We interrupt our regularly scheduled Hawaii notes...

It happens every time Zack is gone at bedtime, so I should be used to it by now, but I'm always surprised. If he's not actually home when it's time for me to go to bed, I unconciously find every possible excuse not to go to bed myself. It's completely stupid. Tonight, he's out celebrating with some other guys from the ship, and instead of coming home from teaching, eating my bedtime snack (which I've discovered is very important to a good night's sleep), and going to bed so I can wake up without being so grouchy tomorrow, I felt the need to check in with my learning team online. And when that didn't take very long, I started finding other things to do. So here I am blogging when I really should be going to bed. Honestly. I know why I'm doing it, and why I shouldn't, and I simply don't care. So here's the update.
I have been waiting to update the blog because I have a bunch of great pictures on my camera to post of our trip to Hawaii for my cousin's wedding. It was a really awesome vacation and we had a super time... and my computer got a virus so I can't upload them yet. The computer is with some very nice tech support people who are cleaning it off entirely, at which point I'll get it back and I can upload the pictures and make everyone jealous. So there's that to look forward to. In the mean time, I have only Zack's computer and so there will be no pictures in this post.
What I really wanted to blog about is the fact that my super cool friends here in Japan had a baby shower for me yesterday and it was really nice and very fun. I forgot to take pictures, which is unfortunate, but also a sign of just how much fun I really was having. I was having too much fun to stop and document the fun. There was excellent food (fruit salad and chocolate cake and cinamon buns... I mean everything was good). I got some really cute outfits for our girl as well as some great baby stuff that I'm confident we'll use until it (literally) falls apart, not to mention a really great diaper bag that was hand made for us! Everything really was just right. The best part, though, was just sitting and chatting with a small group of people for a few hours. It was fun to hear the baby stories from the other moms and nice to just relax for the morning. So thank you to all those wonderful ladies who came, and especially to Alex who threw the party. I had a great time!

Halloween 08

Zack and I weren't actually home for Halloween this year (much to my dismay) but the Friday beforehand, the base held a trick or treating event. I agreed to take a TON of my students to this event and for 3 hours we walked around getting candy and doing the whole Halloween thing. There was even a little haunted house this year! Here are the highlights:

It's a classic, and the pumkin thing is still cute. :-)

I was so impressed by this little guy's costume. He was a lion (in case the stroller hides it) complete with claws and make up and everything. As is tradition with most small children, he was sound asleep by about the third stop on the trick or treating route. Mom and Dad had fun, though.

Some of the kids were difficult to identify when it came to costumes. Capes, witch hats, and crowns all mixed together. Whatever, right? It's still a costume.


Other kids were very creative. Here we have two of Rob's favorite students from his visit (they still try to do the magic tricks he showed them) as a rabbit and a cowboy (complete with lasso).



The younger of these two girls was all done up in a Chinese outfit (I think the pumpkins in her hair really make the outfit) and the older was one of the best witches I saw all night.

For the record, I dressed up too, but not in my usual princess costume (which didn't look likely to fit this year). Instead, I was a farmer or cowgirl, depending on who you ask, in my overalls (which just barely fit), a flannel shirt, and the cowboy hat Zack got in Australia. Sorry, I failed to take a picture of myself. Needless to say, a good time was had by all. The kids got candy, the parents got a quick tour of base, and then there was the fun of celebrating a holiday that is not a common part of the calendar here. I just liked watching them all take it in. I was glad I didn't miss Halloween entirely this year.