oodles of pictures and oodles of fun!!

I finally found a wireless connection so since it saved me a lot of time not having to transfer all the pictures to my parents' computer, I decided I better do this today before I get another scolding!

As I said in my 'teaser post', I had a fantastic time in Maryland! I really don't think it could have been any better. It was just a really special time for Bobby and I because we had been apart for 2 months. We were able to do a lot of talking and laughing, went on several dates (something we weren't really able to do a lot in Japan), and just enjoyed doing "everyday stuff" together like going to the grocery store and going to church together.

We also spent a fair amount of time with his family and it was really fun getting to know them. It was really good to meet his younger brother who is battling Leukemia right now (he was in the hospital the whole time I was there, but he got to go home the day after I left). I especially enjoyed spending time with Drew and Izzy, Bobby's nephew and niece. One day we (Bobby and I, his brother and sister in law and the kids) went to this place called "Family Place to Play" where they have a giant climbing structure and super fast slides as well as a few of those big play structures that are blown up with air. We sure had fun and we certainly laughed a lot as the kid was brought out in all of us! We all got a good workout that day and my stomach was aching for a few days after because I had been laughing so much!

Here's a glimpse of the fun we had... Drew and Izzy are SO cute!

Izzy and I...

Drew and I...

Izzy, cute as ever!

bouncing around...

these slides were ridiculously fast!! (I quickly found out why you have to sign a waiver when you go in!)

A few days after that, we went on a little road trip to Hershey, Pensylvania :) We had some Christar staff that we had dinner with about an hour away from there so we stopped at Hershey Chocolate World and a little Hershey history museum. It was really cool! Chocolate World is free (!) and they have a neat little tour that you go on that's kind of like a ride and it explains how they make chocolate. They also have a huge gift store (where we took this first picture) We also went to a 3D show about the history of Hershey. The whole experience was really cool and now I can say I've been to Hershey!

The first of many of our famous self portraits :)

We were having fun trying to get the sign in the background and then a kind stranger came and offered to help us out! :)

Another day we decided to go skating! I found it funny that we had been planning to go skating when Bobby comes to Canada but ended up doing it in Maryland! We had a lot of fun and actually had the rink to ourselves for at least 1/2 the time we were there. It was fun racing and pretending we were Olympic figure skaters :)

Thought this one was cool since it has both of our flags in it (and the Maryland flag!)

What a fine skater! :)

I needed a little break! (We skated for almost 2 hours!)

Then one day we went to Washington and went to some of the free (!) Smithsonian museums. We also went up the Washington Monument (free too!) which was really cool!

One of the views from the top...

Having fun at the bottom... (It was a little cold- can you tell we were freezing?!)

At the museum of natural history, we went to a 3D Imax movie about the ocean... I know, you're jealous because you wish you were as cool as we are!

Because my boyfriend is so amazing and knows how to make me smile, we went into the butterfly exhibit at the same museum and Bobby took some awesome pictures...

Then another day, we went to the zoo in Washington... which was free too! (How cool is that?!)

Couldn't resist posing for this one... and look,

I found my prince!!! :)

Yeah, that's right... we're so cool, you don't have to tell us!

After the zoo, we went home and got dressed up for our first "fancy date" and we went to the Cheesecake Factory :) It was really fun... and of course delicious! Unfortunately, no one was home to take a picture of us so we went for another self portrait :)

We clean up pretty good don't we?! :)

Then on Sunday, since it was such a beautiful day, we enjoyed some time outside at his parent's farm. Bobby took some fantastic pictures of his Mom's crocuses... these are just 2 of them...

We also took some pretty good ones of us... here's 2 of my favorites....

So there you have it... just a glimpse of the amazing time I had in Maryland! Thanks for the many memories, Bobby! I love you!

Now we're looking forward to Bobby's visit to Winnipeg at the end of this month! He'll even get to meet Lissa and Brad because they're coming for Easter :) Boy, it sure is fun being in love! I don't think I could be much happier than I am right now! God is so good...

home again, home again, jiggity jig :)

I'm back! Apparently I have some readers who didn't like the fact that I didn't post while I was away... so here's just a teaser for you :P
I had a fantastic trip and I don't think it could have been any better!
Unfortunately, all of my pictures are on my laptop so since I need to get them transferred to this computer, you'll have to wait!
I have a few other things I need to work on today so I should probably get going. (I'm so mean!) I promise I'll update better later this week!
Thanks for reading my blog :)

I'm off again!

These days I feel like a flight attendant...I'm off to the airport again! I get to fly again tomorrow!! :) I'm headed to Maryland and I couldn't be more excited! In case you didn't put it together, I'm going to visit Bobby and meet his family :)
I guess I haven't been the best blogger these days... I just don't have a whole lot to blog about! I'm enjoying life at home again and I'm doing well. I haven't started work yet and I'm not sure when I will! (not that I don't need money, but I just don't have time to work yet!)
I don't know if I'll be doing my smile list for the next 2 weeks, but rest assured, I'll be smiling the whole time I'm gone! :)
Have a great weekend! I'm sure I'll have plenty to post about when I get back since I've never been to Maryland before!
Later Gators!

The Valentine's edition of the smile list...

It's finally here... my favorite day of the whole year! Happy Valentine's Day :)
I think my smile list for today could be summed up in 4 words...
Valentine's Day and Bobby Baden :)
As cheezy as that sounds, it's true... I'm in love and I love it! Valentine's Day has always been my favorite day and this one was extra special for me!

I sort of forgot to post last night, but hey, better late than never right?!

Here's my smile list...

-I forgot to mention this last week, but... finding Japanese mayo in the grocery store made my day!!

-lots and lots of snow

-the deli at Superstore

-a Superman marathon on TV

-my best friend calling me to tell me she's engaged!!! :D (and having my other best friend on the other line with her!)

-getting asked to be a bridesmaid :)

-Charlie Brown's Valentine's Day special

-wii with Sheila!

-getting a package in the mail :) (and as much as it drives me crazy... having to wait until Valentine's Day to open it!)

-watching a husband wait for his wife at the airport with a rose in his hand :)

-seeing a boy standing at the bus stop holding balloons and flowers.

