Brussels,Belgium not Brussel Sprouts

Hey everyone! I have an awesome adventure to tell you about today. This Saturday I went to Belgium! I still can’t get over how I can be in another COUNTRY within an hour (France is only about 45 minutes away, although it was about 4 hours to Brussels) and how blessed I am to live in Europe! Regardless, I  figure I would share some of my adventures from Belgium!

To begin, I went with my new (good) friend Jamie. Within knowing each other for 12 hours, we went on a trip together- I count that as friendship. One of the best things about military life is that you learn to find your tribe quickly, and it’s amazing to meet other adventurous wives. Honestly, some of the most amazing individuals I have met have been my military/wife friends.

So, it was a LONG day but so worth it. We left post at 02:45am and didn’t get home until about 03:00am the next day! However, I would do it all again because I can now say I have one country off the bucket list! Please allow me to freak out/ excitedly tell you about this wonderful quick adventure I was blessed to experience!

When we got to Brussels the first thing that came to my mind was “WOW!” It is BEAUTIFUL. Don’t get me wrong the city has some dirtiness to it but it’s easy to overlook since the city is so old and has so much breathtaking beauty. I seriously thought I was just going to spend the day taking photos of the beautiful old roads and buildings (which I half did). Anyway, the first thing Jamie and I did was go to Saint Michael’s Cathedral where the Belgium royal wedding was held. The gothic architecture was incredible and it felt impossible to fully soak in all the beauty.

The next things on the list were the Mannikin Pis (the most famous statue of a little boy peeing) and the Grand Place. While the Mannikin Pis was cute (he has over 1,000 different outfits and at the beginning of the day was dressed but then naked by the end of the day), it was pale in comparison to the Grand Place. The Grand Place is beyond gorgeous. The architecture, romance, and purely ornate buildings with the gold and intricate details- I can’t explain it. I looked at Jamie and simply laughed as I held my arms out and spun around saying “Can you believe this?!” I believe that the courthouse is there since we saw about 5 different wedding parties throughout the day.  Regardless, it was the most incredible square I have ever seen.

Thankfully Jamie was up for an adventure, so we spent a majority of the day exploring the city. There were chocolate shops on every street and so many cute cafes. We ended up finding one that had the best hot chocolate every (sorry Starbucks!). Though, the highlight of my day was being told that my French was good by a French woman (though I believe she was just being nice)- thankfully all my practice with these different languages is coming in handy.  We also enjoyed finding some of the cartoon buildings which are famous in Brussels! Apparently there are a lot of cartoonists in Belgium and they celebrate this fact by painting the sides of buildings with murals of the famous cartoons.

Thank you to everyone who continues to pray for us while we are on our crazy military life journey. It means so much to me when ya’ll tell me that you’re praying for Dan and I or when you ask how you can be praying for us. Please continue to pray for Dan while he is away on mission. It’s hard to go and explore without him (though he totally encourages me to go and explore/adventure while he’s gone) and quite frankly, I miss him more than I let on. Please also continue to pray for me as I wait (sometimes impatiently) for Dan to come home and try to keep things in order around here.

Thank you for letting us share our story with you! We love you all and wish you enough.

XOXO,

De

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the Basics

Hey everyone! Wow it’s been a while since I’ve posted. So sorry I’ve been quiet on here. I guess there hasn’t been much to say. Since being diagnosed, life pretty much quieted down or halted it seems. I sleep roughly twelve hours everyday, so it makes getting out and about pretty tough. However we have come to a pretty good routine, Mondays and Thursdays Dan goes into the recruiting station to say “hi” (Ok so it’s more than that, but that’s basically what it feels like from my standpoint). The guys in there know me as well- they call me “Mrs.” Dan’s rate and rank which is super cute. They get excited with us when I have good weeks, especially when I walk more but they get to see first hand how the Lyme has affected our lives. They’re really supportive and we’re grateful.

Anyway, while I’ve been recovering, life has slowly been moving on. Seasons are changing. Here in PA we have gotten a LOT of snow. Luckily it has been melting pretty quickly. If you know me, you know that I like to LOOK at snow but I’m really not a fan of the cold. And now my joints REALLY hate the cold- so let’s just say that spring can’t get here fast enough. The groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil told us that we would have an early spring- since then I believed it’s snowed two to three times. I’m still hoping the weather breaks soon.

On a more exciting note, Dan and I recently received some pretty exciting news: Our household goods are in the United States! In fact, they’re in the area! What that means is that Dan and I got to do some apartment/ townhouse hunting. Within a week we found a cute half a house (it’s tiny), in a perfect location – I used to live on the road where it’s located at, so it feels like we’re moving home for me. So we will begin the move-in process on March 1st (or sooner if we can get ourselves together)! We’re super excited! It’s been a long haul since coming back on emergency from Japan. But we really feel like this is where the Lord is leading us to be.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support during this time. This coming year will not be easy for us as I continue to recover and Dan continues in his studies and career. We’re hoping that while we’re “home” we’re able to see more people -especially as we get settled in. It’s hard to believe we’ve come back to where it all began. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue on our journey and we will continue to take you with us as we venture onward in this military life. 🙂 Sending all our love!

