The Race

The Great Wall Marathon was undoubtedly one of the coolest experiences of my life. Kyle and I were so excited for the race and of course were training prior to our trip to Beijing, so we really had a goal in sight. I knew we would meet some really interesting people, but I couldn't have guessed how inspired we would be by the "runners culture" and the idea of adventure marathons. We met people who were progressing along their goal of running seven marathons - one of each continent. We met a couple who had done the Antarctica marathon last year. They had already completed three of the seven continents. At the awards dinner they recognized a 79 year old woman for completing the Great Wall Marathon. Another woman was recognized for completing her 100th marathon. An older woman took the stage because she had received a horrible medical diagnosis and was given two months to live. Live she was, as she hiked the Great Wall Marathon. The winner of the women's 10K was just 14 years old!

Overall, the race had nearly 2,000 participants from 53 countries. The half marathon had the most participants, and then the full marathon. A couple hundred participants were registered for the 10K and the 5K. Kyle and I went to China having registered for the 10K, but after hiking the wall on Thursday we decided to upgrade to the half marathon. So, we did our first six miles up to and then on the wall, and our last seven miles were through a couple of rural villages. The race was amazing. I am really glad we upgraded to the half marathon because we got a chance to see China from a completely different perspective. We ran through fields, alleyways, dirt roads and rock paths. We saw a young boy chasing a goat around a field and another boy trying to heard a flock of geese. I saw trusses (like to make the ceiling of a home) that were made from tree limbs rather than refined lumber.

We met a very cool woman from Australia who cheered for us all along the race. Her motivation really helped pick me up a few times. We met her on the shuttle van from the airport to the hotel. She looked at me like I was absolutely crazy when I told her this was my first 10K. By race day she must have thought I'd lost my mind! Anyway, she was with a group of women from Australia and South Africa and they were clearly runners. A few of them have done the Big Five which is a marathon in South Africa. She and her group of ladies all wore bright red tutus over their running shorts. She made up a song about "Kyle and Jenny" and sang it every time she passed us or we passed her. Check out her blog!

Upon completion of the race I sent a couple of emails back to the US. I figure my feelings, thoughts, and "runners high" are best conveyed in the text of these emails.

The first email, to my sister:
The race was awesome -- we did the half marathon and I am really glad that we did, because we got to run out in a couple of little villages, in addition to running on the wall. We started off strong -- ran the first 5K in about 38 minutes which was all uphill w/ a drastic elevation climb. Couldn't run much on the wall == too busy w/ people and steps are very uneven. Got back to the base and then headed out for about 7 more miles through the villages. I took a spill in one of the village alleyways w/ about 5K left of the race. I got back up and kept running. It was really good. I'm up for another 1/2 marathon -- maybe in Petra Jordan or the solar eclipse race on 14 November 2012 in Australia. You in? The race community here is so cool -- almost 2, 000 runners from 45 countries. A few ladies in tutus from Aus and So Africa. Kyle and I wore our matching "Run Forrest Run" shirts. Mine said "Jenny" on the back and his said "Lt Kyle." I can't access Facebook from here. Something about the restricted websites . . . so I wont be able to post pictures yet. Sorry I'm talking in code but I don't want this email to get blocked. Hum. Not sure if it was harder than Fuji or not. Oh wait, yes it was! But, Fuji was just so different, and I'm in much better shape now than I was then!

To my supervisor:
We just finished the 1/2 marathon and arrived back in Beijing. What an awesome event. I can't think of a much better way to see China . . . well, I suppose 5 star hotels and posh restaurants might be nice, but this race was unbelievable. The first 5K was all up hill with a drastic elevation change and then we finally reached the wall. The next 4K was on the wall. We weren't able to run much because of the crowds and the uneven steps and inclines. After returning to the base camp we took off for another 11K (7 miles) through a couple of rural villages. The terrain was really tough in the villages -- we were running through alleyways and on stone paths. But, the village people were amazing. There were children around every corner hollering "ni hao" (hello) and offering high fives. I took a tough spill in one of the alleys and have a scrap on my knee, but I jumped right back up and kept moving.

