Learning True Love… A Valentine’s Update

 

 

Hey everyone! Thanks for keeping up with our journey. I know that I’m not always the best at writing lately, and truth be told it’s because I have a lot to process (I’ll explain- I promise.) But also, I don’t want to bog you down with “well today I woke up at 2pm and laid around watching Netflix because I had about as much energy as a sloth”. It’s a far cry from what anyone wants to share about their life and a farther cry from what someone else would want to hear. Don’t fret- for those of you who have been praying, I will give you an update on my health. But please allow me to share what’s on my heart first.

My husband. Ya’ll know about Dan- and if you have had the pleasure of meeting Dan, then you probably have never forgotten him. He is charismatic, funny, and can make anyone around him comfortable. He also has a smile to that’s to die for. We have had a LOT of time together these past 19 moths (yes- it’s been that long that I’ve been ill- and yes I’m still counting… no, I don’t have a time frame of when I’ll be better. But that’s not my point here… bear with me) and it’s something that I’ve truly cherished. The time we’ve had is something that most only get when they’re retired. We wake up together, we eat together, we get groceries together, we do errands together, doctors appointments together, cook together, I mean you think of it, we’re rarely apart unless Dan has some weird training thing or an errand that I simply don’t have energy or the desire to do. This is unheard of for a young couple in their 20’s and yet it is something that we’re able to do because the military understands that I cannot live on my own. Some couples, would be sick of each other by now, but we are grateful- yet it’s a hard situation.

Dan looked at me the other day driving down the road, and very casually said “You know I will never leave you, right?” I replied, “Well, yeah.” He said, “Good.” And thus began our conversation which I probably took for granted. My husband is truly a superhero. The woman he married, the young, vibrant, energetic, perfectionist who is super capable has gone through a lot these past 19- months (you know that). But standing beside me the whole time was my strong but worried, loving husband. He never once wavered, never once left my side and I even remember him carrying me around the house so I could still have some independence. My husband has shown me what true love looks like. He’s not always great at romance with flowers, and candlelight dinners. But he has never once let me walk this very long, hard road alone- even when it gets hard for me he is behind me pushing me and telling me that I am stronger than I think.

When I was young, I thought love was always in feeling. I thought it was the teddy bears, flowers, candles and romantic dinners. Now, my opinion has changed. Love to me is my darling husband who every time I have a random chest pain gives me the most concerned look. Love is him snuggling up next to me to keep me warmer because my Reynolds Syndrome is acting up and I’m like an ice cube. Love is him telling me that they will stop the xy and z problems and that I’ll get my health back and even if I’m never 100% back, that he’ll love me just the same, that is true love to me. I just needed to let you know how blessed I truly am. 🙂

In case you didn’t know, I love my husband. 😉 He really is a super hero- I swear, and not just because the back of his uniform looks like a cape. (Sorry, that was corny, but I had to..) Anyway, I’ve been sitting on this information for a while. I needed some time to absorb it, understand it, process it, and go to the doctor to figure out what we’re going to do about it. My Lyme culture came back negative. Normally, this is where I would jump up and down and throw a party and say “Beasties beaten!!” and claim remission. But not this time. This feels different, I don’t feel better. In fact, one day I was without my anti-seizure medication and I started to convulse again- not good! Therefore, I know something is up! Back to the Lyme doctor I go- luckily he’s amazing and doesn’t think I’m making this up.

Basically, here’s the scoop: When I had my Lyme culture taken, I was only off antibiotics for 4 weeks, however I had been taking antibiotics for over a year- meaning I was still probably more antibiotic than human at that point. So, he wants a Lyme Culture redo and to check me for ALL co-infections (it’s a LOT of blood)- I haven’t done this yet, because my sleep cycle is a little wonky and I need to be awake in the morning, since the bugs are more active in the afternoon. He believes that my Lyme could be in remission but that I could have a co-infection(s) that are making things difficult.

One reason he thinks it’s a co-infection in the brain is because of a test he does for balance. He tests the equilibrium to see if you will catch yourself or if someone else will have to catch you. To give you an idea, I have NO balance. To perform the test you stand with your feet together, arms to the sides, head back, eyes closed. You should have your equilibrium catch you and not fall- I’ll fall. Last time we did this at the Dr.’s – Dan had to catch be because the Dr accidentally let me go too far- oops. 😀

I’m also now on a new thyroid medication. Praise the Lord!!! I’m praying that this helps with the sleep problem and the energy of the sloth problem. (If you thought I was kidding in the intro- sorry, I wasn’t.) My anti-seizure medication has also been upped and may need to be changed depending on how things go. So, overall I’m a bit of a mess but we’re working on patching me back up. My Lyme doctor is amazing and everyone in this area trusts him- I just have to wait for my test results, which I can’t get until I go get the blood taken, which I can’t do until I wake up. It’s a vicious cycle.

Thank you to those of you who are praying for Dan and I. We appreciate it more than words can say. Because of my seizures, we have had to cease going to church due to the loud sounds, lights, crowds, frequencies, ect until I get them controlled- it’s been very draining on us. The Lord created us both as extroverts- we NEED people, so we are doing our best to get our fellowship in elsewhere and get our worship in at home until I can go back. Please know that we love you all, we appreciate your prayers and your support- this has been a really long, hard journey on both of us and we know that it’s not over yet. We’re grateful that we serve a God who sustains us and gives us just what we need as we need it.

We love you all and wish you enough. Happy Valentines Day!

XOXO,

De

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Years Down… Forever To Go

Hey everyone! So this past Wednesday was mine and Dan’s 3 year anniversary! Can you believe that?! At least it was the 3 year mark for when we officially became husband and wife for the military. It’s hard to believe that we wouldn’t officially live together until October of that year (despite having a large wedding in August) and in a whirlwind we would end up where we are today.

When we got married everyone told me that “time flies when you’re having fun.” I didn’t think it would go this fast. I have been so blessed to be able to savor my marriage so far, especially when I wasn’t supposed to be able to have so much time with Dan due to deployments. (What can I say? Getting sick has had SOME perks…) Some people say that they couldn’t spend all day everyday with their spouse, I say that I am sad for the day that Dan will return to work. Our time together has been something that I have cherished since it is something that doesn’t happen to everyone- even if the circumstances to get here weren’t great.

This past year has been one that has required great patience for both of us. I haven’t enjoyed being homebound and Dan hasn’t enjoyed being in school consistently. However despite the boredom, frustration and overall annoyance of chronic illness we have done some things to enjoy our year. So I’m going to give you the top things this past year of marriage. 🙂

This past year we have:

• Moved into our place Stateside!
• De got a PICC Line
• Dan has been stuck in school.
• Attended Dan’s best friend’s wedding! (Congrats Nick &Jen!)
• Been to D.C. so much we don’t need a GPS anymore.
• Took a family vacation with De’s family.
• Had a weekend where ALL of Dan’s siblings were home.
• Dan got to go to the Army vs. Navy game (De was jealous).
• We learned to love each other more deeply.

We have been so blessed this past year. It’s been an overall quiet year, but a tough year. My health has been such a journey for us and we’re grateful for those of you who are along with us for the ride. 🙂 Thank you for your continued prayers for us as Dan continues to sacrifice and take care of me and for me as I push through the daily frustrations. We have truly been learning sacrificial love- and Dan has been amazing this past year as I have gone from a wheelchair to walking again, to the PICC line (ya’ll, he REALLY struggled with that), to having chest pains randomly (still do lol), to dealing with my seizures- he is just amazing, I am SO BLESSED.

Anyway, we love you all- thanks for celebrating our marriage with us. Sorry this post is a bit on the sappy side. 😀 I just thought I’d share what’s on my heart. I guess it’s true that love is just gets sweeter with time- because it really is sweet. Thanks for the prayers and we’ll keep you posted as we continue our little life adventures.

XOXO,

De

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Japamily (Our Japan Friends Who Became Family)

Dear Japamily,

I want to start this open letter to you all by simply stating: I LOVE YOU! I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart. Dan and I talk about our time in Japan just about everyday, and how much we miss you all. Each and every one of you have truly enriched our lives in ways we never could have imagined, and for that we are truly grateful. So thank you to all of you for putting up with us for the past several months- you have helped us grow in so many ways. 🙂

Our time in Asia was truly way too short. We wish that we could have gotten to know everyone there so much better simply by being there longer however we are so glad to have been able to have the blessing of meeting each and every one of you. You are all so unique and truly show what America feels like in another country. Nothing felt better than after a long day of exploring than coming back on base and seeing one of our friends, it was wonderful. Or even better, going out all day and going exploring with some friends. We loved getting to spend time with you all- and you all showed us some pretty awesome places (shout out to Ramen- which saved my eating out life over there. 😉 ).

There are a few of you who when I became really ill truly stepped up to the plate, and you all know who you are- thank you! Knowing how bad my lyme is now, it is quite possible that the care you all provided, the meals, the overnight stays, the visits, the encouragement,even offering (because I’m a pretty stubborn person who doesn’t like to accept help at all)- you all may have helped save my life (not really exaggerating here either). So thank you for your sacrifices and for coming to my aid and for all your prayers, concern, and literally everything. I can’t even truly express myself well enough through this blog how grateful Dan and I are for you all.

Our time was too short, that much is true. However, military friendships are unlike any others I’ve ever encountered. You not only became my friends, you became my family. I had to call on you in my time of need, and you were there for me when nobody else could be (literally, I was in another country by myself…), and I had the honor of being there for some of you at times. My heart breaks knowing that we won’t get to have the time over there we were supposed to, but I am grateful for the time we had. I am truly blessed to have been able to meet every one of you- and I am excited to see where your lives take you. Thank the Lord we have Facebook, snail mail (yes, I still do that- though I’m not that great at it, so be patient with me), and email so that I don’t have to loose touch with any of you. I love you all and thank you for becoming my Japamily!

Lots of Love,

De

That Giant No Good Hard to Stomach ‘D’ Word

Deployment. It’s tough, it’s raw, it’s real and for us in the military world, it’s unavoidable. However with that said, it changes us and makes us grow. I’m not going to give you a post about how awful deployment is and how hard it is- while it is awful and it is hard I want to share my heart with you. I’m not here to bring you down, make you feel bad that your loved one is home with you and mine is gone, or be depressing. Instead I want to give you a glimpse into what my journey through this deployment has been like. Mind you, Dan hasn’t been gone that long- but already I’ve been learning a few things for what it’s truly like to live alone. So bear with me as I bare my heart to you.

1. Once Dan left, the house got quiet. Eerily quiet. This makes living here harder. I have actually scared myself into thinking someone was in our apartment. The front door was locked AND chained, all the windows and doors shut and locked, oh and did I mention we live on the 5th floor and that there’s like this net around our balcanies so nothing falls out or comes in? That logic however didn’t occur to me at 3am when I woke up to use the restroom.

2. Beds are cold. No seriously, Dan is ALWAYS warm. So when I crawl into bed at night and he’s no longer beside me, I get colder than I am naturally. It takes several minutes and sometimes frantically moving under the covers to attempt to gain some warmth. However, I have acquired a body pillow. ‘I named it “Damillow” and he calls me… nothing because it’s a pillow’. (If you get it- awesome. If not- you need to watch more How I Met Your Mother). While this helps matters- it certainly doesn’t come anywhere near replacing Dan. 🙂

3. The house stays cleaner longer and food goes bad a lot faster. This one is pretty self explanatory- only one person, so not a lot gets dirty and I’m such a neat freak that it if something is dirty, it doesn’t stay that way long. I have also noticed that grocery shopping and cooking in general are very difficult tasks when I’m the only one eating. I love cooking for friends, but just me… it’s a chore and normally I just find something small. Who has time to make a 3-dish dinner anyway? That being said though, when I do take time and cook, it lasts SO MUCH LONGER. So I guess that can be counted as a win.

4. Staying busy helps. Before Dan left I created two lists. A to-do list and a Bucket List. The to-do list had about 14 things on it when we started. Almost a month into deployment, I have about 3 things left on the list. Oh, and two of them I’m just waiting on photos to come in and someone to help me move something. So basically, I’m down to one thing left. Did I mention I still have several months left to go? So what shall I do once these last three things are off the list you might ask. Simple. I turn to the bucket list. Not everything on the list will get done I’m sure (ex. Climb Mt. Fuji- I might wait for Dan on that one) but the list has definitely been growing. At least I’m not wasting any time and I’m using the time I have to grow myself and do things that I’ve always dreamt of. I’m definitely seeing myself grow up a bit- but don’t worry, I’m still as bubbly as ever.

5. I miss having my own identity. Don’t get me wrong, on the base I’m known as the “Sign Language girl” or the “One who talks with their hands” or “the one who does that sign language choir” (not kidding- I’ve heard that one). However whenever it comes to me doing something with the cars or going into the commissary I’m suddenly “Dan’s wife”. I miss being De. I miss being known for me, not for what my husband does, who he knows, or where he works. For once I’d like to just be “De the one who lives overseas because her husband is the Navy” without any attachment to the base, the command, or even Dan. (I love my husband but I don’t hold his job title or his rank and I hate it when people thing I should or even worse that I do. )

6. Netflix, Amazon Prime and Pandora might be my best friends. No seriously, even as I’m writing this I’m listening to Pandora and thinking about the fact that when I’m done; I’m going to be watching Netflix. These things help with the quiet I talked about earlier. I also get to watch all of the “girly” shows and movies I want. While this is a nice “perk” I miss watching “The Big Bang Theory” with Dan in the evenings and being able to quote lines to him and crack up laughing together.

7. Countdowns help but can also be a bit depressing.My lovely friend Jamie made me a beautiful paper chain (which is a bit off due to the Navy changing dates and not being able to discuss exact dates with her). I love my paper chain so much. (Remember the photo from my last post?) It is now draped around my entire living room- over furniture, it’s on part of the floor and some if it is even beside me here on the couch. The colors are so bright and cheerful, which brings color and happiness into my little apartment. I find so much satisfaction in ripping a link off every evening just before bed. However, the chain wraps around my living room… it wraps around my living room. I don’t think I can emphasize that enough. IT WRAPS AROUND MY ENTIRE LIVING ROOM! And I only get one link a DAY.. not an hour, not a minute, but a day. While I think I see the progress, it’s still too early in the deployment to really know if time has actually passed or if it’s just stopped altogether. Nonetheless, I love having something to remind me that there is an end. It might be a world away, but there is an end.

8. I’ve become a Facebook addict. Since moving to Asia,I have used Facebook more than ever before to communicate with family and friends. It makes it so much easier to chat and see photos. I love it. However, I usually limit myself to about an hour a day on Facebook because it’s not real life. I’d rather spend my time living my life than worrying about how everyone else is living theirs. That being said, I now have messenger on my phone and it’s ALWAYS on the background. Why? Dan can message me at any time without warning. Usually I only get to talk to him for mere minutes. And yes, I have missed a message or two- and guess what, at least one of those was the last message I got before the internet went out for him for a couple of days. It is an emotional roller coaster that I don’t have the luxury of getting off of, so I keep my phone on loud (except at work where it’s on vibrate and in a spot I can normally hear it), and I check often. It doesn’t matter what time it is (Dan likes to wake me up around 4:45am my time) or what I’m doing (he’s also becoming infamous for interrupting my morning runs) I will take a second (if I’m able) and respond to my husband. I just never know how long he has, or if I’ll hear from him again later that day or if I won’t hear from him for several days.

9. I’m stronger that I ever knew. Never in a million years did I think I would be in the position I am in today. However, I’m doing it! I’m by no means perfect, but I’m pretty proud of how I’m handling things. Do I miss Dan? More than words can accurately describe. Do I break down because he’s not here? Nope… that does no good for me. Have I cried over deployment? Kinda. I mean, I’ve started but it doesn’t last long. I’m still waiting for that “big breakdown” I’m told happens at some point during every deployment (especially the long ones). However, whenever I start to feel like I’m loosing it, I take a deep breathe and remember that I am never truly alone. My hope and prayer is that I carry myself through this hard, scary, difficult deployment with grace and dignity. Naturally I have days where I’m a little more sad than others, but I don’t stay there- I can’t stay there. I manage to pull myself back together and just keep going. I’ve been fighting anxiety throughout this time, but this is where the rubber meets the road and I have to make a choice to trust the Lord through this. Everyday I’m given the strength I need to get through.

