a scene from our daily commute

ummmmm.... OK!!!







It seems like a no-brainer that you would have to yield to low flying aircraft, but it always makes me laugh when I see this sign. When we get stopped, it is always cool (even though a pain to be stopped in traffic) to see and FEEL the planes landing. You feel the rumble in your car, the sounds of the big planes landing or taking off, and the sights of seeing this awesomeness!!!

our first 'bad' day

Maybe I am just in a bad mood - but today was pretty crummy. It started off when I had to spend 3 hours in the phone store. Anyone who has ever experienced this knows what angst and grief this causes. Then include a language barrier and it makes it 10x worse. Patrick said I should have just walked out of the store and waited until he was home (so I could go without the kids) but the semi-English speaking person only works 10:30-4:30 and Patrick is in work then. So I had to take them with me. For 3 HOURS!!! Thank goodness there was a Starbucks next door so I could get them some food (at the 2 hour mark). You know it is frustrating when the Japanese cell phone worker at the base is SCREAMING into the phone. Japanese people do not raise their voice, let alone scream. Every time we got close to a solution, something would happen to deter us from our goal. We got so close one time - and then they started getting a fax which cut off our phone line (after waiting an hour to speak to someone who could help us). Grrrrrr. I literally cried. Twice. The kids did ok - but not great (like the perfect angels I expected them to be). So that was frustrating as well.

After that was resolved (sort of) I took Gavin to his Japanese lessons. He was excited to go so I dropped him off for the hour and ran errands with Evie. The hour flew by so I went back to pick him up. The kids in the class were running around like crazy (like they do at the end of class) but the teacher had to pull me aside and tell me that Gavin was really bad in class. Really bad. She said he was acting crazy and running around when he was told to stop, interrupting her, and also making fun of a new littler boy in class who was scared and crying.

In all of Gavin's years in preschool and other organized activities - he has never once even gotten a complaint from the teacher. As a matter of fact, they praised him for being such a good example. He has always strived to be good in school and not get in trouble. So this worries me a little. OK - a lot. I hope this transition has not turned his attitude about school. So, this made me cry again. I tried to talk to him about it - and he didn't even seem to care that I knew he had gotten in trouble.

After that, we needed to go to the grocery store (the commisary) to get food for dinner. While we were there, we saw his teacher. I told him he needed to go apologize to his teacher and tell her he would not do it again. But her refused. So I told him he had a choice....apologize or go directly to bed for the rest of the night. He chose bed. Again, very unlike him.

Now I know we had a rough day - but this behavior is very sad for me to see come from him. He also got in trouble in the grocery store for touching some meat packages (I didn't see him do it) but I saw a Japanese guy working there come up to him, with his arms in an "X" position - which is their way of saying "NO!". He was shooing Gavin away and Gavin ran behind me with his head down - like he knew he did something wrong.

I hope this day was just a fluke...but please keep Gavin is your thoughts and prayers. I hope he is adjusting ok - and if not - please keep me in your prayers that I can help him.

the biggest negative

The worst part so far about Japan (besides being away from friends and family) is the humidity. It is crazy humid here. Not always that hot, but always super humid. Sometimes it is so bad you can't go outside because it is so hard to even breathe.

Since it is so humid, we have our air conditioning on full-blast cold to try to compensate inside and keep things dry (well, drier). I am freezing in the house - but it does help. It can get so bad that papers start to warp, food goes stale pretty quickly, and mold can grow if you are not carefully cleaning the surfaces. So I guess I will put up with the cold air for now. It supposedly is just this bad in the summer (June - Sept) but I am ready for a break. I take 2 showers a day because it is so gross outside. We have to wash our towels everyday (instead of reusing them for a few days like we normally do). And we have to keep the lights and fan on in the bathrooms at night (after showers and baths) to help stunt mold growth. We use Damp-Rid in our closets (to help dry up the moisture in the air) which should last 60 days....and have lasted 6 and are full of water already. Our de-humidifier is coming on Friday in our big shipment but we are going to buy another one so we can have one on each floor.

