Always an adventure

Living in Japan means any time we leave base will alway be an adventure. We never know where the GPS will actually take us, or how it will get us there. Or if it will be open. Or what we will actually find when we get there. Or if we brought enough yen or if they take card. Or if we made a wrong turn if we will be able to turn around for a half hour and how much it will cost in tolls. Or if we will even find something to eat that we know what it is and it’s not octopus balls. Sigh. This is why it toook me 6 months to adjust to living here. But I am used to all that uncertainty now. So now it’s just an ‘adventure.’ Tonight Steven tried to take us to an Owl Cafe. It took an hour to get there by train, then it was closed . ☹️ Google said it was open. Oh well. We found the zoo on the GPS so we headed in that direction and found a park for Emma to get all her wiggles out. (It’s hard to be quiet and still on the train.) On the way we found some fun shops on a different street, so we went and checked them out. We will have to go back to the zoo (it was too late in the day to go), and check out the stores. We did eat at the Pancake House. I was itching to have Japanese fluffy pancakes. So we are and then took the train home. On the way back to our car Emma begged for McDonalds....an hour after we had eaten. But you don’t have to twist Daddy’s arm for McDonalds, so we ate their , too. 

He got some sort of coffee, and let Emma try a sip. She liked it.

Seriously that is like $6 worth of strawberries! At least. She ate them all.

Yum!

Eggs Benedict. They were looking at him. 

My fluffy pancakes. They taste about like they look. Sugar and air. Steven was not a fan. I liked them, but Japanese pastries give me a headache if I eat too much. So I also had an omelet.

The silliness of Emma

You know, just opening the door with her feet.

We went out to eat with my friend Shannon and her daughter, Bella. They were taking pictures of each other.

And herself apparently 

And me apparently 

And Shannon and the sign of their meat special that is now over.

Late night

Last night I went to a PWOC sign-making night. It was fun. While I was gone Emma and Steven cleaned the house! It was a nice surprise to come home to. But we all stayed up very late, so we will probably be going to bed early tonight. 

Updated to add that we did not go to bed early the next night! Getting ready for PWOC Kickoff! Maybe tomorrow?

This is what Emma did when she got up yesterday. 

We had a great turnout! 

Side note: I did not take any of these pictures. 

I opted for the Japan design. Emma lectured me on how the first letter in country name should be capitalized.

This is one of our chaplains wives with the second design, she painted her’s for her 4 year old daughter’s room. The pink has glitter on it!

Obviously I didn’t take this picture...they had me do a devo.

Emma is trying out the new Japanese hair stuff I got in the Lucky Bag. This is what she wore today.

Emma and her sisters

Emma wanted a sister for Christmas. 😳 She got an American Girl Doll instead, which she said was good enough. 😂😁 She has been taking very good care of her ‘sisters,’ dressing them and changing their clothes, taking them everywhere we let her. Sometimes they get in trouble or ask for things they can’t have. Tonight Chelsea wet her bed, so she ‘had’ to sleep with Emma. Usually we make her sleep in her own bed. 😏 Emma has been putting her to bed every night. She puts her pajamas on her, tucks her in bed and reads the Bible to her...she might also ask her lots of questions and explain the answers to her. (Emma gets a theology lesson when I read Bible stories. 🤷‍♀️)  She also sings to her. Tonight was Away in the Manger. I need to just buy her her own hymnal, I had to look up the words for her to follow along with on my phone. It was so cute, we may have let it slide that she was doing this while she was supposed to be getting ready for bed herself, which she eventually did. 

Reading Genesis to Chelsea. 

Our ‘daughters,’ Emma, Chelsea, and....Emma. Sometimes I forget the little two are my daughters andEmma  reminds me, “don’t you remember, Mom? You had them!?” 🤷‍♀️ How could I forget. (Although in my defense they always used to be her daughters.)

A Japanese Diner

Tonight I was getting cabin fever, so Steven took us our for dinner. He found an American diner across the street from base, although it wasn’t that easy to get to, it never is here. But it was fun to get out. We had hamburgers and Emma had a grilled cheese. It was the most American hamburger I have had here besides McDonalds. Emma enjoyed her ‘Carmel milk’ which is milk in ice with Carmel syrup mixed in. The whipped cream was actually very thick and not very sweet, tasted like coffee. Emma want a fan of it, but like the milk. It’s always an adventure eating here. 

Post Christmas days

We have been enjoying our presents, and Emma especially has been enjoying playing with her new toys and reading the books. We have played lots of Quiddler Junior, and have been having way more screen time than normal. I figure it’s better than us driving each other crazy. (All her friends aregone.) We still have several days left until school starts, so hope we will find some fun things to do so we survive. :)

Trying to do Chelsea’s hair while playing Quiddler Junior 

She did her best to dress like her. They are pretty much attached at the hip. 

Steven and I got her a fancy Belle dress. She loves to put it on. 

Meet Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Thank you to our families who Skyped early for us to open presents on our Christmas morning! I didn’t take very many pictures today, but it was a good day. We opened presents, watched a tiny bit of football, played Quiddler Junior, had biscuits and gravy for breakfast, and steak, mashed potatoes and homemade rolls for dinner. We were too full for dessert...maybe tomorrow.

I got Emma this cute jacket ...if I had remembered to wear my green coat we would both have been in Christmas colors. And I forgot to take a picture of us all. We went light looking before the Christmas Eve service, it was so much fun to see Emma’s enjoyment of it all. Our Christmas Eve service was late, she was pretty wiggly... she brought her old lady glasses, too, apparently. They did have bags of activities for the kids, but it was still late.

Emma and Chelsea, in pajama outfit #1.

Pajama outfit #2. She loved being twins. 

Playing with her Pioneer Woman Barbie kitchen set. She loves watching her on TV, although she doesn’t know her name. Poor Daddy played Barbies today. Not his favorite thing, But he was a good sport.

Daddy and Emma took Chelsea for a walk.