Happy New Year 2011!

Glenn and I hope you have a wonderful start to 2011! I'm looking forward to starting and ending 2011 in America with a few more trips and adventures in between! We hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you as well!

Happy New Year!

A few New Year's Eve pictures from the past!

 2005-2006

 2007-2008

 2008-2009

 2009-2010

2010-2011 (ok, so this is an old picture, but we'll be on an airplane this year on NYE)

Christmas Morning

Usually, Christmas lasts all day. If my dad is around and we are with our family, that usually means til 2 or 3 pm. Since it was just Glenn and I and most of our presents are waiting for us in the States, it only lasted about 2 hours plus several more of skyping with our families.

After her first present, Stella assumed every present was for her. Hence the licking or her lips I think. She would get a present, put it in the corner and come back for more. Then she just laid in front of her gift pile for awhile.

 Thanks for the ski socks, Mr! I think I'm gonna need them in Minnesota!

We finished Christmas morning with the usual fare- eggs Portugal and pecan sticky buns. My favorites! My family makes this egg casserole for most holidays, get-togethers and special occassions. It wouldn't be Christmas without it! It was a wonderful day with our little family and I can't wait to have Christmas parts II and III with our entire families!

Snow in Yokohama Station

I guess the week of Christmas was pretty busy because I still have more days of Christmas posts. When Glenn and I were coming through Yokohama station last week we saw Santa with a snow machine! Sometimes, Japan just makes me smile.

More Merriment

 My Thursday morning class had our annual Christmas party a few weeks ago. We had lunch and a gift exchange at the Officer's Club.

My favorite part of Japanese parties is the schedule. I haven't been to a party yet where there wasn't a schedule. At this particular lunch the schedule was as follows:
              11:15-12:15 or so: Lunch time ("and of course, talking and talking, that's most important")
              12:15-12:30: Introductions
              12:30-1:10: Gift Exchange
              1:10: Sing Christmas Carols
              1:20: Group Photo

The schedule was explained when everyone arrived and the class leader was keeping track of the schedule. I love it! I guess it makes it easy and no one has time to be bored.

They are a fun class and a few friends got to come as well, including Glenn. That's new!

Happy Birthday Laura!

Today is my wonderful sister-in-law, Laura's, birthday!

I hope you have a wonderful day and stay inside away from all the snow! Can't wait to see you soon!

A winter fairy is melting a snowman

In my Tuesday night class last week, my students asked me about a Docomo cellphone commercial they saw on tv. They said, "she is singing English but I don't understand what."

So, I got out the laptop and found it on YouTube. Once, I heard it, I just started laughing and wrote it down. I required a few explanations and this lovely drawing for them to fully understand what I was talking about.

It's a fairy with a hairdryer or a snowman in a microwave, your choice. By the end, they were laughing too. 

"Who is a winter fairy?"

"Good question," I said.

Yunessun Onsen

The weekend before Christmas, Glenn and I joined an MWR tour where we went to the Yunessen Onsen. Onsens are very popular in Japan. Think of it as a naked hot spring. I've described them before. This place was a little different though. It was more of a swimsuit friendly water park hot spring.

You wear your swim suit and then they also give you a towel and small jacket. Since there are spa rooms, restaurants and rest/relaxing areas you can wear your jacket everywhere.


Inside there were hot tubs, a large child-friendly water park and Dr. Fish (you put your feet in a pool and these small fish eat your dead skin and it tickles!).

Outside was the best part. It was only about 40 degrees so it was cold going from pool to pool, but once you were in the water, it felt great!

It wasn't just water though, the outside pools were filled with coffee, wine, green tea, sake and charcoal water!

Glenn in the coffee pool that they brew right next to it.

 

Me in the red wine pool.

Glenn and I in the green tea (/ectocooler) bath.

We had a great day relaxing and enjoying all the goofy people at the spa. I would definitely recommend you make a trip!

Thanks Best Buy

Glenn ordered a few things from Best Buy and stuck to his video game was this note. 'Tis the season! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Japan!

I hope your family is together celebrating or at least via Skype!

Almost Time!