You might see I mentioned the Solar Eclipse Marathon in November 2012. Kyle and I are seriously considering it! Check it out and let me know if you are in.

I'm huge in China

As we walked through the city square in Tianjin Province, I noticed a group of teenage girls posing for a picture. And then, before my eyes, the photographer turned her body 90 degrees and took a picture of our people of Americans. There were about six of us standing on the sidewalk waiting for the rest of the group to catch up. I caught the young girl just as she turned to snap a photog of our group. I started smiling and waving! I thought it was hilarious. So, as we continued walking through the city square we noticed a few more people snapping photos of us. At one point I ran up and offered to just join in their picture. Boy was that a mistake. Of course that group of people was excited to have pictures of a real life foreigner, but then I was approached by three more groups. I tried to have fun with it and just smile.

Later that week we were in Tiananmen Square and Kyle got approached a few times. He posed for a couple of pictures with different groups of Chinese people. At the end of our day in Tiananmen Square a young Chinese boy, probably six or seven years old approached Kyle and starting talking with him. The boy's mom was really helping with the conversation, as the mom spoke much better English than the boy. Anyway, the boy said hello, asked Kyle's name, and then asked where he was from. Kyle answered all of the questions and then the mom asked if Kyle would take a picture with the boy. Kyle gladly knelt down on one knee and propped the kid up on the other knee. It was really quite funny.

Deep dive and drift dive

After the diving incident on Thursday night I really needed to get back on the water and keep diving. I didn't want to quit and I didn't want that issue to be how I went to Yonaguni.

So, we scheduled a couple of boat dives for Saturday morning. We met Eric and two other dive masters at the Marina to do our deep dive (depth of 100') and a drift dive. I really wanted to get a drift dive in because we will be drift diving in Yonaguni. The drift dive is a really cool diving speciality, but it is a more technical dive. The boat drops the divers in the water in a current and then the divers just drift with the current. It doesn't really require much skill, just the ability to "go with the flow" and a little trust in your boat driver!

It was freezing cold Saturday morning. Water temperature was 70 degrees and air temperature was 60 degrees. We were wearing 5 mm wetsuits which were just fine underwater but once I was out of the water and back on the boat the wind was really cold. Anyway, we got the dives in, which was great. In preparation for the deep dive we reviewed technical skills and then prepared to go deep. We did a backward roll off the boat (my favorite part!) and started to descend. On our way to depth Kyle and I saw a really cool lion fish and a large sea anemone with a couple of big clown fish (nemos) in it. Once we got to depth we all compared gauges. The boys and I were at 100' but Eric's digital read on the his dive computer said 98'. We had to evaluate colors at depth in order to understand how colors are distorted under that much water. Eric started with me and showed me a dive card with pictures of a bunch of fish. I looked at the card straight on and then I looked at the card under a flashlight. Red was the most distorted color. Kyle and B went though the assessment and then it was time to swim around and explore. Because we were at 100' we could only have 22 minutes of bottom time, but Kyle and I had a great sighting!

We spotted a huge eel hiding in a hole in the reef. I've seen an eel before, but the other eel I saw was a brownish/grey color. This eel was greenish/yellow and it was HUGE! Eels usually hang back in the coral, so all we saw was it's head. But, it's head was huge! We just kept watching it until we got scolded by the dive master. Kyle and I were so fascinated with the eel that we weren't following the instructor on to the next stop. Whoops! But, this eel was cool!

We continued to swim along, constantly monitoring our depth and air pressure gauges. At that point I wasn't 100% sure we had just spotted an eel. I was pretty sure, but not 100%. I was excited to surface so I could ask Kyle and the dive master. Anyway, as we swam along I just kept thinking how cool diving is. I have seen coral and sea life in it's natural environment. It really is amazing! The ability to descend under the ocean's surface for 30-60 minutes and just observe is phenomenal. We continued back to the boat and hung out on the deck for our surface intervals. As I mentioned before, it was cold. We were much warmer in the water so we wanted a short surface interval. B grabbed the dive table and through the chattering of his teeth we calculated the amount of time we needed to spend on the surface. We had a 15 minute surface interval and then suited up for our drift dive.

