Our Home on Wangfujing Dajie

The Crowne Plaza Beijing served as a comfortable home base during our visit to China. When we arrived from Peking Airport after a long day of flights and layovers, the pillowy down comforter, plush white robes and terry slippers were a welcome sight. I squealed at the size of the bathroom, and although I never got a chance to soak in the terrific tub, I partook of the luxurious lotions and loofah from the toiletries basket. From our window we could enjoy an atrium view into the hotel lobby where I made a "Santa sighting" in one of the glass elevators (see previous post). Though much of our time was spent out and about seeing the city and surrounding area, we spent pleasurable time in the hotel plotting our daily itineraries, sampling Cantonese cuisine, and reading and partaking of Chinese tea service in the atrium lobby. The experience Matt and I both enjoyed most at the hotel was closing each evening with a recap of the days events over wine and a cigar at the champagne and cigar bar. Over the next few days, I will be revisiting our trip again for you and sharing some of the images we captured along the way - stay tuned for stories and pictures that will hopefully give you a peek into Beijing and Chinese culture.

Coming Soon

I'll be posting pictures from our trip to Beijing over the weekend and throughout next week!!

2007: A Year in Review

Moments after this picture was taken on a breezy April afternoon, the course of my life changed. I remember being so blissfully happy when Matt snapped this picture at Clifton Inn. At school, my Jefferson research presentation had been successful and the positive feedback had me soaring. I loved living in Portsmouth and spending time with Zelda, my new friends at school who were dear kindred spirits, and Matt (every moment he wasn’t asleep or at the hospital, of course). Lately, I had liked the fact that I was starting to make decisions based on two people instead of just one. So did Matt, because later, hours after I paused on the Clifton Inn landing, he asked me to be his wife.

Together, Matt and I set out on a path that has taken us across the United States and five countries before finally settling on the other side of the world. As I look back, I can’t believe we have managed to pack so many adventures, celebrations, challenges and memorable moments into just eight months. I have cried so many times this year – from joy, heartbreak, frustration, and every emotion between, that I can probably say that 2007 has been one of my most tear-filled years on record. At the same time, I can also say it was definitely a year that I realized how many people I have in my life that are ready to surround me with love and support – to fly with me when my heart is soaring and pick me up when I stumble. If you are reading this, I can most assuredly say that you are one of these people, and I can’t express enough gratitude for your presence in my life. And I really have to thank God, because he never gave me too much to handle at one time, something would always resolve itself before another thing piled on.

It was a roller coaster year, that 2007, and at times, I wasn’t sure which way I was headed next, but for everything bad or sad, there was something amazingly good. I leave you now with some of the highlights of the best moments of my year. I’ve spent the afternoon lovingly looking through these pictures and remembering the when they were taken - if you see your face somewhere, I hope it takes you back to a moment we shared together. Happy New Year!!!!

Love, Shannon

                Dining Out                                        Zelda-boo           

Engaged! At Monticello! On Jefferson's Birthday!

I knew this was the dress the moment I tried it on (that's Matt on the phone).

               Strother Girls                         Celebrating 60 years of Langford             Smudge Sisters                             Brainy Beach Babes

"Two become one - Love never ends"

June 30, 2007

                Fine Food                                          First Class Surprise
               Royal Plantation                              Ocho Rios

Jamaican Sky

               Busch Gardens                               Bear Haven
              80's style Setter                              Ladies who Lunch
              Attempting Origami                    Being Aunt Nan-Nan
               Brittany and Alan                         Shuri Castle

Temple of Heaven, Beijing

Many Days of Christmas

We are truly celebrating twelve days of Christmas this year - even after the day itself passed, cards and packages have continued to arrive at Hana Mansion. Thank you so very much to all of you who have made our holidays bright with your cards bearing kind messages and packages of all sorts of treats. Our Christmas Day was full of relaxation and warmth. I fixed a brunch of strata and gingerbread while Matt slept in, we opened presents (kimonos, jewelry, my favorite perfume, and a wooden Chinese chest for me; HD-DVD stuff, a professional BBQ tool set, and R2D2 soy sauce dispenser for Matt), talked to family, sat on our balcony while Matt had a cigar (it was 75 and sunny!) and dined on lamb in the evening. I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are gearing up for a great beginning to the new year!

Gingerbread men - an essential component of our holiday season. They were always bright and smiling and ready to be eaten - that is until Matt took hold of the icing and created a version with "medical maladies".

