Weekend at the Marriott

We've gone to the Marriott once before, over Memorial Day weekend, but we had some more employee discount tickets burning a hole in our wallets so we invited some friends to go with us. The Hall Family joined us on Sunday/Monday and the Costa family joined us on Monday/Tuesday and we had so much fun!  The guys had Mon & Tues off for the holiday weekend so we enjoyed having them around before they all head out and part ways.

We got a later-than-anticipated start up to the Marriott, so after we got to the hotel and settled in, it was time for dinner.  We looooove their restaurants, so we were planning to eat our way through the weekend!  We ate at their yakinuku restaurant, which is where you grill your own food at your table.  We sat the kiddos at one table and the adults at the other and everyone had a grand old time!  The kids were angels.  The drinks were included.  We ate a bajillion crab legs and the biggest shrimp I've seen on island. We retired to the room, let the kids play and finished off the night with a rousing game of Apples to Apples, where Alli staged the greatest come-from-behind win in Game Night history!

The next morning after breakfast we all went across the street and took a glass bottom boat ride.  We got to take a trolley ride out to the pier where the boats were and the kids were super duper excited!


The kids loved the boat ride and seeing all the cool fish - but it was sort of stressful trying to keep them all IN the boat!! Japan doesn't have any of those silly rules about everyone wearing life jackets, and some of the kids (ok, just ours) thought it was a better view to lean over the very low railing to see the fish as opposed to looking at the bottom of the boat. *sigh.*

After the boat ride, we went in the underwater observatory and got to look at the sea life that way.  The kids were very excited about seeing Nemo and his daddy. ;)  Then we parted ways with the Hall family and went back to the room for naps all around!

After naptime, we met up with the Costas and all went swimming at the hotel pool.  It was chilly outside so we stayed inside to swim.  Well... the guys and the boys swam...Laura and I really just sat in the hot tub with the girls... :) 

Then we basically repeated the dinner/nighttime routine with the Costas...have I mentioned how much I loooove the food at this place?!

The next morning we swam and ate breakfast, checked out, and had an adventure finding an off-the-beaten-path park.  We all had a great time on the equipment!  

 Then Laura and I ventured off in search of a winery we swore was around there somewhere, and we found it! It was a fun little side-trip before heading home. 

 The kids racked out for a bit on this "hammock" which was really designed to catch someone if they fell off the very dangerous swinging bridge above it....ah, I love Japan!!

We are really going to miss Okinawa.  There is an adventure around every corner, and we have the greatest friends here!  But last week we officially got word that we'll be moving back to Quantico, VA for about a year.  I think we'll be leaving here mid- to late-June, which means we have less than 4 months left in paradise!