The drift dive was uneventful. My confidence was pretty high at this point and I was stoked from seeing the eel. I just wanted to get back in the water and see what we could see. We did a negative entry, which means we rolled off the boat without inflated our BCDs. With no air in the vest you will automatically descend about 15'. We grouped up under the surface and everybody signalled "OK." The purpose of the negative entry to protect the diver when the surface current is going one way and the bottom current is going another way. Nothing too exciting happened on the drift dive. We just "went with the flow" and looked at the coral. Kyle got followed by a sea snake which was a little freaky, but other than than we just worked on our safety stop at 15'.

We are about to head out and finish our final dive . . . after that we'll meet with the instructor to go over the knowledge reviews. Then we'll be advanced divers - certified to dive wrecks, drifts, and as deep as 130'. Wowie.

dive update

Well, one week from today we will be finishing up our dive trip in Yonaguni Island. The past couple of weeks have been filled with anxiety and excitement as we prepare for the trip.

I had a few conditions before I agreed to the trip. Kyle held my hand and told me we would take care of all of my requests. I wasn't asking for much -- I wanted to do a drift dive (the same kind of dive we will do in Yonaguni) and I wanted to dive with the Instructor who will escort us to Yonaguni. After one week of awkward phone calls with "Shark Guy" we realized we were sort of getting the cold shoulder. So, I had to take things in to my own hands.

I ended up calling the scuba locker at Kadena Marina and finding and instructor to teach an advanced open water class for myself, Kyle and B. I feel a lot better about our diving skills and I am really excited for the trip.

This past week we did four dives; we're hoping to get our fifth dive in this afternoon. This evening we'll meet at the dive instructor's house to discuss the technical book work and then we'll be certified. The first dive was at Kadena North and it was a navigation dive. The purpose of the dive was to assess each diver's level of proficiency with the dive compass. Eric, the instructor, started off with a short class explaining how to use the compass and the options for underwater navigation. Then we drove to the dive location, suited up and descended. The weather was a bit chilly but the dive was nice. It was cool to learn a particular skill (compass navigation) and then implement it underwater. We had to do an out and back, navigate in a square and navigate using natural surroundings. B found a really cool shell on the way out. Everyone navigated just fine, passing all of our skills tests for that dive.

On Thursday evening we met again. This time we were learning how to wreck dive, so we went to Devil's Cove and got ready to dive and explore a sunken fishing boat. The walk out to the dive location was pretty difficult. We were walking on a bunch of coral, some of it hard coral, but there was a lot of soft coral growing so I really had to watch my step. Once we got to the location we inflated our BCDs and dropped off the reef. After everyone signalled "OK" we descended to about 30' and looked at a small fishing boat. The wreck was nothing to write home about, but it was cool to see something human made sunken underwater. After exploring the wreck we swam around for awhile looking at the coral and a couple of sea snakes. Finally, it was time for our safety stop, which is a three minute stop at depth of 15'. Divers make this safety stop to ensure they don't ascend too quickly which could cause health issues. During the safety stop I started having trouble with my buoyancy. I had too much air in my BCD and I could not get the air out, so I ended up surfacing more quickly than I should have and more quickly than my buddies. When I got to the surface I looked around and realized it was a bit past dusk and we were pretty far from the shore. I looked up and saw the runaway lights and some sort of military plane coming in for a landing at the Air Base. I guess, in that moment, I just felt really small as I floated on the surface of a huge sea without my scuba buddy. I tried to descend again but I was on the verge of freaking out. As I let air out of my BCD I wasn't able to descend. And, when I looked down I couldn't see the dive instructor or B, because it was dark. At that point I really freaked out. By now Kyle had ascended and we were both on the surface. A few seconds later the dive instructor and B ascended. We discussed what had happened and debriefed everything. But, at this point it was dark, I was about 200 yards off shore, and I just wanted to be on dry land. I started freaking out a little bit and just kept telling the dive instructor "I just want to go in. I just want to go."