At the Southeast Botanical Garden holiday light display.

Our ittty, bitty Japanese "Merry Christmas Tree".

Tidings of Joy

It's the night before Christmas in Okinawa and the gingerbread men are baked, the presents are wrapped and Matt and I are sitting on the big purple couch, sipping some wine and basking in the blinking lights of our tiny Christmas tree.

Our Christmas Eve has been resplendent with holiday cheer - from listening to our favorite carols to jolly phone conversations with family to congregating with our friends for a candlelight Christmas service. The chaplain's message was that on many nights, we go to sleep and wake up to the unexpected, just like on a night many years ago in Bethlehem when the world woke up to hear the news of the birth of Jesus. I hope that you wake up to a Christmas morning full of unexpected delights - a phone call from far away, a present you didn't know you were going to get, new wonder at the holiday and its meaning to you and your family.

As little Gladys announces at the end of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, "Hey! Unto you a child is born!" And as Matt and I say, from our home in Japan, "Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!"

Santa Sighting: Beijing, China December 15, 2007

Good News and Bon Voyage

Doesn't Mr. Fish look happy? Matt took this picture at the Okinawa aquarium a few months ago and when I saw it, I couldn't help but imagine this fish was swimming along gleefully. I haven't really had an opportune moment to post this picture until now - and I think this is the perfect occasion because Matt and I are both pretty gleeful.

We found out this morning that he has been accepted for his residency next year at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and tomorrow morning, we are departing for vacation in China. We'll be gone for five days and then back for some sightseeing and outdoor fun on the northern part of Okinawa before spending Christmas at home. I hope your holiday season is thus far cheery and bright. What are you doing to celebrate the holidays?

Shurijo: Palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom

The Seiden (Main Hall) - center of political and ceremonial activities of the Ryukyu Kingdom

The Zuisen Gate

Shisa protecting the entrance to the Zuisen gate

Stairs leading to the Roukoku Gate

Side view of the Una (Forecourt) and Seiden

Suimui-utaki - a sacred site within the castle compound

Matt collecting stamps for our Shurijo guide

From the castle wall, overlooking Zuisen and Kyukei Gates

Marine Corps Birthday Ball

The month of November usually conjures images of Thanksgiving dinners, football and first snows in the United States, but in Okinawa where the temperature hasn’t dipped much below 70, it also marks the start of ball season to celebrate the birthday of the United States Marine Corps. This year marks the 232nd anniversary of the Marines, and Matt and I attended two of the over 50 balls held across the island.

Since the balls were formal events, I had to find two formal gowns to wear – no easy feat since that meant ordering from a selection online and crossing my fingers that they would 1. get here in time and 2. fit based on the measurement charts. I think I lucked out with the gowns I selected (with much online advice from friends back home :) ) and I was very pleased with the results. However, our pre-ball dressing plans weren’t without some complications – one of my dresses took over two hours to steam and iron and although Matt only had to wear his dinner dress blues, we discovered hours before the first ball that they WERE NOT IN OKINAWA (actually, we aren’t sure where they are!).

Like the Navy Dining-Out we attended in Portsmouth, the Marine Birthday Balls are steeped in ceremony and tradition. At both events, there was the presentation of the colors, music by a Marine Corps band and marching horns and percussion and the entrance of the enormous Marine Corps birthday cake. There were also birthday messages from Marine leaders across the globe, a video montage depicting a brief history of the Corps and distinguished Marine speakers. My favorite traditions were the presentation of the first slices from the giant cake to the oldest and youngest Marines present and the empty table set to honor and remember fallen Marines. I think I really liked the Marine ceremony and history because it made me think a lot about my uncle, Colin, who was a Marine.

Dinner, set at tables with beautiful island flowers and patriotic themes, and dancing followed the ceremony. At the second ball, for the 3rd Marine Logistics Group, there was also a karaoke room, and I got talked into singing Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up” with another officer’s wife while Matt was outside smoking a cigar with some of the guys (he came in right as I took the mic). Thankfully, there were probably only about ten other people in the room at the time and my microphone was off for the first half of the song, so it wasn’t too traumatic of an experience. Oh, oh, oh!

This is the largest cake I've ever seen!!

 (p.s. except for a few pieces for the cutting ceremony, it is not real)

Since my past-life as an event planner, I have really appreciated a well-set, well-designed table. 

The back of my dress. An essential shot for moms, aunts and girl friends ;).

(My other dress is pictured in our Thanksgiving message.)