Our Trip to Japan - Part 2

Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun... 

We never intended this trip to be focused on rest due to the intense amount of travel and the many destinations within Japan that we wanted to see, but on this portion of our journey we received such rest and the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

The second part of our trip began with more train rides (one of my favorite modes of transportation), and ultimately the Shinkansen, the bullet train.  Away from the enormous cities, past rice fields and temples, gliding through tunnels, and zooming past snow-capped mountains, we traveled up half of main land Japan to reach the area of Sendai, a city some may recognize after the tsunami hit in 2011.

(Behind this boat, there once sat a fishing village.  It was completely swept away in 2011.)

"Takayama, Takayama, Takayama by the sea... All the year, we're longing for you, Takayama by the sea..."  I'll go ahead and apologize for the plethora of pictures to come in this post.  But then again, part of my heart is in these pictures. Takayama Beach Company has been a haven for missionaries for so many years.  Old military cabins scattered over two mountains may not seem impressive to most; seaweed filled beaches, and long trails to cart your belongings to and from your car may not sound like a vacation.  But for our family, cabin #7 was home for so many summers. 

My mom and I wondered out loud why was this place so special. Maybe it's because even when houses changed growing up, there was always such comfort and security in coming back to Takayama (wise words from my mama).  It was a place of childhood freedom, of rustic cabins with open windows, of spiders, hoppers, and mosquitoes, yet it always had a resemblance of home.

 

Our little cabin #7 is nothing to brag about now, but it was the prettiest cabin on Tak & To while it was under the care of my parents.  Notice my dad still taking care of it by putting back a fallen storm covering.  What a blessing that fallen door was though as we were able to glimpse inside and see the table my dad had built, the curtains my mom had sewn, and the wood stove my parents carried up that mountain over twenty years ago. 

People have asked what my favorite part of the trip was... Where do I begin?  Spending this time with my parents has to exceed them all.  Walking the trails I walked with my dad to go fishing so many years ago, again with my family was priceless. Cooking meals with my mom, savoring some of our Japanese favorites, will never be forgotten.

Our three nights here provided a time of rest, as I mentioned before. Still trying to recover from jet lag and without a TV to entertain us, we were able to enjoy the simple things of UNO and other games, of puzzles and long walks, of fire pits and cool evenings, and a lot of time on the beach.

 

I will most likely never have another opportunity to return to Takayama by the sea, but the memories from my childhood and now the memories with my children are enough to last me a lifetime.  

Summer Dates

"Where do you want to go on our date?" 

"McDonald's!" says my vegetarian bred girl

Thus, a meatless hamburger kid's meal was ordered and savored by my sweet four year old who even shared a fry or two with her mama.

Not much was accomplished on our summer bucket list, but taking each of my girls on a date was not only checked off, but thoroughly enjoyed.  Marty does an amazing job taking the girls on monthly dates throughout the year, but for some reason, it's harder for me to make the time for such individual attention.  

Waffle House would not have been my first pick, but seeing my little middle's face as her chocolate chip waffle was laid in front of her could not have made that breakfast anymore special.  Having that time to listen to her dreams and fears was priceless.

Since our summer is rapidly approaching its finale, my oldest accompanied me on my weekly retreat to one of my favorite coffee shops for our special date.  Being early risers, we arrived soon after it opened, enjoyed our pastries and hot drinks while reading through our devotions.  Not much planning occurred on my part, but it was fun just sitting together working on our own agendas. 

How I pray that in years to come they will still want to spend time with me, that french fries, waffles, and hot tea will always be treats for them, and that their hearts will feel freedom to open and share, knowing we will always listen and love unconditionally. 

Quinoa, Gyoza, and Other Weird Vegetarian Ideas...

My spring/summer menu plan is finally completed (now that spring is over, of course).  But hopefully, it may be something worth using next year as well.  I have loved menu planning since our early years of marriage, but have found using a monthly/seasonal menu plan to be even more beneficial in this time of my life.  Being a vegetarian, I'm already viewed as a little weird, so why not add to that weirdness by adding things like quinoa (pronouced "keen-wha") and gyoza (what I learned to make in 8th grade Home Ec class)  I tried to lessen our carb intake, since that's the easy option when eating vegetarian, but not necessarily the healthiest.  I may try to substitute lentils instead of quinoa on some Mondays for the cost issue.  We've tried some of these recipes, while others are still a guessing game.  Some (esp the salad ones) may have to be accompanied by Annie's Mac n Cheese for the sake of my non-salad lovers.

