A little overnight getaway in Minami Boso...

As part of Noah's birthday gift from us this year, we wanted to take the family on a little overnight getaway. Hotel stay and out to dinner and stuff. We left July 5th early in the morning. Around 6:30am is when we left our home. As you know, our home is in Chiba prefecture in Japan (think of a prefecture like a US state, meaning it's huge). Chiba prefecture is in the shape of a dog (known as Chiba-kun) and we live somewhere around the...top area...from above the neck upwards... if you know what shape Chiba-kun is. And we went on our overnight get away to the toe of Chiba-kun. Basically we went.... the total opposite... of where we live. It was a very far drive, which is why we left at 6:30am. When we got mid-way, around the belly button area of Chiba. We stopped for lunch. We went to the Ohsho. It's a delicious Chinese food chain. Their fried rice and karaage is so good here! After filling up our tummy's we hopped back on the road and started driving again.

We did touristy stuff like went and looked at what this area... was famous or well known for, omiyage type shops. 

It was super hot outside but gray overcast. And the boys wanted to take some pics. Of course they were being super silly. : ) Noah is growing so much, he's starting to really stretch out height wise.

Noah, you're such a gorgeous kid.

We could smell the ocean air. The kids meanwhile were still being nerds... hamming it up for the camera. 

Silly! : ) But they're always so playful and I'm glad they're like this. So glad my teenager *isn't* a moody "bad attitude" type of teen, if you know what I mean. I'll take happy and playful any day over that. : ) 

Awww! I sure do love you guys!!! : ) We are such a good family.

After hamming it up... in pics near the ocean, we hopped back in the car and headed to the famous peanut soft serve ice-cream place.  

We each got one and they were so delicious! Chiba is famous for producing peanuts. And so it's no wonder they were selling peanut soft serve. : )

We were only about 20 minutes away from our hotel or so. So we basically were just.. relaxing now and enjoying our ice cream.

Yay we made it. We plugged in our electric car at the hotel. Which is awesome for guests with electric cars. And we checked into the hotel. We have stayed here once before... a few years ago too.

Inside the lobby area. 

Another angle, but still in the lobby, while Noboru went and checked us in.

Four beds. We freshened up. And relaxed for a good 45 minutes. And then we went to dinner. The same Italian restaurant we ate at last time we were in this area too. We liked the pizza and the owners a lot. Their bread sticks are divine. And so we knew we wanted to eat here for dinner that night. 

Pizza Indy's. I love that it's a husband and a wife running this pizza place. They make everything fresh from scratch daily. Half of this building is their restaurant and half is their home. 

Their breadsticks are the real deal. Best breadsticks ever! Everything is baked inside a wood burning pizza oven. That dipping sauce for the breadtsicks is my most favorite. 

The first pizza we ordered....the second pizza came out after. Our second pizza was pesto based and had fresh sweet corn on it and it was my favorite. Besides those breadsticks. Those breadsticks are life...they truly are! : )

A quick pic of our table as we were leaving. We were so stuffed after this. Next stop the grocery store for snacks/drinks and then...go back to the hotel and soak ourselves in the hot bath. The outside one is my favorite, the rotenburo.

Hello hotel....glad to be back.

The 4 of us all put on these outfits and caught the elevator to the floor that has the baths. We decided to meet up after an hour and a half. I soaped up my body, washed my hair. Clipped my hair up and soaked myself in the rotenburo. It was such an awesome hour and a half. Of course when I felt too hot, I'd get out for a minute and then get back in. By the time we met up, we were all relaxed. We went back to the hotel room. Good thing we bought snacks at the grocery store after leaving the Italian restaurant. We had some ice cold beverages and some snacks. I didn't have any snacks though... because I was still stuffed from dinner. But I did have a jasmine tea. We watched a bit of TV but zonked out pretty much around 10 pm. 

