Hakuba again

The alarm went off at 3:40 a.m. on Saturday morning so we could hit the road early with a couple of friends. Off to Hakuba we went! We met a group of about 10 others there for a fun day in the snow. We spent the entire day snowboarding on Saturday. Travis went for a half day again on Sunday, too. I opted out of day two and read a book and magazine in the lodge instead. It was quite relaxing.

Hakuba is so beautiful. I'm pretty sure it's one of my favorite places on the planet.

Travis has been so patient with me while I continue to try to snowboard. I've really started enjoying it, but as you might expect, I'm a slow learner. He never makes me feel bad for being slow or for needing to take breaks to enjoy the scenery.

Travis' face in this picture shows how he was really feeling. We chose a difficult and speedier course, and we decided we should stop and snap a few photos because they might be our last. We had both just endured a couple of pretty nasty wipeouts before these pictures, and people were zipping past us at incredible speeds. Ahhh!!!!

The mountains are just amazing. I can't believe how small I feel next to them. Being amongst them is such a humbling experience, and I'm so grateful I get to enjoy them.

This picture cracks me up because I definitely look pregnant. And, I'm pretty sure snowboarding when you're pregnant is a really bad idea. Rest easy, I am not. I was actually working so hard that I started sweating terribly. I had to take off a layer, roll it up and stuff it in my jacket. Aren't you glad I shared that with you?

After snowboarding all day, we headed to an onsen with some friends and then went back to our cottage for dinner. After dinner, someone had the great idea to build human pyramids. It was so fun! I ripped these pictures off of facebook. Hope my friends don't mind.

Here's the girls' pyramid. Only one hand!

And, the entire group! What a fun picture. We couldn't quite pull off the top, but we got pretty darn close. Lorie (the topper) had to push all the camera timers and then try to climb to the top really fast. Needless to say, it took us a few tries.

This weekend was a lot of fun, and I felt like a kid all over again. I mean, how often do you get to have a big slumber party with all of your friends? I don't know why we don't do it more often. When I get home, I'm totally throwing a slumber party. Who's in?

Running, out of milk

I don't really have a lot to say, but I'm home alone and waiting for my dinner to cool. Just thought I'd share a little bit with you before we head out of town again this weekend. I'm a bit tired so this may not make any sense at all. Props to you if you actually read it!

Things are going quite well in Japan, but we've been extremely busy lately. It seems like we have something going on every single night! It's certainly nice, but it leaves me a bit exhausted . For instance, tonight was a little bit tiring. Travis and I haven't had a whole lot of time to hang out with each other so I was really looking forward to heading home after work to have dinner with him. So much so that I planned everything out just so. You see, I had to work at a location about 45 minutes away from our house by train. Getting there requires me to first take the subway, and then I switch to a different train line and go from there. Once I arrived at my final destination, I put in some extra effort so I could get home as soon after work as possible. I went ahead and purchased my return ticket to avoid any extra stops on my way back home. I finished work at 6:16 p.m., and the train I was hoping to catch back to Nagoya was set to leave at 6:24 p.m. If I missed this train, I'd have to wait 30 min. in the freezing cold. My job is about a ten minute walk from the station. So, I decided to sprint the entire way, which is about a half a mile or so. I was also wearing dress clothes. I looked like a huge dork, but I was determined. I finally arrived at the station with about five minutes to spare. I was so relieved and excited. I was already dreaming about the delicious dinner I was going to make and was so excited that I'd be home earlier than I originally thought. I was breathing hard, but I decided to call Travis to tell him about my incredible feat. When I opened my phone, I saw that I had a voice message from him. It said he was going to have dinner with a colleague since it was his final night in Japan. What?!! All that work for nothing? Of course I didn't mind. It was just quite funny and kind of a slap in the face. All that running for nothing!