OK...I am done my rant. Otherwise, we really do like it here a lot. But my hair definitely does NOT like it here :-)

I love finding cool new places

Today (Sunday) we didn't have much planned, but I knew there was a Costoco (Costco for you American folk) down the road, so we took a nice little family drive to get there. It was only about 15-20 mins from base (on the main road just off base) so we decided to go ahead and go there for some shopping and lunch. Well, to my very happy surprise, it turns out the Costoco is located right next to an AWESOME outlet mall. Not only did they have cool Japanese stores, but also internationally known stores (Banana Republic, Theory, etc.). And to the kids pleasure, they had a Lego store too!!! We had to park next to the Outlets and walk to the Costco - so we HAD to walk through the stores :-) It is an open, outside type place - but with lots of covering to keep it shaded (and out of any possible rain). They had some water fountain spray play areas for kids too. We let the kids buy something from Lego and I got some cute things at a home store (kids bath math and loofah sponges).

Then we signed up for a Costco membership and found the perfect dual screen DVD player for our car. It was everything we were looking for and only about $120. It was really crowded (the Japanese only have Sundays off from normal work) so Patrick was getting a bit antsy and irritated, and it was time for lunch...so we just headed to the checkout with our car DVD player. Unfortunately, they only accepted American Express or yen...so we couldn't buy it because we didn't have that much yen on us. We could have gone back to the outlets and found an ATM - but I decided I would just come back tomorrow when it will be less crowded and I can do some grocery shopping as well!!!

Patrick is a little worried that there is such a nice shopping area so close to me...but I swear I will avoid it (for now).

patrick's iphone pics

Last minute fun

This was our 1st 'real' weekend in a very long time. Literally, for over 2 months we have had no real feel for the weekend. We were on permanent vacation! Patrick wasn't going to work, the kids weren't in school, and I had no social calendar to abide by. But this week Patrick had a full work week (gasp!) and I was busy with the kids again. So Saturday really felt like something to celebrate!

We actually had NO plans! The kids were starting to get wound up so we decided to run some errands - just to get out of the house. Literally 2 minutes before we were about to leave, my new friend Amy (shout out to the Mormons) called to see if I wanted to go to a function at their church. It was not a religious activity - rather just a get together that was held at their church (I had gone to plenty with my Mormon friends in Ohio and always had a great time). Apparently, their ward (church location) has 2 services. One in the morning in English and another in the afternoon in Japanese. This upcoming week is the Tanabata Festival around here (kind of like Halloween where they celebrate the dead coming back to bring joy and happiness to the living), so the Japanese sisters wanted to put on an activity to help the American sisters dress in kimonos (called yukatas, summer cotton kimonos) so we could go to the festival in style!

A few of the members could not attend (but replied they would go) so they had some extra yukatas. And that's when Amy called me. So Evelyn and I went to her house (she lives right behind us) and we drove over to the church together. Evie loved watching everyone get dressed and there were about 8 Japanese women helping everyone get dressed. One of the younger ladies did mine - but the oldest 'sensei' made me take it off because she said I was too skinny for it. I wanted to kiss her right there on the spot, but I didn't know if that was appropriate :-) They made me choose a smaller one and then the sensei wrapped me in it TIGHT! It was fun to see how there was no problem with a language barrier when women are helping each other with fashion!!! One lady even let me borrow some clothed for Evelyn...they were boy ones - but she didn't care. Pokemon is cool for boys and girls!!!

After we learned about the yukatas and about the reason behind the festival, we walked about 10 minutes to go there. It was what I expected - with bright colorful balloons and streamers, dancers, dragon puppets, vendors, etc. We weren't too daring with the food - we only got sno cones and popcon for the kids - but it was still such an unexpected, last minute fun activity for our family!

the good and the bad...

The good - our crazy backdrop of Mt Fuji

Also the good - hearing people who have been all over with the military tell us how lucky we are that this is our first assignment. Every single person that finds out this is our first "accession" (assignment) wonders how we got here. Apparently this is a base that you have to work hard to get to because of how nice the base is and how well run the area is. As an added bonus - we get to experience one of the coolest cities in the world.

