15 years...

15 years... The time truly does fly by!  We were so young when we said "I do!" back at West Point Baptist Church, yet I knew without a doubt you were the man that God had saved just for me!

Now after 6 moves, 3 babies, 3 churches, travels to Japan, Canada, Ecuador, and St. Lucia, there is no one I would rather be beside than you!

Marriage with you has been my greatest adventure, and I look so forward to the many destinations we explore together!

I pray daily that our girls will be as blessed as I am to one day have husbands with the same integrity as their daddy.

You are my best of friends.  You make life fun and how grateful I am that you put up with my quirkiness and love me anyway!

Even though today will be like most days:  dishes and laundry, ministry and service, and spending the majority of the day apart, I'm so grateful for the time in Okinawa.  Special memories made over authentic Japanese breakfast, walking to the beach together and writing our names in the sand, was an amazing way to celebrate the past 15 years of our lives together!  (Thank you, Dad & Mom!)

I love you more than you'll ever know, Marty Middleton!  How blessed I am that you chose me!  Happy 15th Anniversary!

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.  

Our Trip to Japan - Part 1

There will always be a thrill of adrenaline when walking into an airport.  The excitement was contagious since my girls were finally getting to walk through the security area that has seen so many family members pass through.  Even with arriving at RDU by 4:30 am, we were all pumped and ready for this long awaited adventure.

The girls could not have done any better on each of the flights especially considering this was their first time flying.  I think one of Sophie's favorite parts of flying was being allowed to chew gum (a privilege that doesn't come until our girls turn 6).  Our longest flight from LA to Tokyo (over 11 hours...) was full of movies, great food, some sleep, and amazing service!  Flying the Japanese airline, ANA has officially spoiled us.  It can't compare with United Airlines.

Arriving in Tokyo was a whirlwind!  We landed around 4:30 pm on Wednesday (a full day of traveling with stops in Houston, Los Angeles, and finally Tokyo).  Upon arriving and making it through customs easily, my parents were right there waiting for us.  Such a relief!  The next few hours consisted of getting our train passes & pocket wifi, checking out the cool Japanese bathrooms, eating Subway, and trying my hand at speaking Japanese while ordering McDonald's french fries.  Pitiful, to say the least...

  

Since our family was awake by 4:30 am the following morning (this picture was taken a little after 5 am), we enjoyed walking through the Japanese garden on the grounds of our hotel, and a relaxing breakfast at Starbucks in the airport (since we had a free shuttle to and from our hotel).

 

There was a train station under Narita Airport making transportation into Tokyo so convenient.  The Japanese train system is incredible!  So efficient, so clean, and so fast (more about that later!)

My girls fully embraced the experience of train riding, taking in the sights, watching the countryside change within the span of minutes from rice fields to the sky scrapers of one of the largest cities in the world.  

Our mission for the day was to view Tokyo... from as high as possible.  A short walk, with plenty of sights to take in, led us to the Tokyo Tower looming above a local temple (so typical of Japan to have the old and new intertwined). 

 

Signs of a nation in desperate need of Jesus were always present. My heart broke during these times, but it gave opportunities to share with our girls the need for the gospel to be proclaimed in a nation steeped in idol and ancestor worship.

Tokyo Tower was full of amazing views, Chloe's lost wallet, Naomi's "fright height," and a mysterious baseball found at the top of the tower during renovations.  We couldn't have asked for better weather on our day of viewing.  I had hoped to see a glimpse of Mt. Fuji, but maybe the actual hike will happen on another trip...

My little middle noticed this quaint park on our way to the tower, so an unplanned stop on our way to lunch was enjoyed by all of us.

CoCo Curry was our choice for lunch.  So many memories flooding back...  I was so proud of my family in this area of traveling.  They all tried foods new to them and never complained.

Needless to say, jet lag caught up with us by early afternoon. Even the bribe of the hotel pool was almost not enough to wake up our little Naomi.  But after a quick swim with Nana & Daddy, we were back to the airport for a traditional Japanese supper (gyoza, soba, edamame, and yakisoba) where Sophie "practiced her bowing" while falling asleep during the meal.

More to come soon...