Our second full week here has been great. We are mostly just getting more settled in. 

We got our drivers licenses and bought a car - a 1998 Nissan Serena minivan. $1200. It is a little old and beaten. 

As all Japanese cars, it has the steering wheel on the right, since you drive here on the left. We have both made all the rookie mistakes -- trying to get in on the wrong side of the car, pulling into the oncoming lane, and turning on the windshield wipers instead of turn signals. I think we are getting the hang of it now though.

We also found the house that we plan to live in. We sacrificed spaciousness of home and yard for the convenience of living close to school and work. We can all walk or ride bikes if want to. We should be signing the lease and moving in within the next week. 

For now, we are still living the hotel lifestyle: "Sam, stop jumping. Hazel, no screaming... Kids, please be quiet or we will get another call from the front desk...Sam, you know you aren't supposed to jump on the beds...Mattie. Don't make Sam scream, Sam, be quiet...Kids, stop tapping the walls." We can't wait to get into a house without shared walls. 

Heat and humidity are serious here. On the day before we got the car, Keriann, Hazel, and Sam went for a walk, just to get out of the hotel. They got a little warm.

Fortunately, they were saved from heat injury by ice cream

 

Yesterday was "Yokosuka Friendship Day", when local Japanese people are welcomed onto our base for a celebration. It was in the classic style of a local American carnival, with tickets that you could trade for games or cotton candy. Hot Dogs and Nachos for sale, and lots of tank tops showing off tattoos and sunburns. 

The highlight for us was a huge fireworks display over the bay for 37 minutes straight (Emma timed it), some even in the shape of Hello Kitty, complete with shooting-star whiskers. (not pictured here)

We miss everyone at home, but we are having a really great time too. We have started to develop our list of necessary trips before we leave the area. Who would like to come join us for any of these?

Kyoto

Sapporo

Hike Mt. Fuji

Hiroshima/Nagasaki

Philippines - (With Mark and Marianne for Christmas 2014?)

Australia/New Zealand - (With Miriam in 3 years?)

Singapore

Thailand

Korea if Nathan has anything to do with it

What else do we need to add?

Japan Beginning

We arrived in Japan on July 18th, 2013. We flew out on July 17th from San Diego to LA. Lucky for us we were able to drop of our car right at the San Diego airport b/c the next day Jordan (my brother) was going to fly in and take it for us. (Unfortunately for him we were not able to communicate to him that the key to start the car was inside the van, the key we left would only open the door--sorry Jordan!)

The kids did great on the flight. Every seat had a tv connected to it where you could  watch movies, play games etc. Kept the kids entertained for about 10 of the 12 hours. I'll have to post pics of the train ride later (the cord to the camera is MIA).

We arrived at the airport at 3:15pm Japan time, which was about 11:15 pm our time. We were met by our sponsor Doug Cragin and we will always be grateful to him. He had a van for our luggage and his own van for us to drive in. We tried to keep the kids awake, but we oursleves were having a tough time staying awake.

We arrived in to the Navy Lodge (our home for possibly the next month) around 5:30 or 6:00. Doug's wife Rose was there with some groceries and snacks for the kids for when they woke up at 2;00 in the morning. Also a whole basket full of activities, snacks and useful Japan items from the Oakleaf club (medical spouse club). It was a welcome gift and we were very grateful for it when the kids woke up at 12:00 midnight. It got better, the next night was 2:00, then 4:00, now they wake up pretty regular around 7:00. We are adjusted! Yeah!!!

The day after we got here we went into the housing office to see what they had to offer us. It was a four bedroom townhouse in Ikego (20 min drive) a housing base. Tom put that we need a 5 bedroom b/c of the ages and sexes of our kids. Luckily the housing office agreed and so we got to look off base. We have decided on a house and are waiting for the inspection and housing papers to go through. Hopefully we will be in it in two weeks at the longest. It has a tatami room and no oven or dishwasher, but we are excited to live in a truly Japanese house. I have tried to add a link to the house and cant figure it out--sorry, but try to map Japan, Kanagawa prefecture, Yokosuka,  shioirichio, 3 We are next to a shrine (marked by a swastika) and a community center, across from a hospital (marked by cross).  

The first week in Japan you take a class everyday on base rules, traffic safety, japanese culture etc. The kids go to child care and had their own adventures. They went to the Nissan factory, swimming and movies. It was nice to spend a week with Tom all day every day, I didn't even get tired of him. Part of our Japanese culture class was to take a train ride up to Kamakura (the old capital of Japan during the Shogun era). We took Emma and Mattie with us. This is them at the first gate. We have more pics, that we will post later, but we had a great time.