10. Jesus and friends make deployment easier. This is the main thing I have to get across. While deployment is hard, it’s scary, and quite frankly it’s really overwhelming when I think too much about it- I’ve come to have a deeper faith. The song “Oceans” by Hillsong and “Greater” by MercyMe are two songs I listen to on practically a daily basis. Everyday I wake up, workout, and begin praising God for another day and for keeping Dan and myself safe. As I journey more and more into this new chapter, I am seeing my faith and trust go deeper and stronger than ever before. For that I thank my parents, my mentors, my youth pastor, and our friends who have encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. Because of you- I have learned what it truly means to be a Christian in a world that doesn’t know Christ and I cherish my relationship with Jesus more and more each day. So to everyone who has helped mold and make me into the young woman I am today- thank you from the very bottom of my heart!

Now friends, they play such an important role. In fact, I love the friends I’ve made here so much. It’s refreshing to know that I am not alone. To be able to talk about the stresses and situations that arise and know that I’m not the one inventing the wheel here, I can gleam advise and help. In fact, just last night I had a girls night with Melissa, Heather, Erika, and April- we went to the movies here on base and watched Pitch Perfect 2. Friends make the time go by faster- we have dinner together, we watch movies, TV shows, and simply just check in on each other. My church family here also checks in on me (everyone knows everyone here- and they know this is my first deployment and that Dan and I are newlyweds). They pray for me, encourage me, and lend a helping hand whenever I need it. Words can’t truly express how grateful I am for my friends on this side of the planet who can physically be here for me and for my friends back in the US who send Facebook messages and cards and even care packages- I love you all so much. ❤

Finally, this deployment is a long one. However, it will come to an end.. in several months. For all our prayer warriors, please continue to lift us up to the Lord daily. I face several challenges here on base and Dan has his own challenges on the ship. Currently, Dan hasn’t seen land in several weeks. He doesn’t tell me much about the ship life, or what it even looks like out in the middle of the ocean. Instead, he focuses on when he gets home and life after deployment. He is constantly tired and his shoulder is SLOWLY healing. However, whenever I get to chat with him online, he sounds like he’s in pretty good spirits considering how hard he’s working. On my end of things, I am just learning to trust the Lord in all situations and am simply dealing with anxiety. I’ve had a lot of change happen very quickly, I’m still learning things at work and getting comfortable in my new role. Thankfully, I have an incredible boss who is super encouraging- especially when I need it the most. Again, thank you to everyone who has encouraged not only myself but Dan as well. We love you all and I promise to keep you updated to the best of my ability. We love you and we miss home like crazy. ❤

Little Bit of Love and a Whole Lot of Laughter

Hey everyone! Wow! I feel like I have so much to tell you. So I promise I’m going to try not to rush through this and I’m going to try and walk you through everything- but let me just say… it’s been an exciting week and a half. Last time we talked, I had an interview and had felt like God was starting to push me out of my comfort zone again. Luckily no matter how “uncomfortable” life can become- I know where my faith lies and I know that I will be just fine. However I’m getting ahead of myself. So let’s just start from the beginning and avoid the confusion. 🙂

So basically life has just been busy since we last spoke. Dan has been working on different packets and school of course- which he’s doing really well in. Also we started month 2 of Insanity Max: 30 this past Monday and to say the least it is making us wish we were still in month 1. Yup- it’s THAT hard. However we’re doing it and we’re not giving up (even though we might want to) so for that, I’m proud. Please be praying for Dan especially as he tries to figure out how to reach his goals and as he does school, studies for a promotion exam, and starts making packets- we have a lot on our plates. Also please be praying that I am kind and compassionate toward him during this stressful time and pray the Lord continues to keep us strong in Him and our marriage safe (it’s like we live together but we never see each other- it’s been tough).

Moving on to this past weekend (it’s a great story- so sit back, relax and enjoy this adventure…) Dan had a four-day weekend since he took a 12 to 8am watch and it was President’s day. So we took advantage of our time. 🙂 On Friday I let Dan sleep in a bit, and then he did homework and we got some things done for school along with a few other errands. I just have to say- being an adult is no fun sometimes. There the secret is out. Anyway, once our boring Friday was done (seriously ya’ll, we went to bed at like 9pm) it was on to Valentine’s Day Saturday.

Let me set the record straight about Dan and I and Valentine’s day. We try to make it special, but really for us it’s basically another day- we just typically go on a date. I make Dan wait till the 15th to buy me chocolate and flowers because then I get a whole lot of chocolate and if you know me- I love my chocolate… a LOT. Sometimes I think Dan might compete with chocolate for first place in my heart (I’m kidding…. kinda). So for Valentine’s day we decided to go to Tokyo and walk around. Apparently there’s an international love festival at one of the many parks in the big city- so we attempted to go find it. Now, I say attempted because well… we failed. We found a park- it just wasn’t the one we were looking for. However there was a man juggling and there was disney love songs playing in the background, and vendors were selling some things. Then we went further into the park, and we realized that we were seeing something that is dying in the US- families out and about and enjoying their day together. It was really interesting to see the different areas being used and seeing people playing sports, flying kites, and spending time as a family. There was even a spot where people could bird watch. It was really lovely.

