Thanksgiving

In case you're worried about how Travis and Jessica will fare during the Thanksgiving season, worry not! I promise we're doing okay.

See? We're taking part in the gluttony just as all of you are. :) Allow me to identify some of the foods in the photo:cheesy corn (made my yours truly and always a huge hit), two kinds of stuffing, chicken (turkey is nearly impossible to find in this country and the ovens are tiny so we improvised), salad with BACON, cranberry sauce in the shape of a can just as it should be presented, green bean casserole (pretty sure this cost a fortune to make, please be grateful for things like cream of mushroom soup, green beans and crunchy onion things-they are NOT cheap in Japan), GRAVY, potatoes, bread complete with honey butter. Not pictured: homemade apple pie, pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies.

I have a feeling that the construction paper Indian headresses might not be politically correct, but they sure are cute, aren't they? This picture makes me sad. Jessica and her husband, Chris, will be moving back to Tennessee in December. They weren't supposed to move back until next summer, but things change. I am going to miss them so much. Jessica is such a fun and warm person to be around, and I am so happy to have made so many memories with her. And, Travis and Chris get along splendidly. They are such a fun couple. We spent an amazing week with them in Singapore and Malaysia, and I hope we'll be able to travel with them again. I have to stop. I'm seriously becoming bummed. I hate goodbyes!

On a happier note, Happy Thanksgiving from the Hartmans! We hope to see many of you in just a few short weeks! And, boy are we thankful for that. What are you thankful for? Or shall I say, for what are you thankful? Please do tell!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, we'll be hosting another Thanksgiving dinner with some more friends on Saturday. Life's rough.

SpendYourself

Two blogs in one day. Sheesh.

I wanted to write a post about a company called, SpendYourself. A friend of mine from college, along with her boyfriend and some others started the company, and I'm a big fan. The company's focus is to fight for social justice through selling t-shirts specific to various causes. And, the causes the shirts represent are ones that weigh heavy on my heart. For instance, SpendYourself has two t-shirts for sale devoted to stopping human trafficking and to helping men and women trapped in the sex industry. I already bought two of their t-shirts, and I'm planning to buy more. I encourage you to check out their site here to learn more about the company. The site also features a very interesting blog. Additionally, they're offering a contest for two individuals to win free t-shirts for an entire year. The contest ends Nov. 30th so hurry, and check it out. Oh, and if you're reading this, you just might be getting a t-shirt for Christmas.

Asuke and Tea Ceremony

One thing I'm thankful for right now: elastic-waist pajama pants. Whew. We just got back from our first Thanksgiving celebration, and it was fantastic. We'll have another one next weekend. It was a potluck, and we had so much delicious food. I completely overate, and now I'm feeling the pain, but it was worth it. I am so grateful to have good friends in Japan to celebrate with and feel very blessed to be able to have the opportunity to indulge in all things Thanksgiving even while living abroad. I know it's been a tough year for many so I don't want to lose sight of the fact that I am blessed beyond measure in so many tangible and intangible ways.

We've been staying extremely busy lately. We're heading home in just a few short weeks, and it seems like we have so many things to do between now and then! We've been running around like crazy, and we're going to have to say goodbye to many good friends in the next couple of weeks so it's going to be hard! :( We aren't leaving Japan until next summer, but some of our dearest friends will be heading back to the States in December. :,(

For now, I'll share a few recent pictures with you. Last weekend we traveled to the nearby town of Asuke. It is absolutely gorgeous in the fall. They even illuminate the trees at night. I was overwhelmed by the beauty. Japan doesn't get nearly enough credit for being an amazingly beautiful country. Before moving here, I never knew how truly gorgeous this country is.

We had a really hard time capturing good shots because the lighting was strange, but I think this one turned out pretty well. We relaxed next to this river for a while, chatted with our friends and snacked it out.

You can see the trees lit in the background. Such a cool idea. People in Japan seem to appreciate natural beauty a bit more than Americans. I could be wrong, but after experiencing hanami (cherry blossom viewing), and the fall season, Japanese people really know how to make an event out of enjoying the outdoors. Droves of people drive just to view these gorgeous trees, and an entire festival is organized around it. While there we ate some of the most delicious food, too.

The next day, my friend, Miyoko, invited me to a tea ceremony along with some of her friends. I had been to a tea ceremony before, but I had never gone in kimono. There were around 200 people there, but we broke off into small groups and rotated through the different stages of the ceremony. It was certainly a fun and unique experience. I am so happy I've had the opportunity to live in Japan and to experience Japanese culture.

Here I am outside of the entrance. The garden surrounding the tea house is beautiful. Japanese gardens are always so incredible and relaxing. In case you're counting, this was my fourth time to wear a kimono. I think I might be a professional now.

Ibigawa Marathon

My super-human husband ran another marathon last weekend. His self-motivation and determination continue to amaze me on a daily basis. I'm quite grateful for a husband who strives to be healthy. That boy loves a challenge! Perhaps that's why he married me. Wait, I think I just insulted myself.

Travis ran with a few of his co-workers. This picture was taken before the race. Understandably, they weren't quite as enthusiastic after the race.

Travis approaching the finish line. I am so proud of him!

Afterwards, he was desperate for some protein. And, wouldn't you know a massive earthworm was just waiting to be snacked upon.

This was the final shot taken after the race. Travis is planning to run another marathon on December 6th in Okinawa. You may remember that he ran that one last year, too. I won't be able to cheer him on this time because I'll be in the good 'ole U.S.A.! I'm just a little bit excited to be going home! Only 23 days from today!!!!

Oh, and just in case you're still trying to decide whether or not Travis really ate that worm, he didn't. It just made for a funny picture, and it shocked some of the kids nearby.

Halloween

We had a really fun Halloween weekend. We went to a Halloween party at a friend's house and then we enjoyed a Mexican fiesta, complete with delicious 7-layer dip, on Sunday. Such a fun weekend.

Here are some pictures from Halloween night. Hope you enjoy.

Travis and I dressed up as peace & quiet. I had a lot of fun doing his makeup, but I thought he looked super creepy. Especially without the red-eye taken out.

A couple of our friends, Zac and Emily, dressed up as a cormorant fisherman and cormorant. I thought it was extremely clever.

This picture is of some of the girls at the party.

And, here are the boys.

Brian and Lorie dressed up as Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife, Beth.

Megan and Frank were Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

Ryan and Ayako (Ryako) are the cutest couple. Ryan's costume won the prize for the best. He wired the rabbit's eyes to light up, and he even installed a voice changer inside. He could stand against the white wall and blend in, but when he turned on his red eyes, it was terrifying! Ha!

This picture of Travis and Chris cracks me up. Chris and Jessica dressed as the Snuggie folks on the informercial. They looked hilarious, but I somehow managed to miss getting a shot of the two of them together. Jessica walked around carrying a ball of yarn with her knitting needles, and Chris had his duster and cleaning solution. Pretty funny stuff.

This last picture cracks me up, and it freaks me out at the same time.

See what I mean?