tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13796660694523728462024-03-21T12:21:09.904-06:00Crozier Cool CatzThe life and times of us and our cats.Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-17262376204834046332015-03-24T22:28:00.000-06:002015-03-24T22:28:07.713-06:00Coming HomeDue to a lot of reasons but mainly health (both physical and mental), Archie and I have chosen to come home a year early from Japan. It's a mixed bag of emotions for me. There are so many wonderful things and places and people that I have experienced here that I wouldn't have experienced otherwise. I'm truly grateful for that. This was a chance of a lifetime and yet we are coming home early.<br />
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Japan is a beautiful country. We've seen so many places. Hiroshima has been an interesting place to live. I've met some great friends and I've tried and loved so many fun foods and drinks. Gabe has also enjoyed his time here. He's had fun at school and has learned to read. He's been swimming twice a week and has earned two badges. He can always say he's lived in Japan and experienced that. As he gets older, I'm hoping it'll be something he can draw on for inspiration and openness to new ideas and people.<br />
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So for me, I can walk away with a lot great experiences and memories.<br />
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But it's been tough on all of us with the nature of the work that Archie signed up for. It hasn't been a great work environment and that has taken its toll on all of us. Especially Archie.<br />
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We look forward to a healthier year as we come home. A little less stress all around will be wonderful.<br />
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With the time we have left we are really excited to see what we can and do what we can. We are planning on a trip to Okinawa next month. The cherry blossom season is right around the corner and Hiroshima will be beautiful. We are planning a small day trip to Kyoto as well as some more local weekend getaways. Golden Week is in a month and that is one of the biggest week-long festival/holiday in Japan. We weren't here for that last year and we are looking forward to experiencing that before we go home.<br />
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We hope to end on a bright note and we hope to take the good with us as we look back on our year in Japan. But we also know this is the best decision all around for our family.<br />
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I'm hoping to add some more detailed posts about the best spots and memories we've had here in Japan. I'll probably do that a bit more as it gets closer to leaving.<br />
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But here are some place we've been to this past month. Last week was really fun with the "chicken shack" or properly knows as Sanzoko (bandit in Japanese). They are famous for their yakitori or chicken on a stick. The sauce is amazing! I tried a giant rice ball with seaweed, plum, and salmon in the middle. Gabe tried their udon bowl and Archie had their yakiniku or meat BBQ.<br />
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Then it was off to Kimawa Valley for their underground mystery treasure hunt. We went with another family and enjoyed a small park afterward. It's an old gold mine that they converted with statues and mystery doors and places that are reminiscent of Indiana Jones.<br />
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I've taken a few walks on my own now that it's getting warmer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cherry blossom trees!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my favorite!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was on a special walk of their famous shrines and temples. The last stop.</td></tr>
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<br />Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-67783138165938373652015-03-06T19:13:00.000-07:002015-03-06T19:13:46.412-07:00February Recap 2015The highlight of February was going to Tokyo for Gabe's birthday. We got to ride the Shinkansen and see Tokyo Disney, Legoland, and Studio Ghibili.<br />
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I could only make it once on the teacups. Gabe loved them and forced Archie on them at least 3 times! They even talked me into going on Space Mountain...not a big fan. Gabe was unsure how to feel afterward. But I think he'd go on it again!<br />
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Riding the bullet train is the way to go. I wish the States invested in America's infrastructure a bit more. Maybe we could get a couple of bullet trains--one for up north and one for the south! Sweet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teacups!</td></tr>
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Trains are great because you don't have to get felt up by the TSA and you can move around, no seatbelts, and the children (Gabe) can get up and walk around and look out the window and see stuff. They even have a trolley that comes around. It's not quite "Harry Potter" anything off the trolley, dears? but close enough.<br />
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The second coolest thing was going to the Akeyoshido caves. Beautiful. I really enjoy hitting the natural sites in Japan. Everywhere, obviously, but truly getting around to the natural sites is on my list.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legoland</td></tr>
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Gabe loved Legoland the best. It was full of Legos and more legos. A couple of rides and even a workshop. He raced Lego cars with Archie. They even sold a big bowl of spaghetti.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Studio Ghibli Museum</td></tr>
