Opening of the Snorkeling Season!

Mother's Day 2011 and nothing says Mother's Day like a trip to the beach (following a yummy breakfast in bed including chocolate chip pancakes, of course)!

We're getting to be regulars at the secluded beach we found on the south end of the island with our friends Liz, Don and Lydia.  This weekend we had to borrow a friend's van so we could all drive down together, and thanks to Joe's Delica van, we were in the perfect vehicle to go off-roading in order to get to an even remoter spot!  We were trying to find a new access to the beach in order to be closer to the "fishing hole" so the guys started blindly taking itty-bitty farm paths to weave a way towards the water.  There was a small opening after a string of greenhouses with a path that looked promising, so after sending Stevie to scout it out, we headed down the corridor of greenery using the van's 4-wheel drive.  Delicas are like super-sized vans that remind me of the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo.

I love how both guys are leaning out the windows!

Up, up, up!

She'll be coming through the jungle when she comes...

This time we brought our snorkeling gear to try out some of the awesome bowls and trenches we could see from the surface.  The weather has been amazingly cool this spring for Okinawa, but we braved the cooler waters to see the fish.  Cannon is astonishingly brave and jumps right into the deepest part and paddles away.  London is a little more cautious and found a shallow pool to explore.  The girls kept themselves occupied in an even shallower pool while the adults all went in search of underwater sights.

After exploring the depths, we found a really shallow pool that felt like a bath.  We hung out in this "nature bath" for a long time floating and relaxing.  Doesn't Cannon look like a dead body washed up on shore?  What a great way to spend Mother's Day!  Thanks family!

Relaxing in our natural spa

Cannon perfecting the dead man float.

Picnic lunch under the rocks.

Liz heading down to "our" beach.

These creepy little guys were set up in a clearing of vegetation.  Don't know what they are, why they were there or whose they were but didn't want to get hexed trying to find out!