Friday Happened.....

and I did not have an appetizer to take to the Wing Staff party......Facebook friends tried valiantly to help me - but their pantries are obviously much better stocked than ours. HOWEVER, I scrounged and dug up.....

Appetizers! 

Michael and I also got the paperwork turned in for the kids and I to fly Space A. We plan to leave before Michael and Jared to celebrate Josiah's graduation. We aren't quite sure which week we'll get out - but we'll give it a shot.  AND if we end up buying last minute tickets to the states - we will have tried. 


We played games and watched Looney Tunes the rest of the night. I watched a Monk episode...self-care. 


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Happy Birthday My Love

It's hard to believe my boyfriend turned 51...and yes, he STILL rocks my world.  God blessed me greatly when he brought Michael and I together. We're nearly polar opposites. He appreciates the touch of insane unpredictability I add to his life and I appreciate the calm and security he brings to my life.  He expects more of me than I expect of me. He truly loves me and man I love him too. 

 "Tickle little kids" - a game invented over two decades ago! 

The Japanese Gherkins and Michael 

 Nolan bought Michael a NOTW shirt which was a hit. Stacia wanted to buy "a tool, any tool," I talked her in to waiting until she and Michael could shop together and pick one out. I sold the others on buying an ipod. We've talked about this for 3 years and Michael never wanted one...but we thought the time was right this time.....I hoped.

YES, he did love it. 

He's been listening to the same CD for weeks in the van....the world has opened to new possibilities...and I'm gaining RETRO music on itunes. ::snort::

No, we don't usually bring the cake to the computer....

But the girls were on Skype....

What fun to hear Krista say, "I'm sleeping," and for Bre, our night owl, to stay up and catch us up on her life.

It was a good birthday....and Mom and Dad's 49th anniversary too! Happy day to all of us!

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Self Care at MOPS

MOPS is always a highlight!  I get to be a Mentor Mom as this is the first year in two decades which I didn't qualify to be a member. This month was great.  Fun surprises......NEW MOPS t-shirt AND Kristin's Mom  made "glasses on a rope" and mailed them over!  I love the Japanese fabric.  The shirts have a great motherhood quote on the back which I can't remember right now. ::snort:: 

Note the sassy pink feather! 

Annette Sather was our guest speaker this month. She spoke on "Self-Care Emotionally, Physically, and Spiritually." This is a topic I've spent some time thinking about for over a year when Victoria Robinson told me after traveling to Korea and Japan with me, "Self-care is not selfish."  I'm at a season where I'm thinking a lot again about ministry from a place of rest, about self care in the midst of service....


Annette shared she knew she had been the best wife and mother she possibly could be. This was good to stop and think about it. Am I able to say the same thing?  She shared that self-care emotionally meant protecting yourself in relationships. She shared some of the unique aspects of being a pastor's wife and shared her husband is her BEST friend, her most intimate friend and that she protects that relationship.  Next she shared we need to respect ourselves and take care of physical self-care. Finally, Spiritual self care involves "taking care of ourselves." I'm hearing this message often lately.  She talked on Mark 11 - Asia Regions Verses.  To sum up: practice good self care emotionally, physically and spiritually by protecting, respecting and caring for yourself.  


During table time we shared around the theme....and our CRAFT was one I loved. In fact, I plan to make more....I had hoped for Christmas gifts....but I may be leaving Japan before I have time to put this idea into practice.  Anyway - we made homemade sugar scrub.

Smells SO good - works AND tastes good.

Yes, it smelled so good I tasted it...Self care isn't any better than this....defoliation AND dessert at once! 

To make:

• Fill jar with sugar and dump into bowl
• Add oil to applesauce consistency (we used safflower as it's what we can get)
• Add 10 drops or so of essential oil (I used peppermint)
• Take origami paper and fit to lid - modge podge
• Add label with modge podge
• Fill jar 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Brrr......the Weather's Changing....

Yep - the weather is changing. Our first snow flurries today. 

Yummmm.....cookies for the kids.......

Slow cooked turkey...475* degrees and then a slow roast for 6 hours.....

Keeping warm without turning on the heat - you can't beat that!


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Lovin from Korea

Michael and I try to bring little gifts home when we travel. Sometimes I KNOW I'll have no time to shop. In fact, last year for Vision Summit, I bought items at the BX and wrapped them. LOL  I was blessed to have Sunday afternoon to shop so THIS time everyone got some lovin from Korea. LOL 

For Michael I bought a hand-made silk tie to add to his eclectic collection. This one is Blues Brothers and says "On a Mission from God".

Stacia is adorable in this hat AND it keeps her warm

Yes, I had to resort to the BX for Nolan's gift.....

And Zanders too. 

Arielle got her first COACH purse...

Yes I DID go behind locked doors and up a bunch of stairs...part of the Korean experience. She likes it and I think her kindle fits in it.

His nickname is "stitch" and this fit.....SCORE. 

I got home late last night. We talked a bit, passed out gifts and went to bed.

We left early this a.m. for PWOC and a PAC meeting - we're HOME.

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~

Living all of life before the face of God...

New Kit Kat Flavors

A fun thing about living in Japan is the incredible variety of Kit Kat flavors....and they are seasonal! The best place to find the fun flavors are at airports and train stations...... Americans love to buy these. Many save them in boxes as collector items. We sample them.  We've already tried strawberry, soy sauce, tofu, vanilla and apple.  I bought more.....

Flavors Galore!

Apple, Sweet Potato, Blueberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake, strawberry, habenero, Annin Dofu (some sort of dessert), mystery white flavor, citrus.....

I thought this was Curry but it's Azuki Sand Aji (Red Bean sandwich flavor)

We've been eating the apple. We're saving the rest to enjoy as a family in TX - when we go for Josiah's graduation from ASU.


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Coming Home

Monday, 14 Nov, eleven of us headed back to Misawa. It was fun traveling with a group again. I hadn't been able to spend time with my ladies at conference but it was a BLAST to have some of "my ladies" at conference this time. There are usually very few of us at regional or international.  


One fun memory from the trip home, is  hunting down the best shop to buy various kit kat flavors  in Haneda....then we caused quite a bit of fun the rest of the day as we each went through security points with BIG bags of kit kats...."Americans love their kit kats". LOL 

Waiting for us as we came out of immigration

I usually travel with a carry on and a laptop - not so when hauling regional stuff back and forth! 

Our sweet preggies guarded the luggage while the rest of us ran for Kit Kats

Baby Emma (shown here surrounded by luggage) is a trooper! 3 months old and making international trips to PWOC Conference! 

All our luggage waiting for the shuttle across Tokyo

Trying to check in at Narita and explain we WERE flying internationally but had to stop in Narita to connect to Misawa....we gave up and paid the overage.....

Resting minutes before we boarded for the final flight to Misawa......I fell asleep before the plane was even finished boarding. I have no clue how the gentlemen next to me got to their seats....woke up when we landed. 

Met by husbands on the other side of the glass

And lots of kids - Zander is in the white t-shirt and Stacia in the purple coat 

Sweet little ones so happy to see their Moms again

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...