This is the site of Misawa PWOC's past few retreats. I found it ironic to be there on "retreat weekend" with my family. The day was BEAUTIFUL...I believe it has to be the nicest spring day we've had so far....71* or so. It was a "glorious sorrow" to remember times shared with so many different women along this lake. Fun memories from the very first retreat where I was given the label "Onsen Floozie" by SOMEONE ::wink::.....to last year when God invited me to give up chocolate and I began a journey to freedom from food addiction. Each retreat team, topics, attendees, work of God different....each precious. In the back of my mind was the thought, "This MAY really be our last time here." I asked if anyone else was feeling melancholy...just a "bit". My memories were leaking out my eyes. ::snort:: The kids DID keep our trip lively....
Jared wanted to find snow. I didn't really want to drive over the mountain next week and was happy when we saw the very last of the snow left from the Towada Snow Festival. LOL
Enough for a decent snowball fight
We have never taken the lake cruise. It was a great surprise when Michael suggested we go on the cruise! Arielle began to feel ill just before we got on the boat. I thought it was from traveling the gorge..but she's gotten progressively worse as the day went on.
Getting settled....
Jared thought it funny to be back where he needs to duck
It really is a beautiful cruise. They ran the commentary in Japanese and English so we could understand. They asked us if we needed English. I was glad they had it.
I learned the ladder some of the ladies climbed down the first year is MEANT to be climbed down. At the bottom is a famous "fortune telling" sight...and tradition has it some monk long ago became the ruler of Towada when he climbed down the mountain and stepped into the lake at that spot.
Note: Zander is certainly NOT taller than me...this must be trick photography!
Poor Arielle is really not feeling well by now. She went to take a nap in the van, hoping it would pass. It didn't. Jared went out in a paddle boat with Stacia and Zander. He'd been on crutches the time before when they did it.
We walked on down the beach and gave her time to nap. Stacia collected a handful of "Lake Glass."
Nolan sprained his ankle yesterday and was a trooper today...as was the quickly worsening Arielle.
We had planned to stop at North Village on the way home. We found this sign. I know it means they're hibernating closed....I'm wondering if anyone can tell when they may open again?
Some family friends are packing out on Tuesday. They needed to downsize a table....and knew we were moving to home with TWO eating areas and had one smallish table....we now this wonderfully large and historic table. I'll get some better photos and blog about it later......
...but this is my living room after making room for the dining room table. I'm sure our packers are going to wonder WHY we needed two tables in our home. LOL
Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...