I HATE going to the grocery store. I feel bad even saying that since I am constantly thinking about all of the individuals suffering in Haiti. I can't imagine how excited they would be to even get to eat a hot meal right now. And, I'm complaining about going to the store. But, I still don't like it. In fact, when we lived in the U.S., I sometimes did not enter a grocery store for three to four weeks. It's not something I'm proud of, and I've improved drastically. The whole "lack of a full-time job thing" really doesn't leave me with a good excuse for not going. Anyway, tonight I kept debating on whether or not I should go. It is cold, and I didn't feel like it. Plus, I have to carry my groceries up two enormous flights of stairs. But, we were out of milk. So, I started thinking about Travis and about him making oatmeal in the morning. He'd have to use water instead of milk...So, I convinced myself it would be worth it. I walk in the store, pick up a few other random items and head for the milk. And, no milk. There was milk, but not the milk that I ALWAYS buy. The only milk available was the heavy cream kind. I have to wear a swimsuit soon so I don't really need anything extra sticking to my thighs. Ugh. So, we still don't have any milk.

Props for making it through my rant! We're heading to Hakuba on Saturday, so I promise a post with lots of pictures is soon to come! Oh, and the weekend after this one, we're heading to somewhere AMAZING. Can't wait to share it with you!

Onsen experience

When we leave Japan, I will miss the onsens. Onsen is the Japanese word for hot spring. To be honest, when I first heard about onsen experiences, I was pretty freaked out. You see, the only way to enjoy an onsen is in your birthday suit. And, they are public. Now that I'm over the initial shock of getting nakey in front of strangers, I really enjoy them. Of course they aren't coed, so it's divided between gals and guys. For Americans, the concept is a little bit strange, but I can assure you it's well worth the embarrassment. It's a very relaxing experience, and the water always has some sort of special mineral content, which I'm sure has taken decades off of my skin.

It's worth noting that going to an onsen requires following a very specific procedure. First, you enter the dressing area and disrobe. You typically bring a small towel, about the size of a dish towel, to be used as a "modesty" towel. If the towel is provided to you at the onsen, it's usually really small and doesn't exactly cover a lot. So, after you're in the buff, you gracefully and confidently walk to the shower area where you shower with multiple other women. Each woman has a little plastic stool to sit on and a wash basin to wash with. At this point, it's extremely important to scrub like you've never scrubbed before. Wash, wash, wash. Once you feel like you're squeaky clean, do it again, just to be sure.

After you're finished showering, you can enter the hot spring. Your towel and hair must never enter the water. I usually just put my towel around my hair. Then, you relax and enjoy. Many of the onsens have an indoor and outdoor bath so you can enjoy both of them. Also, some have hot baths and cold baths. And, many have multiple baths with various mineral contents specific to different benefits.

I won't sugarcoat it completely. It can be extremely awkward at times, especially for a foreigner. For instance, last weekend, my friend Megan and I went to an onsen. We were chatting while immersed in the water, and the woman next to us would not stop staring at us. It was an evil-kind-of stare, too. But, after living here for a year and a half, I'm used to it. It's just a little bit weirder when you're naked.

Hakuba

I'm watching a movie called "Easy Virtue" right now with Jessica Biel. And, the dog in the movie looks like a smaller version of Skittle. Now I'm all sad and stuff.

Onto more exciting topics, we've been doing great here in Japan. We've settled back in, and so far we've had a lot of fun. Having an oven has made me so much happier. The only problem is that I keep baking, which means I keep eating. I'm going to have to figure out how to bake and then get rid of all of the goods as soon as possible. Perhaps it's time to meet the neighbors?

Last weekend we headed with a couple of friends to Hakuba. You might remember that we went there last summer, too. It's where the 1998 Winter Olympics were held, and it's just beautiful there. I really can't get enough of the place. I hate cold weather, but at least when there are gorgeous mountains to look at and hot springs to enjoy, it's worth it. And, there's also an amazing Mexican restaurant in Hakuba. I miss Mexican food more than anything so it's such a treat to eat it there.

Last year I tried snowboarding for the first time, and I was pretty terrible. I decided midway through the season to try skiing. And, I was pretty awful at that, too. So, last weekend I decided to give snowboarding another whirl, and to my surprise, I had improved! I can now successfully get up on the snowboard every time I try, and I can make it down the mountainside with no falls. Unfortunately, the flatter spots kill me, and I still can't turn. But, not falling every ten seconds definitely makes the sport more enjoyable.

Here we are with the entire group.

When I saw this snowboard in the rental shop, I just couldn't pass it up. I was quite amused by it.