The edge of the park meets the edge of the city.

By the end of the day we were tired and really hungry. We made it back to base and grabbed a bite to eat to go from the golf course. We weren’t thrilled about dinner but we were so hungry and tired that we wanted to murder each other- so it filled us up. Overall it was a really wonderful day.

On Sunday I had a whole new adventure! Melissa showed me how to get to Camp Zama since I have an interview there today (Tuesday) and then we went to the mall to do some window shopping. Ok- so here it is: I DROVE IN JAPAN! Like REALLY drove in Japan. I managed (with Melissa’s directions) to get to Zama just fine (let’s pray I remember those directions today) and we had lunch at their Golf Course Restaurant. Once we finished lunch we went to a local mall. I drove on highway to get there- HIGHWAY in JAPAN! Don’t mind me while I celebrate my little victory (*insert happy dance*). We had Starbucks, and right now it’s the Sakura season so I got a mug and a tumbler that is simply lovely- these designs change every year and are never the same. It was truly a lovely day and I really had fun. 🙂

The mall I drove to- I was so excited.

My decorated hot chocolate cup with the Sakura cups in the background.

Finally, Monday was President’s Day so Dan and I took the day to relax and Dan did homework. Then we went to Yokosuka to try and find Pizza Hut to satisfy my desire for cheese sticks and true American pizza in general (Anthony’s is close but sometimes you just want a chain). It took us longer than we wanted to get there (the trains weren’t running the way we desired) and when we finally got on base we were starving. We decided that Yokosuka is a magical base where nothing can be found unless you have a taxi. Dan and I walked for about 3 miles before deciding just to go to Chilis- which was a whole new adventure. Dan thought it was closer than it was and after walking and feeling like we were going to either die or kill each other and about 5 miles later we saw heaven- I mean, Chilis. We walked in and I look ridiculous and I was exhausted and so hungry I was about to eat my own arm. We finally got seated and ate our ENTIRE meals PLUS three baskets of chips. Needless to say, we were hungry. Once we finished, we took a taxi back to the gate and walked to the train station and made it home rather early. It was a nice day, but we were exhausted and decided to go to bed early.

Anyway, that’s been our life here recently. We have a lot of things coming up- including Dan’s first vacation in a year and a half! I’ll be sure to keep you posted on our happenings. Thank you for all of your love, encouragement, and support. We love you all and miss you more than words can express. Now off to our next adventure…

A Great Date

So yesterday Dan and I decided to have a date day. It was simply wonderful! We started the day a little later than we intended, but we quickly got ready and headed off the brunch here on base. It was really good and we even saw Melissa and James at the restaurant. Once we finished eating, we were ready for our adventure of the day: Tokyo. Dan and I have been wanting to go see Tokyo for a while, but we always ended up somewhere else. To give you an idea, Tokyo is about a 40 minute to 1-hour train ride away. In miles, it’s not far but due to traffic- it takes forever.

When we got to the Shinjuku station, we were stunned. The train station itself was HUGE and it took us a couple of minutes to find our way OUT of the station (it’s a major hub) and that was the moment we realized that we were in the heart of Tokyo. We were there on a Saturday, in the middle of the day, so it wasn’t as busy as it usually is- but it was big and a bit odd. To be honest, it reminded us both of Washington, D.C. in many ways. The big streets, big buildings, everything being modern, and the hustle and bustle of everyone. However, it wasn’t D.C. we were in Tokyo- so basically what I’m saying is Tokyo is like D.C. but instead of seeing English, you see Kanji. It was fun to see though.

Before long, we ended up at Meji park (and shrine, though we didn’t know it). It is one of the biggest and most popular shrines in Japan. We walked up to the park, and there were all sorts of vendors with yummy smelling food (though we were too full to eat any of it), and before long we found the shrine (or temple…not really sure) and the line was HUGE and we weren’t really sure what the line was for- so we walked away. Too many people for us to handle lol. However, we did stumble upon an awesome gem in the heart of Tokyo- the Treasure Museum. This museum is only open on holidays and weekends- and lucky for us, we were in Tokyo during the New Years celebration (it lasts till Monday here- New Years is bigger than our Christmas) so for a small fee- Dan and I entered the beautiful museum. As we walked the museum (which unfortunately didn’t allow for photos) Dan and I were speechless as we realized something- Japan as 2,675 years of RECORDED history! This museum showed all the Emperors up until Emperor Meji- which was in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The amount of history is simply overwhelming. So since I couldn’t process all of it all at once, I have attached some of the photos we took of this beautiful museum for your enjoyment. 🙂

One of the entrances into Meji Shrine.

Dan and I in the park. The grass, trees, and forest is actually roped off for preservation. So this is about as close as we could get to fully grown trees.

In the park with some of modern Japan in the background.

The Treasure Museum.

The Treasure Museum with the Docomo tower in the background.

Once we were done with our walk in the park. We wanted to go to the Art Museum- but it was a 90 minute wait, so we decided against it and instead decided to go to the Tokyo Tower. However, on our way we came across a piece of Japanese culture- A drumming group! It was so much fun to watch for a few minutes before heading off to the Tokyo Tower. Once we got to the Tokyo Tower, we took some photos at the bottom before going up inside. Now, there are two platforms, we went on both (it costs a few dollars more to go up the extra 250m) and we really enjoyed the view of the city at sunset. Don’t worry, once again, I was sure to get a couple of photos to give you an idea. 😉

The drum performance.

