What Hubby Did While I Was Away

While I spent the better part of May 

visiting our family in Okinawa, 

Hubby was taking care of things on the Homefront.

First and foremost, he went to work every morning.

Secondly, he took care of our cat...

providing her with food, water, and grooming.

But, more about the Homefront...

Perhaps his biggest project was our front yard.

He purchased a pickup load of landscaping rock...

And some new flowering bushes.

It was backbreaking work...

...but so worth it.

It looks great, honey.

Our little furry friend wore her new harness and leash 

to go out and supervise his work.

My mother’s washtubs are now 

filled with beautiful flowers.

So many days in May were chilly and rainy, 

so they spent their evenings watching Twins baseball 

and playing on the iPad.

But when it was nice, it was very very nice.

The warm sunshine feels so good after a long, hard winter.

Hello, Summer!

Take care,

~Natalie

Visiting Family in Okinawa ~Saying Goodbye ~This is How I Got Home

It was time for this Nana to go home. 

Since my flight was not super early, we had 

one more morning to play.

But first, early morning snuggles 

in our pajamas...

Simply the Best!

I will also miss having a big breakfast 

sitting across from this little man.

Jack is a good eater, and we always had great “conversation”

It was a 45 minute drive to the airport. 

We drove through 4 parking garages with no luck, 

so Amy let me out with my luggage by the needed entrance.

Huge hugs for our daughter that made my visit so wonderful.

This was the line to check-in.

A successful experience going through security.

The airport in Okinawa has beautiful displays of Orchids 

along all of the walkways.

While traveling, I like to locate my next 

gate before I do anything else...

Whether I have 40 minutes or 4 hours.

Then it was time for coffee.

The flight was full...

...except I had this middle row of seats to myself.

If only I could be this lucky on the upcoming long flight.

This one to Tokyo was only 2 hours, 40 minutes...

I had just gotten up...

I had just enjoyed Starbucks Coffee...

No need to sleep!

Once in Tokyo, another security checkpoint.

Once on the other side,

So many gates (I was looking for 36),

So many stores, and so many restaurants.

I sat by my gate to charge my phone, 

and answer emails and messages.

I was hoping that the ANA truck had transferred my luggage,

and I watched that GateGourmet truck load meals onto our plane.

This was our ride home.

See the route that goes over Alaska 

and then passes between Bismarck and Duluth.

That’s where I was going.

13 hours from Tokyo to Chicago.

So we all settled in...

It was time for Happy Hour.

And then dinner was served.

The Sesame Chicken and Rice was pretty tasty.

About six hours later, they turned on all the lights 

to deliver this midnight snack.

Hours later, it was time for breakfast.

I’m not usually a fussy eater, 

but I was glad I had saved my dinner roll

from the night before.

The good news was 

that we got to Chicago 40 minutes early (tailwinds)...

but because we were so early there was no gate available 

so we sat in the plane out on the tarmac.

This is the mass of people waiting to enter the US. 

See those blue lights on the ceiling.

That area was long and entirely crowded with travelers.

Then we all picked up our luggage here...

...and stood in this line 

to take it through customs and recheck our bags.

And these lines are to board busses to go to a different terminal.

In our new terminal, all these folks were waiting to go through TSA. 

See the girl with the red backpack? 

She must have had a tight connection and 

kept asking if she could be brought to the front of the line.

The answer was “No, we can’t do that.”

I felt so bad for her.

From the time I texted my hubby that were on the ground, 

till the time I got through security again, 

he said it took about two hours.

I was glad I had plenty of time.

And then, the last leg of my journey home...

A beautiful sunset.

I was so exhausted that I feel asleep 

and missed the beverage/snack cart when it came by!

Hello Fargo!

While I was missing our little family, 

it felt good to be home.

We are blessed.

Take care,

~Natalie

Visiting Family in Okinawa ~My Last Day ~Mother Daughter Time at the Pottery Village

It was my last day to spend with our family in Okinawa.

Amy had planned one more Mother Daughter Outing.

It was another beautiful morning on that beautiful island.

Since Jack’s daddy had come home,

 that little guy followed his dad around like a shadow.

He barely noticed when Mama and Nana left for the morning 

to visit the Okinawa Pottery Village.

The village is located in a semi-rural area near base. 

Its mission is to preserve the Okinawa traditional pottery styles.

There are 45 potters active in the area, 

working in the potteries and shops.

Pieces are shaped and groomed to perfection...

...Then hand painted, glazed, and fired.

Pieces in all shapes, colors, and sizes.

A paved path connects the shops and studios,

making it convenient to get around.

It was fun to browse all the unique pieces 

to find just the right souvenir.

The pottery is displayed inside and outside.

There are a wide range of prices 

and something for everyone’s taste.

It was so peaceful there...a perfect morning.

Now, back to those lattes.

On our way home, 

we stopped at this charming little cafe for brunch.

Their specialty is the Avocado Toast.

It is served with an Arugula Salad.

It was the perfect way to end our morning.

We are blessed.

Take care,

~Natalie