 

Asia Driving

Hey everyone!! Sorry it’s been so long sine I’ve been able to post. I’ve been having technical difficulties with getting my video uploaded to youtube so that you can see what a tropical drive looks like for Dan and I. In the video you’ll hear myself and my friend Danielle. I had picked Danielle up from school and she was gracious enough to help me with the filming while I navigated my way back to base. Sorry this is a short and sweet post, but PLEASE let me know what you think in the comments. I’d love to hear what you think about what it’s like to drive in Asia! We love you all and miss home like crazy.

As promised, here’s the link:  https://youtu.be/lECp5EfwO4c

New Chapter in a Wild Adventure

Hey everyone! It’s been too long since I’ve posted. I’ve been trying to post a video of what it’s like to drive through Japan (it’s a common drive for Dan and I) but I’m not being successful at getting posted anywhere… so just know, I’m working on it. 🙂 Anyway, I don’t have a lot to share with you, but I have a lot to share- so just bare with me a bit through this post. Life has been boring, yet exciting- so I have a few things to catch you up on. However, we haven’t been out exploring very much since Dan is working a lot, and has started class again. Basically everything new and exciting is happening my way- so since Dan is the same, I’ll catch you up with me, ok? 🙂

The last time we talked, I had recently started a new job working at a nearby base as a customer service representative. I have really enjoyed my job- more than I expected, and the guys I work with are simply wonderful. However, about a week into  the job, I got a call- it was Community Bank here on my base wanting to interview me! When I went for my interview, I was really nervous but by the end of it, I felt really good. The interview lasted 2 hours! Mary, (my interviewer and would be boss) said she’s never laughed so much during an interview. It was an immediate click. On Tuesday, I got a call from Sue (Mary’s boss) who wanted to meet me since she couldn’t be there for our interview like she intended, and since my job was on the base that Sue is at, I told her I’d stop by after work. Within 15 minutes she verbally offered me the job!! Within 3 hours, I got an official phone call with a job offer and salary!

So the next day, I walked into my office super nervous. When I finally told my boss, he was understanding and took it really well. He even said that since headquarters didn’t want to flex on the weekend schedule, that it would be good for both parties. I finished my shift, and that was the end of my job. I miss working there already, but I know that the job the Lord had waiting for me is coming around the corner. So why don’t I tell you what I know about it? Dan and I are really excited for this opportunity.

The job is 30 hours a week, Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm (5pm on Fridays). I will be a Customer Service Representative and will have my own office (insert girly sheik of joy here). The office is all women- all upbeat, happy, bubbly women (could you think of a better fit??). Once I get my start date (they’re still bonding me, doing background checks, ect), I will work in the office, shadowing for a week or two before going to another base (about an hour away) for two weeks for training; during which time I will be in a hotel and have meals paid for (big girl job anyone?!). I’m both excited and nervous about this because of timing (deployment will be here before I know it) but I am super excited because the base they are sending me to has two very exciting things (ok, maybe three) 1. BIG exchange (just trust me, it’s exciting). 2. Chili’s and 3. Pizza Hut! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t most excited about that last one… American pizza *begins daydreaming*. Anyway, I will have two vacation weeks a year, and after being there for six months, they have a school repayment program which means.. I CAN GET MY MASTERS!! (IF I can figure out what I want to get my Masters in…..) Not to mention, two weeks of sick leave and a couple of personal days. My boss also made it clear to me that while I have these things, that if something comes up that is out of my control, to talk to her- she will work with me. This is my job, not my life- those were her words. Needless to say, I think I’m really going to like this new adventure.

Anyway, on a different note- I have also begun a sign language choir here on base. It’s small, but good. Currently we are working on signing “Words” by Hawk Nelson. I truly have been loving this group. They’re such an encouragement and I can see that they love learning ASL. It’s been a true joy- and I’m getting to know some of these children, teens, and adults better that I could have otherwise. So for those of you who have been praying for us while we’re over here, please pray that this ministry continues to grow and that I can have the creativity needed to make this a fun experience for all. I have loved watching others enjoy worshipping the way that I love to experience worship. 🙂

Let’s see, what else has happened?? Oh, I had a girls night recently with a couple of women I’ve met here. We really enjoyed the evening of laughing and simply sharing life together. I’ve come to realize recently that while I am overseas and while my life is drastically different from what I ever imagined that I am not alone and I have made some true friends here- ones that will stand with me when Dan is gone. It feels good to know that others are in the same boat and some have had experience and are willing to help guide me through. It’s nice to finally feel like I’m settling in and setting down some roots. 🙂

