Wednesday, August 26, 2009

KIM!!!!

Can you read this sign? We would love to know what it means!

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It was at either end of Chuo Park.

Does it mean there is a Nursing Home nearby? Does it mean that this is a nice place for SR Citizens to visit????

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Kodak Moment? For Real?


Stacia and I needed to use the potties at the park. There were only Japanese potties.


We had a briefing last week and now I KNEW the proper technique. I thought it was worth a try. I stood Stacia in a corner of the stall to wait for me ... um... let's not get TOO graphic...the point of the story is coming....and it is WORTH preserving in our family journal.


I was doing great....I mastered the stance, though I think I may still be using the thing backwards, I don't much care. Just as I was feeling pretty proud of myself and commenting to Stacia that she and I rocked..... I heard Stacia say, ::gasp:: ::snort::


"Let's take a picture of this, Mommy!"


"No!"


"Smile, Mommy!"


"Stacia, STOP."


She took THREE photos and I promptly deleted them from the camera. I will not allow her to keep the camera safe next time we go on an adventure of this magnitude. ::snort::


This photo taken AFTER walking out of the restrooms, is fairly cute. ::snort::

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Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Wednesday Afternoon/Evening


After lunch we headed back to the base. We wanted to tell our TLF neighbors of another home they may be interested in. I wanted to call Connie and ask which DOCOMO plan she had...but couldn't reach her.


Back at DOCOMO I ran into some friends. The HUSBAND was with her and he had been given a remote phone with an English customer service agent on the other end to carry around the store and get questions answered. I now know what I need. BUT I couldn't get it because I didn't have a land line or home address. Mike said we'll go back together on Friday. The plans are totally different here.....


I decided we needed to go to the "train" park which is really called "Chuo park". I looked that up in the dictionary. I thought it would mean train - but it says it means "center" or something.... This park has a zip line, fun climbing structures and other kids to play with. We had fun.



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This encounter brought home WHY we want to learn Japanese. We want to be able to make the best use of these visits with our hosts. I'd also like to figure out why the lady in the corner of the park had her cat dressed like a baby and was patting it and burping it.....
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We came home, made dinner, the older two raced to an AWANA leader meeting, we're not sure how involved will get with AWANAS....Mike is still working....I'm using valued Internet time....


Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Wednesday Morning


Our day began with a trip out to the realtor. We put a deposit down on another home. I decided I deserved two homes. ::snort::


Seriously, we reserved a home for new friends we very much look forward to meeting. This was HUGE....because *I* drove the kids and I out to the realtor's office. We didn't get lost. I think we obeyed all traffic signs. Jared commended me for being a polite American driver and yielding so often....I replied, "It's easy to yield when you don't know what the signs mean!" ::snort::


We headed to DOCOMO - to get cell phones for Jared and I. We've been there once before...and walked out because we couldn't figure out the plans, brochures etc. I've been pouring over it all and trying to get a grasp of it. I headed out, determined to have a cell phone by the end of the day. I got to the office and realized that I didn't know if they would accept my American credit card or if I needed yen. No one could understand what I was asking. I talked to the nice lady on the English Customer Service line again.....she suggested I come back at 2 p.m. and there would be an English speaking manager who could help me sign up.


We left DOCOMO with no phone and hungry bellies. Jared commented that he'd really like to try Sukiya rather than more sandwiches or Burger King. We did. ANOTHER adventure...our first time to venture out alone....and it was funny!

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The unadventurous eaters could find nothing that looked good. I couldn't read the menu, but the pictures are somewhat helpful and I could make out the prices. First I was worried that Y80,000 yen may not be enough...the money thing continues to throw me. I quickly realized that I had about $80 and that was much more than $8. ::snort:: The lady brought Jared a menu. Then she brought Jared water. When she came I ordered 4 bowls of rice and ice cream for the younger ones. I pointed to what I wanted and Jared said he wanted the same. She left. I commented to Jared that I hoped we got rice too and I wasn't sure what the meat was, but it looked like it may be beef. He said, "It's the mega beef bowl and it comes with rice." I was VERY impressed...until he told me that she had given him an ENGLISH menu and he assumed we were all looking at English menus. ::snort::

Nolan and Arielle did great with their chopsticks. Stacia ate her huge bowl of rice when I fed her with the chopsticks, she was struggling to get the food to her mouth. Zander stayed with ice cream....and that must change. There was a word in the bottom of our bowl and I'm busy trying to figure out what it means. ::snort::

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Zander did o.k. with the teeny ice cream spoon. ::snort::
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Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Lassoing the Thoughts

I'm torn between the need to "keep it real" on the blog and the growing awareness that I have no clue who reads my words any longer. ::snort::

The kids and I have hit a wall, I think. There were numerous comments yesterday that I redirected. "This place is so small," "I'm tired of all the noise around here," etc. Some well remember Jared's infamous media quote, "There's togetherness and then there's WAY togetherness." That has become our "pick me up" phrase lately, when we sense we're getting stressed. We remember that we COULD be in ONE TLF, we COULD be crammed into small hotel rooms etc., while allowing all the freedom to voice true feelings.

We kept busy yesterday and today...but under the surface I've had a growing sense that I'm TIRED OF LIVING LIFE OUT OF A SUITCASE. We left our home the middle of May. With the coming of September, I am starting to feel out of sorts. I don't want my stuff as much as I crave some space...with our own routines... We keep busy during the day so we aren't bored or disturbing other TLF guests, or frustrated by other rude guests ::snort:: , we wait for Mike to come home from work and we do it all over every day. It feels like we left one phase and are trying to enter a new phase, but are not quite able to at this point....and I'm missing the four older children a lot the last couple of days. Terribly.

I have a growing sense, that under the surface...if I don't watch it...I could unravel. ::snort:: I guess what I mean to say is that I AM LASSOING THOSE THOUGHTS AND TAKING THEM CAPTIVE TO THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST....I'M MAKING THOUGHTS THAT I KNOW ARE NOT TRUE BOW TO THE TRUTH....but there are seasons when choosing to be joyful is simply not a matter of emotions, but a matter of the will. And it's tough!

Am I out of touch with my emotions because I refuse to accept my feelings? I don't think so. I'm not denying my emotions, I'm very aware of them. I do acknowledge that this is a hard and challenging time of our family life....but those are the very times when I am called to make a choice to believe what I know to be true, rather than what I feel to be true.

I HAVE learned many valuable lessons this summer. We ARE closer as a family. We've CERTAINLY made numerous unforgettable family memories. We LOVE Japan. Those truths are just as true as the fact that today I want to be settled and today I miss our adult children more than most days.

Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

~ Coram Deo ~
Living all of life before the face of God...