Proof our kids are getting bigger

This is Garth on Salley's road bike......Doesn't look too small for him....does it?

Happy 37Th Birthday Heath.....

August 29Th rang in but another year for Heath. I slaved away making his cake (Margarita Cake which sounded good on paper, but really wasn't) and got this photo of him blowing out his candles. My camera was having a difficult time focusing as it was perplexed by the bonfire of candles on top of the cake. I guess we will need to invest in a fancier camera now that our cakes look like the surface of the sun. Just think.....with each passing year we can satisfy our "Pyro" needs by lighting a small fire. Have a great year Heath.........

Playing Dress-Up Navy Style

The Thrill of Victory....and the Agony of Defeat

On August 16Th the Karama Islands were the setting for a most epic dive trip. We had a full boat and did a total of 3 dives. The last dive at Twin Rocks was the most memorable for me. It was clear and warm and we were able to get some great photos. That being said, the day presented some problems for some of our faithful party. The ocean was a bit rough and our boat was having steering issues. To navigate the waves our captain had to zigzag back and forth thus causing a very noticeable rocking motion. For those of you who know Heath you are probably assuming that I am going to say he was chumming for fish the whole time. Well....you stand corrected.....Heath found a wonder drug in the Scopolamine patch and was able to keep his breakfast and lunch to himself that great day. One little patch and Heath braved the turbulent sea like the sailor he is. I am unable to say that about our friend Stef. She started out good to go, however, as we got further from the coast in a zigzag-rocking-lurching motion things continued to go downhill. The poor thing made the first dive and spent the rest of the day either leaning over the rail or curled up on the deck. I don't know if things improved for her on the way back as the boat's steering issues got worse and we almost needed to be towed. Needless to say we all made it home with some of us a little more empty and pale than the others. To top off the adventure Brian ended up with decompression sickness the following day and was cordially invited to spend 8 hours in the decompression chamber. In Brian's and Stef's defenses we did have one other party member have a spell of narcosis on the first dive and someone else chummed on the way back. All in all it was a very good trip with lots to blog about. Enjoy the slide show......

Sink or Swim

Nothing like a mass start to ease your nerves. Someone is smacking you in the head and someone else is grabbing your feet. This in not to mention feeling like you are going to drown when someone dunks your head under the water and ruins your rythym. These Westcott kids are amazing.........

Tri Kids

Garth and Grace participated in a 2 week triathlon camp and finished up with a Tri Kids triathlon (200m swim, 2mile bike, 1mile run). They both did really well and had a lot of fun (despite the heat and wicked humidity). It was great to see them participating in a group event with such great attitudes and sportmanship.

Chuck is Home

Our neighbor Chuck Foster arrived home from Kuwait on August 8th. Heath promised Chuck that he would meet him at the threshold with a cold beer. They say that they suffered in Kuwait without access to good beer. Heath and Chuck became close friends while deployed. We are happy to have him back.

Around the Island

We decided that we'd better start exploring the island again lest we find ourselves ready to change duty stations. It would be a shame to miss out on these sights especially when they are almost in our backyard. The Nakagusuku Castle (or "jo") is a World Heritage site. It is a very large castle in top of a hill southeast of Camp Foster. The Pacific Ocean on one side and the East China Sea on the other.

The Futenma Shrine is very near us as well. I was driving the other day and it happened to catch my eye. The Shinto shrines are so peaceful. This is the first one we have visited on Okinawa.

A day out with Garth and Grace

Our friends Tina, Dave and Max the dog took the kids to a great little beach a few weekends ago. The tide was very high and they had a great time.