The bad - Patrick's partner is getting deployed. This means his family (and us) will miss him for 6 months and Patrick will be the solo surgeon (aka on-call all the time) for that time. He will still be able to take holidays and leave - but not as easily. It also means that if they bring another ortho in next year (to replace his current partner) then there is a chance Patrick could also have to go. To Afghanistan. No. Thank. You.

But....what will be will be. It is what it is. And all the other cliches out there. Seriously (prepare for another cliche) if it is meant to happen, then it will happen and it will happen for a good reason. We will make the most out of whatever experience is thrown our way :-)

First trip to Tokyo

On wednesday, we went to that pool (from last week) with another group of friends. It was a gorgeous day for the pool and we enjoyed it just as much, if not more, this time around. At the end of the playdate, some of the moms were talking about other playgroups they belonged to. One mom said their group was going off base to get some ice-cream...which sounded super fun. Then another mom said her group was going to "The Children's Castle" in downtown Tokyo...which sounded even more fun! Plus, it would give me a chance to learn how to ride the trains/subways with a group of other friends/kids instead of learning by myself!

So we agreed to join them the next morning. I packed some small snacks and juice boxes, as well as the kids games (DS and Leapster), my handy-dandy Tokyo guide, and some money in yen and USD. We left our house at 8:45am, met everyone at 9 (at the parking lot right before you leave base), and then walked to the train station. This was about a 10-15 minute walk and we were HOT!!! There were sidewalks for most of the walk (only large enough for one person...so we had to walk in a line) and all the other moms had littler kids, so they were all in their strollers. My kids were champs and didn't complain though!!! Thank goodness :-)

Patrick and I inherited some train passes (already loaded with money) so it made it a little easier for me to navigate. You literally just swipe your card when you go into the station and when you arrive at your final destination you swipe it again and it tallies your fare. Like EZPass. It deducts it from your account and you just refill it with cash when you get low. There is a designated area on each train for older people, pregnant people and people with kids...so we were pretty fortunate to get there. Unfortunately, we had a large group and wanted to stay together - but we made it work. I stood but the kids shared a seat. Immediately, I knew I was going to have to take a 1/2 dramamine for my motion sickness...but it never got too bad once I took it. All-in-all, it took about 2 hours from leaving our car until we got to the place we needed. Truthfully, I would've just preferred to drive myself. I don't care about traffic or tolls....I would rather drive anywhere than take public transportation (train, bus, plane, taxi). I am not being snobby...I just don't like it. Plus it was so hot outside - and not much cooler inside the train. It made for a LONG, HOT trip...but an experience I am glad to have had.

The Children's Castle is a large tower in the city designed to let 'inner-city' kids have a place to play. Each floor has different activities; from a pool, to an art center, music hall, playground, etc. It was a pretty neat place - but I found myself comparing it to COSI (the best Science Museum in the US). The kids had tons of fun though...which is the whole point!!!

After all the activites were done, we started to head back to the train station. One of the girls mentioned there was a Razzleberry Ice Cream store (like Pinkberry in the states) so we decided to walk past the train station to get some. We ended up going through the Times Square of Tokyo (very cool) to get there - but the kids HATED the ice cream and started to melt down! Evie was the worst -and I ended up dragging her - SCREAMING - back through the streets to the train station. I promised them that when we got back to the train that they could sit down and nap or play games. WRONG. It was 4pm - when people start to get off work, so it was your typical train in Japan. Literally shoving people in to fit. Eventually one seat opened - which the kids shared while I stood next to them.

We got back to our train station and they were spent (me too) so I paid a taxi to take us back to the main gate of the base. Best 750 yen I ever spent. We got back to our car and drove into our driveway at 5:30. I was soooooo tired (from the walking, the heat and the dramamine) and I was alseep by 8pm. I slept right through the night (except for the 4:30am phone ringing) and got up around 6:30. I am glad we went - but don't think I will be doing it again any time soon!!!

Bragging time

Time to take a quick break from the Japan updates and brag a little bit about Gavin. Before we left Ohio, Gavin had decided he wanted to save money and donate it to the Police (to keep bad guys in jail longer). We got a piggy bank (from Edward Jones Financial) that has a special slot for donations. And since we couldn't take the piggy bank filled with money with us (the movers are not allowed to move money - even coins) we took all of his saved donations to the Hilliard Police station the day before we left.

It was pretty cool because we went during a shift change and got to meet and give the money to the Chief of Police. He was leaving for the day - and got a little teary eyed when this little 5 year old boy gave him a zip-lock of coins to help the Police. It was pretty sweet and I was VERY proud of Gavin. The chief let us see some steel that was brought in (from the Twin Towers) for a special monument in Hilliard. And he took down our address so he could send a thank you.

Well, 6 weeks later...Gavin finally received his special package. Inside was a very nice note written by the Chief of Police himself, along with lots of goodies. Gavin was so excited and has been playing with the books and toys all night!!!

Captain Bull

Sorry it's crooked...I am still trying to figure out how to rotate it...

not for the faint of heart

Today I ventured out to take Evelyn for a preschool interview. In my last post, I stated how awesome the GPS is. Well, I take it back. Although it is great for the most part - it took me to the wrong location (it took me to the town hall instead of the school I was trying to get to) and it also tried to take me down an alley that was obviously not meant for a mini-van. No one seemed to try to stop me on the 'street' but at one point, it was so narrow that I clipped the side of my mirror. Then it came to a 90 degree turn. Imagine a one lane 'street' that dead ends and you are to turn right. Since my GPS was telling me to do it...I tried. Once I felt my bumper scrape the wall....I stopped and reversed back down the street. Yep, I was that stupid American who went the wrong way and then reversed back out of the 'street'. Thank goodness we only spent $2000 on the van :-)

We ended up 45 minutes late (after going to the town hall, finding the ONE person who spoke broken English and writing down the Japanese website to get better directions) and was a little disappointed. I know I was still shaky from the car ride...but the school seemed a bit to strict. They do not take holiday breaks (well...a small one over Christmas and another small one in March) and they go from 9-3 everyday. They did offer great activites while the kids are in school - gymnastics, ballet, swimming - but I just didn't feel that 'feeling' I was hoping to have. Evie passed their entrance exam (yes - that's right folks, an entrance exam) but needed improvement in her writing skills (yes again, folks, they expect 3 years olds to write). They did believe she was a fast learner and could be a great asset to the school though.

Another bummer was the cost. They severely discount the military English speaking kids - but it was still going to be $380/month. They include bus and lunch costs in there...but we wouldn't use it, and they didn't discount for not participating in those. The new school (not the one that took forever to get to today) would be 10 mins from base - so I would just drive her. Also, since she has a nut allergy - I am REQUIRED to provide her own food. But yet they still charge me for food she would not be eating???

Regardless, I was pretty bummed when I left. I was, however, proud that I ventured out, got lost, found my way, and returned home safe and sound - with just some love taps on my car. The rest of the day I ran errands on base and got quite a lot done. My favorite thing we did this afternoon was take Gavin to a Japanese kids class. It was very similar to the Spanish classes he took - and he LOVED it! There were 3 other boys his age and they hit it off great! Plus, he already learned a few new words and practiced the ones he already knew. YAY Gavin!

Tama Hills

This weekend we ended up going to Tama Hills, our first vacation in Japan. We were sort of forced into it since the our side of the base was going to be out of power ALL day on Saturday...but we were excited to go.

Now let me preface this adventure by saying we literally bought our car on Friday afternoon. For those that don't know, people drive on the other side of the car AND on the other side of the road in Japan. Also, the highways are beyond crazy. Think if driving through downtown NYC everywhere you have to go. There are alleys that act as side streets - but the main roads have lights at almost every intersection and traffic is horrendous at all hours of the day. So for us to just jump in the car and drive somewhere took real Kahunas.

Patrick did great - but we were able to follow our friends the whole way. Not that we really needed to though, because our GPS in the car in pretty awesome. It is all in Japanese...but the arrows and directions are very clear. It is way more advanced than any American GPS that I have seen - and it will show the upcoming intersection and highlight the lanes you are to be in. For example, if there are 5 lanes...1 goes left, 2 go straight, 2 go right...it will highlight the one(s) you should be in and warn you of the ones NOT to be in. It also has your next 2 turns to warn you. It will count down the (kilo)meters before the first turn, but also make you aware of how soon the 2nd turn is from there. And since we can't read or write Kanji (japanese symbols for words), we can type in the phone number and it will get us there! The previous owners also set a 'home' button and they live close to us...so we can just hit that button anytime to get us home.