We woke up around 6:50 am. Noboru and the boys went downstairs and showered and shampooed and soaped up again and then soaked in the hot baths. I stayed upstairs and washed my face. Put my makeup on. Flat ironed my hair. Got dressed. I was ready in about 25 minutes. And I relaxed and when they came back to the room, they changed from their yukata type outfits to regular clothes. We then went to eat breakfast at the buffet in our hotel. They had western food and Japanese food. I always pick the western food. I had 1 small croissant and 1 slice of toast, a small plate of fresh fruit and coffee and I was done. Branden had croissants, toast, eggs, baked french fries. He had fruit and juice and milk. Noboru had the Japanese breakfast and made a few trips back to get more Japanese yummy stuff for himself. And Noah had croissants and toast and fruit. And a small glass of apple juice. A super small fruit and yogurt smoothie (the smoothies came in a size glass, the size of a shot glass fyi, so super tiny size, perfect size for Noah, he just wanted to taste it anyways and not fill up on it, anyways). And then he went and got a small scoop of rice and had that with some scrambled eggs. We checked out of the hotel. And hit the road for the long journey back home. It was a nice leisurely drive back home. This was such a nice little get away for our family. 

Summer Fun in Japan...

The day after we arrived, Branden, Noah and their dad went fishing. I meanwhile cleaned my house in Japan, from head to toe. Unpacked our clothes and put them back into our drawers in Japan for the summer. I snapped this pic of the 3 of them, but they sent me the next couple pics, during their time at the river near our home. Branden went fishing and Noah was looking for shrimp and Noboru just enjoyed being near his sons, so he fished and also caught shrimp too. Gathering their fishing supplies from our shed in our backyard.

The 3 of them needed their special time. Dad and son time. And I know that, plus like I said it gave me time to clean the heck out of my house. 

They catch and release. So no killing or harm was done to anything they caught that day. : )

It was so good to be back home in Japan. I love Japan. And loved living in the Japanese countryside. Such a gorgeous peaceful relaxing place to live.

Love that I didn't miss hydrangea season either!!!

The front of my house in Japan. Wreath on the front door, as always. And just bursting with red pops of color, from all the flowers Noboru planted.

Our backyard. Simple is always best and so we always keep a bright green lawn free of weeds. Nice simple and clean looking. No clutter.

Love that inaka view from our back patio.With rice fields all behind our house.

Noah has always had 20/20 vision. In Japan they test your eyes at school every April, at the start of the school year. His eye exams have always came out fine. Last year though the school sent home a note saying Noah was not 20/20 that year and so we took him to the eye doctor in the small city, nearest our tiny town. And last year the doctor said Noah was right on the line. Where he either could get glasses or not. So we said.. we don't mind either way. The eye doctor asked Noah and he said he would not like glasses at that time. He sees just fine. The doctor agreed. And so we left it. All last summer. All last Fall. Noah said his eyes were fine. January 2018, he said he was fine too. And then the kids and I move to America in April and all of a sudden he says at the end-ish of May 25th or so. "my eyes are starting to bother me and I think I would like glasses now" I'm like "right now???" I said, "we go back home to Japan in about 10 days, if you can wait until then, we can go then. But if it's like serious, I'll take you tomorrow." And Noah said, I can wait. So, Noboru had already known, because we talk daily. And so we took Noah back to the same excellent eye doctor our family likes a lot. And sure enough. The doctor says Noah needs them. His one eyeball is like near perfect 20/20. But the other eyeball is "meh" in vision. Not horrible mind you... but needing glasses and correction. And clearly we're not going to make Noah wear a monocle ala' the Monopoly man, Sir Topham Hatt or the Planters Peanut guy. LOL! So we went and ordered him a pair of glasses. Noah tried on a billion pairs. He found a nice brown plastic pair that he really loved. Everyone in the entire family gave that pair the thumbs up too. 

The kids playing games at the arcade while waiting for the eyeglass shop to make Noah's glasses in an hour. So glad to have that crossed off on our list.

I really love living in a town that is literally surrounded by rice fields everywhere. This was the view from driving back from the eyeglasses shop. 