A kiss in front of the Tokyo Tower.

Mt. Fuji in the background and the city at sunset.

Tokyo at night- you can see the Rainbow Bridge in the background.

At the top of Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo

Finally, we were tired. Dan wanted to find a shop- which took us forever to find. However, we did get to into the Tokyo train station- which was beautiful. Then once we got back to base, we went out to our favorite Ramen restaurant (Thanks Melissa and James!) before coming home and crashing. Our day was over 12 hours long! We walked over 13 miles. However, we really enjoyed our date. It was so much fun to explore this new city together. And when we realized that we weren’t truly tourists was probably the best moment of all- we can go see on the busiest cities in the world whenever we desire. It still hasn’t fully sunk in to me that we LIVE abroad. However it was a lovely time. Anyway- we love you all and wish you the best. Thank you for your continued love and support.

Tokyo train station at night- gives you an idea of the city all lit up.

Goodbye 2014… Hello 2015!

Hello everybody! It’s been another week here across the pond and so I figured it was time for another update. 🙂 (You might be getting sick of hearing from me by now lol). This past week hasn’t been super eventful because for Japan, New Years is as big if not, a bigger deal than Christmas is for America. However, just before the New Year, Dan had a four day weekend (because of the New Year, he has another one- but we’ll get to that). So we have had a lot of time together and time to simply relax since most things around us are closed for the holidays. On the 27th we got out and about to see Tokyo. There were 8 in our group, so it was hard to get around and actually get everything in that we wanted to. However, we did get to see some pretty awesome things, so below is some of the photos from our sightseeing trip. Hopefully here soon Dan and I will be able to get back to to Tokyo (about an hour train ride away) and get some more sightseeing and exploring done. However, I have attached some photos so you have an idea of what we got to see while we were there. Enjoy. 🙂

My yummy chips and salsa from where we had lunch…

Dan and I with the Tokyo skyline behind us. Isn’t it lovely? … And busy?

Entrance to a temple…

  The rest of the weekend, Dan and I were able to relax and simply enjoy the fact that he was home and had a few days off from work. For New Years Eve, we stayed home and simply relaxed. No party, no friends, just a quiet night for the two of us. After the clock struck 12, we Skyped with my parents to open our late arriving Christmas gifts. It was fun, but then we were DONE. Dan had a full day of work on the 31st and I get up with him in the mornings to make his breakfast and get my day started. SO we were exhausted. Yesterday was January 1st for us (while back home you all were probably sleeping and recovering) and it is a HUGE holiday here in Japan, so for the most part we again have stayed home. (yes, we’re a boring old couple…) However it is also Jacob’s birthday. So once again 8 of us made the trek out- but this time just to Machida for TGIF. That’s right, an American restaurant in Japan!  While it is an “American restaurant”t and it does have a difference to the food- but not enough for us to really care. One thing did strike us as odd- and that was the Japanese idea of how America parties. They advertised a  special where you could get basically a party platter (shown below) however it does stereotype America. Luckily- we all found it funny. Hopefully, you will enjoy the misinterpretation as much as we did. 🙂

Because American parties mean 6 girls to 1 guy…

Once we finished dinner, Jacob wanted to go to an arcade. Best. Decision. Ever. We had so much fun- and it was a complete culture shock. The things you can get in an arcade game here are incredible. One guy from our group won me an Olaf!! (You’ll see- the expression on my face is pure joy.) The games are different, how they set things up are different, it was just a culture shock. Oh, and you know those games that “push” the money toward you- but really it barely touches the money- they have them here, but instead of money, you play for candy. Enjoy the photos below.

Heather with all the arcade games!

Told you- playing for candy…

Mario Kart!

I’m not entirely sure- but you have to get in it to play- it’s 3-D and something with pirates?

The claw games- you can actually win stuff here… but it might take a few tries…

Pringles anyone?

The Olaf claw game!

The game closest to me in this photo just looks cool, then theres a table in the back which is digital and is basically an odd version of bingo. Behind that, you have stools that are decorated to look like tree stumps to play more games..

Japanese air hockey- who wants to play?

Wiltsey won an Olaf for me!!!!

Anyway folks, life here has been pretty quiet. Those are our most recent adventures. Today (the 2nd) Dan and I are chilling out at home and doing some of the last bit of unpacking. 🙂 As for tomorrow- who knows… we may end up going on another crazy adventure. We hope that  you all had a wonderful New Years and were able to celebrate with family and friends. 2014 was a crazy year, and we expect that 2015 will be just as adventurous. We love and miss you all. Happy New Year from Japan!

Making the Most of Our Very First Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! It’s the most wonderful time of the year; everyone is excited to unwrap the gifts under the tree, get together with their families, eat lots of delicious food amongst several other traditions. It was no different here in Asia. The children here on the base, were just as excited and everyone simply tries to do their best since we are all so far away from home. However, don’t focus on the sadness of the fact that we didn’t get to have our first Christmas as husband and wife with our family, instead focus on the happy fact that we got to have our first Christmas as husband and wife as our own family. I’m really excited to share our Christmas story with you (in case you couldn’t tell)- so focus on the happy, because there is a lot of happy, so that’s my ground rule. Ok? Happy thoughts only. Got it? Ok, good. Now you’re ready to hear about our first Christmas as Mr. & Mrs.