The other day, Mrs. Esther- our chaplain’s wife took me out again to do some exploring around base. They’ve lived here before and know the area better than I do by a long shot. She’s offered to take me out during the week and help me get better acquainted with the surrounding area so that I can actually enjoy living here, instead of not knowing what’s around me. 🙂 Yesterday, we went to a really awesome buffet restaurant- everything was fresh and it was vegetables and all organic! Needles to say, I REALLY enjoyed it- when you go to a buffet here, you get a certain time frame to sit and enjoy (for us it was 2 hours- and NO we didn’t stay that long) but the food on the buffet changes periodically. It is a truly unique cultural difference in buffets, and just for the record, their dessert bar is super small compared to the US and contains a lot of fruit. Once we finished lunch, we went to a nearby mall (which I didn’t know was so close to base…) and there I was able to pet a puppy-which was just  the stress relief I needed. Before long we were back on base and had finished our little adventure for the day. I truly enjoy our time together, it’s a real blessing and it helps me feel better about our area.

Anyway, recently I’ve just been learning that life is like one long story, if you’re paying attention it’s actually a really interesting read. For me, it seems as though life isn’t going exactly as I planned, but I’m enjoying the plot twists that have been coming my way. For those of you who have been praying for Dan and I, thank you more than words. Recently there’s been a lot of awareness of how unsafe the military is, and Dan and I are doing what we can to keep ourselves safe. Those of you who know us super personally, please do your part to help keep us both safe and sound while we serve overseas. 🙂

Finally, please continue to pray for us while we’re over here. I have been dealing with a lot of side effects from my disease which has made me feel horrible lately and it’s been a challenge. I’m also asking that you pray for my new position and that I will enjoy this job. Also, please continue to pray for Dan as he is still in classes and is still putting together packets for some programs that he would REALLY love to be apart of- and would change our lives in a very positive way. Lastly, please, please pray for Dan and I as we continue to prepare for deployment. I cannot say when it will be, how long it will be, or any details about it (trying to keep our service men and women safe) however, it will be a challenge for us in several ways. We have some time, but we know that it is inevitable- so we’re trying to prepare the best we can (this includes documents and hard discussions) so you’re prayers while we’re here and dealing with a lot of time apart are truly coveted. We love you all and we miss home very much. Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers and I’ll do my best to keep you updated. 🙂

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…

One Year Down… Forever to Go!

Hey everyone! So I have some exciting news, Dan and I have been married a year!!! Remember in the “How our journey begins” section of our website I explained that we had to get married quickly due to these very orders that have sent us overseas- so in two days we had a wedding?! Well… On Sunday (the 11th) we were able to celebrate our 1st Wedding Anniversary! *insert happy girly shriek here* Unfortunately, that’s about all the news I have for this week, because we’ve been adjusting to Dan working from noon to anywhere to 8 to 10pm and soon he will be going in at 3pm and staying till 11 to 3 am. It’s crazy how they adjust his schedule- however we’re not going to focus on that, instead I’m going to share our joy of our first year of marriage with you!

So, where to begin. The weekend itself wasn’t that exciting. Dan had watch on Friday from midnight till 8am- which means I didn’t fall asleep till about 3:30am and didn’t sleep well and so we spent probably over half the day sleeping and trying to recover from his watch. However, we did enjoy the rest of our Saturday around the apartment. Dan needed some time just to relax and unwind after the schedule change and overall craziness of the week. It was also the last weekend we had together before he started classes (yay!) so we wanted it low key.

Anyway, on to the good part! On Sunday we skipped church just to relax and enjoy the fact that we have been married for a year. We started to reflect on our first year of marriage and we came up with a couple of big things we did and were able to experience together, so I’ll share them with you now:

– We have only lived together for about 3.5 months

-We have seen and been together about a total of 5 months

-We went to Disney World on the 4th of July

– We were able to celebrate our marriage with family and friends in August

-We moved to Japan!

If I say so myself, it makes for a really exciting first year of marriage- especially when you consider that we have spent more of it apart than together. 🙂

To celebrate our awesome first year of marriage, Dan and I bought a small cake to share and then we had some friends take photos of us. But that’s it! It was really wonderful and low-key and just a great day. This week Dan started classes and he and I began doing Insanity Max:30 (it’s HARD)- but we’re doing well and are in good spirits. We love you all and thank you for your continued love and support. We’ll keep you updated as we continue to have some awesome adventures and live out our “happily ever after…”

And as promised……

Our beautiful anniversary cake. It was as yummy as it was lovely.

Dan and I with the cake. I won’t lie… it was hard not to just dive in and eat it- ya’ll are lucky we got photos of it.

We’re so blessed, we’ve had one year together and a lifetime left to go!

He still sweeps me off my feet.

We’re living “Happily Ever After”

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!