Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas!

Well, I tried very hard to capture as many videos and pictures as possible of our 1st Christmas away from home. It is not very easy to get a good picture of Gracie these days...she can't sit still for one second. I did get some cute videos of her opening some of her gifts. Santa came to visit on Christmas Eve morning, and we decided to open all of our gifts on that day as well.

Gracie woke up around her usual time 6:30 a.m. It was definitely rough getting up that early, but we were excited to see Gracie's face when she saw all of her presents. Gracie, however, had a very different reaction...she didn't even want to go near her gifts! When she heard that Santa brought the gifts, she wanted nothing to do with them!!! But, after a while, she finally gave in and explored all the fun stuff.

After Gracie finished opening all of her gifts, Mike and I exchanged our gifts. I bought Mike an antique helmet worn in 1502 by a Japanese warrior at the Imperial Palace. It was definitely a big splurge on my part, but I new he would love it...and he did!! I also LOVED my gift. I was very surprised when I opened the box to find the Tahitian pearl necklace and matching earrings I had admired sometime back. I still can't believe they are all mine!!!

We received so many gifts from friends and family back home, and we are so grateful and blessed to have so many people that took the time to remember us for the holidays. It would have been so nice to be home and celebrate the holidays, but I am constantly reminding myself that at least my Marine is home for Christmas. So many other families are really struggling through the holidays with their Marines over in Iraq or on some other deployment. I would have loved to been home, but this is the next best thing!

So, to spread the cheer, Mike invited his Marines over for Christmas dinner. We had a nice turn out, and I cooked another wonderful meal! Watch out! I am becoming a little Martha Stewart over here! No, I really didn't go all out, but it was a nice meal and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.

Below are some of the pictures and videos of Christmas Eve morning. Enjoy!

Mike and Gracie holding the Christmas ornaments from Grammy and Grampy

Mike showing welcome mat from Gram and Gramp

Nicole showing off the Tahitian pearl necklace and earrings.

Gracie figuring out which gift to unwrap next.

Mass 2 Christmas Party

Happy Holidays! We have officially kicked off the holiday season with the MASS 2 Christmas party. The party was held at the USO on base and we had a huge turn out. There was tons of food and lots of presents for all of the children. Gracie was dancing the night away...well, that was until HE arrived!!! Gracie was dancing and having a wonderful time...until, she turned around and there was this big, burly man with a big white beard standing behind her! She totally freaked out! It was hilarious and a bit pathetic. Needless to say, she did NOT have her picture taking with the jolly fat man this year. I have a hunch, she won't be doing it next year either! She refused to even open the gift that Santa gave her. Poor baby! She will probably be traumatized for the rest of her life. Overall, we had a wonderful time visiting with all of our friends. It was a great way to kick off the holiday season!

Santa attempting to give Gracie her gift...Gracie refusing to receive the gift...
Gracie playing in the cooler...
Gracie scared that Santa is coming back to see her...
Gracie trying to figure out what this kid is doing...

Welcome Home Snoopy!

Okay! Mike finally gave in! We have a new addition to our family! Now, officially introducing Snoopy Morrill. Snoopy is an 18 month old miniature Dachshund (a.k.a. mini wiener dog). Snoopy came from a very loving family who had to return stateside on short notice and could not take him with them. They were very sad to part with Snoopy, but we assured them he would have a caring, loving home. He is small in stature, but has a bark that would scare any dog away! He is so sweet and lovable, and he adores Gracie. We honestly could have never found a better dog. Of course, Mike wasn't totally on board with getting a dog (especially a mini wiener dog), but you can't resist loving Snoopy! He is just too sweet!

When Snoopy first arrived in our home, Gracie had a hard time understanding that Snoopy was a dog and she was a toddler. Gracie wanted to eat Snoopy's food, and she refused to get out of Snoopy's bed. She has been following him around with his leash all day. She hasn't quite figured out that he has to be attached to the leash, so she just chases after him. It is so cute! I am already trying to convince Mike that we need two dogs :-) He isn't convinced just yet!

Snoopy!

Snoopy playing at his new home!

Gracie following Snoopy with the leash.

Gracie refusing to get out of Snoopy's bed.

Gracie eating Snoopy's food. Apparently, Gracie enjoys eating dog food. Not sure how we are going to prevent this one from happening ???

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know! I know! I am sorry it has taken so long to post. Things have been nuts around here! Well, as for Thanksgiving...it wasn't so bad being millions of miles away from home. Don't get me wrong...We definitely wish we could have been home with friends and family, but it really wasn't too bad. I suppose we decided to be thankful we were able to spend the holiday with our little family, unlike many military service members serving in Iraq. Gracie and I are certainly grateful that we had our Marine home for Thanksgiving!

Instead of celebrating Thanksgiving the traditional way (back home with family), we invited over all of the single Marines from Mike's unit and had a Thanksgiving day feast at our home. I began preparing dinner two days in advance, and if I do say so myself, it turned out beautifully! I couldn't remember exactly how my grandmother prepared all of the dishes back home, so I searched online some recipes and made others by memory. The only thing missing was my grandmother's cornbread stuffing. I had no idea how to make it, and everything online just didn't sound right. I should have just called and asked for it, but I figured everyone else was busy making their own Thanksgiving dinner. Overall, the evening went great and the guys had a terrific time. After cleaning up the kitchen, the guys decided to break out the Monopoly game. Who knew such a simple old game could be so much fun! The one thing that stands out in my mind is when one of the guys said, "Can you move my sewing kit thing two spots?" I assumed that he was referring to his thimble. haha! Gotta love those Marines!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well! Although it was a nice alternative, hopefully next year we can celebrate the holiday in the states.

My delicious turkey!!!

Yummy! Desserts!

AWWW! Gracie and Daddy having a moment!

Okuma Resort

This weekend we went up to the Okuma Beach Resort in the northern most part of the island. We stayed in a cabana that was literally 100 feet from the beach. It was a dreary weekend to be out and about, but that didn't hold us back! We arrived late in the evening on Saturday and went to the Surfside Grill for dinner. While eating, we were able to watch the movie Spiderman on the beach. It was really cool...they had a projection screen set up and you could see the ocean in the background. On Sunday morning, Gracie had a fun time playing at the playground, but she isn't a big fan of the beach. She didn't like how the sand got in her shoes or that it stuck to her hands. She would literally freeze and refuse to move until I cleaned it off of her. She was also a little afraid of the water. I guess she just needs a little more exposure before she will enjoy going to the beach. Okuma Resort has tons of stuff to do for entertainment...golf, putt-putt, tennis, batting cage, maze, go-carts, bicycles, and much much more. We will definitely be making many trips back to Okuma!

Cape Hedo

This weekend, we finally took a short trip up to Cape Hedo. Cape Hedo is the northernmost point of Okinawa’s main island. From here you can enjoy one of the most breathtaking views on island. You’ll see both the Pacific and the East China Sea in one glance from the 230-foot-high cliffs. At the tip of Cape Hedo stands a Memorial Tower commemorating the reversion of Okinawa to Japan. The monument is simply inscribed with the words, "Present People of Japan and the World." Cape Hedo is one of the few sites on Okinawa that is considered almost sacred ground due to the many people who died there during World War II. If you ever visit Okinawa, Cape Hedo is a must see!

Comprehensive Park

This past weekend, Mike and I took Gracie to Okinawa's Comprehensive Park. In one word...amazing! It was one of the most beautiful, and, well, comprehensive parks I have ever seen! It had many trails, a water park, a duck pond, playgrounds, and tons of wide open space. Gracie had a great time at one of the playgrounds. I think her favorite part was going down the roller slide. Most slides in Okinawa are made of rollers, instead of the flat, slick surface the slides have back home. They make a lot of noise when you go down, but you can go really fast! I honestly think Mike had more fun than Gracie at the playground! We didn't even come close to seeing all this park has to offer, so stay tuned and hopefully we can post more pictures of our future trips to Comprehensive Park!

Gracie going down the roller slide.Mike and Gracie going down the slide.
Gracie playing on the playground.
Gracie and Mike running around the playground.
Gracie waving bye-bye!

MWHS-1 Marine Corps Ball

Here are just a few of pictures we took at the MWHS-1 Marine Corps Birthday Ball. This was the second ball for us to attend in one week. Overall, the ball was exactly like the one we attended on Tuesday (see post below)...it was even held at the same location! The speaker at this ball was phenomenal! The guest speaker was Sergeant Major Cook, and she was hilarious! She didn't give the traditional blah blah blah speech....her speech was funny, and it was focused primarily on why it is so great to be a Marine versus other service branches. It was a great morale booster!

Nicole

Mike and Matthew

Where's Gracie???