-a post man walking out of the grocery store with flowers :)

-picking up my sister at the airport :) (it's been over a year since I last saw her!)

-teasing "Uncle Bobby" with Drew on Skype

-a 5 year old's knock knock jokes :)

-family fun and laughs :)

I haven't been keeping very good lists since coming back, but those are just a few of the things that are keeping a smile on my face these days :)

Happy Valentine's Day! Remember... whether you've got a valentine or not, YOU ARE LOVED!!

Saturday morning smiles...

Good morning :)

It's Saturday morning and here I am... not sure if I'm coming or going these days! I just got home last night from 4 days in Ontario for debriefing (yes, I was home for 2 days, then left again!) and now I am feeling pretty out of it! I've had a little time to rest up, but I still feel pretty exhausted... probably more emotionally exhausted than physically though as I've got a lot on my mind and my heart.

But, all that to say... I'm still smiling! Although this list is shorter than usual because I haven't been keeping track, I've had plenty of smiles this week! :) Here you go!

-feeling Cher's baby hiccup in her belly! (coolest thing ever!!!!)

-talking to Yumi on Skype :) ...and having a Japanese/English lesson

-West Jet flight attendants... they told jokes as they did the safety procedure demo and as we were waiting on the runway!

-an older couple in Wal-Mart 'discussing' garbage bags... the old man was running out of patience and said in a very funny way "What do you need the bags for???" and the lady very calmly tried to explain the various things she uses them for! They were there for a long time!!

-sharing my pictures with the Christar gang... and all the hassling I got about Bobby :)

-a very cute little boy showing off his boots to me at the airport

-getting the same flight crew on my flight to Winnipeg as I had on my flight to Hamilton! There were even 2 of the same passengers!

-Valentine's displays all over the place :D It's coming soon!!!!

-a Wendy's burger, an A&W poutine, and dill pickle chips all in one night... can you tell I was in need of some comfort food?! :)

so, as predicted, it's short this week, but I'm still smiling!
Have a wonderful weekend!

1st edition of the smile list from Canada :)

Well hello from Canada :)
Yup, I made it home safe and sound and now I'm trying to deal with extreme weather shock! :P
I know it's a little late this week, but I haven't had much of a chance to post my smile list until now!
I had a good trip home... it was long, but I'm happy to be with my family again!
So, without any further ado, (that's a funny phrase!) here's my smile list :)

-watching a little girl listen to a Bible lesson, hearing the Bible for the very first time :)

-Mrs W recalling the time when I taught her the phrase "backseat driver", saying that I was a good English teacher! :P

-finding $30 US in my money belt from last year!

-my AMAZING teammates :)

-a lady who chatted away to me on the phone for 2 whole minutes before allowing me to tell her I was a foreigner and I don't speak Japanese! (I felt bad, but I think she was pretty embarrassed after!)

-a breakfast picnic in my living room with the Reisters

-words of affirmation

-sleeping in a "real" bed for the first time since October

-crawling into a toasty warm bed thanks to an electric blanket :)

-a little rest in the sun streaming through the window

-Blitz :) ok, so maybe being the winner by a mile is what made ne smile :)

-falling asleep to the sound of the pouring rain :)

-watching Napoleon Dynamite with Bob and Teresa... Bob loves it as much as my Dad and Teresa hates it as much as my Mom... it was a blast!

-the ground crew in at the Fukuoka airport waving and bowing as the plane drove away

-having a whole row of seats to myself (both sides)

-friendly flight attendants :)

-know how there's a little cloth over the head rest of every seat... well there was a sweet little baby making a game out of pulling it off and making his mom put it back on and he was just loving it!

-getting free post cards from the airline :) (I'm such a nerd!)

-seeing Mt Fuji for the first time in real life! (it was on the other side of the plane that I was on, but I was able to switch over to the other side and got a great view of it!) :)

-watching a man help an older lady lift her carry on up into the over head compartment

-a sweet little 7 month old baby girl with a cute little pink pony tail :)

-Mom and Dad bringing me a helium balloon at the airport but accidently losing it as they walked into the airport doors (they pointed it out to me at the top of the ceiling as we were leaving!)

-Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs :)

-going to church at Elim again... and having one of my former Sunday school girls ask me if I visited any churches while I was in Japan :) She's so sweet!

-spending the day at Siloam with my Momma :)

So there you have it for this week... I hope to keep this up! Hold me accountable to it!!
Keep smiling :)

Well, the smiles just keep coming... even in the midst of a week of goodbyes! God is SO good to me.... Here's my smile list!

-sharing a 'testimony' for the first time during the time in church when we share prayer requests and praises

-little babies with full heads of fuzzy hair

-a stubbron Basset Hound... actually I think it was the little old man trying to drag him on a walk made me smile more than the dog did!

-eating dessert overlooking the water

-sunsets and beautiful views

-hearing songs that remind you of someone

-having company over for dinner

-having 3 single girls oooh and ahhh over my cooking :)

-hosting my teammates for dinner... enjoying a few hours of good fellowship with much laughter and many stories of 'missionary legends' of the past :P (of course no names were mentioned though!)

-shopping adventures with Teresa (Bob's patience made me smile too!)

-getting a free pair of cute socks at a little gift shop because the lady found out I am leaving next week :)

-so many people paying for my meals!-flower shopping :)-a proud grandma showing off pictures of her grandaughter

-Brent McCoy's love song... http://thebrentmccoy.blogspot.com

-"Friday Night" fun! :)

-home made cards from my English class kids... they are absolutely amazing!!

-the mothers of the English class students staying after my farewell lunch to ask me questions all about my "love story" :)

-Sona chan giving me hugs and letting me hold her for a group picture... she was so sweet and leaned her head on my cheek for one of them... my heart melted!

-laughing about eating corn with chopsticks with Eri chan :)

-treating someone else to dinner for a change this week!

I've got plenty to do tonight so I need to quit procrastinating and get to work!
Thanks for keeping up with my smiles :) Have a great weekend!

I just like to smile... Smiling's my favorite :)

Hehehe just thought I'd quote Elf to start off my list this week!
Here's my smile list for this week! As usual, my life is full of reasons to smile and I'm so thankful for that... can you imagine what life would be like without laughter and smiles??