Anyway, the room we stayed at in Tama was very nice. They even brought 2 cots for the kids. We got there around 6:30pm, ate dinner and then went back to the room for bed! We slept in until after 7 (which was awesome!!!) had some breakfast and then had some fun! The kids went on pony rides, we watched some softball games, played mini-golf, went hiking, etc. The only bummer was it was H-O-T! We were drenched in sweat and sought some coolness finally back in the hotel for lunch. I tried fried alligator tail (which was just like chicken wings) and a korean beef sandwich. I was proud of myself for being daring with food! It was all actually very good :-) The kids stuck with burgers and fries...but I am sure they will venture out soon!

Once we got back to base we have been getting more essentials and nice-to-haves for the house. Groceries, Gavin's school supplies, etc. We rented some movies for tonight and hope to have a relaxing night to ourselves (Patrick and I). Things are starting to settle in and we expect all of our items from our BIG shipment of AUG 13 (yes...friday the 13th). After that, it will feel much more homey. Although, I was pretty bummed the other day when Evelyn told me this place was just our 'house' not our 'home'. Our "home' is in Ohio still :-(

flower box

In front of our house there is a cute little area for flowers. The last people let theirs go and it was pretty yucky looking - so the kids and I picked out some pretty flowers and planted them this morning. So much nicer to look at!

***Sorry the one picture is upside down...i can't figure out how to change it!

i hope the feeling stays...

We have been so overwhelmed by so many things that it has been hard to stop and appreciate a lot of our new surroundings. Today, Patrick and I had to take a mandatory driving course. It was about 3 1/2 hours long, and at the end there was a pretty tough exam (open book though) that you have to pass to become a 'professional driver'. One of the cool things the base has to offer is 20 hours of free babysitting per kid (with licensed providers). Luckily, one was available to watch the kids so Patrick and I could attend the same class. There are a lot of rules, strange signs, customs and courtesies, and plain OPPOSITE things to learn that what we are used to. The funniest is that their emergency number is 119. We both passed the test (I got a 100%) and then we were off to buy our car. We had to finagle getting enough cash out to buy the car in cash (since we don't belong to any of the banks on base), then Patrick had to get insurance on it and submit for registration. We should be able to have the car by 3:00pm tomorrow...just enough time to take it on our first adventure in Japan!!!

The power is schedule to be off for 20 hours on Saturday. Do you know how bad that sucks? Refrigerated items will be ruined, the house will be so hot and humid and we need to find things to entertain us. So our friends invited us to a recreation park called Tama Hills 45 mins from here. It is still Yokota property, but has a hotel and cabins you can rent along with a nice golf course, horseback riding, mini golf, fishing, camping, etc. So we will drive down Friday night, have dinner and wake up to enjoy all their festivities. At the end of the day we will drive back home and hopefully have power :-) And it only costs $55!

But, as my title suggests...I really hope the excited feeling I have over certain things will last. Like walking out my back door and seeing mountain ranges (and on a clear day - Mt Fuji). Seeing 3 cargo military planes flying right over our heads about to land, feeling their rumble. Looking out my kitchen window and seeing 'Cherry Blossom Lane" - our street is literally lined on both sides with cherry blossom trees. Although they are not in bloom right now, the trees are still beautiful green arching monuments. It makes for a beautiful walk...when we can slow down and take the time to appreciate it :-)

So once our nerves settle, and we settle...I hope to appreciate all these little things. I know this can and will be an amazing experience (it already has been) but I hope to have an open and happy heart to accept the journey that will be put in front of us!

a few more pics...

My pretty flowers to make me feel happy


Our little coffee pot to get us through until ours arrives!