So let’s begin from Christmas Eve. Dan didn’t have to work very late at all- in fact he was home before lunch. What a blessing! He did have duty, but it only took 30 minutes and wasn’t impeding on our Christmas plans. We had to go to the post office, which is really packed this time of year. And we had three packages ready for pick up- or so they said. One package was from my friend Elizabeth and her fiancé Dawson- a care package full of yummy goodies from home (Thanks guys!), the second, from my mom with a couple of Christmas gifts for Dan and I (she says there’s another one on its way), and the third- well we’re still not sure who it’s from because while it is in the post office, they can’t seem to find it amongst all the packages. So we’ll go on Saturday to see if they found it.

Because we had to go to the post office three different times to see if they found our missing package, we were about 10 minutes late for the Christmas Eve service here on base. However, we made it- and really enjoyed celebrating the birth of our Lord with others around our community. At the end we had the candlelight ceremony which was simply beautiful. It’s something that brought back memories for me- I have always loved Christmas Eve services. Anyway, after service we ended up talking to the pastor and his wife for at least 45 minutes. We were the last to leave- but we really enjoyed speaking with them.

Once we got home, Dan and I put on our pjs- it was time for one of our favorite Christmas traditions- we started it about 2 years ago, and plan to carry it out for the rest of our lives. This year, Jacob and Heather joined us for the fun. So we had Polar Express Hot Chocolate (it’s homemade and REALLY rich) and watched the movie Polar Express. We loved it- and it was Jacob’s first time watching the movie, in which he conjured up a crazy complex theory as to how everything worked since the movie itself isn’t exactly logical. Anyway, they enjoyed joining us for our little tradition and it was nice to be able to do something that made it feel a bit more like Christmas.

The next morning, Dan and I Skyped with my parents, since mom wanted to see us open her package. Then she got to watch us open our two gifts to each other. Dan got me a purse (it’s lovely!) and a “jade tree” from a  festival here on base; and he got a shirt and a nice watch. From my parents Dan got a shirt, and I got a sweater, then mom got us some things we needed for the kitchen. So overall it was a nice, quiet Christmas- or at least the morning. Before long, I had to bake another cake (Heather and I baked a cake and some chocolate chip cookies a few days ago- but the cake didn’t last very long…) and then begin cooking for our 5:30pm dinner with Jacob and Heather.

I want this on record, I cooked for a major holiday and it was great! I made the ham, artisan bread, garlic-cheese dip, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and sautéed vegetables and Jacob and Heather brought some amazing mashed potatoes and baked macaroni and cheese. We had more food than we could ever have eaten. Kevin, a single sailor that Jacob and Heather have introduced us to before, joined us for dinner. He was grateful to have a home to come to for Christmas, and we were grateful for an extra mouth to feed. (Did I mention that we had more food than we could have ever eaten?)

The evening was lovely. We had fun socializing, playing games and eventually the boys played a video game while Heather and I cleaned the kitchen and talked. It was a really nice, relaxing Christmas. While it is not the Christmas we thought we would have for our first Christmas as husband and wife, it truly couldn’t have been much better. Once everyone left, we even were able to Skype with some of my family and Dan’s family. It was weird not seeing everyone in person, but Skype does help a little bit. 🙂 It was after 1am when Dan and I finally got to bed- so it was a really long day.

Anyway, I wanted to share our little Christmas story with you all. We love you all and wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for all your love and support as Dan serves in the Navy. Enjoy the photos I’ve posted below so that you can see our little Christmas. Sending all of our love.

Our first Christmas Tree as Husband and Wife!

Getting ready to eat our Christmas dinner. (This photo was taken from the back of our love seat)

Our Christmas Dinner!

Merry Christmas from Asia!

Ramen, Moving, Hobbits, Unpacking, and More!

Hey everyone! It’s been just over a week since I last posted, so I figured I’d better give you an update. 😀 So there has been a lot going on, but it’s not been interesting, so I’m only going to hit the highlights so I don’t bore you with our mundane lives. However, just so everyone is aware- it has been a crazy week, and this week is no different (yay for our first Christmas as husband and wife!!!) but I’ll tell you all about our Christmas adventures after they’ve occurred.

So, to begin- last Monday I volunteered at the Red Cross per my norm and I was talking to my friend Melissa about how I didn’t want to cook with the loan kitchen stuff since I would be returning it in the morning- dishes simply were not in my plans. She agreed that Dan and I shouldn’t eat at home and that evening she sent me a text inviting Dan and I to Ramen with her and her family. Dan wasn’t feeling great, so I went. Here’s some breaking news: THEY FOUND JAPANESE FOOD I LOVE! That’s right folks, they managed the impossible. I am grateful, and when I took Dan, Jacob, and Heather there later in the week- they loved it just as much as I did.

Susan, Rebecca, and I eating some amazing Ramen!

On Tuesday all of our things arrived. Talk about overwhelming much! If you have ever moved, you might somewhat understand, if you’ve moved with the military- then you definitely understand. It’s a hard, crazy, stressful, emotional day. They had numbers on EVERYTHING (I’m still finding these stupid stickers on some furniture and my totes) and they had to call them off to make sure that we did in fact, have all of our stuff. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to say that we do have a couple things missing (odds and ends), some of our bedroom furniture is wobbly (though, we honestly believe that is from the floors- years of earthquakes… let’s just say things won’t stay level…), and they didn’t assemble our dining room chairs well (Thankfully Jacob said that he will be taking a look at them for us- he was a carpenter before the Navy).

