For Easter this year, like always, we made a big Easter dinner. It was funny trying to cook a ham in our tiny easy bake oven. Our Japanese house does not have a big American oven. It has a microwave/toaster/oven that is the size of a microwave. It does fine with the microwave function, but toasting and the oven feature don't really pack much of a punch - also, all the buttons are in Japanese characters, so I'm probably using it wrong anyway. To solve (or slightly improve) our oven situation we bought a slightly larger conventional oven from the base. It is big enough for a frozen pizza, but that's about the biggest thing we can fit in there, and those full size cake pans don't fit...neither do cookie sheets, roasting pans, muffin pans and all that. So baking is an adventure. We had to buy a tiny ham since the big ones won't fit in our oven, which is fine 'cause we always make too much anyway. And we can't run the oven at the same time as the dishwasher (which is also very tiny...and in Japanese) without blowing a fuse and since I make a big mess when I cook that made for a lot of dirty dish back up. Thanks to Scott for washing so many dishes by hand. Eventually we did end up with an edible meal, and we offered some of it to Matthew since he didn't get any last Easter (he was one month old then). At first he thought the Easter food was no good, but eventually he got into it, literally, especially the scalloped potatoes. It seemed like he ate a lot since his bowl was empty by the end, but I think he wiped most of it in his hair. Easter dinner ended with a nice bath for Matthew...and then lots of bunny buns and Easter chocolates and jelly beans for mom and dad. Hope everyone had a good holiday!
Matthew decides the potatoes are good to eat (Grandpa Keeler would approve!)
Matthew's elusive teeth come out for a visit...both of them!
The post-dinner clean up
Easter was a lot of fun!
Matthew on his ride-on toy
After a collision with the TV
Matthew thinks the vacuum is interesting. He must be related to Jaron!
Wearing his outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Guptill
Matthew likes brushing his teeth
The Tatami Room (aka Matthew's play room)
The Living Room
Dining Area
Kitchen
Storage and Laundry Room
Washer complete with homemade English subtitles
One of the bathrooms - the tub and shower are in one room and the toilet is in another room, while the sink is out in the hallway. It's a bathroom revolution!
Matthew decides the potatoes are good to eat (Grandpa Keeler would approve!)
Matthew's elusive teeth come out for a visit...both of them!
The post-dinner clean up
Easter was a lot of fun!
I can't believe our little guy is turning one. It's been a rough few months for him, adjusting to the move and a new house, but things are starting to get smoother.
Matthew on his first birthday, relaxing on his new birthday couch.
Balloons!!
Happy 1st Birthday Matthew!!
Ocean Expo Park near Nago in Okinawa, Japan
Churaumi Aquarium at Ocean Expo Park
The Guptills in Okinawa!
A nice view at Ocean Expo Park
Southeast Botanical Gardens near our home in Okinawa
