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?

Thornsberrys do Japan

Hi, all! I know some of you are waiting to hear an update on my family's recent visit to Japan. So, here goes!

My mom, brother and oldest niece all made the long trek to Japan to visit us. We had a really fun time, and it was so great to see my family and to show them a little bit of our life here in Japan.

They arrived on a Saturday evening, and we left early the next morning to spend a few days in Tokyo. While there, we did a lot of sightseeing and went to Tokyo Disney Sea. After that, we spent a few days in Nagoya, made a short trip to Arimatsu and then visited Kyoto. I was so impressed with their willingness to try some funky foods and to walk a million miles. Their karaoke skills weren't too shabby either. My niece is only nine, but she is so mature and well-behaved. She's just a pleasure to be around, and I must say, my brother is a great dad, too. It was cool to see what an amazing father/daughter relationship they share. My mom was such a trooper and rode all the rides with us at Disney, climbed about 800 stairs and even tried some raw fish! Oh, and she arrived bearing gifts, which included a freshly baked batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Wish I had some more right now.

Here are several pictures from our adventure.

Here we are early in the morning waiting for the shinkansen (bullet train) to arrive. While in Tokyo, we walked and walked and walked. We explored the areas of Shinagawa, Asakasa, Akihabara, Harajuku and Ginza.

Here's a pic of Jonathan in Ginza. He really liked this area. Mom, Jordan and I skipped this little jaunt and opted to relax for a while instead.

The next morning, Jonathan and Travis woke up around 4:30 and headed to Tsukiji fish market.

They enjoyed some of the market's famous sashimi for breakfast before heading back to meet us.

From there, we went to Tokyo Disney Sea. I had been wanting to go there for a long time so I was so excited! I hadn't visited a Disney park since I was four.

Here's a cute picture of Jonathan and Jordan with some characters. Is it bad that I don't know who these characters are? Somebody help me out.

Me and Jordan at Tokyo Disney Sea. I love this girl so much!

Disney Sea was pretty crowded, but the weather was amazing, and we managed to ride three rides, enjoy a couple of shows, do a little shopping and eat some tasty treats. After a LONG day at Tokyo Disney Sea, we headed to the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel where the five of us shared a room. :)

This picture was taken in the hotel lobby. It was a really nice place to stay.

After the concierge showed us to our room, she showed us some pajamas that were left for our use. We said we'd brought our own and wouldn't be needing them. But then, we saw this:

That's when we knew we ALL had to put them on immediately.

Prison camp photo. Priceless in my opinion.

After our Disney getaway, we headed back to the city to explore Tokyo a little more.

We had some ramen for lunch, explored Asakasa and did some shopping, checked out some electronics in Akihabara and then made our way back to Nagoya via shinkansen.

After our exhausting Tokyo adventure, we spent the next few days in Nagoya. One morning we headed to Arimatsu and met up with my friend, Miyako, to make some shibori, Japanese tie dye.

Here we are with our finished products.

The night before my family left, we had dinner with what I now consider my Japanese family. You've heard me mention Miyoko in several other posts, too, but she has become a great friend to me and has helped me to enjoy Japan in so many ways. Once she heard my family was coming, she insisted on arranging a dinner for them. It was one of the best parts of their trip. We met up with Miyoko and her family and enjoyed a great and very traditional Japanese meal. We even ended it with some karaoke! Jordan sang some Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, and it was pretty much the cutest thing in the entire world. My mom busted out some Carpenters and did an awesome job with that one. My brother is now known to Miyoko and her family as a "great rapper" since he successfully performed "Gold Digger." They also requested he sing Michael Jackson a few times. Not sure he ever intended for that to happen, but we all enjoyed hearing his version of "Thriller" and "Billie Jean."

Here we are at dinner. Miyoko and her family have plans to visit us in Missouri after we return next summer, and I'm really looking forward to it. Her dream is to experience "country life" in America. I'm pretty sure I know how to help her with that one. :)

Early the following morning we headed to Kyoto. We did some more sightseeing and shopping there.

And, we bumped into some geishas on the way out. How cute is this picture?!

I think that pretty much sums up their visit. I am so so so happy they came, and I can't wait to see them again in December. We made some fun memories, and I love that I have pictures WITH my family in Japan. Thank you for coming to see us!

Typhoon, Travis gets older, Reese's and visitors! Wow, what a random title.

Has it really been two weeks since my last post?! Eek. So sorry about that. Anyway, here's a little update on what's been going on in Japan.

We experienced our first typhoon. When I first heard we were expecting a typhoon, I really wasn't too worried because it seems like most things are blown out of proportion here. But, then I began thinking about it and the catastrophic results from the typhoons that recently struck American Somoa and the Philippines. I still didn't take much action, and I didn't even get it after I went to the grocery store and noticed it was much more crowded than normal, and people everywhere were stocking up on supplies. Anyway, late on the night before the typhoon was set to arrive, I decided I should start doing a little research. Bad. Idea. I started reading articles about how the typhoon would be the biggest in ten years, and read that the last typhoon of the same size killed 95 people. Ahhh! We didn't even have a flashlight in our house. So, I did what any smart person would do, I put our passports in Ziploc bags, found a couple of head lamps we used for climbing Mt. Fuji, filled the bath tub with water and went to bed.

Travis woke up around 5 a.m., and told me it was looking pretty crazy outside. The wind was nuts, and there was lots and lots of rain. So, I had to check it out.

This picture is of a girls' school near our house. I believe our area received around 10 inches of rain in a very short amount of time. Strangely, after only about two hours all the water on the softball field and tennis courts was gone. The public transportation system in Nagoya was shut down for several hours but overall, very little damage occurred, and life went on as usual.

We also celebrated Travis' birthday last weekend. We had so much fun! I organized a birthday dinner, and 21 people showed up! Wow. He is a pretty popular guy, I guess. We went to an Okinawan restaurant near our house, and we had a really good time. We took lots of fun pictures, but this is the only one I have of the entire group. We were making funny poses. This picture was supposed to be "blue steel" from the movie, Zoolander, but someone made a funny right as the picture was taken so some people couldn't hold their pose. ;)

The following day, Travis and I headed to some mountains not far from our house to go camping. We had a really fun time, but it was much different than what we're used to. We paid a pretty penny to sleep in a glorified parking lot, and the biggest draw of the place was that you could see cows grazing. Anyone who knows my upbringing knows that seeing cows grazing isn't exactly a phenomenon for me. It's a funny memory, though, and we got to roast marshmallows so it was worth it!

Lastly, I received a fun surprise last week! My friends, Maya and Andrea, both of whom came to Japan to visit me sent me a really fun package. It was so nice and unexpected. It was full of all kinds of goodies, but I must say the photo below captures the highlight of the package.

If only you could see this bowl now. Travis and I just couldn't believe how many Reese's we had and thought we would never even be able to make a dent in the huge pile. Well, let's just say you can almost see the bottom of the bowl already. ;)

I know I said "lastly" in the last paragraph, but I can't leave this out! My mom, brother and oldest niece are currently en route to Japan at this very moment. I am beside myself with excitement, and I just can't wait to show them my Japanese life. We're heading to Tokyo early Sunday morning, and we'll be there for two nights and three days. Then, we'll spend some time in Nagoya before heading to to do some sightseeing in Kyoto. I am so happy they're coming, and I'm extremely grateful that my brother's wife, Holli, is so supportive of this adventure. She's a mom to four so I know these next ten days without her oldest daughter and husband will be a challenge. Thanks, Holli!