Noa and I had a date with daddy in Sendai for a few days. It was so fun to have Noa as an 'only' child. Her favorite part?....getting to push all the elevator buttons without a fight!

Our Silly Lili ready for bed.

Arms full!

'Hands Up' she says in her pink tutu and with her red light saber......

images around and about....

This is the walk between our house and the school....this yellow train in the local between the city and our suburban burg.... Why we are here......as lovely and luckily red it is.....it offers no hope to the lost.

Our 'zen' bedroom. ...tatami floors and shoji screen windows....I love the smell. AND it is the first one in seven years without a baby crib within!

front window....

Our place.....

impromtu sleepover.....angels! How could I have been so frustrated with these angels all day?

I think I am exuding confidence, at least I hope I am. Ten moves under my belt, six of them international, I should have this moving, settling in, adjusting and making new friends thing down. But in spite of my earlier Facebook rants of not wanting to make new friends as saying goodbye hurts so much, I find myself studying the faces of each passerby wondering 'will you be my friend?' Each place we have lived has been defined by the friends I have made whilst there. The only treasures in this life that will transend this brief season of breath.

I've been meeting new people at the international school nearby. I know in hearing my story people assume I am on old pro at this and in some ways I am but my heart still cries out quietly, as I am having my 'nice to meet you' conversations, ' please like me and be my friend!'. I hope I never lose the edge of this knowledge - the new in the area or school feeling. May God continue to use this experience in my life to always take the time to welcome strangers. ....as I could be embracing an angel or better yet a forever friend!

new friend.....nose to nose with an orange cat!

Do hats come cuter than this? THANKS LAM!!

Arts and Skills Day...

Another wonderful benefit of the Christian School nearby is the homeschool assistance program they have in place. We arrived just in time to take part in the arts and skill day. A once a year program where homeschoolers from around Japan come together for English speaking classroom style setting interaction with one another.....reading, acting, crafts, singing....our kids ate it up!

Christian Academy Japan....

One of the main reasons we moved to this area of Japan was the Christian School nearby. (Six minutes walk) It has been pretty close to heaven and we haven't even enrolled yet. We go in the afternoons to check out books at the library and play at the fabulous playground filled with ENGLISH speaking kids! It has been such a God send....the people, the facility. So grateful!

the bike!!

The unveiling....

So little Noa had money to spend from her grandmother. We visited ToysRUs and she would not be parted from this wee stroller and rag doll. So baby "Evie" was brought into our family. She walked ALL the way home to the delight of all passers by!

TWO YEARS OLD!!!! (well almost)

Because Chad is headed to Sendai we deceided to celebrate the other February birthday before he left. Pancakes, a bike and TGI Fridays....sound familiar? :)

Lili, who's smile lights up our lives is FIVE!!

A donut 'cake' for breakfast, a new bike, our Hitmoni visiting from Nagano, the most wonderful pink tutu from Grandan and Pat, money to spend from Gran and Grandmomma and dinner at TGIFridays! All in all in spite of my worries the five year old in our life was thrilled with her day!