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My favorite spot was the museum. I'm a big fan of Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro. We accidentally bought the tickets for the wrong day but they were nice enough to still let us in. It's small and really crowded so they are pretty strict about crowds and times.<br />
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It's an adorable museum that pays homage to all the wonderful movies for children that are made by the studio.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our spoils</td></tr>
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The rest of the time we walked around a lot from place to place and train to train. So I took some pics!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/16318907058" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="2015-02-08 21.16.34 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2015-02-08 21.16.34" height="320" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7450/16318907058_23216a6f12_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Here are my favorite shots from Akeyoshido...</div>
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Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-20067065373218530292015-02-18T19:27:00.000-07:002015-02-18T19:27:11.870-07:00January 2015 RecapJanuary was cold just like February is...but we are seeing the sun a bit more here in Hiroshima. So if I can grab a sunspot like a cat, it warms up quite nicely.<br />
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We enjoyed Japanese New Year, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_New_Year" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Oshougatsu</span></a>. It lasts for a few days. Everything pretty much shuts down, which is nice, unless you need to actually get food...<br />
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We stood in line to make it the temple. You make a wish or a prayer to start off the new year. There are lots of festivals and food and all sorts of fun things. This year is the year of the sheep. We ended up grabbing some sheep-related items as a momento.<br />
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A lot of people put these types of signage up during Shougatsu. I think some make their own but mostly you can just buy them at any convenience store or grocery store. They're pretty and we put ours up a bit longer than the actual holiday.<br />
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We visited one of the more famous shrines that weekend too. We bought a few trinkets that celebrate the year of the sheep from this place...gems and rocks and some charms.<br />
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We had a great hike up to the Peace Pagoda. It was a very mild day; sweating ensued while hiking up there!<br />
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We also got terribly sick in January. The influenza went rampant through Hiroshima and Gabe's school. They had to close the school down for 3 days in order to contain it the best they could. Gabe got it and then I got it. Then I got bronchitis. It was not fun. I never get enough sleep which means my immune system is shot most of the time. Boo. But we're healthy now....<br />
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We visited the cat cafe again and they had a new kitten! So we got to play around with her for a bit.<br />
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And as with any language, you put it in Google translate and you never know what craziness will ensue on the other end. I've taken a few pics now and then of some interesting English translation signs. This one was particularly funny!<br />
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We were sick half the month but we still managed to get out and do a few things. Archie started on nights again for January and February, but his schedule ends at the end of the month and during this night shift he works Sun-Thurs nights so we can at least have some family time on Saturday that is uninterrupted. But the rough work hours have been pretty rough.<br />
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Archie took a few days off so we could head up to Tokyo for Gabe's birthday. I'll post pics of that little adventure soon.<br />
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I'll end on a beautiful sunset.<br />
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<br />Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-63232997766361777822015-01-18T19:36:00.000-07:002015-01-18T19:36:00.133-07:00December 2014 RecapI admit December was a bit tough for all of us for various reasons. Archie was alone for the holidays and was pretty sad about it. He did get to take care of a friend who tripped and dislodged his pinky finger in the middle of the night...got him to the emergency room using his awesome Japanese while his friend was in agony. He's a do-gooder! Gabe and I were also sad to leave Archie behind. The plane flights over to the States were pretty unbearable and confusing but we made it.<br />
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We stayed with our good friends Stacie and Dan and their two kids for the first couple of days. But I couldn't get any sleep with Gabe in the same bed so after almost losing my mind, I checked us into a hotel room and my parents took Gabe for a night so I could sleep. Sleep I did for 16 hours, off and on.<br />
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We visited with my parents and family, we had our family Christmas party. I watched movies and ate good food that I'd been missing. I got to feel a bit whole again after being able to drive and speak in my own language. I felt useful again. Gabe enjoyed seeing old friends.<br />
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We even spent time with our kitties Wolfy, Frodo, and Shadow. They're doing just find without us but we are both looking forward to the time we get them back.<br />