I just couldn't resist sharing this with you! Mike and I were sitting down to relax for the evening, and Gracie decided to literally get inside our entertainment center. Luckily, the camera was near by and we were able to capture the moment. It was hilarious! I bet she got in and out of the little cabinet at least 15 times! She was so amused at the fact that she could fit in the small cubby and still manage to close the door. Each and every time we would say, "Where's Gracie?", and she would fling open the door and "surprise" us! Of course, we acted surprised each and EVERY time! She probably would have continued this for the rest of the night (and Mike and I would have probably watched it!), but it was time for bed. It obviously doesn't take much to amuse us these days!

MASS 2 Marine Corps Birthday Ball

Last night was the 232nd Marine Corps Birthday Ball for the MASS 2 Squadron. The ball had an amazing opening ceremony to include a memorial table with a candle, purple heart medal, and blank dog tags to recognize those Marines who have given their lives and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country. It was a truly moving ceremony and precisely planned by the commanding officer. After the ceremony, we visited with friends and enjoyed a fantastic meal. The night flew by with dancing and tons of picture taking. The best part was that the commanding officer and the Sergeant Major danced the night away with all of the other Marines and spouses. It truly was a great night, and we get to attend another birthday ball on Thursday!

Mike and Nicole

Mike, Curt, Tim, and Matthew Mike (That's MY Marine!)
Lindsey and Nicole

Video of Gracie

It has been a while since I have captured any recent videos of Gracie. She is all over the place lately and into everything! I am usually finding myself either dodging flying objects or protecting what little valuables we have left! Anyway, here is the most recent video I was able to capture of Gracie. She is surprisingly having a great day and playing very nicely! Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

Hello! Happy Halloween to all! The Morrill family had a wonderful Halloween experience this year. Mike dressed up as the Milkman and I went as the pregnant/unfaithful housewife. Gracie dressed up as a cute little Pumpkin, and boy was she cute!!! From 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. we were overwhelmed with treat-or-treaters. And when I say overwhelmed, I mean it! I have never seen so many kids in my life! Many of the local nationals (Okinawans) were allowed on base and they sure did take advantage of this opportunity...heck, who wouldn't?! Free candy! Needless to say, we ran out of candy about 20 minutes after it all started! And, we had tons of candy! It was just crazy! So, we spent the rest of the night walking around the neighborhood looking at all the creative costumes, haunted houses, and herds of children coming down the streets. Overall, we had a great time and are definitely going to be better prepared next year!

Welcome to my blog!

Well, I have finally decided to join the blogger world. I think this will be a good way to keep everyone up-to-date with the Morrill family and to see all the fun stuff we are doing in Okinawa, Japan. So, welcome to my blogspot!

As most of you know, Mike is proudly serving in the Marine Corps and we are stationed on Camp Foster in Okinawa, Japan. We arrived on March 22, 2007. We are enjoying every minute on the island and spending a lot of quality time together as a family. We are tentatively scheduled to leave in February of 2010, and who really knows where we will end up next!

I am spending most of my days working as a social work case manager at the Counseling and Advocacy Center on Camp Foster. It is a really great job and I work with some awesome people. In my spare time, which is from 3:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. I attend Boot camp. That's right! Boot camp! I joined a boot camp program to finally get some of this baby weight off that I have become quite attached to I might add. :-) Other than that, I spend most of my time with Mike and Gracie touring the island or playing at the park.

Gracie spends most of her days at a Japanese Montessori school out in the local Okinawan community. She loves her teachers and classmates, and really seems to be enjoying herself. Heck, who knows what language she will end up speaking! As of right now, she mostly communicates with her self-developed sign language skills and grunts or squeals. It can be amusing at times; however, it can be unbelievable frustrating figuring out what exactly she is pointing at!

Mike is currently at a wonderful unit and is really enjoying his job....not many people in the Marine Corps can say that! Mike is also working on his second degree in Business and should be finishing up in the next few months. As many already know, Mike enjoys spending his time watching the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics, and any other team from Boston for that matter. Mike has become Super Daddy to Gracie over the past few weeks. Gracie no longer wants Mommy to put her to bed, feed her, dress her, etc. She only wants Daddy! Do I sound a bit jealous? Yes, it is nice to have a few minutes alone, but I definitely don't prefer this new found "daddy is the greatest" attitude. I must admit, it is a little cute though :-) And it is no surprise to me, Mike has managed to rise to the occasion with these new little demands and has proven yet again his superb Daddy Skills.

Well, I suppose that is the best update I can give right now. Not too bad for my first blog comment. Stay tuned for updates!