We grouped up and started swimming for the shore. The water was really shallow so we were sort of "climbing" over the coral. I really don't like touching stuff (or stuff touching me) when I dive or when I swim. Lots of sea creatures live in the coral. Some sea creatures are poisonous. I prefer to look but not touch. So, I just wanted that swim to be over.

Finally, we were on dry land. Well, we were on a sandy beach, but it was close enough to dry land for my comfort. The dive instructor made a joke about the grotto we were walking through - he said the service members used to drive down there and hide out in the rock formations having keggers. I responded with, "well, I could use a beer right about now."

Nothing really happened, I just didn't react well. I didn't have my bearings and I didn't expect it to get so dark. We weren't planning for a night dive so we had briefed any of the aspects of night diving. Also, I didn't have a light, which basically meant I could not see anything underwater. Ugh! Night diving will not be one of my scuba specialities anytime soon.

A Perfect Day

On Saturday we went "up north" to see the cherry blossoms. Many of you are probably familiar with the cherry blossoms that bloom in Washington, DC in April. I think DC is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, especially in the spring when the cherry blossoms line the national mall and create a beautiful, natural background for the Capital building and the monuments along the national mall. Of course, if you think back to high school or middle school American history you'll remember the cherry blossom trees in DC were presented as a gift to the US from Japan. I've also loved the view of cherry blossoms and was especially excited to see them here in Japan.

On Saturday morning we piled in the car with a couple of friends, a few good CDs, and two packs of bubblegum and drove to the Motobu peninsula to Mount Yaedaka. The drive itself was beautiful, making the journey itself enjoyable. The destination, however, was absolutely gorgeous. At first we were stuck in a long line of cars trying to get up this hill and get a good view of the cherry blossoms. At the time we arrived we were one of the only cars of Americans. After sitting in the car for 1.5 hours we were all ready to get out and walk, so at first sight of a "parking lot" we encouraged Kyle to pull in and ditch vehicle. We load up the camera and water bottles and started walking. The weather was probably in the mid-70s and the sun was shining. We hiked quite a ways up the Sakura tree lined mountain, but we didn't make it to the summit. None of us had dressed appropriately or worn shoes for a long hike. We stopped walking at a nice vista where a Japanese man looked at us and pointed toward the summit. He said it was just 1,000 meters (1 km) and we all thought, "oh! We can do that no problem!" But, it was one of those summits where you have to walk down before you ascend the summit. Annoying. We walked down and saw the road ahead. Perhaps it was actually a 1,000 meters "as the crow flies." On foot in cute flats that matched my purple shirt, it was certainly farther than 1,000 meters. We stopped, conferenced as a group, and turned around to walk down the hill. It was time for lunch.

As we walked down the hill we saw a man with a mullet. A Japanese man with a mullet. He really, truly looked like a Japanese "Joe Dirt." Inappropriate, I know. But it was funny. The next entry will be about the British Wine and Tea Shop where we dined on one of the most memorable and delicious meals of my life!

The Verdict is . . .

Yes!

I am going on the dive trip.

Well . . . it's official! I am going to scuba diving with hammerhead sharks in mid-February. I talked through all of my (highly irrational) fears with Kyle and we reasoned through all of them. I am very excited about the dive and the weekend. It promises to be amazing. We'll be on a little tiny island that is the western most point of Japan. Our friend B is coming on the trip as well and he's a yoga instructor. So, I have visions of waking up and hiking to one of the capes that overlooks the convergence of the China and Philippine Seas and then doing morning yoga with B. Talk about sun salutation!

After the morning yoga session we'll head back t the lodge and enjoy a wonderful Japanese breakfast of green tea, miso soup, rice, and some kind of fish. Before long we'll load up on the boat and out to the open sea!

Wow! I am so excited and a bit anxious. I'll keep you posted with pictures and video once we return. If you are bored and would like to do a little websurfing go to YouTube and search Yonaguni hammerhead sharks. There are a few videos out there.

Scuba Diving . . . with sharks . . .??

Yesterday Kyle and our friend B paid their deposit for a scuba diving trip over Presidents Day weekend. The trip is off one of the outer islands, Yonaguni, and the purpose of the trip is to dive with hammerhead sharks as they migrate.

