Blundering Adventures in Japan

I have created a notebook of places we'd like to see in Japan. It contains driving directions from various spots. We looked through the notebook and decided we'd like to see "Nejyo Castle" in Hachinohe. The directions looked doable. I googled and found a phone number. They were open. I also discovered that it is called Nejo Castle or Nejo Historical Park. Mike went to work. The kids and I headed out.

The directions would be good IF you knew the area already. BUT I'd never taken the toll road to Hach and when it said, "Turn right onto Route 45"....I took that literally. I did not take "exit 7, and turn right at the end of the exit on to Route 45". I determined to stay the course on the toll road until I could find a spot to turn right onto Route 45.We drove a LONG way up the toll road before we could turn around. Past Nambu, to Nango (sp?)....I ended up taking 2 1/2 hours and around $16.50 in tolls to drive 10 miles from our home. ::snort::

I realized I was very low on diesel. We had our first gasoline station adventure. I did it on my own....fairly easy....I was impressed that they washed my windows etc.

The directions got worse.....we were supposed to run right into the fish market, and then we would know we were close. Following the directions, we never found the fish market. We finally found Route 19 and I headed home....it only took 20 min to get home. Maybe next time we try this we'll get a google map and go up Route 19 instead of the toll road.

As I pointed out "my Onsen" to the boys....I hit the curb. Curbs here are not like in the U.S. They aren't gradually slanted and you don't simply drive over them. They are concrete blocks...barriers....and so I got home to find a split tire.

Poor Mike had to come home and get Jared for his dental appointment.....and we'll have to replace the brand new snow tire! I offered that the tire could be my birthday present. ::snort::

I've been back online finding directions to the Fish Market so that I can find Nejo Castle Ruins...and we'll try again on another day. I did find this at the Misawa Airport site:

"Nejo Castle was built by Moroyuki Nanbu in 1334 and was home to the ruling
Nanbu Clan for nearly 300 years. The whole outline of the castle was restored,
the first such attempt in japan. It is now a park where visitors can learn about
Japan's Middle Ages. "

Doesn't this sound intriguing? I'm trying to find someone locally whose been there. LOL I've also found that there is a town up here that claims to have "Christ's Grave" in it....hmmm...

Stay tuned...we'd really like to see some castle ruins before the boys leave. We discovered we have some in Hachinohe and in Aomori.

JOSIAH & JAMIN ARE HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

Misawa Aviation Museum

Mike suggested we go to the Aviation Museum after we said goodbye to Krista. It was COLD and WINDY and I think he thought a diversion would be good.

From 2010-01-02 goodbyes

This is made completely from wood...the gears, chains, everything....cool to watch.

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Getting a ticket from a vending machine so we could enter....9th grade and under are free.

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We came home, had lunch, played Rook. Jamin and Jared went for a run...brrr. I made soup, biscuits and dumplings. Mike went to put some finishing touches on his sermon and make sure all is ready for service. We're watching movies and zoning....tracking airplanes. LOL

JOSIAH & JAMIN ARE HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

Bre & Krista are in the Air

From 2010-01-02 goodbyes

The day began bright and early as we took Bre to the Misawa Train Station.

From 2010-01-02 goodbyes

She is to have 3 train rides, an international flight and a car trip to get home to OR. It is hard to say goodbye...but knowing how well the girls are enjoying, adjusting and thriving in their current lives does make it a bit easier.

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We love you, Bre. We are so glad we had this past week with you.

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Bre was placed on the Honor Roll at college this semester. Her gpa is 3.94. She's been working 16 - 30 hours a week, teaches a 5th grade Sunday School class and is planning on being in an upcoming college drama. She'll be serving an internship this summer and finishing up her college career next year. She's working towards a Bachelors Degree in Counseling.

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After we dropped Bre at the train station we headed for breakfast at Burger King. We were hit with irony as we sat at 7:45 a.m. on 2 Jan and watched the LIVE Rose Bowl...the DUCKS were playing. Eugene is the home of the Ducks.

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A quick update on Krista...she is also on the Honor Roll this semester. I can't remember how many are on it, but I know that it's impressive that both girls are on it. The number is small. She carries a 3.84 gpa. Krista works nearly full time at night for a cleaning company. The very same one her father and I worked at when we attended Eugene Bible College. ::snort:: She helps weekly with Early Release Children's Bible Clubs, she teaches pre-school and nursery weekly at her church and is looking to do a foreign missions internship this summer. She is looking to either Italy, the Middle East or Japan. I'm praying for God's will, but letting Him know what I think too. ::snort::

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"Seen Through a Glass"...this time came far to fast....

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Wait! We spot some phones and prolong the vacation. ::snort::

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We love you Krista! What a joy it was to spend time with you and hear your heart these past few days.

A funny from Krista's trip over.....she was asked, "Has anyone asked you to bring things into Japan?" (See where this is going?)

She replied, "Yes."

