends and family, although I will be missing all my friends in Japan!
It has been one whole year since I started teaching Megumi and Noriko English-I can't believe how fast its gone by!
Its slowly starting to get cooler here-but not fast enough! I am so ready for sweatshirt weather! other than that I am enjoying every moment with Lola and missing Chris!

little bit of oki

i want out!

this way is soo much easier than using that spoon!

despite the mess on her face, shes actually getting pretty good at feeding herself-of course I have to give her the spoon.

this is the other view of her sleeping on the bed in the hotel!! don't worry though we pushed the bed against the wall!

the pineapple cart ride-we actually rode in these golf carts that had huge fake pineapples on top of them. We rode through the fields as we heard a "fascinating" history of the pineapple and how many variations there are. We then proceeded to quickly make our way to the free "unlimited wine tasting" which turned out to be small sips, and was by no means unlimited. They did have unlimited free pineapple though that was really good!

Lola and I in the restaurant at Pineapple Park Nago

Pineapple Plant

sooo happy

soo tired! this is how she slept at the hotel in Okinawa~up against the wall!

asleep in her crib

HAPPY GRANDPARENTS DAY!!

To the Grandparents: Happy FIRST Grandparents day! We miss you guys so much!
To the Great-grandparents:Happy FIRST Grandparents day as a Great-grandparent!
I found some quotes about grandmothers that I thought I would share.
~If nothing is going well, call your grandmother
-Italian Proverb
~Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a grandmother
~My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty.She's ninety-seven now and we don't know where the hell she is!
-Ellen DeGeneres
~My name is NO No NO, but Grandma calls me precious!
~Grandmas never run out of hugs or kisses(that means you guys better start cooking-have you seen how much Lola eats?)
~Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting
~Perfect love sometimes doesn't come until the first grandchild
Hope everyone has a wonderful day and I will post pics later on tonight! love you all!
HAPPY GRANDPARENTS DAY!

and she walks!!!

In case you all haven't heard, Lola took her first steps the night before Chris left! It was amazing! We were all so excited we were screaming!! She isn't much on walking since then, well not by herself anyways, but I am just elated that Chris was there to see it!
Now she walks around the house, but she always has one hand on something, she's not quit ready to do it on her own yet.
I will take some pictures within the next few days and post them.

Waki town Fireworks

A Japanese man has me!!!

Noriko and I eating fish on a stick (the Japanese like to put meat on a stick!)

Megumi and I eating the fish on a stick

All of us that were hanging out on top of the roof watching the fireworks

Two of the men in Noriko's band. The one on the right speaks very good English!!

Letting the toros(not sure if I spelled it right!) off in the water-they represent the souls of their ancestors. This is their way to remember them and send them into heaven.

Noriko's mom and Lola

She loved Lola, and in case you haven't noticed, Lola discovered her tongue!

She had a big night and was getting sleepy!

Lola and I have had a great past couple of days. We went to the fireworks with Megumi and Noriko and had good food, listened to the band and met some new friends. I am very excited about the fireworks next weekend though b/c Lola and I are dressing up in traditional Japanese dress!!!
Today we went out to the Kintai bridge and played in the fountains. A lot of Japanese children were out there with their parents so Lola and I joined in, and of course all the children, as well as parents were curious about us! It was soo refreshing, and Lola had a great time. The water was shallow enough for her to sit and play in. After that we came back to the house and hung out all day. The older she gets the more fun we have playing together, but of course I am in no hurry whatsoever for her to grow up! Hope everyone is well!