Hum. Why haven't I paid my deposit? Well . . . it sounds like an awesome opportunity . . . drop 60-90 feet below the surface of the ocean and float in the drift of the Philippine Sea and the China Sea and hope that a school (or multiple schools) of hammerhead sharks will come floating by. Hum. Why haven't I paid my deposit? Because they are freaking meat eating sharks!

I saw some very cool pictures from previous trips. The dive master assures me it is safe. They've been doing this trip for 30 years and no one's lost any arm yet. The captain of the dive boat has been taking people out for 50 years and again, no tragedies. . . But I'm still scared. I'm a bit scared of a freak shark attack. I'm a bit scared of getting out on the boat, getting ready to roll off backwards into the wide open sea and chickening out. I'm a bit scared of my husband getting eaten by a shark. I'm a bit scared of having a near panic attack after I drop in. At that point there is no choice. Figure it out. Breathe through the reg. Take in the beauty of nature. Watch for sharks.

Then again . . . probably the opportunity of a lifetime. These sharks migrate in mid-February. They migrate in the exact location where the two seas converge. The dive company has an 85% sighting rate overall and a 97% sighting rate during the dates Kyle and B have booked their trip. We might not be here in February of 2011, so February of 2010 might be my best chance.

The dive master says, "if we get lucky, we'll roll right off the boat in to a school. Last year we dropped right in to a school of sharks." He continues, "If we're lucky, a shark will be swimming between you and your buddy."

Oh . . . the other dives include touring an underwater city, sort of like Atlantis. The ruins include a large stone structure that looks like a face (think Sphinx, sort of) and a bunch of buildings and stone ruins. There is no consensus about whether or not the structure was human-made or formed naturally. But, if it was human-made than it is one of the oldest structures on Earth. It would be so old that it was made long, long ago and is now covered by 40 feet of ocean water. Respected scientists fall on both sides of this argument - some say it's human-made, some say it's a natural occurrence. Many won't go on the record saying anything. As the dive master put it, "Academe doesn't like that kind of thing. They'd loss tenure and stuff."

I really, seriously need help with this decision. Am I crazy to go? Or crazy not to go?

Pictures of the ruins in Yonaguni

Another dive perspective

Sumo Wrestling in Okinawa

A few weeks ago Kyle attended an exhibition sumo tournament here in Okinawa. I was planning to go along, but I didn't feel well, so Kyle invited our friend Blaise. I think the boys really enjoyed the sumo matches.

I've posted a few videos so you can check it out!

Shaken not Stirred

Kyle wanted to get dressed up and have a night on the town. Really, he just wanted an excuse to wear one of his hand-tailored suits that he bought while stationed in Bahrain in 2003. Well, he came up with a reason. He decided to rally the troops and host what he named "James Bond Night." The boys all wore their hand-tailored suits and the girls got dressed up in our favorite LBDs (little black dresses).

The evening started with Kyle making a phone call to the restaurant/jazz club called Bar Dicha. He attempted to make a reservation, but when he asked the person on the other end of the phone "eigo ga dijoubou des ka?" (is English okay) they said no. So, he couldn't speak English to the staff at Bar Dicha. Well, I was feeling a little gutsy, and as you all know, I always like a challenge. So I pulled out my Japanese phrase book (thank you, Wendy) and started hunting for phrases that would convey that I was trying to make a reservation. I dialed up the restaurant and stumbled through the phrases. The person on the other line started speaking a bit of English and I continued to speak a bit of Japanese. At the end of the conversation I was quite confident we had a reservation for six people at 7 p.m. Kyle looked at me and offered a proud high five! When we arrived at the restaurant with our well dressed group in tow the waitress looked at me and asked, "Are you Jen-san?" I replied with yes (or hai) and she seated us at a beautiful table for six (roku)! She then looked at me and asked "Nihongo o hanashimasu ka?" which means "Do you speak Japanese?" Of course I DON'T so I got a good laugh out of that question.

