Bali // Part1

Ahhh, Bali. It was a dream guys. An absolute dream! It came at such a perfect time after Duke had been in the Philippines for about 4 weeks. This trip was all about relaxing. We did one day of site seeing and that was enough for me. The rest of the trip was split into beach time, pool time, eating time, massage time and walking through shops. 

We stayed in an area called Seminyak and would highly recommend it! Tons of Aussies there, lots of boutiques and shops, and some really awesome food. That was my favorite part. :)

 Bumpin at 18 weeks!

 Fresh pineapple on ze beach!

Lots of good waves for surfing. I would have loved to take lessons, but the pregnant thing kind of ruined that.

 Breakfast at our hotel! I ate so much watermelon on this trip! It's super expensive in Okinawa so I had to get my fill.

 The week we were there was a holiday, so there was lots of these bamboo things and events each night.

My beach read for the trip was "Where'd you go, Bernadette?" It was a great, quick, entertaining read. Perfect beach read!

 My favorite spot we found! We rented a motor bike (for $4 a day!!) and drove down to Uluwatu Beach. It's a surfer beach with lots of coral, but we wandered around and found our own little spot. It was nothing short of heaven. The waves and surfers were amazing to watch.

 One of the fun places we ate at was KuDeTa. It's pricey even by American standards, but the restaurant is awwwwesome, you can sit at a table or couchy tables or on the beach under an umbrella with pillows. It's right on the beach and the food is bomb.

Maybe the most awesome thing that happened on the trip is that we were bumped to first class on our flight from Hong Kong to Bali and then AGAIN on the way back. Which was super awesome bc it was a red eye. How in the world we got so lucky I'll never know. But Duke took this video on the second flight of how incredibly dorky we are. And it makes me laugh every time. One of the guys was laughing at us bc of our insane excitement. This stuff just doesn't happen!!

snug as a bug

Hong Kong airport! One day I will go outside that airport for more than 3 hours :)

Children's Day

The first week of May in Japan is known as Golden Week. It's a week where there is a few national holidays and lots of people are off work and I guess it's a big deal out here. Children's Day is the last holiday during the week and is the reason they hang all the carp flags. They symbolize the mother's/fathers/children and they are hung everywhere. This river we went to had a ton strung over it and around it. So I had to take my pictures!

Summer goal: to paint our own block on the seawall! 

pikachu!

Happy Mother's Day

My dad sent me this video and I've seen a few people share it on facebook. It's a great 2 minute tribute to moms everywhere! I'm so glad we have this holiday to do a little something special for the mom(s) in our life.

Today I was thinking about my mom and I thought- she's such a GOOD person. Out of every person I know on the same level as I know her, she's the best. My dad is a close second ;) In fact, I feel like she's pretty close to perfect. She hasn't worked outside the home since the day she became a mom (except piano lessons), but yet she is always SO busy doing stuff for everyone but herself. She puts all of her 5 children's (plus husband) wants and needs before her own. As a selfish kid, I thought that was just her job. How dare she do what she wants! But that's why I like growing up. You realize so much more. You see the big picture. I really hope I can be as good of a mom to my kids. She has so many skills and talents and taught me so much. She taught me to be honest when I would take things from the store as a kid-she'd bring me back to return it. She taught me to love the truth and goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ through her great example of how important it is in her life. She taught me to sew and helped me sew a few dresses when I was in 5th grade! (even though i'm still not very good). She taught me to play the piano. And she taught me to put others before myself, which I'm also still working on :). I love my mom so much and can't wait to see her in October when my baby is born and her showing me how to be a mom.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommas out there!

what we've been up to lately

The last couple months or so I really have not gotten out much. However since I have been so MIA on the blog I thought I'd put up some pictures taken from my iphone of some of the things that mostly I have been up to. Duke has been in the Philippines for the last 2.5 weeks. He still has a little while longer down there and I have really been missing him! He's been gone for several 10 day-2 weeks stints since we've been here, but this one has been the longest in a while and it's getting lonely. I'm excited for him to come back.

 Pretty poppy field over looking the ocean

 visited the southeast botanical gardens

 winston's fav spot on every sunny day. he's a sunbather at heart.

 at the botanical gardens trying out the mouth wash machine. These Japanese people seriously think of everything!

 we also ran through the aquarium the same day we were at the tropical dream center 

 saw an awesome *free* dolphin show (after watching blackfish I just can't patron these kinds of places, but this was free in the outside park, which duke pointed out this might be pushing it, but whatever)

 this cute & stylish girl was sitting in front of me. She kept touching my painted toenails. Love these little Japanese babies.

 I went to Girl's Camp for a week- a church run camp for girls 12-18. Some girl brought this mannequin. 

 visiting the beach with winston

 a good beach day with flat stanley and friends

 I've been taking walks along the seawall & right now these lilies are in bloom!

 Went snorkeling at madea flats-it was low tide, but was surprised how deep those little pools of water were! The snorkeling here is so awesome! We saw tons of fish and a lot of the Finding Nemo cast :)

 my little weirdo^

 Easter Sunday!

 this is what hanging out with Winston looks like sometimes^ I have to say I really really love having a dog. I never had one growing up and I have become so attached to this little guy. I love having him even more when Duke is gone. It's nice to come home to someone who's excited to see you and to just have another warm body in the house. He's the best!

 the most beauuuutiful day at Araha beach. (photos not edited, its just that pretty!)

 I declare this pizza the best pizza in Okinawa^ Pizzeria Onda in Minnetogawa. The menu is pretty much all in japanese, but I just get the Margherita and it never disappoints. 

 Winston did this to my boppy pillow^ Luckily is was bought used!

 Duke sent me these from the Philippines. He was able to go hike Mt Pinatubo. Looks gorgeous.

 So this always intrigues me. At low tide there are always a bunch of Japanese people out in the seaweed for hours picking it to eat later! To each their own I suppose. I hear they also collect octopus. YUM. ha.

Last week at the beach. 15 weeks and the tiniest of bumps is starting. This is the first "bump" picture I've taken. I wanted to take a "before picture" but when you're sick it doesn't really seem like a priority.

And that pretty much sums up the last 2 1/2 months or so :)