-watching grandma Okamoto (an 83 year old lady with no teeth) enjoy her piece of birthday cake topped with whipped cream :) she had it all over her lips!

-the satisfaction of cooking a meal with all 4 food groups!

-figuring out how to take my electic toilet seat off and giving my toilet a good cleaning... and then figuring out how to put it back on all by myself!

-catching up with friends on skype

-drinking cherry Kool-Aid :) (I intentionally made it stronger and sweeter than it's supposed to be!)

-the satisfaction of 'deep cleaning' :)

-planning surprises! (no, I can't tell you what I've done... that would ruin the surprise!) I just have to say that putting this little surprise together made me smile because it was fun!

-Valentine's Day displays being set up at the Dollar store... YAY! it's less than one month away now!! :)

-Dollar store treasures... like a new toilet brush and holder! (yeah, doesn't take much to excite me!) and yes, that makes two things about toilets on my smile list... oh dear! :P

-making conversation with "my" grocery clerk

-getting "real mail" :)

-making poutine and chicken strips... and blogging about it! :)

-Pastor Nakamura forbidding me to eat okonomiyaki this week because our conversation class is going out for okonomiyaki next week... guess he wants me to make sure I don't get sick of it!

-a bright new light on my bike :)

-Dad gagging as Melissa told him about what she did at work that day (she's a nurse!)

-ganging up on Dad with Lissa and Mom and making him do his little "ah-heh-heh-heh"

-having a conversation about how to spell Dad's "ah-heh-heh-heh" :)

(Can you tell we were pretty much laughing during our entire 3 way call??!)

-Teresa's nostalgic moments of passionately singing along to the Carpenters music playing at Jolly Ox :)

-Bob beating Teresa and I at Blitz... but that NEVER happens right Bob?! :P

-getting together with friends for meals

-hosting guests

-a tickle fight with Towa kun.... I obviously won because I made him beg for mercy! :P

-finding out one of my students is going to come to church with me next week :)

-having so many dinner and lunch plans that I don't have to think about making a meal for myself for the next week! (except for the 2 nights I am having company over for dinner)

Just 2 weeks from today I'll be sitting on a plan on my way to Winnipeg!! I know I've said it lots, but time is seriously flying!! I am enjoying all of the fun plans I have with friends and making the most of my last few days here... but boy it's busy!

Anyway, speaking of busy, I should be doing something a little more productive than blogging!
Have a wonderful weekend! and don't forget to take some time to enjoy the things that make you smile! :)

I think I'm in heaven...

ok, maybe just back in Canada!!

Folks... I just made my favorite meal... poutine and chicken strips here in Japan tonight!

This is how much I was looking forward to it...

Here's the final product... (yes, my chicken strips are probably classified as nuggets, but I don't care!)

Yes, I'm a nerd... but I know it, so that makes it ok right?! You can tell I'm excited because I just addressed my blog audience as 'folks'... I never to that!

I could have thought ahead a little more and maybe I wouldn't be eating my dinner at 10:25, but hey, it was well worth the wait!! I even had slightly BBQ flavored ranch to dip my chicken strips in! (thanks to one tiny pack of McDonald's BBQ sauce!) Best part is... I have enough to make this meal all over again!! :)

I'm just sad that I don't have anyone to enjoy it with........... ok, maybe not THAT sad! ...more for me! :P

Funny how all of the sudden all of my 'favorites' are coming up recently.... favorite movie, favorite meal... what's next?! :P

ok, enough showing off my nerd side! I'm off to enjoy some more delicious food! :)

Fun at the grocery store...

Today, I made a quick stop by the grocery store because my fridge was a little barren. As I was checking out, I attempted to make conversation with one of the clerks that has become one of my favorites. I was feeling quite proud of myself for actually using some of my Japanese (I have to admit I am overly shy about speaking Japanese and I don't use it nearly as much as I should) when the conversation suddenly went in an unexpected direction...

she asked me what I was making for dinner tonight (since I was buying frozen french fries, grated cheese and chicken). Hmm.... how does one explain "poutine and home made chicken strips" in Japanese??!! :P Good luck with that one!

I decided not to bother trying (since there was someone waiting in line behind me) and went with the "I don't know yet" answer!!

Anyway, I'm excited to make poutine and chicken strips for dinner tonight! (I recently enherited some gravy mixes from a missionary that's leaving the field soon) Sure... 2 1/2 weeks before I leave Japan I finally get to make my favorite Canadian food! :P

My days are slowly filling up with lunch and dinner dates, trying to get in as many special goodbyes as possible! I was thinking I wouldn't have that many, but now that everyone is replying to my e-mails, my calender is looking pretty full! ...but I'm thankful for that because that means that I've made a lot of meaningful relationships this year! :) Thanks for praying for me as I finish up here... for this chapter of my life anyway!

By the way... it's FREEZING here!! It snowed again today! (this is really unusual!) My computer says it's 1 but feels like -4... I'm sure it's colder than that with the nasty wind we've got today. Oh yikes... what am I going to do when I get back to WINNIPEG??!! (I'm assuring myself that it's a "different" kind of cold here and that I'll be fine....)

it's official...

...Anne of Green Gables is my favorite movie! (I like all of them but I think the second one is my favorite)

I don't know why I always forget about Anne of Green Gables when someone asks me what my favorite movie is, but as I'm watching them right now, I've rekindled my love for these movies and I'm officially declaring them my favorite now :)

No other movie makes me as giddy as Anne of Green Gables does! I love Anne's dramatic flare and I definitely feel a connection to her because we both have red hair :) (and I'm sure some might say we share the 'strong will' that goes with it!) Of course I love the story of Anne and Gilbert and their years of banter that turns into romance.

My middle name is actually Anne... of course spelled the "romantic way" with an 'e' as Anne says!


I really don't know why I haven't actually bought the DVD's yet... but I'll certainly be searching for them when I get home! :)

Anyway, if you've never seen the Anne of Green Gables series, you definitely need to! I know you'll love them! (but probably not as much as I do though!)

i almost forgot!

Wow, that was a close one... I almost forgot to post my smile list today! I sort of forgot it was Saturday... all my days are blending together now that I don't have a regular routine of teaching!