You know how some boys never learn how to cook. Or learn how to change a flat tire. Or learn how to build furniture or mow the lawn or do handyman type things. Noboru made sure that both Branden and Noah know how to change a flat tire on a car. How to use a jack. He taught them how to build furniture. Hence Branden built our TV stand in the US. They know how to mow the lawn and do regular guy stuff. And the cooking stuff, sure I taught the kids those types of things too. This pic is of Noah my 12 year old mowing the lawn in the month of June. I was in the house getting meat prepared for our yakiniku BBQ. 

Branden was meanwhile busy starting up the BBQ. When our boys grow up and get married, their wives will not complain. They'll actually be so happy. They can definitely hold down the fort so to speak. 

Yakiniku. We had chicken breast. And 2 types of beef. Marinated grilled veggies too. Lettuce for wrapping our meat and rice with. Sauce for dipping our meat in. It was delicious. 

What best way to end a BBQ then with some dessert. This night we enjoyed some Melon soda flavored Gari Gari-Kun. Noboru ate his faster than I could snap a picture of all 4, sorry about that. : ) The flavor of these? Absolutely delicious!!!

Some days were really gray and overcast. Some days were typhoon type days. Some days were rainy days. And some days were "melting to death", type hot days. Thank god for central air conditioning. That way we don't even have to think about it. On the hot days, I would hang out towels. Bath mats. Pillow cases. And in the evenings I would just whack my laundry into our separate dryer.  It was nice for Noboru to have his wife home. He didn't have to think about laundry. It always just magically gets done (by me) : ) And he didn't have to think about dinner. Because I always handle everything. And, I enjoy handling all the home stuff. : )

This night, I made green chili enchiladas. Spanish rice. And a side salad. 

This was another BBQ outside night. I made chargrilled cheeseburgers and chargrilled chicken teriyaki sandwiches. We also had macaroni salad and potato salad too. And we also had fresh corn on the cob. 

A pic from our dinner that night. I made yakisoba, sara udon (chicken chow mein for you Americans), I made beans and pork green chili. I made tacos. I made chicken parmesan. Chicken cutlet and also karaage. All sorts of different things. 

In Japan usually every summer they sell choco mint everything. And I love it. We try them all every single summer. This year we saw this. We all tried it. The kids liked it. But, I didn't. Which really surprised me, because I usually can like everything. This for me was too minty. 

This night, I also made chicken teriyaki bowl with mushrooms and with some steamed broccoli. I just really love cooking every night. Or most nights. I do like to take a break every once in a while though. : )

These Country Ma'am cookies, they have been selling for about...5 years every summer? We love these. They taste amazing.

Anyways, I will make more Japan posts. And then I'll start with the U.S. posts too. The kids start school this coming Tuesday. We went and picked up Branden's school schedule Monday August 20th, picked up Branden's Chromebook Tuesday evening. And Noah's school schedule we picked up on Thursday August 23rd and we went and met all of Noah's teachers. Both the kids took their school photos already on their "schedule pick up days" And basically we've been just super busy. So, that's why I haven't had too much free time to sit on the computer. Noboru will be here visiting in about 4 weeks too, which we all can barely wait. 

Reverse Culture shock. The huge difference between visiting your home country as an expat and actually moving back there!!!

Sorry for the quiet on my blog. The kids and I have been back in the US. We arrived back on July 28th from Japan. Ever since I got back to the US. We had about 5 days of jet lag where we were staying awake until 3am. And then we slowly got back on American time. After that. I  have been busy getting the boys ready to start school. They don't start until August 28th. But getting all the new school clothes shopping done and school supplies done. It was a whole big whoopdeedoo. That I have *never* done as a parent, in the United States before. As a child yes. But as the parent *doing* the shopping. A first for me. And yes I did buy the kids new stuff every year in Japan before the new semester hits... but it's not even on THIS type of level as it's done here in the USA. In the US, all the TV and ads are strictly aimed at back to school shopping. It's a whole phenomena here. I also want to say that... I came back to the US July 28th with an open heart. Open mind and a fresh set of eyes. And I am really starting to love living here. However, as you all know. I am a sharp shooter when it comes to saying what I have to say. I won't mince words. But, I always do so thoughtfully and carefully. Do you *need* to know I had a horribly rough start when I moved here this April? No, I frankly don't *need* to tell you that. But, I think it's being honest. It's 100% real. Zero bullcrap that you all always appreciate. If I'm happy, I'll tell you so. And If I've hit a rough patch, I'll tell you that too. I think that's what you all have always respected about me, since I first began this blog in 2005.

