Fuji

Mount Fuji is Japans tallest mountain.  Easily seen from the base here, it is a beautiful volcanic mountain with its perfectly shaped cone rising up all by itself seemingly out of nowhere.  Though it has not erupted in over 200 years it is considered active, and with its increasing earthquakes from within and rising pressure, is expected to erupt in the next few years.  I am planning on hiking to the top in July, so as long as it holds off until then I am good.

I have been wanting to go to the Fuji phlox festival all month, where 800 000 phlox plants are planted at its base.  Every weekend seems to get taken with various activities, so I ended up just keeping the kids home from school on Monday so we could spend the whole day there.

I started out wondering if I had made the right choice, for Fuji could not be seen from base as we left.  Being a highly elusive mountain, it seems whenever I make the trip to the Fuji area, it cannot be seen that day due to cloud cover.  Going anyway, we were treated to the most spectacular showing of phlox I have ever seen.
Audrey insisted on being held most of the day, so I could not take many pictures...but I managed a few.

I got a chuckle out of this Mount Fuji made with the Phlox

phlox is a carpet like ground cover flower...it went on forever

Fuji started to emerge from behind the clouds behind us..

Our snack was steamed sweet potato being made by a local.  They were amazing!

I was supposed to share with Audrey, but I think she only allowed me 1 bite...was delicious!

We continued on to Shiriato Falls, which are fed by the melting snowcap of Fuji.  

 upper falls

 The water at the base of these falls is a beautiful azure...that was difficult to photograph, and the children wanted to play here all day despite the water being frigid.

On the way out we stopped for ice cream...

I had to try wasabi ice cream since it was offered.

And it tasted well just like wasabi...once was enough for me

With our friends that joined us....

Fuji was very clear by this time so we stopped along the side of the road for photos...

O-H-I-O

One more shot, as the clouds lifted...

But alas the drive home was horrific...

Traffic was a nightmare

Sitting on my lap in the front seat...while I attempted to drive...

A trip that usually takes 90 minutes, took 4 hrs!

But totally worth it!

Audrey turns 4

My baby is growing up.  I have been dreading this birthday as much, if possible, as she was anticipating it.  Audrey is 4.  She is a fiercely independent girl, but still loves to snuggle in, and be carried about if the mood fancies her.  She informed me just today she is now too big to ride in the front of the grocery cart, and a part of me cried.  This is going way too quickly.

We had bug decorated cupcakes, as was requested by my birthday girl.

Note her pigtails.  Every morning she requests pigtails with braids.  They are looking rather sad by this point of the day, but classic Audrey.

Here is Audreys special birthday at school with the other children who have had birthdays in April/May

It was very cute, and very different from an American party.  The teachers performed skits and sang.  

I did not understand a word of it....!

School buses in Japan are often decorated with everything from Thomas the train to Hello Kitty.

Audrey goes to one of the very few Christian schools in Japan, so hers has a shepherd leading the sheep...which she loves.

Each class outside wears a different color hat.  Audrey wears yellow...

Hamura Zenrin School

Look familiar Honor?

When I asked her teacher how Audrey was doing she said one phrase "Audrey is wild!"

When I enquired, it was her constant climbing, leaping, and fearlessness which caused this comment.

Shoes off!

With her wonderful teacher.  I still can not pronounce her name!

We now have all had a birthday in Japan.  

Bazaar

I was approached several months ago to take on a position on Yokota's Bazaar Committee. I knew very little about it, and the extent of my knowledge was that it was a biannual event held here on base which hosted many vendors from all over Asia to sell their antiques, jewelry, furniture etc. to the Americans here on base. When I went in the fall it was fun browsing around seeing the Japanese pearls, art, amazing samurai swords (to the tune of 13000$), antiques, kimonos...you name it. I knew such an event was a major undertaking, and well, now that I have been closely involved in the planning of one, gives me a whole new level of appreciation for such events. I have been going to weekly meetings for months, and together with my good friend, Heather, we were in charge of the facility where it was hosted. Permits, electrical, internet, anything building related came to us. Unfortunately, that also meant we held the keys, so we were the first ones there, and last ones out... It was fun and stressful...but I worked with some great ladies...

The bazaar is held in one of Yokota's hangers.  When we arrived for set-up Thursday morning this greeted us.  It was not there the day before on my last walk through, and set us back a little bit...

Leaving...

Setting up

Unloading

Over 60 vendors later...

This booth, beauty from brokenness, is a group of Japanese women who lived in the area of the 2011 Japanese tsunami.  With little work afterwords they started making jewelry from the pieces of broken pottery and china left in its wake.  It was a very popular booth.

I am exhausted, but it was a great learning experience...!

So that's been my life recently...