As a random fact... I leave Japan 3 weeks from today!! I'm trying to balance the excitment of all that is coming up in the next few months with making the most of my last 3 weeks here. Of course I'm sad to leave Japan because it has been my home for the last year and I love it here, but I'm also really looking forward to being with my parents and friends again. I haven't said many "final" goodbyes yet because I'm getting togther with friends throughout the next 3 weeks, but it makes things easier knowing that I will be returning eventually!

Anyway, here's my smile list for this week. I think it's a little shorter than usual, but that's only because I haven't been as faithful at writing things down!

my smile list this week could probably be summed up in two words every week... and this one's no different...

-Bobby Baden :)

Ok, so there were a few other things/people that made me smile too!

-pictures of a dog frolicking in the snow for the first time

-watching Bobby and Drew exchange "secrets"... I think I like Drew's secrets better than Bobby's :P

-Bobby's reaction when checking the Winnipeg weather forecast... think he can be convinced it might warm up in February?? :P

-making myself dizzy taking the lights off of the Christmas tree!

-enjoying a peaceful afternoon of de-decorating the church listening to worship music

-Bob's chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast before our team prayer meeting :)

-the victory of successfully taking apart the Christmas tree and getting it to fit back in the box all by myself! (with God's help)

-more snow!! (this time just flurries)

-Teresa giving me a vanilla softlips chapstick and some of her french vanilla cappucino mix!! (she reeeeally loves me!) :)

-watching Finding Nemo

-the curiousity I stirred up with my last post... ;)

-hearing a lady tell her dog to hurry up when he was looking for a place to pee!

-a cute little boy with bed head sleepily following his mom through the train station

-telling my Japanese teacher that I made a computer yesterday instead of used one! :P We got a good laugh out of that one!!

-the feeling of that first step into a hot bath :) oh the bliss of a hot bath on a cold night!

-the English on my body wash that says "please enjoy the bus time"... I think they mean BATH!

-a conversation with my Mom and my sister about old underwear... I'll spare the details... but let's just say I had a good, long laugh with them! :)

-sharing lunch with two good friends and going shopping at second hand stores after

-keeping up with my New Year's resolution :)

Thanks for taking the time to read through my smile list... hope you had a good week of smiles too! Feel free to share some with me! Enjoy the weekend! :)

Just thought I'd throw this out there...

anyone know of a good immigration lawyer???

Everything...

Today I've been working on some adminstrative stuff on "my computer" (techincally it's Bobby's but he's given it to me to use since mine crashed in October) and I've been listening to music. One of the benefits of a borrowed computer is "new" music :) I've been enjoying a new variety of music and today one song in particular stood out to me so I wanted to share the lyrics...

"Everything" by Bebo Norman

When day is over I'll be the color in the sky
If darkness lingers I'll be the flame that gives you light

I just want you to notice
I just want you to feel the same
I just want you to notice
That I just want to be your everything
I just want to be your everything

On my shoulder
There is a place for you to cry
I'll be your shelter
When there is nowhere left to hide
Sometimes I see you cry
When you watch the sun go down
You're magical, so beautiful, and I...

just want you to notice
I just want you to feel the same
I just want you to notice
That I just want to be your everything
I just want to be your everything
When day is over I'll be the color in the sky

For some reason I really like this song. I guess it was a good reminder to me of how much God really loves me and more aware of how He shows me that. How often do I (we) go through life just so busy, not taking the time to simply tell God we love Him. He does so many things to get our attention... especially in the simple things like a beautiful flower or a gorgeous sunrise or sunset... but do we really take the time to notice them, and notice His hand in them?

I'm just as guilty of this as the next guy, allowing myself to get caught up in the busy-ness of daily life (especially being in full time ministry!) so this song was a good reminder to me to take some time and tell God how much I love Him and how grateful I am for His love.

It's amazing what human relationships can teach us about God. I've been thinking a lot lately about how much it means to me to hear someone say they love me, or do something to show me they love me. I think all humans desire/need to be loved and be reminded that they are loved. Not that God "needs" us to tell Him we love him, but I've been reflecting on how it makes God feel when I show Him/tell Him that I love Him... I imagine that it's impossible for me to say or show it too many times and that He will never get tired of me telling Him or showing Him that I love him. I like thinking about how much joy it brings to God when I use those three little words for Him :)

When was the last time you told God you love Him? Take some time today to notice the ways He shows you that He loves you... and thank Him for those things! :)

the first edition of Hillary's smile list in 2010 :)

Happy New Year!

Here's my first smile list of 2010! enjoy...

-sitting in the sunshine that was coming in through the window in church (I'm like a cat... except I couldn't fall asleep since I was in church!)

-Mrs K putting her hand on my knee as someone prayed for Bobby in church :) (she's really looking out for me!)

-Mrs K saying (with much pride and in English) "My best friend is Baden Sensei!!" (Bobby)

-Masanobu kun 'sharing' half of his Christmas orange with me... (sounds sweet of him, but really it was because he didn't want it!)

-a road trip with a group of 3 friends that have welcomed me into their group without hesitation :)

-beautiful pink and fluffy clouds at sunset

-being told that my Japanese is beautiful... after saying just 2 words!! :P

-a 'gentle' transition from Christmas music to regular music on the radio station I listen to (every 4th or 5th song is a Christmas song)

-spending the day in my pj's :)

-catching up on e-mail replies!!

-"mingling laundry"

-"bloated barley" in our turkey soup!

-"I was fast like lightening!!" ~Natalie while playing Blitz (can't quite capture the humility in her voice when it's typed out though!)

-my terrible video game skills showcased while playing Mario brothers with Natalie... I got the hint when she asked if I wanted to play another game! :P

-waking up, pulling back the curtains and FINALLY seeing snow falling!!!

-taking part in the annual Chistar Japan Field New Year's party tradition of playing Bunko!

-a sleepover with a good friend... this time she didn't have to go out and buy milk for her coffee... I was a little more prepared this time!

-missing the countdown by 4 minutes because I couldn't find an official countdown in time! oops!