It is such a beautiful place.

We booked a hostel for the night, and we weren't expecting luxury. But, we also weren't expecting what we got. Ha! Fortunately, the boys weren't scared to sleep on the drool-stained pillows so Megan and I could have semi-clean ones. It really wasn't too bad, but it was pretty amusing. And, thankfully the fumes from the heater didn't kill us in our sleep.

Last weekend's trip was the first of several. We already have plans to head back to Hakuba twice in the next month. So, expect some more snowy pictures. Until then, keep it real!

Don't forget about Haiti

My heart is so sad. I'm thinking about all of the families in Haiti frantically searching for their loved ones. We can't do much, but we can do something. So, please do. You can go here to donate: https://www.compassion.com/.

There's no place like home

All good blog posts start with an apology, right? So, allow me to say sorry for the following pictures being in a strange random order. I really just don't have the patience to reorganize all of them so this post might seem a little out-of-sorts.

Anyway, we are now settled back into Japanese life after a long and relaxing vacation to the U.S. Our home leave trip was everything we could have hoped it would be. Although we didn't have enough time to visit with everyone and weren't able to see everyone we would have liked to, it was great! We were able to catch up with lots of family and friends, and boy, did we eat! It's really not very nice of one to binge on junk food for four weeks and to boycott exercise, but that's what I did. And, I am paying for it dearly. After a trip to the gym yesterday evening, I am hurting! Body, please forgive me.

So, let's get started with some pictures to highlight our trip home.

We finally got to meet Sawyer Lee, and what a cutie he is! Tim was bouncing and twirling him in this picture. He just giggled and giggled.

This picture is from Christmas Eve. Christy, Charity, Julie and I have been friends since we were infants, and we still remain very close. We stay in touch throughout the year and usually always manage to get in some quality time around Christmas. This year we spent the entire day after Christmas shopping, eating, getting coffee and TALKING. I swear, there wasn't 30 seconds worth of silence the entire day. We had the best time, and we've decided we're more like sisters than friends.

This picture is of Travis and our newest niece, Jensen. She is such a cool baby, and I just love her to pieces.

I was able to visit my Grandpa in the Veterans' home twice, and Travis was able to join me the second time around. I am continually amazed that I still have all four of my grandparents. I think that's unique these days, and I never take it for granted.

And, of course, I was able to love on my Little (or not so little) Skittle! She's sweeter than ever, and I enjoyed getting to scratch her big round belly lots.

On our last weekend in Missouri, I was able to visit with some of my favorite girls in St. Louis. I met Sarah, Andrea and Maya at my previous job, and we have been friends ever since. We had a great time catching up and sharing lots of laughs. We started off at a favorite Mexican restaurant and then enjoyed more conversation over some Kaldi's. I am so thankful for their friendship and encouragement. And for the fact that they put up with me and my quirkiness.

While in St. Louis, we were also able to visit with several other friends, but I forgot to take pictures. Oops! We also got to attend our home church, Summit Community, and that was wonderful. Oh, how I have missed it!

One of the best parts of our trip home was a getaway to Las Vegas! Travis and I had never been before so we joined my brother, Jonathan, and his hottie wife, Holli, for a few days in Vegas. We had such a fun time shopping, exploring, getting dolled up and of course, eating! My brother even surprised us one night with a cruise in a limo down the Las Vegas strip and dinner at Tao, a posh Asian fusion restaurant. It was so much fun!

We also watched the Blue Man Group. It was an interesting show to say the least. I enjoyed it, but I think I prefer the Cirque-style shows more. I'm still happy I watched it. It was just a bit strange to me.

We also saw La Reve at the Wynn. It was awesome! It's a Cirque show without the Cirque name. I heard that Mr. Wynn didn't want the Cirque name on the show because he wanted his own name on it, so that's the only real difference. The entire show was done in the water. It was gorgeous. We sat on the very front row, which was actually cheaper because of the risk of being splashed, so we could see the dancers and performers up-close. I was mesmerized the entire time and absolutely loved it!I stayed one night at my brother's house and got to spend some time with my nieces and nephew. This is a picture of Johanna and Jordan right before they went to have family pictures made. These girls are so precious! I love them so much!

