Christmas Vacay

We have been having a stay vacation over the Christmas break. Daddy has had to work off and on but is finally off work for the New Year holiday. If you remember in Japan, Christmas is just another day where people go to work. However, the week of New Year's is considered a major holiday where everyone is off. We love being here during New Year. Tokyo becomes a ghost town and the city relaxes a bit. There is no hustle and bustle, no men and women rushing in suits and high heels to catch a train to work, and even stores and restaurants close so people can spend time with family. It is a nice change of pace for us. 

These posts will be a little backwards as I have yet to upload pictures from Christmas Day. However, these pictures can give you an idea of what we have been doing. Our friend Darlene came to visit for a few days. She comes every year at this time and it was a lot of fun to have her. The kids were hoping she could stay a day longer! I cooked a belated Christmas dinner with her here on Monday with turkey and the usual side dishes so she could enjoy it too with us. On Christmas Eve we spent it with two other families from church who have become family to us while we have lived here for the past nearly five years. The highlight of the night, besides the delicious food and conversation, was a skype date witih our good friends who moved back to the Netherlands. It felt like old times, and we all look forward to the day when we can hang out again all in the same place! Our church had a Christmas service which we attended and enjoyed. And we even arranged for the Pastor to give out some candy canes the week before Christmas to the kids at our church, like our church back in the US would often do during the Christmas Eve service. 

We have spent our free time playing our new game, Uno attack, and playing with our toys. We have also been out riding bikes as a family and visiting the local parks. Tonight we will eat the traditional New Years Eve meal of soba noodles to "cleanse" ourselves. Tomorrow daddy will cook some delicious New Year's Day food that he enjoyed growing up. I will make sure to take some pics. 

We have a lot to look forward to in 2015 - a new baby is on the forefront of our minds as he will be here around Valentine's Day. When I think back on 2014, it was a great year. Lots of ups and downs, lots of growth in our marriage, a trip to the US, starting homeschool with Miss M, finding out baby 3 is coming much to our surprise, and many more highlights. But I think what I leave with most, is just how much God has grown our marriage over this year. We communicate, we enjoy each other, we have fun, and God is giving us vision as a family which is what we have prayed for over the past five years. It finally seems like pieces of the puzzle are being put together and it is exciting to see. God is our rock and I can truly say my husband is my best friend. He always has been, but there is a depth this year that has grown that I am eternally grateful for and excited to see how God continues to grow us. 

Here are some fun pics of our stay-cation. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!