-getting an e-mail from one of my best friends that I've known since grade 4 containing a picture of her and Bobby standing beside each other at Urbana... God is amazing! :)

-making new friends pretty much instantly :)

-hearing stories of how my parents surprised their family in Nova Scotia on Christmas day

-Brad walking in on my skype conversation with Lissa just in time to hear me say "My bum hurts!" (Let me give a little background for that one... I had been sitting on the floor for about 3 hours!)

-using up all my cell phone minutes the day before they expire :) no wasting here!!

-getting a friends' wedding ceremony program and a favor in the mail with a picture of her and another girl I was in Africa with :) (Thanks for your thoughtfulness Amber!)

Hope you've had a good week of smiles too!

You're not doing very good at commenting by the way! (except for my faithful family members and my boyfriend!) Come on all you 'stalkers'... make yourselves known by telling me what you did for New Year's! :P

Look what I woke up to!!!!

It finally happened!!! I woke up to snow!!

Every morning when I get up, the first thing I do is peek out my curtains so see what the day looks like. Every time for the last few weeks, I've been dreaming of opening my curtains and finding snow falling... and this morning it finally happened!! I woke up, and it was snowing... a lot!!! First it started like this...

then it got better and better....

It hardly ever...(practically never) snows in Hirao but it snowed for at least an hour today!! (and perhaps more before I woke up!) It didn't stick to the ground or anything, but it was enough to make me giddy for the rest of the day! I absolutely loved it! At one point the snowflakes were so big and fluffy and it was what my Mom and I call "shakey-ball snow" :)

Anyway, just thought it was necessary to share my excitement this morning! Happy New Year!! :)

Christmas makes me smile :) *new addition at the end!

Obviously because this week was Christmas, I had lots to smile about! Although this Christmas was quite different from any other Christmas I've had, it was a really special one! I have to admit that it didn't quite feel like Christmas without snow :( I got a rainy Christmas, which is something I am not used to at all!

Christmas Eve was a really special night... the candle service was beautiful, and it was wonderful to see so many people come to church... especially the husband of one of the church ladies that said he was never going to come to church again (he stuck to his word for 5 years, but decided to come to the Christmas Eve service for some reason!) I also had a really nice late night walk on a crisp clear night, enjoying some Christmas music and soaking in the wonder of the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

Then Christmas day, I opened the two presents I had under my tree, had a wonderful quiet time, and then I got picked up to go to my teammates house to spend the day with them! We had a delicious brunch, opened some presents, and then played Blitz. Then we all sort of did our own thing mid afternoon (I got to have a nap!) and then we got ready for turkey dinner... which was delicious!! Then we cleaned up, and played another game that involved a lot of laughter (but I forget the name of it).

Today I helped with the two kids' Christmas parties we had and now I'm pretty tuckered out... actually I'll be honest and say I'm "peopled out"! I'm looking forward to a quiet evening at home tonight before another busy day tomorrow!

Anyway, here's my smile list for this week... enjoy!

-watching a 3 year old girl explain the nativity scene to her Dad

-a room filled with candles

-singing Christmas carols in another language

-pictures of Bobby's house in Maryland displaying the aftermath of a great big snow storm :)

-a picture of a message for me written in the snow :)

-snuggling down in my nest of blankets first thing in the morning

-the "Merry Christmas"stickers all over everything in the grocery store... and Christmas isn't even a holiday here!

-a thick layer of frost still on the ground at 8:45 in the morning... no wonder my nose was cold! (and I mean when I was in my house!)

-watching two old men getting ready to pounce on the reduced food as the grocery clerk was putting 1/2 price stickers out...but I will confess I was doing the same thing, just from a further distance! (reminded me of our Sunday Superstore trips, Mom and Dad!)

-my obsession with English muffins and the need I feel to stock up on them while I can!

-a celebratory dinner with Yumi after she finished all of her classes and parties :)

-keeping Yumi awake on the drive home from that dinner... she didn't like me very much! (I turned the music up and down, turned the temperature down as far as it could go, and kept her talking!!)

-singing silent night in Japanese by candle light

-discovering a calpis ice cream bar :)

-a late night Christmas Eve walk

-finding out that my radio station is extending their 24/7 christmas music until Sunday! (I was thinking it was going to be so sad to not have any more Christmas music after Christmas day!)

-playing dutch blitz with some tough competition!

-engagement stories :)

-being such good friends with someone that I can nap on their couch without feeling guilty!

-teddy bears and snuggly slippers :)

-watching a dad carry his sleeping baby to the car ever so carefully :)

-having another successful conversation with my "friend" at the bakery!

-this video I saw on someone's blog...

It made me laugh how she was laughing at herself... but she was pretty funny!

How was your Christmas?? Since you didn't tell me your plans for Christmas Eve, here's your chance to tell me what you did for Christmas!! ;)

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

My second favorite day of the year :)

Tomorrow is my second favorite day of the year (after Valentine's Day)... Christmas Eve! Call me crazy, but I think I like Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day! I guess I just love the anticipation of Christmas being the next day. I hate the Christmas is over way faster than most people would like it to be... and when it's over, it's over- life goes back to normal shortly after! :( (My decorations will stay up at least until New Year's though because I like them so much... snowmen and snowflakes can also double as 'winter decorations right?'

I also have a lot of special memories of going to my aunt's house on Christmas Eve with my Mom's side of the family. I don't really remember what we did, but my aunt Chris always had something fun for Lissa and I to do... usually a craft project :) and, she always had amazing food for us! (although sometimes we were her gineau pigs and it wan't always a positive thing!)

We've also always gone to church on Christmas Eve, which I've always loved too! In the years since we left Nova Scotia where all my family is, we've always made Christmas Eve a relaxing day (or evening I guess since usually some or all of us usually have to work) and after coming home from church we eat a ton of appetizers (instead of dinner) and just relax, stay up late, watch Christmas specials on TV and/or play games together :)

Anyway, I just wanted to give a little tribute to Christmas Eve since it's tomorrow!! I'm looking forward to it, although it'll be different than usual for me since I'm in Japan! Tomorrow morning/early afternoon I am hoping to get a few random things done, and then I'm going to help set up for our candle light service in Hikari... We will have a candle light service in the evening, then a potluck after it... then I think I'll probably come home, watch a Christmas movie and go to bed :)

On a side note, my teammates have so graciously opened up their home to me so that I have somewhere to spend Christmas day... we'll have brunch, chill and play games, then have turkey dinner together :)

Also, I've got a few skype dates in there too... obviously Mom and Dad, Bobby and his family, hopefully Lissa, and I'm hoping to catch Mom's side of the family at either their Christmas Eve gathering or their Christmas Day dinner.

