New Year New Beach

Chris found a beach he wanted to discover while flying some locals for work. He's talked about it for months - it looks beautiful, there's never a lot of people, etc. So, New Year's Day was the day to explore the island and find the mystery beach. Chris plotted it out on a map and we were off. After about an hour and a half drive we found the part of the coast Chris had been searching for. It was well worth the drive! This is by far the most beautiful beach we've been to while here on Okinawa. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Here's Chris and Rana going through the treed entry that leads to the beach:

I don't know if I've ever seen water as calm as it was that day. It was stunning, especially matched with the beautiful skyscapes and awesome rock formations.

There were two families skipping stones:

And there was a lady cleaning an octopus. I love this picture. I took it at waist level during a quick walk-by. I think it's great.

There were also some great shells and sea glass. Check out the patterns on this shell. They literally look painted on.

I was slightly obsessed with the stones. I loved the patterns of the striations:

Can you find Rana in this picture? She kind of blends in with the rocks due to me taking pictures when I know the lighting is wrong. I still like it though.

It was so much fun exploring and it seemed so secluded.

But we weren't the only ones there. Check out this crab intersection! I love their tracks.

Chris and I definitely had fun playing photographer and scrambling on rocks.

We even tried out a little black and white:

Chris thinks we have the most photographed dog in the world. He might be right, but we can't help it. She's so stinking cute!

We were also lucky enough to see some kayakers which gave us an idea for our next adventure.

We probably walked the beach for three hours. It was so peaceful and calm and a great way to start the new year.

Finally, a quick shout out to my niece Brittany, her husband Nick, and baby Dylan - the Pino Family! Look what I found at the convenient store!

I'd send you some, but they're ice cream and I don't think they'd make the trip!

I hope everyone has a great 2010 and get out there and explore!

2010 To-Do List

I like lists. I like grocery lists, pre-planned menus, packing lists, lists for work, lists for home - you get the idea. If you know the Hester family (for those of you just tuning in that's my maiden name), you will know that I come by this desire for organization honestly. For those of you who know me, but not the rest of my family, it may come as a shock that I am the laid back one in our family. I know, I know. How can someone as anal as me be the laid back one? But trust me I speak the truth.

This love of lists, and my irrational dislike of the notion of resolutions, has led me to my 2010 to-do list. This list is to be used as a guideline in an effort to make a more happy and healthy me. Here we go:
-eat more whole foods and fewer processed foods
-eliminate high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils at least 90% of the time
-practice more patience
-try at least 1 new recipe/week (including exploring vegetarian options and learning how to make tofu taste good)
-work on self acceptance and eliminate FAT TALK!
-incorporate yoga and strength training into fitness plan while continuing to swim, bike, run
-get in and stay in shape to run a half marathon at the drop of a hat
-eliminate diet sodas (I've tried this before and it is definitely my hardest vice to break free from)
-get more hands-on with household finances (I'm pretty aware of the every day stuff, but I need to play a bigger role in helping Chris plan for our future)
-leave my comfort zone more (when I originally thought of this I was thinking that I need to be more social, but it could really apply to many aspects of my life)
I'm sure that there are more things I will want to accomplish this year and I'll let you know when they pop up, but for now I'll leave you with one of my favorite songs (originally from my favorite musical Wicked and now in one of my favorite TV shows Glee).

Happy 2010 and let's all defy gravity!

2009 in Pictures (mostly)

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

If you have any questions about the pictures leave me a question or feel free to look in the monthly archives to read the original post. I'll be back soon with resoultions! Happy New Year!