After dinner Kyle proclaimed "James Bond Night is not complete without a martini!" So we traipsed to one of my favorite establishments, Niche, for a tasty vodka martini. Kyle was so excited to tell the bartender he'd like his martini "shaken, not stirred." The bartender just looked at him and sort of uttered a nervous laugh. I guess James Bond's cool points don't permeate all cultures . . . .

Shaken not Stirred

Happy Birthday, Marines! Kyle and Jen at the Marine Corps Ball 2009
The Thanksgiving crew at Oura Wan Bay
(l-r) Blaise, Amy, Tommy, Wyatt, Megan, Chrissy, Jen, Kyle

The view from our cabin

Shisa Cabin (and the view)

Hiatus

Hiatus:
[hahy-ey-tuhs]
–noun.
1. a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.
2. a missing part; gap or lacuna: Scholars attempted to account for the hiatus in the medieval manuscript.
3. any gap or opening.
4. Grammar, Prosody. the coming together, with or without break or slight pause, and without contraction, of two vowels in successive words or syllables, as in see easily.
5. Anatomy. a natural fissure, cleft, or foramen in a bone or other structure.

Does my six month absence from blogging count as a hiatus? Or perhaps a sabbatical? I took time away from blogging in order to develop my style? To follow the regulations of operational security? Maybe I was just lazy? Perhaps I felt bad blogging about this fabulous life while Kyle was stuck on a ship working 24/7? I'm not sure why I stopped blogging, but I've decided to start again! You can look forward to Vlogs as well (video web logs) because I purchased a Flip Camcorder a few months ago. This thing takes awesome videos and I love to shoot footage all over the place!

The past few months have been amazing. I am not even kidding when I write that I just love our life right now. Kyle is home . . . hopefully for the next year or so. He enjoyed a very challenging tour with the 31st MEU. I think he learned a lot and really matured as a young officer. During his time with the MEU Kyle visited Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, and sat in the water off of Korea. I'll let Kyle write about his time with the MEU, but from my perspective it was a great career opportunity for him. We've made some new friends out it and it certainly strengthened our relationship.

I've done a lot of traveling over the past few months as well. In July my sister came to visit again! We had an awesome couple of weeks which culminated in a trip to Ishigaki Island. We stayed at the Club Med Kabira Beach on Ishigaki. It was probably one of the best vacations of my life. There were a total of six girls and we just had a great time living it up. Club Med is an all-inclusive resort, so we were sure to get our money's worth in drinks and food. We also enjoyed a variety of the activities they offered. Danielle became a trapeze expert and I learned how to windsurf.

I traveled to Japan and Korea to fulfill work obligations. I think I have the best job in Okinawa -- I get to teach, travel and manage a dedicated group of people! My supervisor, although very serious and 100% business, is an inspiration. She is a military spouse of 25 years and has managed to carve her own path and experience a successful and rewarding career. She currently directs all overseas program operations and reports to the Executive Vice President at our company. She has sort of become a mentor for me.

Kyle joined me for a long weekend in Korea. We visited the DMZ (demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea). We enjoyed Seoul -- dining at some great international restaurants.
In October I traveled to Vietnam with my dear friend Wendy and a few new friends, Rachel and Ricco. We spent six days seeing as much of Vietnam as possible. The trip was amazing. In my opinion, the best part of the trip was the cruise on Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Vietnam, about two hours from Hanoi. We met the most amazing couple on this cruise. Peg and Paul are seasoned travelers who have seen 131 countries. Peg is from Churdan, IA and they met in Orange City, IA. Of course Wendy and I felt an instant connection with Peg and Paul, given our Midwestern roots. I felt a connection with Peg and Paul on a different level -- they've been married for 21 years (the second marriage for both of them) but they truly are best friends. Wendy, Rachel and I spent a couple of hours talking with them about the secrets to a happy marriage. It was so refreshing and enlightening to see a couple who were so happy and truly complimented each other in every possible way. The coincidence of meeting Peg and Paul was truly a gift from the universe. They inspired me in so many ways!