I'm doing pretty good as far as not feeling homesick, which is a real blessing! Although I miss my family and Bobby, I think I'll be just fine :) I did afterall, ask God to provide for me to stay here over Christmas and He did just that so I have no right to complain! And besides, I'm thankful that I have a family to miss! Thank you for your prayers :)

I finally got around to making my Christmas card display yesterday... here's what I came up with:

(from a distance)
(the middle)
(the right)
(and the left)
I have to say thanks to Dayna K for the inspiration :) What do you think? and what do you do on Christmas Eve?

Another Christmas favorite...

The other day I heard this Casting Crowns song on the radio and I remembered how much I love it! (It came out last year I think, but I hadn't heard it again until last week) Again, I feel the need to share it with you! Turn it up really loud... I love the orchestra music- it's powerful and beautiful!

Enjoy! (and let me know what you think after!)

Still smiling :)

Although this week started off with more tears than smiles, I'm doing much better now and my smile list is once again pretty long! I'm so thankful for the gift of joy! God has given me so much of it :)
Here's a glimpse of what made me smile this week...

-playing the "newlywed game" with my co-workers... Bobby and I had a slight disadvantage!!

-singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" with everyone at our field Christmas party (each person sang one line)

-making special 'last minute memories' before saying goodbye

-opening a few early Christmas presents

-an old grey haired man with a mullet

-English class Christmas/farewell parties... and getting presents!

-new additions to my Christmas decor :)

-teammates who offer to pick up McDonald's for breakfast for you on the way to a 7:00 team meeting! :)

-teammates who patiently wait for me to get ready after having just woke up when the doorbell rang when they came to get me for this 7:00 prayer meeting! (my alarm was in between the on and the off setting so it didn't go off after I re-set it when it went off the first time!

-lively conversations around the table over an amazing potluck lunch with my students

-a very sweet homemade DVD a friend made for me :) and news that this friend has signed up for Bible study!!!

-divine Skype appointments!

-being in my pj's by 6:30 pm :)

-watching a 3 year old fight falling asleep in the car... and losing!

-seeing a few snowflakes falling :)

-making someones day by giving them cookies

-Dad spontaneously telling me I'm beautiful when he saw me on skype :) (when my hair was 'post-shower' and I had no make up on!)

-recalling Mom's 'self hair cutting story'... note to self Dad: Never leave Mom home alone with scissors!!

-"I didn't do it Paul!" (I know, that's only funny to me and my parents...definitely a family joke!)

-dropping one of my chopsticks on the floor and having the lady next to me tell me that it'll cost me 100yen for another pair! :P

-having the church ladies 'grill' me about how things got started between Bobby and I, asking all sorts of questions like what our first impressions of each other were and we call each other now! They said it was fun to ask me all these questions because their daughters don't talk to them about this kind of thing :)

-a sweet lady in the church paying for my lunch as my Christmas present :)

-finding a surprise present under my tree! (Guess I chose the right people to give my spare key to!)

-knowing that I'm being looked out for while Bobby's gone :) (thanks Aki!)

-unexpected skype dates with a handsome young man in Maryland :)

-faithful smile list bloggers :) (that didn't even need the friendly reminder I was planning to give!!)

-finding out that I made someone smile!

-being told I'm a fun e-mail writer :)

-helping Yumi with her Christmas parties... forcing 7 year olds to speak English is always so fun :P

-eating Pizza Hut pizza and raspberry chocolate chip ice cream for dinner

-helping a friend decorate her house for Christmas

-joking with teammates

and last but certainly not least...
-daily reminders that I'm loved and missed :)

As ususal, I'm sure I've forgotten things and there's also things that I've left out on purpose due to fear of embarrassing someone! Again, I'm thankful that God has given me so much to smile about! He is so good to me :)

What made you smile this week?

27 years ago today...

God gave me my big sister :) (although I wasn't born yet!)

Happy Birthday Lissa!! I just wanted to let you (and the world!) know how much I love you and how thankful I am that you were born 27 years ago today!

Thanks for being such an amazing big sister! You are a wonderful example to me and I really appreciate how you're always there when I need advice! You are a good role model for me as you are an excellent Godly wife and you desire to please God in all areas of your life.

Even though we weren't the best of friends growing up, I have always had an admiration for you. One of my most vivid childhood memories is standing at the top of the hill that we lived on, watching you walk to school after lunch and waiting until I couldn't see you anymore... then I had to go in and have a nap! I was always sad to see you go because I loved having you around!

As we got older, and we got less and less "cool" for each other, I still admired you. I always wanted to hang out with your friends and I was so excited when you got your license... and your first boyfriend! I remember spying on you! (as I'm sure you do too since I think you caught me once or twice!)

I think that our relationship started changing when we were finally in High School together... you were in Grade 12 and I was in Grade 9. Usually, Grade 12's just looked down on Grade 9's and never associated with them, but you really made an effort to make me and my friends feel welcome in your school. I will always appreciate how you wrote me so many Care Cards just to wish me a good day, and how you let me sit with you and your friends in chapel... sometimes! :P I think we even went on a few "sister dates" didn't we? :)

After High School, I was both excited and really sad when I found out you were getting married and moving out. Even though you were just one block away, I really, really missed you when you moved out! I remember being so sad when I looked at our cup of 3 toothbrushes instead of the usual 4.

But, I think that again, this big change for you brought a change in our relationship... for the better! Not having you around every day made me appreciate you even more and it made us closer at heart. Over the last 7 years we've been through many ups and downs but thankfully, we're still on good terms, and we still love each other like crazy! We've been physically far apart for a good chunk of those 7 years, but you've always been so good at reminding me how much you love me and our visits together have been extra special.