 It's Christmas Eve here already. I can't believe it. Glenn and I are looking forward to seeing friends today and eating some burritos (our new Japan tradition). All I can think about is seeing these people.

I also hoping and wishing that I get to see my Grandma. She's in the hospital right now and I am anxiously awaiting news from home. These are the times that it is so hard to be far away. Only a little bit longer!

Really?

I sent out an email to find a replacement English teacher and this one of the responses I got...

hi ms kelly,
i am very interested to have a communication class with her and at the same time i can make friends with japanese people :) i am living near sagamino station, and i can meet her up at hon atsugi station, please give me info and contact no. thank you so much

k****

Sent from my iPhone

 

Really? You want me to suggest you as an English teacher with that email? I'm not saying I don't have grammar mistakes and spelling errors, but I'm not requesting an ENGLISH class. I'm pretty sure iPhones have a shift button. :)

Mochi Party Date

We attended the annual JMSDF (J Navy) Mochi Pounding Party last Thursday. Mochi is a soft dough like food made from (traditionally) pounding cooked rice with a mallet. It is chewy and gooey and not for everyone, but this fresh mochi that they were making was the best I've had. Cover it with some peanut powder or other condiments and it's a yummy snack.  I don't get the chance to see Glenn in his SDB's (Standard Dress Blues) very often and it's probably one of my favorite uniforms. Although, what uniform doesn't look good. A fun night of drinking, eating and hanging out with our friends!

A good sign...

North Korea offers no retaliation

You won't see this at the mall

Santa coming in on the E-2C Hawkeye! Merry Christmas to everyone!

Merry Machida Christmas

This is a picture from my Wednesday afternoon class' Christmas party. A Japanese party wouldn't be a Japanese party if everything wasn't planned and scheduled. First we played Bingo, then we ate and I talked about Christmas. Then we exchanged presents. This class is the more advanced class and we did the whole thing over again for the second class. With different decorations and food of course. They are such a fun group and I've enjoyed teaching them for the last year and a half. This is my second Christmas with them. I made mini loaves of banana, cranberry, ginger and pumpkin bread for all of them. They were big fans! I can't believe Christmas is only a few days away now!

Run Bambi!

I took a picture of this advertisement in Yokohama station last weekend. I couldn't help but smile. Does it not look like the forest is on fire and the deer are running for their lives? Just me?

Christmas Time in the City

My hot Christmas date came home last Saturday! It's finally starting to feel a little like Christmas around here. Since Glenn is home for awhile this time, we decided to go out and celebrate in Yokohama for dinner on Sunday night. We went to Queen's Square to check out the Christmas lights and trees.

Then we went to a restaurant called Daidaiya (which my student translated as Little Orange House...?). The food was delicious, the wine was excellent and my date was the best.

We did the 7 course set menu and it was excellent. We even had a perfect view without any reservation.

 

Welcome home, Mr. Why don't you stay for awhile? :)

Wordless Wednesday: Ann

OSSG Progressive Dinner Christmas Party

A few weekends ago, before the hubbies came home (!) our Officer Spouses' Support Group (aka Wives club + Mike) decided to have a Progressive Dinner. We decided on appetizer at one house, dinner at my house and desserts at a third house.

I've never been a part of a progressive dinner before, but it was so much fun! And much less work and money than hosting a dinner party by yourself. We split in to groups of 3 or 4 people for each course.

For the appetizer course, we had a large assortment of goodies and appletinis too!

At my house we made pork roast with a cherry sauce, apple stuffing and a yummy salad. Since there were 12 people, it was a good thing that I got a new table because we had to use the old table too.

A few people had to use some pillow to sit on because the couch is much lower than a regular chair.  We each drew numbers from a bowl to see where we would be sitting. We put numbers at each place setting as well.

Desserts, hot buttered rum and mulled wine were at the last house. What a fun Christmas party! A good way to get in the Christmas mood!

Happy Birthday Connor!

My nephew turns 5 today! Where has time gone!?

Every man looks good in a tux!

(We're watching the monkeys)

Love you, buddy! We can't wait to see you!