Family Fun

Six days post op - to say our winter isn't going the way we planned would be an understatement...but we are finding joy in the days with Michael at home.  We're not doing as many errands, not really doing a ton of school - enjoying the down time. 

We talked about Jesus being the Bright Morning Star in family circle. I thought it would be good to do two more Advent Clues tonight as we are so far "behind." Michael reminded me that Christmas begins 25 Dec and we can simply keep opening these gifts in the 12 days beyond Christmas...so tonight is the last two gift night. LOL 

Clue Number One, "Of wizards and dwarfs." 

Nolan found this one next to Lord of the Rings...

Stacia isn't so impressed with a little notebook 

Clue Number Two, "While waiting to go somewhere, I can be kind of stinky." 

One of my favorite parts of Advent Clues is watching the kids' thinking process. The youngers headed AGAIN to the bathroom, then the laundry room, then they raced upstairs. Nolan and Arielle found it but left it until they found it....finally.....

This looks to be a fun game. You role dice and if you get "forget it" you lose all your points....at least that is what I figured from watching.

He's up...he even went for a little ride with me today...didn't get out of the car...and is still plenty sore...but up, had dinner with us, we did family circle in the living room instead of bedside...all big steps.  I didn't realize he was taller than our little BX special tree. ::snort::

I'm off to join everyone settling in to read a chapter or two of Cooper Kids before turning in for the night. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

German Lentil Stew

Recipe is from Happy Herbivore Abroad, a cookbook I hope to own by the end of January. ::hint:: Lindsay's recipes are plant strong, no animal products, and no oil. I've enjoyed them all - mixed reviews from the family. 

Ingredients: 
Small Onion diced
2 garlic cloves - minced (I used 5 or 6)
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander - divided 
2 Carrots
1 C Lentil
1 Potato (I used 2)
3 C Veggie Broth - divided
2 tsp Lemon Zest
fresh parsley - garnish

Directions: 
Line the bottom of a warm skillet with water or broth - add onions and garlic and saute for 1 - 2 min.

Add 1/2 tsp of Cumin and 1/2 tsp of Coriander and stir to coat onion mixture. Add a splash of broth to pan if the veggies are sticking.

Add carrots and cook 1 min.

Add potato, lentils and 2 C broth. Stir to combine, cover, bring to a boil, LOWER HEAT and simmer until lentils are done. 30 - 40 min.

Add remaining coriander, lemon zest and 1 C more broth - you may want to add more broth to make it soup like...or leave it like this and eat it as a casserole?

Heath through, garnish with fresh parsley if desired. 

Note - Arielle and I liked this though we agreed we'd like more seasoning. Michael said it tasted like Curry - he doesn't like curry. I do think I'll make it with more seasoning again.  

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Chapel Card Takes 2nd Place

Woohoo! The Chapel's Christmas Card took second place in the base-wide competition this year. CE (Civil Engineering) won first.  I wanted to be sure to get a photo of it this year. 

Andy W did the cutting, sanding and what not. Erica M did the art work and the youth did the painting. This year Dave D and Aaron W set it up. 

I love the simplicity of the message! 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Sunday Fun

SWEET! Michael has spent much of the day sleeping. Last night was a bit rough. The kids and I left for the Christmas Play tonight and to pick up some groceries. We came home and the Christmas lights and outside nativity were lit up. What a fun surprise.  He had gotten down the stairs and lit it all up for us. This is a good sign.

We've fallen behind on our "hunts" and so did two tonight. Michael had hidden two gifts while we were out of the house. He came down stairs and joined us. Exciting steps towards normal family life. Michael did a great job of picking one gift we'd want to play with and one that was for "later use."

The first clue was "Relaxation on high," and Stacia found the gift on the recliner at the top of the stairs before we could get up there with the camera!

The second clue was tougher to find, "There's no telling what you'll find."  Where could it be?

I agree with Nolan's thought - there IS no
telling what will be in this little collection
center on the stairs...

We've NEVER hidden a gift here...but I
suppose there is always a first time? 

Aha! Nolan's on to something....

Score

New Folders....already being used

It was a fun night to sit and play together at the kitchen table. We picked up the mail while on base and were happy to find a packet of news clippings, cards, old family photos from Mom G. All in all a nice way to spend a Sunday evening. 

Wow - surgery really has been rough on Michael

I'll post about the Christmas Play tomorrow....need to weed through the photos and see if we have any suitable to post. LOL

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fri Field Trip - Part Three - Namiki

No outing with Akikosan and the Gherkins is complete without ice cream...and we scored big time today. Akikosan's parents told her about an ice cream shop near Shichinohe where the ice cream was made fresh daily with milk from their own cows. 