I was also finally able to see my oldest niece, Jordan, show off her gymnastics skills at a meet in Fayetteville, Ark. She is so talented. I was awe-struck by her abilities. She just flips around those uneven bars like it's nothing, and her floor routine rocks the house. I am so proud of her! The above picture is of me and Jensen watching Jordan at her meet.

Well, I guess that's it for now. As you can see, we had a great time at home. I wasn't able to capture nearly all of our experiences, but I do want to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who let us stay at your house, eat your food, use your laundry detergent and drive your cars. We are so grateful for your support and thoughtfulness. We look forward to seeing you all this summer!

Home Sweet Home

Hi, there! Sorry for the delay in posting. The last couple of weeks in Japan became very hectic, but now I'm in the great state of Missouri. We enjoyed a second Thanksgiving meal with some sweet friends before I left and had to say goodbye to some of them, which made the last couple of weeks in Japan bittersweet. It was great to know I'd be heading home shortly, but it was also sad to know things will be much different when we return to Japan. Such is life, I suppose.

My journey home was uneventful, which is certainly a good thing. The flights were easy, and everything was on-time. The flight from Nagoya to Detroit was 11.5 hours. Boy, that's a long time on an airplane. It went by pretty quickly, though. My Mom and Dad were waiting for me when I arrived. I hadn't seen my Dad in nearly a year so it was certainly a joyous moment to be reunited with him. He immediately drove us to Texas Roadhouse because he knew the first thing his daughter would need was a big 'ole serving of red meat. :) It did not disappoint.

After arriving to my parents' house, I was able to meet my sweet and adorable new niece, Jensen. She is such a doll, and I was so grateful that Holli, Jonathan and all four of the kids made the trek down to see me as soon as I got home. It was such a fun and warm welcome back. My grandparents came over shortly after. I am beyond blessed, and I will never forget it.

I spent yesterday attending my childhood church, and I felt like I received a giant bear hug for two hours straight. It felt so nice to be in an American church, and the message was great. We've found a church home in Nagoya, but I still miss church at home so much. It was fun to see so many familiar faces and to see so many faces I have never seen before, too. It seems like everything changes and nothing changes all at the same time.

Yesterday afternoon, I also had lunch with two of my best high school friends, Amanda and Ashley. We stayed at the restaurant for over three hours, and it was so much fun to catch up with each other and to know that no matter where we live or how long it's been since we've gotten together, everything falls right back into place. I am so thankful for their friendship over the years, and we have shared some sweet memories together.

I'm sure you remember me talking about Christy and Tim's new baby, Sawyer. I got to meet him and spend last night cuddling and playing with him. Oh, he's such a doll and such a good baby. I love seeing Christy as a new mom and Tim as a new daddy. I am continually amazed by all things baby, and I can't believe all of the work and care that goes into caring for a new life, but seeing the look in Christy's eyes when she sees her son assures me it's all worth it. She is such an awesome mom and has transitioned into the role perfectly.

Skittle is great. She's fat, but she's happy. We've had a sweet reunion, and it will be so hard to say goodbye to her again. It's comforting to know that my parents love her, too. They have been so gracious to adjust their lives for us. I often give them a hard time because Skittle weighed 9 lbs. when we left and now weighs 12 lbs., but I am so thankful for all that they've done to help us with her. And, Travis' parents have always eagerly watched her for us when my parents travel. So, we're quite fortunate to have such a supportive family.

Travis will be coming home to join the fun next Saturday afternoon. He spent last weekend in Okinawa and ran his third marathon. I've talked to him a little bit via e-mail, and he told me that he finished the marathon in 3 hours, 55 min., and 53 sec. His goal was to finish in under four hours so I am very happy for him! We'll have to celebrate with some Taco Bell. :)

I'm sorry there are no pictures on this post. I left my laptop in Japan with Travis so I haven't had the chance to upload any pictures yet, but I will be sure to do that soon. Well, I should get going. My plan for the day includes a trip to Target with Christy and Sawyer, and I'm hoping to arrange a trip to Panera in there somewhere. May seem mundane to you, but you can't even imagine how much I've missed Target and Panera. I cannot wait!