 The other most amazing thing here in Japan is the food. We love it! Even our picky kids are finding great things. We have the video of the go around sushi, the kids love that. Below is a picture of Mattie eating yakiniku. It is Korean bbq and you really do cook it right in front of you. We all enjoyed it, even vegetarian Tom who had the sauce with rice. We had some excellent indian food with nan bread bigger than  the plate, Ramen is also excellent here. There is still a lot we want to try and are looking forward to our time here and all the great stuff we get to try.

One of our other favorite finds is the 100 Yen store. It is awesome! It is much like the dollar store except the stuff is actually good quality. We are excited to get a house to set it up with some of the 100 yen stuff. 

We are quite a sight walking around with the six of us. We stick out A LOT! Not only b/c of our size, but because we are loud foreigners. The Japanese people continue to be so nice and polite.

We have met so many great people here. Church has been super! So many great people who have reached out to us and helped us get around (we have no car, just the base shuttle which is a huge pain) and fed us. Emma and Mattie already went to a birthday party! It is so multicultural here too. People have moved here from Bahrain, Spain all over, and are moving to those locations as well. It truly has been so fun and eye opening.

That is all I have for now. I really will post soon once we find the camera cord. There are some great pics. IF you want to call or contact us, your afternoons are our mornings, also iphones can facetime and text for free, Awesome!!!! 

Visitors

Mark (my brother) and Marianne and kids came and visited San Diego and then went up to Disneyland, where we met up with Kelli (my sister). We had a super fun time and can't wait to be with them again in the summer. Thank you so much for coming and entertaining us for a week.

Mark and family with my kids

We went to La Jolla Beach and even though it was cold and overcast Holland and Mattie still got in the water....clothed.

Sam and Caleb at the beach.

In Old Town, San Diego.

At the zoo.

Kelli's girls had the best reactions to meeting the Disney characters. There were fascinated. So fun to meet the princesses with them.

Taylor and Hazel mapping out where we will go. This was a common scene in both Disneyland and the zoo.

 Teacups: Holland, Cate, Emma and Mattie

Caleb and Sam, always together.

Getting sprayed on Grand Rapids in California Adventure Park.

A New Camera

So for Christmas I got a new camera, a nice one. It has been great fun learning how to use it and trying my best to delve into the very large and intimidating world of photography. I happen to have a super nice nieghbor who gave me a few old lenses and is also giving me small challenges to help me learn some of the fundamentals. So here are some of my challenges and the pictures that go with them.

1st Challenge: Take a picture of bananas

2nd Challenge: Take a picture of our blooming rose with the rose being the brightest object.

3rd Challenge: Decide beforehand what I want in focus and then take the picture. Here are a couple of examples. And, as a bonus, you get to see Tom's moustache.

This was an accident lesson on frontal light, but if I ever take some before and after pictures or Tom, I know how to make the after picture look really good--no blemishes anywhere.

These next four I just liked.

I really am enjoying what I'm learning, and if you are a photographer and have suggestions (hint hint J), please do so I'd love to hear them.

Halloween 2011

This year, as with many, there were three parties for which the kids could dress up. Sam and Emma stayed the same with all as a Jedi and a french painter respectively. Mattie flip flopped between a witch and grim reaper. Hazel however, was Tinkerbell, a cowgirl, and sleeping beauty.

Hazel with her Joy School group

Sam's pumpkin

Emma with her pumpkin

Mom's pumpkin

Halloween night, with our nieghbor

Heading to the school parade

Grim reaper with the missionary

Ward Trunk or treat party

Catching Up

Saying Goodbye to Washington

Olypmic Peninsula Trip. For Twilight fans this is 2nd beach in La Push.
Tom got a fishing trip in before we left. This made some good fish and chips.

Beach party with our beloved neighbors. Emma and her BFF.

We truly miss Washington and all the great friends and experiences we had there. We all grew in so many ways and will miss so many people.

The Move and Summer Fun

Stopping in Bryce Canyon on the drive down.

Playing with cousins in Boise.

The hot tub at Meme and Pepe's (Grandma and Grandpa Kartchner).

Stopping in Beaver without a flat tire or anything.

Our annual GTMH, we hiked up to Stewart Falls in Provo Canyon. So fun to see cousins, aunts and uncles, and sweet Grandma Kartchner at the Kartchner Reunion.

San Diego

Legoland for Mattie's birthday.

San Diego Zoo

Sea World

Ride at Seaworld. And we went to the beach quite a bit, but I can't find any pictures. We love all San Diego has to offer. We have made some great friends already and are amazed everytime we move at the many people who help us and make our moves so much more smooth. It has been an adjustment getting used to Tom's longer hours, but he is enjoying learning and feels priveleged to be in the Navy's Dermatology residency. We should be here three years and are looking forward to the adventure!