I think we're at the most "fun" stage of our relationship... we have so much to relate to each other about, and it's been a real blessing to have you share the joys (and sorrows) of the last couple of years with me. I feel so blessed to have gotten something that so many people never get... a big sister! There's something special about the relationship between sisters and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

I love you so much Lissa and I'm so proud to be your little sister! I hope your day is extra special... just like you!

cultural differences... and delightful Christmas presents!

let's face it. some cultural differences are just plain hard to deal with!

Today, I was told by one of my students that he thought I "ate like a horse". hmm what does one say to that?!

We were having a potluck lunch at our farewell/Christmas party today and when everyone was trying to offer me seconds, this kind man offered me a plate of something and was surprised when I turned it down and said I was full... that's when he said he thought I ate like a horse. I'll also mention that in a previous class, he's compared me to a sumo wrestler!

I think this man has a few things to learn about the sensitivity of women and their size!! I'm already really insecure about my size so I have to confess that although this was probably an innocent 'cultural mistake', it really hurt... and it's hard to brush off. I had to deal with this a lot when I was in Africa too, but for some reason it just hurt a little more today. Perhaps lack of sleep is once again effecting my emotions! :P

Anyway, on a happier note... I want to proudly display part of my Christmas present from Bobby because I love it so much! It makes me smile every time I see it!

Isn't it the cutest advent calendar ever?! I love it :) And guess where it's from... the dollar store!! (although it was a little more than a dollar!)

Thanks for sharing the ups and downs of my day! :)

a little lonely...

Today was a rough day... it's the day I've been wishing would never come since September (or maybe sooner).

Bobby left for his furlough this morning. Now we've got 2 months apart. (He's coming to visit me in Winnipeg in February!) We did have some 'down time' this morning before he left (thanks to our amazing teammates!), but it went so fast and before I knew it, we were waving goodbye at the train station.

I had to 'put on a happy face' almost right after we said goodbye because I had an English Christmas/Farewell party to get ready for. I have to say it wasn't easy to pretend to be all fine and dandy, but the party still went well I think. I've been super busy the last 2 weeks (and I'm in the middle of another busy week) and I'm running on very little sleep so that's not really helping the emotions!!

I feel silly for the little pity party I'm having right now because it is only 2 months... in fact I'd probably roll my eyes at someone else who wrote a post like this! But... this is my first serious relationship and now I know what it feels like to be so attached to someone it just hurts to be apart! (like family!) I've gotten so used to having Bobby just 5 minutes away, and now he'll be a whole ocean away. I'm really thankful that we've got skype and e-mail... but this is still hard... harder than I was expecting I think. I know this furlough is necessary, and since his family is going through some rough times right now, I'm really glad that he can be there with them.

I do need to be thankful... I need to be thankful that we're both still alive, and that even though we're reeeeally far apart physically, we'll be thinking about each other often and we'll still be able to let each other know how/what we're doing every day. I'm so blessed to be Bobby's girlfriend and he is so wonderful to me... it's going to take some getting used to things without him here.

After Bobby's visit to Winnipeg, I'll be going to Maryland to see him and meet his family probably at the beginning of April, just before he goes back to Japan... that's when it'll get really hard because we've got such an unknown future after that! I'll be going to Bible school somewhere from September to April...

But... we'll make it just fine! God has brought us together, and He'll continue to guide our paths!

Anyway, sorry for this little pity party... anyone with any long distance relationship experience, please comment and give me some advice! :)

Thankfully I've got special memories like this one to hold on to... Thanks for this fun little picnic, Bobby :) I miss you!

I'm off to make a cup of peppermint tea and snuggle up in my new super soft purple blanket (thanks for feeding my blanket addiction Bobby!)... and maybe study for my Japanese class tomorrow! :)

hello again! Sorry I'm a little late with my smile list this week... I went to Kobe yesterday and didn't get back until 3 am! But, here's what made me smile last week:

-people who talk to me in complete Japanese, thinking that I can understand them... I'm looking forward to the day when I can!

-bowling... and losing terribly!

-discovering another difference between my American teammates and I... they've never heard of 5 pin bowling!

-Masuyuki san's hilarious antics... never a dull moment around! (one example was when he played a bird noise on his iphone and hid it and then looked around the restaurant pretending to look for a bird... what a goof!)

-other peoples' smile lists... and knowing that I was part of what made them smile!

-Josh Groban's Christmas carols :)

-wondering why my flowers were starting to droop and then realizing that I forgot to put water in the vase! DUH! (yes, I actually laughed out loud at myself!)

-warm, cozy sweaters... and getting them for free!!

-new warm fleece pyjamas from Yumi :)

-inheriting a kotatsu from Bobby... I had no idea what I was missing out on!! It is the best invention for winter ever!!

-understanding more and more Japanese!

-grown men drinking out of dainty little tea cups!

-getting dressed up for the Christmas luncheon

-breakfast dates

-attempting to make a little boy smile only to make him cry and cling very tightly to his Mom for the next hour!

-a sweet little baby girl dancing along to Christmas carols :)

-getting an Il Divo Christmas CD from one of my students!

-realizing that I no longer have to lesson plan because I'm done teaching!! (except for my kids' class on Saturdays)

-getting a calendar from my gas company

-getting a letter and Christmas card from my Grammie in the mail :)

-getting a Christmas card from one of my students that was not written in (he wrote his message on a separate paper!)
...hmm I "got" a lot of things this week!

-hearing one of Amy Grant's Christmas songs playing in the grocery store :)

-finally finishing my triple batch of candy cane cookies for my students!! (Remind me never to do that again!!)

-"Friday Night" fun and games :)

-going to Kobe with 2 of my students on a bus tour

-the way that each passenger says "good morning" and "thank you" to everyone else on the bus as they get on and off (at the beginning and end of the trip)

-a lady saying "cake! cake! cake!" while chasing after the hotel staff who was bringing out a tray of cake to add to the buffet

-the way my mouth just automatically gapes open when I sleep!

There ya have it! I'm pretty sure there was lots more from my trip that made me smile, but I didn't write them down :( I have to say that my creativity is running low at the moment since I'm running on very little sleep! It's been a very busy week... with another one coming up too, but I'm still thankful for the many things I've got to smile about.

