Saturday, May 18, 2013

Sunday with Jared


Happy to have this young man home this Sunday! 

We attended the 0800 service. This service will be combining with the 1100 service as of next Sunday to become the "New Traditional Service."  It was one of those "glorious sorrows" to sit in the service and consider the blessed community it has provided and to realize that many of these dear families are also pcsing this summer. 

After the service, Michael did "chaplain stuff" and the kids and I headed for Cinnabon. They were THRILLED that I messed up their order.....I ordered a "normal" for each of the kids as a treat....but um....I thought the normal is what is really the "mini" - so the mini I usually buys them turns out to be the "bite".....ah well....they needed to be sugared up for this day! This was a good time for Jared to touch base with the J family and we enjoyed visiting together in the breathing space between services. 

A funny....Zander confided to Steve (Mr. J) that he was a bit surprised Jared was wearing a pink shirt. ::snort:: Steve assured him he wouldn't wear pink either but it looks rather nice on Jared. 

Michael preached on holiness in the 1100 and 1735 services. All of us were at 1100. Jared and I went with Michael to the 1735 service. Good thoughts to contemplate this week....good times visiting a variety of friends in all the services.

I don't think we could have made Sunday any fuller for Jared.  It will be his only chance to attend chapel so it's nice it worked out he could see it all in one week. He flies next Sunday a.m.

We DID fit lunch and ice cream (and cashew cream for Arielle and me) into the day somewhere. 

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Luvin Japan ~ Commissary Funnies


This isn't REALLY a Japan issue...and yet...it happens in Japan and I'd not seen it before....Milk with dates 3 months out...funny spellings....and reminders like this....


I'm going to have to remember that shelf dates MEAN something in America. ::snort:: 

Choosing Joy!
©2013 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Beautiful Day @ Towadako


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...