Bender Wedding

The happy couple - Jesse and Ana - Dick, Brandon, and me.

We had a wonderful trip back to Nebraska last week.  It was a whirlwind of a trip - arrived around midnight Wednesday and departed around 7am Sunday morning - but it was well worth it!  We had so much fun with the Carlson (and Jones) family and can't wait to see Mom, Dad, Dustin, and Steven again when them come out to visit us here in December!

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I'm so proud!

I'm so proud of my wonderful husband!  Brandon passed his Security Plus certification exam Thursday!  Yay!!!  We won't get the actual certificate for a few weeks, but I had him pose with the print out he got to prove he passed.  He thought I was a bit silly for wanting a photo, but I knew you'd all want to be in on the celebration and be proud of him, too!  (I made him brownies to celebrate.)  I'm so proud of him!

---Arielle

Renaissance Resort Beach

Say "cheezu!"

Last weekend, Megumi and her husband, Roger, invited us to go along with their group to the beach at the Renaissance Resort, a ways up Rt. 58.  We had a wonderful time and couldn't have asked for a nicer day!  It was hot and humid enough to enjoy a swim, but not have the humidity be overly oppressive like it has been the majority of the summer. 

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Bang on the drums all night long!

For the last couple nights we have heard the drums and singing of the Eisa performers as they go up and down the streets near our apartment.  They are doing this in celebration of Obon, more info on Obon below, which lasts for three days here in Okinawa.

The first night we heard them we went down and took a few photos and videos of them as they preformed.

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Combini no bangohan

Instant noodle soup with lots of wonderful toppings including: half a hard-boiled egg, cucumber slices, sliced ham, sliced scrambled eggs, chicken, and a pickled veggie.

"The Dinner of the Convenience Store"

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