When we moved to Japan it was for a job transfer for my husband for 5 years. It was a 5 year contract. And we relocated from the US to Japan, Noboru, myself and a near 1 year old Branden. We moved there with the intention of moving back to the US. I was in Japan only "temporarily." I really didn't throw myself into a language school or anything. Because well, I had a baby at home, so I wasn't exactly free to start language classes, baby's keep mom's quite busy. And #2, I was only in Japan temporarily. So, I didn't feel the need to dive head first into learning a new language, if we weren't staying. The house we rented was miserable. And cold. Like living in an American garage without insultation. And I complained a lot to my fellow expat friends and also to family and friends from back home. At the end of year 4, Noboru came to me and expressed his feelings and he felt because his income was so exceptional in Japan... we should stay in Japan and he'd build me an imported American home. Central heating, big American appliances, floor heating. Huge back yard. And I said okay. I had gottten used to Japan. I did fly back to the states often, since we have flight benefits. So, I could fill up my suitcases with goodies from home. And my family sent care packages often too. For me, it was doable. And so for the whole year, we had an amazing team drawing up blue prints for our home and started the build. We moved and then I was happy. The house issue was solved. And my expat friends never heard a single complaint or even a peep out of me ever since. I just didn't have any complaints. With the housing issue solved. Life was perfect. We welcomed our second son Noah, in 2005. And life was the best.

Sense of self. I have been living in Japan for 15-16 years. I have learned Japanese. Our home is in the inaka. A town of 5,000 people. I love all my neighbors and towns people. I have a ton of friends close by. However, I always felt that, I was still me. Does that make sense? I always feel super American. Everyone knows I'm the 1 lone American woman of my town. And everyone has always been so nice. Like the nicest. But I always felt like, I never lost myself with living in Japan for 15-16 years. My friends and fellow expats would joke with me all the time and say, out of all us American expats, you're still like *so* American out of us all. And we would laugh. So, I never felt that I had changed. 

Vacations in the US. Hawaii, Guam, back home to Denver, Colorado. And other places in the US too. When I lived in Japan we'd take a great big family vacation every summer for a good 14-16 days. It was so nice to put on my "rose tinted glasses" and see the US for all and *only* the good and never the bad. I would spend 2 weeks in Hawaii. And I'd be telling my husband, I sure wish we could live in the US again. Or when we'd go and spend 2 weeks in Denver, I'd be inhaling at Target and wishing I could shop there *all* the time...anytime I want. And I'd say, again, I sure wish we could live in the US again. How I would fit right in. And not miss a beat.

