Yuto

The newest member of the Tokyo meeting, Yuto Yachidate.  Stanley loves him!

                                                                 wee bundle

Yuto

Showa at night

Showa Kinen park was one of the very first places I ventured to off base with the children back in July.  Since then we have gone back numerous times and have always had a wonderful time exploring and finding something else unique to enjoy about this place.  Winter has been almost nowhere to be seen here in Japan and I have really struggled to get into the 'Christmas spirit'.  When I heard Showa did a Christmas light display It did not take much convincing in my mind to go see what they had to offer.   This is what we found.

 

                                                                         Tree of candles

                                                         Yup, Audrey was tired!

                                                   This was a maze for the children....the highlight

                                 She was cold and miserable and extremely unhappy hot chocolate was

nowhere to be found!

                                                                         reflection

We loved what we found!

its these things

When we moved to Japan as is the obvious I knew no one.  The sense of overwhelming loneliness hit me almost as soon as we walked off the plane.  I was a stranger in a strange land.  But I am so incredibly thankful that the Lord has given me some truly wonderful friends.  Not just surface friends, but lifelong friends that I can share my joys and my struggles, laughter and tears.  I could never have dreamed this possible, and I am so very thankful for this.

One of these woman, Heather and I try to walk each Monday and Thursday as the weather and schedules allow.  We walk about  half of the perimeter of the flight line (the runway all the planes take off and land from).  She also has a little girl 3 years of age, and pushing her double stroller we set off.  It feels so good to get the walk in, to hear the little girls chatting and giggling, to watch the planes take off and land and to admire in awe the magnificent Mount Fuji in the distance.  But what I appreciate most is our talks about the Lord.  We share what we have been enjoying, and what we need prayer for with our children and husbands. She challenges me and holds me accountable and as I walk home with Audrey after we have completed our walk I feel refreshed and encouraged.

The Lord has been so good to me here, this is just one of too many to count!

                                                           Audrey and Sidney starting out

                                                             Audrey and Sidney upon our return

snowflakes and sugarplum fairies

Our little Molly is a girlie girl.  She can hold her own against her brothers just fine, and can let her point be heard loud and clear.  But however, she loves nothing more than to wear skirts and dresses, sparkly shoes, and to twirl and dance all over.  Oddly though if I dare try to brush out those inevitable tangles that come with being a girl, she would be more than happy to sport the birds nest look.  Sigh.

So you can imagine her delight when I told her we had signed her and Audrey up for ballet.  The shrieks and giggles could be heard for miles and we counted down for that first class for no less than 4 weeks.  An eternity to her.  So every Friday they eagerly pace the floor until its time to go, and for 45 minutes she twirls and spins as Ms. Christi instructs them.

The girls have been practicing on their first recital, and this past Saturday was the big day.  Audrey was a little sugar plum fairy and Molly a dancing snowflake.  It was their special day.  Wearing their tutu dresses, having their hair done, even wearing sparkly lip gloss and eye shadow was almost more than they could take.  I will never forget their shining eyes that day...I love my little ballerinas.