The month of November was consumed with plans for Kyle's (final) return home from the 31st MEU. I ordered a Welcome Home banner (www.buildasign.com) and had it express mailed to Okinawa (thanks, Mom!). Kyle was able to come home for two days prior to his final return. So, I got to spend the Marine Corps Birthday (November 10th) and Veterans Day (November 11) with my FAVORITE Marine and Veteran! On November 11, Kyle went back to the ship for a week, which gave me time to decorate the house, select a CD with patriotic music and finalize our welcome home party! I hope Kyle felt really special during his homecoming. I am so proud of his work on the ship, but more importantly, I am so proud of us for getting through the deployment cycle. Kyle and I have been married for 25 months but have only lived together for 10 non-consecutive months. We are much stronger now (both as a couple and individually) than we were a year ago. I am proud of how much our relationship has grown.

We just enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday at Oura Wan Bay. We spent Wednesday - Friday at a cabin on the beach. We swam in the Pacific Ocean and basked in the glow of 75 degree temps! Megan and Chrissy cooked an amazing Thanksgiving dinner and all of the friends who joined us at the cabin helped create a fun-filled holiday.

Chatan Town Seaport Festival

I have a new toy! I purchased the Flip Ultra Mini UD Camcorder a few weeks ago, and I love it! So, I've been taking video everywhere I go. I have loaded a few of the videos here for your enjoyment.

Kyle's Promotion Party

Kyle with the neighbor boys -- Christian, Caden, Skylar, and Connor

Cherice (and baby, Maysen), Jen and Kyle

The happy 1st Lt

Kyle's dog tag cake, as created by our neighbor, Amy

Kyle's promotion party (or Wet Down) was held at Araha Beach on Saturday, June 6th. The party was a ton of fun. Kyle did an awesome job with all of the food and drink. I wasn't able to help out with much of the party, because I was traveling for work, and arrived home just in time to change into my swimsuit and head to the beach. We had a great time celebrating with friends.

Kyle's Promotion

Kyle was promoted to 1stLt on Tuesday, May 26th. The pictures below are from his promotion ceremony.

Working for the Weekend

Kyle just returned from his most recent deployment. He spent about a month in the Philippines, supporting a multi-national, joint force exercise called Baliktan. He was at Clark Air Base near Manila most of the time, but he did have a chance to travel to a few other areas of the PI.

He returned on Tuesday afternoon and then had a full day of work on Wednesday. On Thursday he was granted a "96" which means he gets 96 hours of liberty, or a long weekend for those of us that speak civilian and not military.

We spent Thursday morning kayaking in the East China Sea, Thursday afternoon scuba diving at Diamond Beach and Thursday evening swimming with the dogs at Sunabe Baba Park. It was a fun-filled day.

We were diving with a couple of Kyle's friends, who are very experienced divers. They found this puffer fish and then "scared" him so he would puff up. Then, we all took a minute to pose for the cool underwater photos. These are actually the first pictures I have of us underwater and they are already some of my favorites.

On Friday we had to do a few chores around the house. We returned some government issued furniture to one of the warehouses and we made a run to the PX. We got home just in time to spend a few hours at Araha Beach. Friday night we crashed a going away party for a cool guy named Brian. Brian is headed off the Kansas City, MO to recruit new Marine Corps officers in Missouri and Iowa. We ended up at a fun establishment called Seabees, where we sang karaoke for a couple of hours. Stay tuned for a detailed explanation of singing karaoke in Japan.

Saturday and Sunday were both beach days. On Sunday we took a ferry to one of the outer island with a few friends. We went to Zamami Island in the Kerama Islands. The beach was absolutely gorgeous and the snorkeling was amazing. Kyle grew up and SoCal and spent three years in Hawaii, but he swears Furuzamami Beach is the most beautiful beach he's ever seen. The water was crystal clear and the sea shells were amazing. When the tide went out we walked from one island to another. We are already planning another trip to this pristine tropical island.