She was then asked to itemize...."8 jackets, 6 pairs of jeans, 150 file folders, 100 pieces of colored printer paper, 3 blank ink cartridges, 4 color ink cartridges, make up...."

"GO AHEAD, never mind," she was told. ::snort::

Bre should be home in Portland in about 7 hours. She'll drive down to Eugene with my folks. Krista has another 6 plus hours to arrive in SEA. She'll spend the night and day there and fly on down tomorrow.

The girls are a huge help to me when they are home. Stacia came down as I was cooking and asked if I'd like her to go get Arielle to be my "cooking friend". ::snort::

JOSIAH & JAMIN ARE HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

LIVING in the moment....

Hmmm...if you greet the day at midnight - the day can be incredibly long.

I woke up and put a turkey in the oven.

Everyone else woke up and we decided to go see Lady Liberty. It was REALLY windy and so we didn't look for geocaches or take any leisurely hikes...but it was fun and we made memories. The sky was incredibly clear and blue. This is the "largest Statue of Liberty in Japan." I wonder if there are more? This one is 65 feet tall from the pedestal.

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There was no ice in the water when we visited last.

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The big kids are suitably impressed with the roller slide.

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We decided we need to wear snow pants for future outings. Brrr.

We stopped at Shimoda Park(Swan Park)on our "way" home. This poor Swan looks miserable to me.

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The ducks were very friendly with the advent of winter. Yes, they did eventually eat from Nolan's hand.

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These guys stopped traffic. ::snort::

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New Year's Day in Japan is a shopping and gift giving day. We gave gifts as well. These cute envelopes are used for giving monetary gifts.

From 2009 - Gifts from Mom

The girls leave tomorrow a.m. Bre on the train and Krista on the plane. Prayers for safe travel are coveted.

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EVERYONE IS HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

MAFIA!

Mafia is so much fun when we're all home!

Stacia decided to be the narrator...oh my...the Doctor was killing folks, the Mafia was saving them....

I am so confused now that there are two Mafias that I've had to come over and blog the day. LOL

EVERYONE IS HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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

2010 Reading List

This is a glimpse at what's on my nightstand, bookshelves, floor....a running list of books which I'm reading or hope to read in 2010. Books in red have been READ....If I've reviewed it on the blog, the title should be a different color. You can click the title to read the review.

The Holy Bible

Biographies
Stubborn Twig - Lauren Kessler

Ten P's in a Pod - Arnold Pent III
Gift from Mikado - Elizabeth P. Fleming
Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth - Kristen Iversen
The Romanovs - Robert K. Massie
Dawn - Elie Wiesel
Night - Elie Wiesel
The Testament - Elie Wiesel

Family
Heartfelt Discipline - Clay Clarkson

Biblical Parenting - Crystal Lutton

A Turansky Book

Sacred Influence - Gary Thomas

Health
The Maker's Diet - Rubin - Maybe. LOL
What the Bible Says About Healthy Living - Rex Russell

The One Day Way - Chantel Hobbs

 Parenting
The Out of Sync Child - Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.
The Joyful Home School - Mary Hood

The Out of Sync Child has Fun - Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.

Christian Life

Dug Down Deep: Unearthing what I believe and why it matters - Joshua Harris

Understanding and Applying the Bible - Robertson McQuilkin

The Ever-Loving Truth - Voddi Baucham, Jr.

Un Christian - David Kinnaman

Primal - Mark Batterson

The Enemy Within - Kris Lundgaard

Watchman Prayer - Dutch Sheets

Sparklng Gems from the Greek: 365 Greek Word Studies for Every Day of the Year.... Rick Renner

A Place of Quiet Rest - Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Flashpoints - Stephen Arerburn
Daring to Dance with God - Jeff Walling
A New Kind of Christian - Brian McLaren

Non- Fiction - Misc

The White Horse King - Benjamin Merkle

Tea with Hezbollah - Ted Dekker

Fiction - pure fluff for enjoyment!!

Death of a Garage Sale Newbie - Sharon Dunn

Books I tend to read annually:
Sally Clarkson
Leading Women to the Heart of God - Lysa Terkeurst
Intimate Faith - Jan Winebrenner

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Welcome 2010!

From 2010-01-01 New Year

Unbelievable. The past ten years have raced by. Ten years ago we had 7 children...our oldest was 14 and our youngest was a newborn. Mike was newly returned from a deployment. We lived in San Antonio, TX. Mike was a Chaplain (Capt) in the USAF. Today we have 9 children. Four of them are adults...our oldest is 24 and our youngest is 4. Mike is a Chaplain (Maj) in the USAF and prepping for a new deployment. We live in Misawa, Japan and have all nine children here to celebrate.

I look forward to the next ten years.

Filling the last hour before mid-night...

Stacia obviously had a plan when she bought this for Mike for Christmas

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A NEW YEAR!!!!

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Happy New Year to you and yours!

EVERYONE IS HOME!
Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

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