G&E before swimming


The biggest pain in the house was the stairs. They HURT your feet...


problem solved! Japanese stair rugs :-)

First playgroup (and some other details)

Last night, we hitched a ride (again) from our amazing sponsors, Michele and Andy. I hate saying the word sponsor because it makes me feel like we are part of AA. But...anyway, that is what they are referred to here. Sponsors. So they took us to the commisary (grocery shopping), the BX (like a mini Walmart) and the cell phone store. We have been researching a ton about what phone provider to go with and ended up choosing the one on base that offers the IPhone4. We both got one - which ended up being free when you sign onto a 2-year contract. And the total monthly bill for 2 phones (calls, texts, data, web - unlimited in Japan) will be $100. For BOTH phones total! That is cheaper than our Verizon bill was + free IPhone4s + unlimited usage. We are pretty excited! We still have our US numbers - but they are on a military suspend. We will activate them anytime we come home to visit - so we will still have the same numbers. But for now, we will have some kick a** IPhone4s. And we can take the SIM card out when we go back to the US and use it there like an Itouch (for all those tech savvy people that know what I am talking about).

Anyway, I also got a ton of groceries so we can actually eat like normal, not junk food all day. I got the basics to fill the pantry (sugar, flour, oil, etc) as well as 4 dinner ingredients. And all lunch and breakfast items too. And my whole bill was $150. It was 2 cart-fuls. I love it!!! I also picked up some things at the BX - an ironing board, coffee maker, light bulbs...all things that will get here in a few weeks when our big shipment arrives - but things we needed now also. I hated spending the extra money - but we can always donate them when we get our shipment. And of course, I got some flowers to make it feel prettier in our home.

This morning, Michele took us to a playgroup at a Japanese swimming pool. This place was so awesome. It had so many areas for young kids to play. There was a 3 foot pool (the entire pool was 3 ft), a water slide into shallow water, a lazy river that was 1 ft high with a huge padded mountain in the middle (the kids used ropes to help climb up and then roll down), etc. There were many rules (no jewelry at all, no cameras (boo), no sun glasses) but the entire day only cost 400yen (about $5). Gavin said it was his most fun day in Japan yet. There were also lots of other kids in the group and I got to meet some new moms.

One of the nicest encounters was with a woman who turned out to be Mormon. For those who know, I was very close to many Mormons in Ohio and have a great admiration and love for them. They joked that I would end up being friends with lots of Mormons "because they are everywhere :-)". And it's true, I loved meeting this woman (who reminded me exactly of my friends in OH) and am going to playgroup with them tomorrow. And the weirdest 'coincident' was that her best friend just moved to Columbus because her hubby is a DO in anesthesia. So I will help her network in OH.

Now it is time to keep cleaning and putting away boxes. This was ur small shipment and is taking forever to put away. I can't imagine what the big shipment will be like!!?!?!!

What a HOTTIE!!!!

Oh happy day!

Our 'unaccompanied baggage' arrived this morning! The kids bave been so addicted to the DS, Wii and Leapsters (since that is all the entertainment we had here for a while) and they were so exited to get their toys!!! They threw down their gaming systems and jumped into their own playthings. Evelyn stripped down immediately (in front of the Japanese movers - which I think is considered a no-no here) to put on her princess gowns and Gavin has got his batman fort all set up! Thank goodness :-)

borrowed items

Our living room - lovely green couches

Our bedroom

Our first dinner in our house...Pizza Hut

Gavin's room
Since our main shipment will not get here for a few weeks, we had to borrow furniture from the base. They had such an organized process...even the little japanese guys bringing it were orderly. And they ran between bringing in items. Can you believe that?!?!? Instead of the guys in America who smoked every 15 minutes and told me stories of how bad their life is, we got super hard working guys who would not accept a tip since this was part of their job description. But I digress.

It is fun to document this part - because we are so out of control of everything. We need to rely on so many people to help make our lives 'normal'. We had to borrow sheets from Michele and Andy, borrow furniture from the base, and get rides to the store to buy essentials (t.p., milk, etc). It is so humbling and we are so appreciative.