Monday - Quinoa
1.  Quinoa, Black Beans, and Corn Tacos
2.  Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
3.  One Pan Mexican Quinoa
4.  Sesame Ginger Quinoa Salad

Tuesday - Fish
1.  Salmon Cakes
2.  Tuna Lunch Bites
3.  Baked Salmon with Garlic & Dijon
4.  Fish Tacos

Wednesday - Beans
1.  Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls
2.  Black Bean Soup
3.  Tempeh Chili with corn chips
4.  Bean & Cheese Burritos






Thursday - Salads
1.  Grilled Summer Vegetable Salad
2.  Quick Asian Noodle Salad
3.  Broccoli, Tomato, & Tortellini Salad
4.  Easy Greek Salad

Friday - Family Favorites
1.  Chipotle Black Bean Burger
2.  Pizza (homemade or take-out)
3.  Japanese (gyoza, edamame, yakisoba)
4.  Hot Dogs, cole slaw, chili

Saturday & Sunday - Whatever...
1.  Spinach Quiche
2.  Waffles & smoothies
3.  Grilled Sandwiches
4.  Baked Potatoes

For the days when I just want to throw the menu out the window, there is always take-out pizza!  Mommy's life-saver!

Aspirations for April...

Can I just start by saying that God is amazing?!  This may seem like nothing to most, but to me, it was kind of cool so I had to share. The other day, on my morning crawl (which has still not reached 4 miles again), I glanced down at this lonely dandelion.  I couldn't help myself in capturing this little weed, front and center on such a gorgeous morning.  When I got home, the verse in II Corinthians came to mind, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  This weed will be gone tomorrow and so will my to-do lists and my monthly aspirations, but God's word will remain, the souls of my family and those around me will remain, and that is where my focus is to be.  Those are the things that will last forever. Then, the very next day when I woke up this verse came to mind again (which is rare for me, considering my horrible memory these days.) But then... (this is the amazing part to me) what was one of the verses in my devotions?  II Corinthians 4:18!  Coincidence?  I don't think so.  That was a God thing.

Reviewing my Musings for March:
1. Teach at least one essential oils class.  Nervous, oh my!
2. Plan (with my older girls) a ballerina/pirate party for my youngest (who is turning 4!!!)
3. Focus on discipling my girls (with an emphasis on Bible memory).
4. Let go of some things of the past... (more may be shared in the future.)
5. Spend as much time outdoors as possible (more bike rides, park visits, picnics, and maybe getting back to running 4 miles again... maybe.)

- Teaching my first essential oils class was terrifying to me.  I'm still learning and researching, so my inadequacies overwhelmed me. Yet God is so good and anything good that came from the class was only from Him.  The time with old and new friends shared over Peppermint Patties and lemon water made it worth it all.

- Sophie's party was a blast!  As usual, I eliminated half of the ideas and expectations I had for the party, but the time spent watching her dance with her sisters, cousins, & friends made the party a success.  Naomi was my planning partner, helping me sew the little tutu's for the garland (which then became doll tutu's), bake the cupcakes, make the frosting, and browse Pinterest for party ideas.  Special times with my little middle!  Chloe took the role of ballet teacher, choosing songs for both ballet and tap, planning steps for each song, and fully embracing the role with great maturity on the day of the party.  I couldn't be more proud of my girls!

- Discipling my girls has been heavy on my heart for a while.  They have worked hard on their verses for Wednesday nights at church (not quite completing all the verses, but we'll keep trying).  But through studying these important scriptures (with the use of the Evangecube), something greater has occurred that Marty and I have been praying for. 

- Little by little, I'm letting go.  

- With our crazy North Carolina weather, we did the best we could getting outside.  It would feel like spring one day, then forecasting snow the next.  I'm looking forward to more walks and trips to the park this month.

Aspirations for April...
1.  Plan a new spring menu (less grains, more veggies & protein).
2.  Point my girls to the real meaning of Easter.
3.  Start every day with a clean kitchen table.
4.  Finish two of the books I'm reading:  Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman & Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma.
5.  Truly rest on our little family spring break.

Click & print one of these great Easter reminders

Five for February...

January's Simple Five:

1.  Organize our school room.  (almost done...)

2.  Finish A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot

3.  Find and try 2 new, healthy recipes. 

     - Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls (for our snow day)

     - Wholegrain Pumpkin Banana Nut Bread (w/o the nuts)

4.  Run up to 3 miles again.  (ok... it only happened once, but with the cold & rainy weather we've had, it wasn't as easy as I thought.)

5.  Devotions daily with my girls. (Nothing fancy.  Two to three days a week we'd review our Family Journal that follows what they are learning on Sundays.  The other days we'd either read through Chloe's devotional or You Can Change the World.

Obviously, my simple five were not completely accomplished. But I'm ok with that.  Instead, I want to strive for progress, not perfection.  More boxes were sorted through in the school room, another trash bag filled... I'm further along in my book, convicted and challenged.  Running is definitely a matter of progress, one step at a time.

Five for February:

1.  Finish organizing the school room and hang pictures.  No more clutter!

2.  Finish A Chance to Die by Elisabeth Elliot & read half of Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma (A Mom's 12-month experiment to rid her home of youth entitlement).

3.  Write 5 letters (real ones with stamps) to other women who may need encouragement.

4.  Take portraits of each of my girls (plus valentine pics).

5.  Focus on words of grace for my family.  

"Today, I will pray to speak words that are only STRONG words, words that make these children feel strong.  Grace words.  Grace is the only non-toxic air. All other words words I breathe are death words." - Ann Voskamp  

Click for the link to this free chalkboard printable