I have no clue what the difference is between Gelato and Ice Cream - but this stuff was GOOD. Yes, I KNOW it's an animal product....and it will be my 10% for this week (and maybe next). 

This is a great find! It's off Hwy 4....we left Misawa via Route 10 out past the toll road heading to Towada, took the cut off towards Shichinohe....I'll have to go again and get better directions and GPS coordinates.  This reminds me of Rice Hill in Oregon. 

 Akikosan says in the summer time the lines are long....down the road....it wasn't so bad in the winter.

We discovered they would make little packs for us to take home. We were going to get just chocolate for Zander and Michael....but then Akikosan mentioned the Caramel would be really good with the Apple...and the rest is history...

Cute little take home cartons....

Yum...we all met up in the room with Michael

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fri Field Trip - Part Two - Shimekazari Making

New Year's is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, celebration in Japan.  I've been starting to miss the traditional "Advent Wreath Workshop," many chapels have; this chapel hasn't had one in four years. I was excited when Akikosan told us we'd be making New Year's Wreaths today. 

I had a few doubts when we walked into this room filled with straw. I told Arielle I felt like Rumpelstiltskin. 

Seriously, it's amazing what happens when you fill a room with rice straw and some ingenious, knowledgeable Japanese - along with a few happily inept Americans. ::grin:: 

Making these "wreaths" were  more work than making Soba Noodles....by the time we were done we were shedding layers of clothes.

I was struck again with how precise things are done here. We pulled 30 pieces of straw from the pile.

We then made three piles of 10 each and tied them at the top.  Stacia ALWAYS scores lots of help.

Next you take two of your three, 10 strand piles and tie them together. You put them end to end and tie them in the middle.  You slide your long bundle of straw until you have an X shape. Then you are supposed to SQUAT and put your foot in the middle....while you twist one strand one way and another another way..... As I began to feel the burn and wonder if I'd be able to WALK by the time this thing was done, I glanced over and realized Stacia had found an easier way to stomp on the twists of rice straw. ::grin:: 

After a significant amount of rice straw twisting you have one long rope of straw. Just for fun you take the forgotten THIRD pile of straw and now add it in the middle, make the X and do the squatting twisting with it. ::snort:: 

There was a lot of laughing in the room. They were gracious to help us when needed...and Arielle and I got a kick out of how they decided ours had to be redone as it wasn't "right". I brought the house down with laughter when she picked mine up and gave me a perplexed look. I said, "It's American Style." ::snort:: They made me redo it. (Shhh....I didn't really count my straw). It was all cheerful!

In the end our loops of straw began to look like Shimekazari. We will accessorize them before 1 January. 

They turn out looking like this one....In my search for real directions to post I discovered  there is a lot of symbolism in these things we don't really abide by....and I began to understand why the sweet lady insisted I HAD to have white slips of paper on my decoration. We'll just hang them as a fun Japanese New Year decoration and leave it at that.  

Here's a group shot....all except us are farmers in the local area. They are a fun group. We felt welcomed, had a great time and learned a bit of the culture. They are considering doing more "Green Tourism" in the area for different seasons...and I will join as many as I hear about. 

Look who is tall enough to be in the back row! 

Shichinohe is about 45 minutes from our house. The farm was another 10 minutes out.  They have a Soba restaurant that is open year round....there's a ski area nearby. Follow the signs that say "Shichinohe Ski Area" and you may find this.....It was fairly tucked away.....In fact this is the back side of the building - not the side which faces the road! I was amazed to find a restaurant so off the beaten path - but that's common here. It's really a beautiful area...lots of snow, river and fireflies in the summer. 

Random thoughts: There is a measure of peace in knowing everything from baking to wreath making has a set way to be done.  I am not sure creativity is as valued in the Japanese learning environment as it is in America. I really don't KNOW about that...but I am left wondering as I realize every learning situation I have been in here has had a very clear "right" way for things to be done. 

One sweet lady told me Arielle was "a number one student."  I suspect her blond hair and winning smile have a lot to do with this. ::snort::

I wish we'd found opportunities like this earlier in our assignment.

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Prayer Request

I had the flu.... I've done my share (though I'm just one good flu bug from my goal weight). ::snort:: 

Arielle and Nolan got the flu late last week. There was a break. I thought all were fine. Michael had surgery. 

Today, Zander is throwing up. Please pray with us that Michael doesn't get the flu. The rest of us can cope, but this would be really bad timing for him. 

Oh, Sunday night is the Christmas play. Praying all are well for that.  Thanks. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...