The Boys

As you might know, Rex and Hari are very dear to our hearts. Kyle and I seem to be the happiest when we are curled up on the couch (with a nice glass of wine) and the dogs are nearby. It really does feel like our family. After petting both dogs on the head, Kyle will look at me and say "Jen, I love our family." It is a great feeling. You probably know, I've been very connected to Rex since the day I saved him from the pound. He's an emotional dog and really loves people. He senses the energy in the room and always adapts to it. If I am sad, Rex gives me a hug. We've been calling Rex "velcro dog" lately, because he always wants to be near people. Hari has become a much better dog. I'm sure it's a combination of the fact that he's now 1 year old, he's been neutered, and I decided to love him. He must have sensed I had a beef with him before, because he and I just didn't see eye to eye. Well, in early January (after almost giving him away) I decided I loved Hari and he was part of our family. He really is a good dog and has positive traits that Rex doesn't have.

Well, a few weeks ago my friend Kari posted about her dog Boomer and doggie ice cream treats she had picked up at the grocery store. http://kariandbrad.blogspot.com/search/label/Boomer I was so excited to see Purina was making doggie ice cream, but I didn't figure we'd be able to find it at the Commissary in Japan.

Low and behold, last week when I was shopping for slumber party supplies, I spotted the Frosty Paws in the freezer section.

The boys loved the ice cream!

Friday Nights

When Kyle was at TBS I told him Friday nights were the worst. I always missed him so much on Friday nights. I'm not sure why -- maybe because a lot of people are "coupled up" on Friday nights or maybe because he and I spent so many Friday nights at Olde Main playing shuffleboard. Well, don't get me wrong . . . I still miss Kyle when he's not here to spend a nice Friday night with me. But, I have had some great Friday night plans recently.

Last Friday the girls got together to attend Margaritaville. The event was hosted at the Officers' Club and was complete with a Jimmy Buffet cover band. We had so much fun!

Tomorrow night I am hosting a slumber party for my next door neighbors. Christian (5), Connor (4), Caden (2) and their Mom (Amy) will be having a sleepover at the Farrell-Mattox household. We already have plans to sponge paint, plant tomatoes and herbs, watch movies, and make a fort on the living room floor. I'll post pictures soon.

Kristina, Jen, Stacee

Mary and Chrissy

Jen . . . I'm not really sure about this pose

This guy got to know Jose a little too well

Chrissy and Jen

World Clock

Wow, I'm already in love with Blogger . . . check out the World Clock I installed at the bottom of the page. This is will everyone figure out the time difference between wherever you are in the world and Okinawa!

Security Breach

Friends -- the following post will explain my blogging hiatus, and the email you are about to receive in your inbox.

During our weekend in Thailand, I had a chance to meet some of Kyle's colleagues. As we waited on the patio of the Hard Rock Hotel for our Elephant tour to depart, I was introduced to a Lieutenant Belt Buckle. Upon meeting her and shaking her hand, she took one look at me and said, "Oh, so you're the one that's been leaking information to terrorists." I had NO idea what she was talking about. A look of confusion washed over my face. And then, Lieutenant BB realized she had just blindsided me. She then looked at Kyle and said, "Oh, Mattox, you didn't tell her?!?"

Kyle grabbed my hand and told me, "Oh, it's nothing baby. It's just that the Intel and Comm guys discovered your blog. I guess they were doing a keyword search and they found the blog." I couldn't even believe it. I was mortified. I felt horrible. I would never, ever type, post or say something that might put Kyle or any other service member in danger. I thought I had been so careful with what I typed on the blog. I thought I had followed all of the rules of operational security.

I asked Kyle what I should do . . . should we take the blog down? Should I stop blogging? How will our family and friends stay in touch with our life in the Far East if I can't blog? He told me, "Jen, calm down. It wasn't officially a security breach. Just almost. . ."

Given that our blog was "almost a security breach," I am taking new measures to protect our information. I have created a blog on blogspot. You will be required to "log in" to read our blog. Please watch your email inbox for information about becoming a viewer of our new blog.

I hope you'll continue to read! Kyle and I are really having the adventure of a lifetime over here in the Far East. We are both so thankful for the opportunities and experiences we've had over the past 15 months. Please email me at JenLFarrell@hotmail.com if you would like access to the new blog at http://kylejenrexandhari.blogspot.com.