Mother's Day art

   I liked when the kids were little and would draw me pictures or bring home artwork from school.  Both kids still write me nice Mother's day messages, usually through text message now.  It just isn't the same :(  I have brought to Japan some of their artwork and framed it.  I came across this piece cleaning the other day....so sweet.

More Numazu Festival Fun

The delicious food stalls!

 A yummy summer drink.

 Tako balls. It is like a breaded ball with octopus and cabbage inside.

 The street dancers.

 Two cute kids eating Kakigori which is like a cross between a slushi and a snow cone.

Goodbye summer festival. Hopefully we'll see you again next year!

Numazu Summer Festival

It was hot and there were many people in summer clothing called yukata.  Januck and I like the festival food which includes takoyaki (octopus balls), corn on the cob and yakisoba (fried noodles with cabbage).  The big hit was juice in a light bulb shaped glass pictured below.  Many kids like to buy masks to wear as well.  Of course, we ran into some of our former and current students :)

 

Our Last Night Together

We are so sad to see this amazing person leave. We know that we will see you soon!

BBQ

Nothing like a good old fashioned grill...with some tongue. Never thought I would eat tongue until I came here! It is the best!

Amazing Checkout system

So Rachel and I went clothes shopping today at GU, a store similar to Old Navy and the checkout system was one we have never experienced.  (We have used the Checkout system at Walmart before.) You put your cart or items below in the drawer and the machine scans the barcodes on your items.  Then it is much like an ATM system where you put your money in or swipe your credit card. After paying, you bag your items behind you.  Technology at its best- there was even an English button!

Having adult kids

It is really special having your child return from college or after...just to touch bases and make sure they are doing alright.  I try to leave all my worries to the Lord but sometimes in these times, it is difficult to just rely solely on faith.
Your kids pick up so many good attributes from you and your husband- she will make a GREAT teacher but other traits may not be your best.  I have tried to be as honest as I could with my kids and still plan to.  It is the best for our relationship even though sometimes I am sure they don't want to hear it.

My Eye!!!

We were in Shizuoka and saw this statue. The Birds!!!!! It looks almost like the bird is pecking out the lady's eye.

Bullet Train

Yes...still the best way to travel. There is absolutely nothing like the Bullet Train!

Revolving Sushi

If you are ever in the need for some low cost but tasty sushi, then the revolving sushi restaurants are the best. Make sure to do early because they are very popular.

She grabbed one of the plates that was coming around. 

The odd menu. 

English menu! 

 Roast beef

The even weirder menu.

Mother Daughter Time

It is time for a face mask. I don't know why they need it. They are both so beautiful!

Octoberfest...in July!

We are excited because tomorrow our city is hosting an Octoberfest! We stopped by tonight to see what it was about and bought our tickets for tomorrow.

Baby Girl is home!

The beer stalls.

The food truck stalls!

Cicadas

There is nothing like summer in Japan when the cicadas come out. If you walk through a park, it is almost deafening! Joanna was teaching about the exoskeleton and then went to the park to experience the sounds of summer. Many students collected the shells and the class now has 103+ shells

Fried Squid Steak

There is nothing like a fried squid steak. We can find it in the frozen section at our local supermarket. I cut this one up into pieces and it is certainly tasty!

Statues

We were down by the port and walked home and as we did so, we came across these two interesting statues.

Don't know if these two are related somehow.

Rachel is home!

We enjoyed going to drink some mikan (tangerine) beer with Rachel today at Baird's Beer. It is her favorite she says! We got the comfy seats and stayed for quite awhile- second time this there this weekend.  So nice to have her home and able to talk and laugh together!

A Daughter's Love

So when I went back to the States to watch my daughter graduate, I went by Target and bought a large bag of gummy worms. Over time they dwindled and I ate all of them except one. I couldn't quite bring myself to eat the last one. (It's at the top right of the red bag.)

And then Rachel brought me these!!!!!

This is truly a Daughter's Love!!!!!

Baby Girl is Coming Home!

Rachel landed! We are so excited that she wanted to come home during her summer break from her nanny job. She will be with us for two weeks and then fly back to finish nannying and then do her student teaching. 

Curry Burger?

Yes, that's right folks...Hawaiian burgers (with egg) including a curry burger. I'd like to see how many people in the States would jump on this one!

Walking By A Party

It's that time of year. Most places have their End of...well End of Something Party. We have an End of Term Party at our school but we were walking by a restaurant where they were having some sort of party and they were all swaying back in forth. I'm assuming that they were singing and not trying to keep each other from falling.

Who Doesn't Like a Good Hat?

There is nothing like getting a hat made out of newspaper from students at your school. How could I not wear it?

What is Gari Gari?

Many years ago we were introduced to Gari Gari which is like a popsicle but so much more. The first one we tried was suggested by our friend which was Corn Potage which sounded disgusting but we tried it and it was fantastic. Our favorite one so far was the pudding Gari Gari which had actual pudding in the middle of it. Right now there is the seasonal Watermelon which is always a favorite. Most of the time they come out with a flavor that lasts for a few weeks and then disappears forever!

Summer vegetables?

Not sure why the summer vegetables are sold this way in the supermarket?  Are they best for a BBQ? It certainly was colorful and I almost bought the pack but I wasn't sure how to cook the veggies, so I didn't.  I just took this pic instead :)

When The Swallows Come Back To...Numazu?

There's a parking garage near our apartment that I walk by every day and I've noticed a lot of swallow activity lately. I saw the swallows fly in and I knew that they must be nesting in there. Sure enough, the little ones are already getting big!

Luckily they just miss the car below them!