Here are some pics of our house as is right now. Tomorrow, our first shipment will get here with our linens and towels, toys and books, tv, utensils, etc. It will be nice to have OUR things around.

day 3

The outside of the mall

playing thomas basketball

playing whack-an-alligator
Today was pretty relaxing for the most part. The kids and I woke up around 3:30am (we went to bed at 6:30pm) and just chilled out around the hotel room. This jet lag thing is really awful. If it were just Patrick and I, we could probably fight it. But the kids have to listen to their little bodies and sleep when needed. I forced them today to take a long nap again so we can stay up a bit later tonight. Hopefully this will be the worst of it.

Regardless, it was a mellow day. We took a little walk in the morning around our blocks, found the shopette (like a little convenience store), the indoor pool and even saw Mt Fuji in the distance. We got a chance to skype with MomMom and PopPop Bull which was nice, and then our long naps.

Patrick had to go to the uniform store and get some new fatigues, boots and blues. When he got back, Michele and Andy took us to the local mall. Man, what a culture shock that was for us! First of all, it was HUGE!!! They had an arcade area with games for every age. They had stores I recognized (Gap, H&M, Eddie Bauer) and many unique stores that I am sure I will grow to love. There were tons and tons of people since the Japanese wrk 6 days a week...so on sunday they go out. It is easy to see why they are fascinated with blonde haired, blue eyed people. There are NONE over there. It was easy to see the kids if they went away from us because of their 'toe heads'. People would even stop and ask to take pictures with the kids or pet their heads. Unfortunately, it was 5:30 - which felt like 4:30am to us. So the kids were less than thrilled at this attention.

We are back now for some dinner and hopefully bedtime around 7 or 7:30. Tomorrow we get our new house - so that will help get things more settled.

side note...

Please note that I am writing these blogs mostly for our memories. I know many of you have asked for updates, pictures, and feelings through our journey...but for those that think I am bragging or showing off...PLEASE DO NOT READ THESE! I don't care if you think our journey is exciting or not. I do not care if you think I sound snobbish in my posts. I am humbled and honored to be able to visit the other side of the world and experience a culture that is as amazing as I have seen so far in only 2 days. Not only the military culture (which I thank God for every night) but also the Japanese people. The respect, hard work and friendliness is something I will be forever grateful for that my kids get to experience at such a young age. I hope it will instill great values and traditions in them.

I am very grateful for the people who do support us through our journey and DO want to hear about our life. We appreciate your support and prayers while we make this incredibly challenging transition. We have been so blessed with amazing people over here to help us but we still rely on the positive thoughts from the people who love us back in the states. Please keep us in your thoughts as we keep trying to adjust to the time change, language barriers, culture changes and Patrick's start of his career.

day 2

The hardest thing so far about this move has been the time change. We absolutely CRASHED yesterday afternoon around 1pm (it felt like midnight to us after an entire 2 days of traveling) and then we slept until 8 or 9pm. This felt like the morning for us and we even had coffee, cereal and watched morning tv shows (don't ask me how they were on at that time at night). We skyped with loved ones which was so nice. And then we took 'naps' from 3am-8am. This got us a bit back on track for the time change because at least we felt recharged while the sun was up.

We ended going up to the commisary, signing up for cable/internet/phone and looking at cell phone providers. My concern is that the company on base that we want to use (with the Iphone) gets really bad reception in the houses and hospital. The other company (which is just off base) get great reception - but has crappy phones that I can't use with skype. I may just end up getting the crappy phones with good service - and hope that Santa buys me an Itouch for christmas....

We also went out for our first Japanese lunch experience...at Chilis!!! It was a goodbye gathering for the guy that Patrick is replacing, so it was fun. I exchanged some US dollars for yen while we were there and it made me feel rich. Their money is like monopoly money - and it looked like a $5000 bill (really only worth about $50).

Michele (our sponsor and neighbor and future partner's wife) took me by the "Lemon Lot" to look for cars. They have a place where people park their car they are trying to sell and you can check them out. Most cars/minivans are older with a lot of mileage - but super cheap. I found a few I liked...but we can't get a license until Thursday so I still have a few days left to check them out.

We ended the day with a BBQ at Michele and Andy's house. It was going great until Evelyn hit her limit and melted down. It was a doozy. But the poor girl was running on empty - and it felt like 5am. So I had to leave early to get her home. Now it is 6:30pm and we are all going to bed!!!