Laughter

In my family, we like to make fun of each other.

It is just something that we have always done. We laugh at each other and laugh at the stupid things that we do.

Since being home I have laughed until I have cried a few times.

It has been marvelous for my soul.

Here are some quotes:

My dad ::on the cat running around the house on Christmas morning with a paper bag trapped around her middle :: “It sounds like there was a thousand midgets running around up here! What are you and your Mom doing?”

Me: Dying laughing

My dad has a cold and is losing his voice. He was explaining to my mom and me about how he couldn’t swallow and his mouth was really dry. He said that he got up at 2 am and went into the kitchen.

I’m thinking.. Okay to get a drink of water.

My dad: “Well I opened up the pantry and sprayed some PAM in my throat to help moisten it.”

Me: Choking on my food while laughing so hard no noise is coming out.

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In my family there are 2 things that you will notice right away.

1. We yell a lot to communicate that dinner is ready or that we are leaving to go somewhere.

2. We LOVE to laugh.

 

Have you laughed today?

So Good

It feels so good to be home.

It still kind of feels like I am in a dream and I cannot wake up.

Landing at the Kansas City airport I was so excited.

Hearing “Here she comes!” from my dad and to hear everyone scream and holler and wave their poster around was awesome.

Running through the security and crying my eyes out was awesome too.

Hearing all of the people who were waiting for their flight say “Aww she’s crying” was awesome as well.

Hugging my mom and my family and friends for the first time in 11 months is way more than awesome. It was so good. So good for my heart, so good for my soul and so many tears running down my face.

It is so good to be home.

23

In 23 hours I will be hugging my family and my friends.

I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!

4 days

In 4 days I will be gettin on an airplane..

Until then this must happen…

* pack my suitcases

* Probably go to the doctor to get some medicine for whatever I currently fighting.

* 2 days of school with my kiddos

* 3rd grade Christmas Party

* Send my bags to the airport

* Clean my apartment

After all of that is done, I will be ready to get on the bullet train bound for Tokyo.

Kencho

If you work with me, you know that I say this word a lot.

It means nervous in Japanese.

Some of you may be asking “Why are you nervous? You should be excited!”

Yes, I am excited to go back to America for Christmas.

BUT

I am also very nervous.

I am nervous because in my mind, things are all still the same. People are all still friends and some people aren’t even really married yet in my mind.

But all of those things have happened over the past 10.5 months. People have fallen out with each other. Friends have gotten married and moved away. Friends have gotten engaged. Friends have faced hard trials in their life.

I am nervous because I don’t know how well I am going to handle all of this. I am nervous that I am going to be a different person, which I am, and I won’t have the right words to say.

I’m nervous about my transition from single small apartment to a five bedroom house with 4 other people. I know that it is only for 16 days but still… kencho.

 

 

Caroling

On Saturday, I took my kids downtown to go caroling.

Downtown on a Saturday is like Black Friday. AKA extremely busy!

All was going well. We were getting lots of stares from people and a lot of “kawaii” (which means cute).

I was having a great time as were my kids.

We sang 5 songs in four different locations. The first location we had a stage. There were cameras, video cameras, and cell phones galore to capture the children singing. I stood and sang right along with my little kiddos. I started tearing up. I felt like such a proud momma. Just to see the smile on their parents faces was amazing.

I mean… kids caroling is so precious. But Japanese kids caroling AND singing in English= one of the cutest things that I have ever seen.

I love my kids and they did such a great job!

Here are a few pictures from the day:

All of 2nd grade on the bus to go downtown.

Me and a few of my girls from my class all decked out in our Christmas wear.

Anna, Nina and Sylvia striking a pose.

All the 2nd graders singing

We sounded like this…

It is just a short clip but I wanted you to hear some of it.

Samantha and me after the long day of caroling.

 

Mary

I often think about what was like for Mary to see the face of God in baby form?

Jesus was Mary’s first-born child. He was also God.

I am not yet a mother but I get tears in my eyes thinking about seeing my child for the first time. There is so much emotion and you are so overwhelmed that you have this baby in your arms that has been so carefully formed in your womb.

I wonder how Mary felt….

Did she get caught up in the moment like all mothers do when they meet their child for the first time? Was she scared? Did she praise the baby for coming? She she pray to the Lord that Jesus was here on Earth?

I wonder how Mary felt….

Was she scared to raise Jesus here on Earth? I mean I would be TERRIFIED to raise God’s child here on Earth. To protect him from all of the evil things that are in this world.

I wonder how Mary felt…

Do you wonder how she felt on that day in Bethlehem?

Question

What is the most exciting thing that you have looked forward to?

It cannot be getting married or having a baby.

Mine… besides moving to Japan, it is getting on a plane to go home to America in 24 days. I tear up every time I look at my countdown.

24 days and counting

Anticipation

Every morning when I wake up, I roll over and look at my phone. I go and look at my countdown app.

Today it reads 37 days until I’m home for Christmas.

HOLY EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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In 37 days I will be on a bullet train bound for Tokyo. I will have slept hardly at all because I will be so excited. That morning I will have shoved last minute items into my bags.

On the bullet train I will not be sleeping. I will be updating from my iphone as much as possible and documenting my trip home to America.

I MIGHT stop in Tokyo for some shopping but probably not.

Getting to the airport I will check in and I might be squeeling from excitement.

Okay… fast forward 15 hours. I will be getting ready to land in Houston. My first time in America in 10.5 almost 11 months. Party in the USA will be playing on my ipod.

Seeing America out of my window (I only sit in window seats) I will have tears running down my face.

After I land, I will be RUNNING FRANTICALLY to get my bags, go through customs, recheck my bags and then try to find my gate for Kansas City!

Hopefully around 4:48 I will be landing in Kansas City.

I will be crying. (Like I am now from the anticipation.)

I will see my mom for the first time in 10.5 months.

I will be home.

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Oh my heart. Until then I will be waiting and listening to Christmas music and drinking tea and blog stalking. Oh and the occasional work. :]

O Come, All Ye Faithful

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time.

My pastor is going through some of the favorite Christmas songs that we sing every year. He is going through them and having us see the deeper meaning of things.

He was talking about how if you adore something, you are full of joy and you love that thing. But those who we adore, they will bring pain into our lives. For example, children. People adore their children but their child will break their heart at some point in their life.

Did you know that adoration is the first step towards worship? Did you know that the shepherds adored Christ when he was a small child?

They wanted to see the Christ child and see him for everything that he was worth. They wanted to see for themselves, everything that they had heard about.

What is something that you adore? Do you adore an actress? Actor? A sports player? Money? Weight loss?

This got me thinking, what is something that I adore so much, that could possibly turn into an idol?

Are there any idols in your life?

For He alone is worthy
For He alone is worthy
For He alone is worthy
Christ the Lord.

Come let us adore Him.
Come let us adore Him.
Come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord.