Kindness...

Oh my heart is spilling with love after a wonderful time at the lovely little grape stand which is just up the street from our apartment.  We have been going there every week to buy jam, juice, or delicious grapes.  We headed up there today and were excited to get some more yummy grapes, but the harvest is over and there were no grapes!  There was a very kind man working on unloading kiwi which he had just harvested that day that I had never seen there before.  Adison ran up to the stand, so excited to get some of the beyond tasty grapes to share with Gigi when he told her the harvest was over.  The look on her face said it all.  I could tell how badly he felt that he had no grapes to sell to us.  My mom bought a couple jars of jam and he said one moment please - I have grapes for her.  He ran across a pretty busy street, to a home and ran back with bundles in hand.  He stood at a table carefully grooming the bundles of grapes.  He brought them over to her and told her it was his gift to her.  I tried very hard to pay, but he insisted it was a gift for Adison since she was so excited about getting grapes.  I seriously think they were from his home across the street.  Adi took such an interest in this man and was being absolutely charming and sweet with this kind guy.  She just kept talking and talking to him.  His English was great, and he took a genuine interest in us and how we were enjoying being in Japan.  I got a beautiful picture of the kindness between these two.  It was so special to see another example of these caring people, and even more special that I was able to see our 3 year old be so appreciative and sweet in return.  Adi's kindness and loving personality melts my heart!  Gratitude is the best word I can use to describe how I feel about being this AMAZING little girls mother!  I am so BLESSED!!!!

Kyoto

We had another great weekend trip to Kyoto.  We went with the Ingram family and had a great time with all of them.  We went to Kiyomizu Temple, had a great traditional Japanese lunch, and hiked up to the monkey park!  Kiyomizudera was originally built in the late 700s during the Heian Period. Its existing buildings were constructed in 1633 under the directive of the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. In 1994, the temple was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, the temple is one of Kyoto’s most visited and popular attractions.  It was interesting to see, but I wish I would have remembered more from my world religion class in college.  Having a better understanding of the Buddhist religion would have made it even more enjoyable.  The area was lined with shops and restaurants, and some street food.  I was happy we ate at a delicious Japanese style restaurant for lunch!

After lunch we took a couple trains to the other side of the city to hike our way up a mountain to see the monkey park.  Brandon carried Adi up on his shoulders, I carried Abe in the Ergo, and my mom did great hiking a super steep incline with being totally jet lagged.  I'm not nuts about monkeys, but Adi did enjoy feeding them, and the view was beautiful!  It was a long and tiring day, but well worth it!

Mom on the train!

 

Adi loved hanging out with these guys!!

 

Waiting for a train.

 

Kiyomizu

 

You can dress up like a Giesha in Kyoto and then they let you walk around for an hour all decked out in the traditional Giesha gear.  I snapped a quick pic of this lady.

 

Their cucumbers here are DELICIOUS.  There was a pickle on a stick.  It was basically just salted, but still very good.  My mom and I enjoyed sharing it.

 

We got Udon, veggie tempura, and some other tasty things for lunch.

 

Roxi and Brandon's little boy, Lucas, is the sweetest boy ever.  Adi just loved hanging out with him and asked if she could hold his hand while we were walking along.  He happily lead her around!  So sweet!!

 

Monkey time - Adi feeding the hungry little guys.

 

Adi had fun playing on the park at the top of the mountain.

 

You like Adi and Bran's monkey faces?!

 

Abe and daddy catching up on the news in the hotel room.

 

This little guys was TIRED on Sunday.

 

We caught a fall festival on our way back to the apartment on Sunday afternoon in Nagoya.

 

It was a very fun weekend!!!  Thanks Ingram family!

The People...

I have been very impressed by the kindness of the Japanese people.  I've been trying to have my camera with me at all times now because I have encountered so many sweet moments with these caring people that I really want to capture the moments so years later we can remember what an amazing experience this has been!

I'll start by saying these people LOVE American kids.  Multiple times a week we get stopped by a Japanese person that go gaga over Adi and Abe.  Whether they speak English or not they make it clear how smitten they are over them.  I mean who can blame them, when our charming little three year old rattles off all her Japanese speaking skills. 

We walked with this kind older lady from Sake all the way to our hotel.  Her English wasn't the greatest, but that didn't stop her.  She was genuinely interested in our lives and how we were enjoying our time in Japan.  She loved "trying" to talk with Adi and they even sang "Twinkle twinkle" together.  When we parted ways she told us how happy she was that she was able to walk and talk with us. 

Grandpa Randy in JP

It was GREAT having you here to help us dad!!!!  Sorry it was pretty low key while you were here, with the kids being sick and all.  We are so very thankful that you were willing and able to come help us out!  Here are some pictures of your time here. Love you very much dad!!!

Adi and Grandpa on the train

 

My dad and I at a wonderful Italian restaurant in Nagoya

 

Adi climbing

 

Abe high stepping it

 

This is Abe in a nutshell.  This boy is constantly running or climbing from whom ever is around!  He is such a boy!

 

Finally found a swing that isn't a 70 pound metal bucket!

 

These guys have become very interactive over here.  They have been playing and wrestling together a lot more.  They really do love each other!!

 

Off to get dessert.  That is our apartment in the background.  Like the orange hew?!

 

Mister Doughnut is amazingly delicious. 

 

Adi sharing her doughnut with her brother.  This guy gets delighted when someone offers him food!

 

Reading books before bed (thanks for the new ones Aunt Jen)!

To the farm we go...

It was time to really get out of the apartment today!  With both kids having a super bad cold and fevers for the last few days it was time to venture out and enjoy this slightly cooler weather.  We strolled up to the farm again today, and going up there makes me oh so happy!  It gives me a slight reminder of home and the open space is a wonderful change from the concrete jungle we are currently dwelling in.  :)

We even enjoyed some delicious home made caramel ice cream (no picture).  While we ate our ice cream we talked to a delightful little six year old boy and his mom.  His English was amazing!  He taught Adi a few new words, she counted for him in Japanese, and my dad and the little guy talked about their favorite baseball team (the Yankees).  It was such a pleasant afternoon, and we even picked up all our veggies for dinner.

Appreciative... Day 32

To have two hands:  I had no idea how much I used my left thumb - but let me tell you what, I used it, ALL THE TIME.  As strange as the first may sound, I really miss not changing my babies diaper on my own, giving my kids a bath, and cutting food for meals and snacks.  I am beyond ready to get my thumb back in motion, but I am trying to keep in mind that it is going to be a long process, and that is ok.  I have always thought about how thankful I was for my health, but until something is really taken away there is no way to truly grasp just how thankful you really are. 

The convenience of a car:  You walk everywhere over here.  While it might sound like I am complaining, I really do love how much we have been able to get out into this (now) beautiful weather and take in all of God's glorious creations.  Since we have a college sized mini fridge we go buy water daily.  After I got Abe down for his afternoon nap I realized we were out of water again.  So, I headed down to the convenient store with my bag in toe to pick up some more water for the next 24 hours or so.  On my way to the store it made me think of all the people in third world countries who walk days for not-so-clean water, that causes them to get sick.  How lucky am I to have two good feet to carry me to the store everyday to get good clean water?!  LUCKY!

To have family who loves us so much:  Our parents have been so kind and generous to come half way across the world to help us during this time of need.  They all adjusted schedules, missed out on pre-planned trips, and basically dropped what they had going on back home to come and help us out!  We love you guys - thank you, thank you, thank you!

God has used this situation to really make me step back and appreciate so many different things. What are you appreciative of today?

DisneySea - The Park

This park was so beautiful!  They did an amazing job really making you feel like you were traveling from a different part of the world to another as you moved from region to region.