Happy 2010!

Here are some pictures from New Year's Eve when we rang in 2010 with a margarita party!

Oh, how I love his moves!

Our First Married Christmas!

Our first Christmas together as a married couple was wonderful!  While we missed our family and the snow, we had fun creating new traditions of our own that we hope to pass down to our children some day.  We went ice skating (yes, in Okinawa!)...

 Decked the halls!

 and opened lots of presents!

Our First Thanksgiving!

The best part about being a newlywed?  Everything is a first!  While I have cooked many thanksgivings, Thanksgiving 2009 was OUR first Thanksgiving that we hosted at our home.  We had our Oki family over for turkey and all the trimmings!  We even got to use our beautiful registry china for the first time!

Ryan carved the turkey (for my first attempt, it was DEELISH!)

 Audrey loved the homemade pumpkin ice cream truffles!

Diwali Mubarek!

I know Diwali was almost a week ago, but I hope the festival of lights was as fun for you as it was for us!  Ryan and I hosted our first dinner party since we got married and I cooked an entire Indian meal for the first time in my life!  It turned out de-li-ci-ous!  You can find all of the recipes on my new cooking blog.  Check it out here!

Our first Karva Chauth

Karva Chauth is a ritual performed by married Hindu women soon before Diwali.  We fast for the health and well-being of our husbands.  From sun up to the time we see the moon, our fast shows how devoted we are to them and our willingness to sacrifice for our husbands.  After a wife looks at the moon, she immediately looks at her husband.  She offers a little prayer to Lord Ganesh and the moon and then the husband feeds the wife her first bite of food and first sip of water.

A woman's first Karva Chauth as a married woman is a big deal.  I would have loved to gather with my mother, aunts, and cousins to celebrate the traditional way, but Ryan made sure I had a fabulous first Karva Chauth.  While it's not customary for the husband to fast, Ryan fasted with me to show that he is devoted to me as well.  It was a very overcast night and we couldn't see the moon from our house, so my amazing husband drove me around until we found it!  He fed me, I fed him, and then we enjoyed a fabulous Turkish dinner!  I married a great guy that I would fast any day for!

Karva Mubarak!

Obon

Reason 263 that we love living off base in Japan? Eisa dancers performing at night during Obon! Obon is a holiday that Okinawan Buddhists celebrate enthusiastically. They believe that their deceased ancestors return home during this time so to honor them, they eat, drink, and Eisa dance! Eisa is a traditional Ryukuan dance that is performed with drums, rhythmic movements, and cries of "Ei Ya Sa Sa!" Last week, while Ryan had to be in bed by 7pm to wake up early for the range (he shot expert...again!), I ran outside with my camera when I heard the drumming begin. Wealthier families pay the Eisa dancers to play in front of their house for their ancestors and then offer the dancers refreshments like chocolate, Awamori, and watermelon (which goes for about $10 here!). Luckily, the Obon dancers returned nearly every night and Ryan and I followed the procession with a new Japanese friend on Saturday night. I even got some video!

I particularly enjoyed watching the little boy in green shorts. He was on beat and even knew some of the moves!

Here's another video of some of the dancers. The man dancing on the right is actually American!