Just 6 weeks from today, I'll be going to church at Elim again! (if I can get out of bed that morning since I get home the night before!) It's exciting, but also pretty sad all at once. I'm of course looking forward to seeing friends and family again, but there's a lot of unknown's ahead and that's not so enjoyable for me! But, I'm thankful that I have someone to trust to lead my paths. I know He'll make things known to me as necessary so I've got nothing to fear!

I should get going since I've got quite a few little projects to work on tonight! Have a great week!

It's my lucky day!

Today I went shopping at a store called Uniqlo with Yumi and I have to say I was pretty excited because it's so much like my favorite store... Old Navy! I found a few sweaters and cozy shirts (I didn't realize how few 'winter clothes' I had until it started getting cold again!) When we got to the check-out, I was given a 'lottery ticket' and guess what... I won!!

I was a little confused about the whole thing... Yumi was SO excited and all the clerks were all telling me congratulations. Yumi said something about winning 'ichi man en' (10,000 yen) but I guess I was a little North American in my thinking because I was expecting to get some kind of coupon for next time... but I actually ended up getting an envelope handed to me with 10,000 yen in it right there on the spot! (10,000 yen is close to $100)

As I was paying, I sort of justified my spending as a Christmas present to myself since I hardly ever go shopping, but in the end, it was Uniqlo's Christmas present to me!! I was pretty excited about getting a free shopping trip... and even some money left over! Now I don't have to feel guilty for spending money! :)

Anyway, here's a picture Yumi felt the need to take of me because she was so excited! I think she was a little jealous because she said she goes there a lot and she has never won or seen anyone else win (to the extent that she thought the contest wasn't "real"!) but she was really excited for me :)

I love shopping :) The end!

a picture says a thousand words...

Today I got the CD of pictures from my trip to Miyajima with my friends Norkio, Tomoko and Megumi! I'm really excited to post all of them, but there are many, many other things I need to be doing right now so I'll just give you one as a teaser...

(Clicking on it to make it bigger makes it even better!)

I think this is my favorite picture ever!! We had set up the self timer and all of the sudden this dear decided it wanted to be in the picture too! Tomoko was terrified of the deer, Megumi was worried about her camera, I couldn't stop laughing about the timing of this deer walking in front of us, and Noriko just looks as fabulous as she always does!! Nothing like natural pictures! :)

The rest of the pictures are really good and I can't wait to post them... but it'll have to wait!

Have a good week! :)

Always time to smile...

Well this week I've got a clever little intro... are you ready for it??

It's been a busy week, but there's always time to smile!! :) (hehehe pretty good, aren't I?)
Seriously though, in the midst of another busy week, I am really thankful that I've had plenty to make me smile! Here's my "Smile list" this week...

-getting the surprise privilege of lighting the first advent candle... and getting applause after!

-little babies with fuzzy hair :)

-Grandma Okamoto telling us she's wearing 5 layers... and then proceeding to show us each one... more than once!

-spraying snow on Yumi's windows and putting "snow" on her tree :) I got the title of "snow girl"... I laughed and said it was quite appropriate for me since I'm from Canada!

-Bob singing an opera version of a Christmas carol while at the top of a ladder!

-finding "bule" lights at the dollar store... and laughing about the spelling mistake with Yumi!

-borrowing a string of Christmas lights from a teammate to make my apartment even more "Christmas-y" :)

-a fancy new toothbrush

-an older couple in my English class telling me they want their 36 year old daughter and 33 year old son to "get out" of their house!

-getting peppermint extract from a teammate so that I can make my favorite Christmas drink... "candy cane hot chocolate" (minus the candy canes!)

-making Bobby's candy cane hot chocolate with so much hot chocolate that he had 'caffeine jitters' after! (hmm what can I say? I like my hot chocolate a little strong!)

-a 'spoken version' of "Joy to the World" (I guess it was funnier because of the tone of voice it was said in so maybe ya had to be there!)

-an 'elf-yourself' video of Bobby and I :)

-still getting excited reactions when people find out Bobby and I are dating!

-meeting a chatty Canadian guy on the train

-getting a cute e-card from my Momma :)

-the lady at the bakery timidly saying "thank you" in English as I left the bakery

-my Thursday night class... During the tea time, we were looking at a map and talking about how North American maps have North America on the left/centre and Asian maps have Asia on the left/centre. One of my students then told us that Australian maps had Australia in the middle and the other continents on the bottom. We all believed him and said "Really??" then he said... "Maybe." We got a good laugh out of that one!

-one of my students showing us all the features of his iphone... including a piano and a drum set that you can play with your fingers. Bobby was trying to tell him about our Christmas party in two weeks and this student proceeded to randomly beat the drums while he was listening to Bobby! I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes... but it's probably another 'you had to be there' moments, isn't it?

-someone in Nunavit incorporating my "smile list" idea on their blog... my list is just as contagious as real smiles! :)

-getting flowers and little presents "just because" :)

-skype dates with my parents... they always make me smile!

-looking at Christmas lights :)

-planning surprises... that actually work out!

-enjoying a cozy house full of Christmas decorations and getting a cute Christmas story read to me :)

-a 7 year old girl playing the 'guessing game' while I quizzed her on the alphabet! (she knows the alphabet... as long as it's in order!) one time she answered "6" when I asked her "What letter is this?"

-making my little students giggle when I put my little pictures of household items in the "wrong room"... I asked them questions like "where's the fridge?" and they would giggle as they answered "It's in the bathroom!"

-making a flower out of mandarin oranges on top of a cake :)

-not having to play the handbells because all the kids came today!

-biking home in the wind... I'm sure I was quite an entertaining sight!

Even though the day's only half over, that's it for this list! I'm going bowling and out for yakiniku with some good friends tonight so I'm sure I'll have lots of additions for next week's list!

Hope you've had a week full of smiles too! Remember how much I love comments and hearing about what makes you smile! Have a wonderful weekend!

A favorite Christmas song...

In case you didn't know... I love Downhere!
They have a song that I really like called "How Many Kings" that is on one of their regular albums, but I actually forgot how much I liked it until I started hearing it on the radio station that I listen to that's currently playing all Christmas music now.
I like it so much, I have to share it! Enjoy!