Then this April the kids and I moved to the US. While my husband awaited his Visa approval (greencard) He has since received it by the way!!!!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Getting real. Since April 9th until June 13th or 14th whenever we flew back to Japan for the summer. I hated living in America. Reverse culture shock hit me hard. It surprised Noboru so much....and how hard it hit me. And it surprised me the most!!! For starters Noah's suitcases was lost. All his graduation diplomas from yochien, shogakko. Cross country medals. Swimming medals. Priceless stuff. IRREPLACEABLE stuff. Suitcase was missing. Granted we got it back 100% intact. But I'm telling you! It was 2 days of pure stress. We wanted his belongings back. *Thank god* he got them back. #2, customs or whoever went through my computer when we moved. And my computer was not acting right at all, I'm not saying they did anything but it wasn't working right after that... and it did have a big sticker on the box with paper attached saying we went through the insides of your computer. It was so slow. Noboru had no choice but to factory reset my computer. Which means, I lost every website I ever made a favorite. Lost every persons email address. Like OMFG! What the hell. Can we catch a break or what! We were expecting the kids to start school in the Fall. Like in September. But they ended up starting in April. Which I'm so glad they did that. But, again. Wasn't expecting that. So we had to make a mad dash to Target and buy school supplies like immediately and before we even had time to think, they were in school. Everything was just happening very fast. I am a type of person who really doesn't like change. I really thrive in a routine. And yeah sure...I could see it if 1 thing changed. I could quickly adapt. But, I mean like *every* freaking thing in my life changed. Like everything. 100%. And my husband who is like my best friend ever was also leaving soon back to Japan. And yeah...sh*t hit me hard. Like a ton of bricks. And to add to that. I was living in a totally different state. I got lost like almost *every* single freaking day. Thank god for Google maps. When Noboru was here we made sure we all had signed up for health care and what not. And wifi. TV set up. But, when Noboru left. What tiny smidgen of strength I had left... that I was holding onto...just crumbled. Like I said, my dream was for *us as a family* to live in the US. Not me alone by myself like a freaking single mom. Know what I mean? And yeah. Those were dark days. Really dark.

One morning, my cell phone rang in May and it was the nurse at Noah's middle school. She said, Noah is missing 1 shot! I told her, I'd go and speak to her when I picked up Noah after school that day. As soon as I hung up with the nurse. I called Noboru sobbing. Noah is missing 1 vaccination. It's a shot you get in middle school years, so he hasn't had the chance to get it yet. In case you don't know. The Japanese vaccination time table was very confusing for me. It seemed like and it is like they get way less vaccinations than we get in the US. I asked Noboru since he's the Japanese parent, if he could handle the kids vaccinations in Japan? Since I couldn't make heads or tails on them. And why such a less amount of vaccinations were given in Japan, you got me. Or I told him, I could get the kids done in the US. When I visit family every year. Since Branden's first year of vaccinations were done in the US anyways... since we lived there at the time. We stayed with US vaccinations. Every time I'd go to Denver when the kids were both toddlers. I would walk into a low cost vaccination place. Since we had full coverage insurance in Japan and none in the US at the time. We have insurance in both countries now. But at the time, I would just pay out of pocket. And because I was going to a low cost clinic. For like their 2 year old vaccinations, I got them all done for like $40 US (like 6 shots for 4,000 yen all 6). So very affordable for our family. Both Branden and Noah have had all their shots done in the US. Denver and Guam specifically.  So Noboru asked me why are you crying? I said, "because I don't even know how to get to the doctors office. I feel so helpless here. I know what I'm doing in Japan. I drive everywhere in Japan." He told me, "honey, you are stronger than you think you are" they're our kids and they're depending on you. I told him, you're right. So, I phoned the doctors office. And I set up an appointment for both boys to get that 1 missing shot. And Branden even got 1 extra shot too. I had to call the school and tell them they had to take the day off school the day of their shots. Because I was unsure of the doctors office location and how far it would take me to get there, from our townhouse.  Both of the boys navigated me to the doctors office. I made it. The doctor was amazing. He reminds me of Robin Williams personality-wise. Like Mork from Ork. He's so funny this doctor. He gave them their vaccinations. And after their vaccinations, I took the boys to Dairy Queen, for the $5 dollar chicken strips, fries, gravy for dunking your strips in and a soda and a sundae. As reward to them for getting their vaccinations and as a reward to me too for driving myself to an unknown spot and back.

My dad moved back to Colorado, June 2nd after we all got adjusted and situated, he was free to move back to our home state. He has a condo in Thornton, Colorado with a fireplace, laundry room inside his condo unit. He says they've been having a lot of hail lately, when I spoke to him on the phone. So both the boys have their own room now, in the state I'm living in....in our 3 bedroom townhouse. Branden's bedroom is the huge bedroom downstairs. Noah's bedroom is upstairs. Next to my master bedroom.