However, once everything was in, the chaos which is unpacking ensued. I’ve moved before, but I forgot how many boxes there were- not to mention most of my stuff was still in original boxes because I hadn’t unpacked or used them from my bridal shower and wedding. Let’s just say, I was really excited about the things I rediscovered. Heather is a saint and helped me put together my first kitchen, which didn’t take me as long as I thought it would, surprisingly. I had all of my stuff unpacked and within about 2 days, MOST of the apartment was done. As of today, everything is set up except for Dan hasn’t finished unpacking his clothes in the bedroom (he says it will be done before Christmas) and our spare room has things everywhere (mostly empty totes) – but I can’t put it away without Dan since it is all of our paperwork and important documents. Yet, we’re hoping to have it done just before or just after Christmas. Don’t worry- I haven’t forgotten that some people want to see our new home, thank you for your patience as I get it together before I show it to the world. 🙂

Anyway, amongst all the unpacking, Dan and I found an evening to have a date! We went to the theater here on base for our premier of the Hobbit which we were both excited about. At the beginning of the movie there were some people dressed up as hobbits WITH bows and swords and they lifted them up cheering as the movie began. We later learned that these people are IN Dan’s squadron. Can I simply say that I believe his command just got cooler. We highly enjoyed the movie  and it was a very welcome distraction to the move.

These guys are in Dan’s squadron. It was pretty amazing.

Finally, on Sunday after church, we went out to Vina walk with Jacob and Heather. It is a mall here in Japan and we enjoyed our time walking around and seeing what we could see. I also have to say, that we had Outback Steakhouse for lunch- Dan and I were thrilled. It is a little different from home, but not enough to keep us from going back. I was able to find some hair accessories I really wanted, and it was just interesting to see how the Japanese do things differently. Did you know they have stores dedicated to socks? Well… they do. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I won’t overwhelm you with the details, but seriously- it’s amazing. Oh and they have a lot of grocery stores in the bottom of their department stores, talk about an all-in-one shop.

Alright, as for today I am off to do some errands and bake Christmas cookies with Heather. We will be spending Christmas eve and Christmas Dinner with Jacob and Heather- we’re all excited. We miss our families, but it’s nice to have friends who become family over here. Please keep my family and Dan’s family in your prayers as we are apart this Christmas season. We love you all and wishing you the very best.

Christmas Parties and Christmas Presents (Well… Sorta)

Hey everyone! So, I’m really trying to keep up with this blog- but when life is boring, it’s no fun to write on here because there’s nothing to tell. However, this past week we have been somewhat busy, so I figured I’d let you all in on the latest happenings. As I stated in my last post, Daniel had his command Christmas party and then two days later we were invited to attend another Christmas party- both events were semi-formal, and yes, we wore the same thing to both. What can I say? Life is a little difficult since we don’t have our stuff…

The parties were a lot of fun. We were able to dress up and just relax a bit. We were also able to meet some people in Dan’s new command. However, one of the most comforting aspects of the whole party (for me) was that Heather and Jacob were there- I just love Heather, she’s a wonderful friend and I know her. So it made the awkwardness of not knowing anyone else a lot easier. It’s nice to be in the clueless boat with someone else (so THANK YOU Heather!) At the second party, Jacob and Heather weren’t with us, however I knew some of the other wives at this party from working at the American Red Cross. So it was a lovely evening. At the command Christmas party- Dan won a $25 gift card to the NEX here on base, and at the second Christmas party I won a couple of Lush products (handmade, organic bath-and-body-works like products). So overall, we were both happy with the outcome. Below is a photo of us from the second Christmas party but it was the best photo we have from the events….

My handsome hubby and I at the Christmas party!

The other exciting thing that we found out this past week is that our household goods are in the country! We have been waiting for over a month for them to arrive and this past Wednesday they cleared customs- so they will be coming into our apartment tomorrow!! Don’t worry- I know a lot of people want to see our new home, I promise that once we are all settled and it looks normal here, we will gladly post photos since it will be impossible to have a house warming party with all of you back home. 🙂 Hopefully I will be able to get everything unpacked and put away quickly and Dan and I will be able to have a Christmas tree up for our very first Christmas as Mr. & Mrs.!

Anyway, on Sunday after church we went out to eat with some friends in the Odawara area. If you remember, Dan and I have gone there before to see a castle. It was really good Japanese food- I thoroughly enjoyed my noodles even though they were nothing like I expected. It was almost salty but not really- it was very good and filling though, and of course there was wonderful green tea to go along with our meal. We went because Jacob was really interested in the brewery there- he was not disappointed. Dan and I on the other hand were not disappointed with the food. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of my food for you all this time… by the time we got it, I was so hungry that It took me no time at all to eat it before I could get a photo of it. But just trust me, it was good and I really appreciate the way they present their food. Our salt for the meal was sea salt and it was clumpy, but there was just a little bit in a small side dish- it was just the right amount. They did the same with the small amount of onions we could put in the noodles as well. By the time we were ready to leave, there was a beautiful sunset (photo below) and then we went and walked around Odawara for about an hour before returning home. It was a relaxing adventure to be sure.

Anyway, those were the four major highlights of this past week. Now that we are getting settled, the newness is slowly wearing off- however it is still frustrating to not be able to read anything when we’re out in town. Once we get fully settled, I hope we will have more time to get out and get some more photos to have some more exciting things to say. One thing is for sure though, never in a million years did Dan or myself EVER think that we would be living overseas, let alone in Asia. It truly is a blessing. Sending you all of our love!