O Christmas Tree

Perhaps you already know this about me, but the Christmas tree is definitely one of my very favorite things about the season.

Logan was excited about it this year too.

Even Henry joined in!

Who doesn’t love a Christmas tree?

   
Taking a time out from decorating and other Christmas prep.

Christmas cookies!

And the ready-to-go Christmas plates.  Eight of them with cookies and fudge. 

Christmas snuggles :)

The newest ornament on our Christmas tree.

Wrapping Up

These odds and ends will finish out our trip with Erik.  What?  You didn’t recognize Erik in this picture?

Crazy playground right outside the aquarium.

With fun mist-spraying pods!

Onward and upward.

 

She’s keeping pace with her older brother now.

Goofy kid.

Jake and Erik took a hike, following an old trail that led from Nakagusuku Castle down to Shuri.

But frankly, that’s Jake’s story so you’ll have to get the details from him.

Here are just a few highlights from Jake’s thousand pictures.

At the end of the hike, the kids and I met Jake and Erik at a playground near Shuri Castle.

There was a monument of some sort at the playground, but I have no idea what it was about.  There was a samurai, a dragon, a couple of kids, and this small praying figure.

What was recognizable at the site was a stunning example of a turtleback tomb which, a nearby plaque stated in English as well as Japanese, is apparently the oldest existing turtleback tomb on island.

A dramatic sky ends the day.  And this post.

Can’t Miss It

The next day brings us to . . . any guesses? . . . the aquarium!

  

 

Recognize these guys from our snorkeling pics?

Logan plays nice with the ladies.

Can someone remind me why we’ve never explored that nice little bit of beach just beyond the aquarium?  Ah yes, because we always run out of time!  It is a shame though.

 

 

Little miss curiosity.

 

 

 

This is one of the SMALLER windows at the aquarium.

I pulled ahead of the boys so that Naomi and I could get to the big tank where I could sit and let her take a nap.  Hence the duplicate shots, first one kid then, a few minutes later, the next.  Like this:

  

 

Can I throw in a quick “THANKS Mom!” for the dress?  It’s one of my favorites that you’ve made for her.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not sure what Logan was doing here.  Again, we had split up so Jake took this picture.  But the lighting is pretty neat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was so peaceful to sit there for a while, hold my sleeping baby and watch the endless dance of the sea.

 

And then she woke up, raring to go.  Yep, this is about par for the course.

They vary the show a little bit every time we’ve seen it, so it’s always a good time.

Yes, life is good.   

All Smiles

Yes, a very nice day for Pizza in the Sky (restaurant).

Looking towards the Tropical Dream Center (spiral tower), Butterfly Garden (large red tile roof) and across the channel to Ie Island.

 
A good day for the butterflies as well.

Even the shisas seem especially happy today!

Olden Times and Ancient Rhymes

So, besides the fun courtyard, what we were aiming for was Expo Park’s version of the traditional Ryukyu village.

Entering the village near the utaki and kami asagi (sacred sites), we first found the priestess’s hut.  I explained to Logan that they would make their prayers and offerings here, and he said something back to me, the only part of which I caught was “pray”, then he went and sat down like this, head bowed, hands folded.  What a funny kid!

Ring around the utaki . . . we all fall down!

Naomi runs off a little ways then turns back to say, “Are you going to chase me, Mommy?”

 
Erik enjoyed some freshly made green tea while, nearby, I found a couple of hungry birds to feed.

Still life.

This (same place we were served the tea) would have been the mayor’s house—“mayor” is a rough translation of course.

Even their kitchen is bigger than mine!

Logan checks the granary to see if they’ve left any snacks behind.

A straw thatch house (with separate kitchen) would have been typical in many places.

    
Straw thatch interior and exterior.

At the post-Ryukyu Era house (after 1889), there was this small barn with a manger in the center stall.  It made a very cool object lesson for the Christmas story.

Jake usually takes a lot of pictures focusing on the construction of the buildings.  The lighting on this one is especially good and really highlights all the details.  What you are actually looking at, however, is the interior of a pigpen!

  Exterior of said pigpen, just in case you are trying to put it all together in your head.

On our way back out.  I’m not sure it was really warm enough to warrant a cool-down run through the fountain, but apparently Erik thought it was.

 It was a gorgeous day though . . . a very nice day to go to Pizza in the Sky!