Why did, I share that fabulous pic of Tom Hanks? After Tom Hanks was rescued in Castaway. And he was just boggled by looking at that simple lighter and enormous food buffet in his hotel suite. Simply because Tom Hanks had to readjust to American life after living on an island for 4 short years. He slept on the floor, that first night in his hotel room. That's how hard it took for him to readjust to American life. Now imagine a person who has lived in a foreign country for 16 years? That's me. I tell you here right now. I was incredibly naive to think that I wouldn't have a hard adjustment. Would it have been easier and smoother if I had my husband here? Hell yes! Would it be smoother, if I were living in my home state? Hell yes. But, I'm not. So it's no wonder I had such a hard time. Such a hard adjustment.

I was being thrown out of my element every single week since April. Until June 12th. Noah brought home a note one week that read. They're school is doing state testing. Asking for parents to donate snacks to munch while the kids were testing. A list of approved snacks were Goldfish crackers. Yogurt pouches (Gogurts), and a whole bunch of other stuff. I'm meanwhile out of my element again. Parents are never asked to bring snacks for tests in Japan. NEVER. I ask Noah about how many kids in his class? And I... with the help of google maps. Make my way to Costco and buy a huge box of Gogurts for Noah's class to eat. Teacher was happy. Noah was happy too. So, that made me happy. Another month, right before school let out for summer break, Noah brought home another note. His class is having a summer picnic!!! @_@ Keep in mind, I am an American mommy who knows how to be a mom in Japan. But I have zero skills on being an American mom actually in America. Thank god for notes. It gave a note of approved picnic snacks to bring. It suggested prepackaged cookies. Also no nuts are ever allowed. Nuts in the US even peanut butter is basically the devil. Which is weird because kids ate peanut butter in jelly sandwiches, growing up when I was little or ate Nutter Butters. But no peanut anything allowed at any school. @_@ So again to avoid any nut contamination. Prepackaged snacks. Noah and I drove to Target and he picked 1 chewy Chips Ahoy and 1 regular Chips Ahoy.

When I flew back to Japan. I told myself. I'm not going back to the US. I won't. Noboru will have to fly back and empty the townhouse and sell the car. That's how badly, I had reverse culture shock. I didn't want to come back. But, being in Japan for the 6-7 weeks. I realized. I *need* to come back to the US. It's for our kids school. They get to go to one of the best schools in this state. They're getting the absolute VERY best education. Noboru talked to me about it. And it's for our kids. And am I still readjusting? Yes, I am. But, I'm not going to rush it. I'm going to let myself get adjusted on my own pace and speed. So, I just wanted to say all this. Did, I need to share this deeply private personal stuff? No. But, I think it helps you understand me more. And know where I'm coming from.

If this was too long sorry. I just wanted to get it all out. My next posts will be when we were in Japan.

Update...

Hi, sorry for being so quiet on here. I haven't been using the computer too much. As usual, I have about a million things to share and tell you. But, I won't find the time today. I snapped this pic on May 26th, when Branden and Noah and I went to go and see Solo. We had tickets bought in advance. And the reviews weren't too good. But, we really liked it. Solo was great!

In about 10 hours from now, Bran, Noah and myself will already be on our way to Japan for about 6 weeks. Until the end of July. I miss my husband more than I can even say. So, it's a fantastic thing that we're going home for a good 6 weeks. Noboru misses the kids terribly, he calls them via LINE every other day, and he and I talk daily too.

The kids started summer break here in the U.S.A. yesterday. They have absolutely zero summer homework. They did so well in school, both of them. They have made a ton and I do mean a ton of friends here too.

We're all packed and ready to go. My computer is in the US. So, I won't be blogging until I get back to America. Have a good rest of June all of you. Have an awesome July too. I know my blog will be quiet...but just know...it's quiet because I'm enjoying some much needed family time in the Japanese countryside. : )