A Very Happy Sunday

Let me tell you something: we have 1:30 church and it. is. rough. But we have learned to cope, and it's not nearly as bad as it used to be. Today was a great Sunday, thanks to these genius toys my friend Jaqui gave me, and thanks to a crock pot meal ready to eat as soon as we came home, and most importantly, thanks to the fact that Dominic got to go to NURSERY today!!! We even got out of the house for a beautiful little walk out in Carmel before bedtime. The cherry on top. 

THIS BOY. He was ecstatic to finally join his brother in nursery, and he was ecstatic that we let him do this easy walk all on his own. I think he is feeling so grown up. 

So hard to get a picture with both of them these days. Especially outside. They just want to explore. 

 And how cute is this?? I had an extra copy of Pride and Prejudice in my backseat so I swapped it out for something else. I want one in my yard!

So grateful for Sundays like these. We haven't had a lot this year with two crazy little boys. And honestly, there were a few times when I questioned if it was worth it to keep taking them to church for the full three hours every week. But I see things getting better. I see them slowly starting to see why we go. And there are lots of people who always encourage us saying how they are proud of us that we don't just pick up and leave when the boys act up. I'm so grateful for these little moments of encouragement.

Anyway, hope you had a happy Sunday, and here's to a new week!

Happy Sunday from Cape Chinen

This weekend the city of Nanjo hosted the Okinawa Herb Festival. A whole festival dedicated to herbs?? Oh, Okinawa, I love how you celebrate everything. I'm serious. As I share this post for my "Happy Sunday" series, I was thinking of how coming here to this beautiful park on the ocean to look at herbs could be applied to what I usually write about on my Happy Sunday posts: celebrating God and this beautiful earth. 

I realize now how much the Okinawans teach me about being grateful. They remind me and make me more aware of the wonderful things of this earth like herbs. 

My favorite holiday is this week, and today at church we heard wonderful talks about gratitude. So that's what is on my mind. I just have so much to be grateful for. I don't participate in the daily sharing of things on facebook because I don't like over posting that much and clogging your feed, but let it be known that I AM GRATEFUL. Grateful for my life, for my God, for my family, and for so many more things.  

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving week! I love you all. And I am grateful for you too. 

Happy Sunday from Cape Hedo

"Oh Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom thou hast made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."

-Psalm 104:24

Cape Hedo is the very most northern tip of the island. Now I've been to the very north, and the very south (written about here). That giant bird is the scenic overlook tower---it's huge. It's cool to see how the geography differs from the north and south. Personally I prefer the north since I have a love for mountains, but man, this whole island is so beautiful. 

There are so many beautiful places all over this earth. It's such a blessing to be able to see some of that diverse beauty. And honestly, living here now helps me appreciate the beauty of where I grew up in Utah, and other places I have lived. It helps me recognize the beauty of all of God's creation. I love this earth.

Whenever I think of the creativity of God, I always think of these wonderful words:

"Remember that you are spirit [sons and] daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination." {Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

Hope you have a happy Sunday. Love you all!

Happy Sunday from Cape Maeda

It was a windy Sunday at Cape Maeda, and the waves were fierce. We stopped here after a Sunday drive to Cape Manzamo--I wanted to show it to Victor (now that he's finally back from Korea!) and our visiting friends because I think it's so pretty. 

Cape Maeda is a beautiful place as well and the diving/snorkeling is amazing over here. The staircase below is where Victor did his scuba certification a few months ago, but the red flag means that the sea conditions were too harsh for diving today. His pictures of the place are perfectly calm, but today was not the case. 

 It made me think to all the symbolism and analogies that we hear about our mortal lives being a voyage. I just got back from being a girls camp leader where the theme was "Anchored in Faith." I just love the imagery of anchors, lighthouses, etc. in describing our experience here on earth. The ocean can be a terrifying thing sometimes. It can be calm and peaceful one moment, and then all of a sudden you could be engulfed in a storm. (The Japanese sign described the sea conditions as "angry waves." I think it's appropriate).

It made me think of this amazing verse of scripture:
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

I am just so incredibly thankful for these words. What an amazing comfort. And I know that it is a valid promise. Makes me think of the words of Jeffrey R. Holland: "He knows the way because He is the way."

I'm just so so happy to know this. I hope we never forget it.

Happy Sunday.

Aaaaaand, just as a side comment, Lindsay and I were feeling very Jane Austen-y in our maxi dresses and the pretty landscapes. We were pretending we were Elinor and Marianne Dashwood in this picture.    I think we succeeded.

Hmm, maybe not. 

Anyway, Happy Sunday!!

Happy Sunday from Cape Manzamo

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.  

~e.e. cummings

I went on a Sunday drive with my friend April and my cousin Sarah, and we ended up here. We basically picked it out on a map not really knowing what to expect, and wow. We made our way down and around to where the divers go to get in, and we did a little whale watching (it's their migration season right now) and wow. That was sweet. 

We weren't the only ones who came to enjoy the cape. They really love their tour groups!

 Ending the day with the sunset and the sea. What a beautiful sabbath. So much to be thankful for! I hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

xoxo Annie

Happy Sunday from Cape Kyan

i don't really know if that's my hair or the bushes in the picture, but I just like this picture

 We took a beautiful Sunday drive to the southern tip of the island, to Cape Kyan. The southern area of the island is where Naha, the big city, is and as we drove through it, we slowly saw the big buildings disappear, until we were on teeny one lane roads going through farm land and leading to the cape.

We also took a wrong turn and stumbled upon some castle ruins right on the edge of the cliffs. The ruins really were ruins. They were covered in forget-me-nots and other wild flowers.

I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday: enjoying the gorgeous weather and marveling in how absolutely gorgeous is this world that God has created. When I have these kind of moments, the words of my favorite hymn always gets stuck in my head.

I really love Sundays. Hope you have a good one too!