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I even got to see lots of my friends at a nice gathering.<br />
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The next week we headed up to a timeshare that Stacie and Dan own up at Bear Lake. It was secluded and fun to just relax for a bit. Dan and Stacie both got the flu so they ended up staying in bed most of the week but we still ate some good food and opened up presents on Christmas and talked with Archie.<br />
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Then it was time for the plane ride home. Another unbearable experience....I hate flying. It's the worst. It was sad to leave Utah but it was great to be back with Archie and in our own beds.<br />
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Overall, I'm glad we went. I needed it. But I don't know I'd do it again if I don't have a travelling companion!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/16117688770" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-12-07 15.55.59 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-12-07 15.55.59" height="240" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7502/16117688770_06c1ea0bec_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/16164925506" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-12-07 15.44.54 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-12-07 15.44.54" height="320" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7530/16164925506_4f44f39510_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/16190781415" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-12-26 05.04.48 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-12-26 05.04.48" height="320" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7520/16190781415_8ba70fa364_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/16190783175" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-12-26 11.06.39-1 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-12-26 11.06.39-1" height="320" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8650/16190783175_065b9cb316_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15568395054" title="2014-12-30 12.40.31 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-12-30 12.40.31" height="320" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7464/15568395054_afc878b451_n.jpg" width="213" /></a>Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-58741106473276158962015-01-17T18:45:00.000-07:002015-01-17T18:45:12.959-07:00November 2014 RecapIt's 2015 and my goal is to write consistently in this blog! Good luck to me :)<br />
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Gabe and I headed back home to Utah to spend time with family and friends over the holidays in December. We got back in time to spend New Year's with Archie, though. He was pretty lonely. But it was nice to see home again. I'll post more pics of December and January soon.<br />
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Gabe is enjoying the International School here. He has lots of friends he tells me about plus all the fun stuff at school like rube goldberg contraptions and fun PE games. He's even reading now! He reads me a small book or two every night before bed.<br />
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He is still swimming and recently passed his first test and received the Octupus award. Archie sewed it on his backpack too.<br />
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It's pretty cold in Hiroshima during the winter. I think Northern Utah is still a bit colder but considering it's an island and so hot and humid during the summer, I thought it would be a bit more mild. The nice days get into the 50s.<br />
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Gabe also loves sushi. On his days off or on the weekends we end up heading over to the local store and pickup some sushi. He likes the soy sauce and using his chopsticks to eat it!<br />
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Archie works nights every other month which is hard on him and all of us. The workload in Japan wasn't quite what we expected. Long hours make it pretty tough sometimes.<br />
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February we're heading up to Tokyo to see Disneyland and Legoland and whatever else we can fit in during that time. Gabe's birthday is that week and we wanted him to really remember it. The big 6 is coming up soon!<br />
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My days consist of cleaning, planning, and studying with a few bits of fun with fellow expats thrown in every other week or so. I'm studying some HTML, reading a lot, planning meals and shopping, keeping the place respectableish, and getting out when I can. Looks like this will continue to be my schedule for a bit.<br />
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Japan is a beautiful country and love getting out on the weekends with Gabe and Archie so we can enjoy it. We hope to get to a few more faraway spots in Japan before we come back to Utah.<br />
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Here's a recap of November:<br />
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We went to some outlying islands and visited some famous gardens and shrines. I also found cat cafes! I got to visit the sweet moggies. We hiked Sandankyo, enjoyed a picnic by the castle and enjoyed the Fall leaves. We also took a stroll along their Dreamination lights and a mini Thanksgiving meal.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/16004360339" title="2014-11-29 13.40.18-1 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-11-29 13.40.18-1" height="320" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7549/16004360339_057a6ce53c_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Well, that was about it for us in November!<br />
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<br />Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-5217522728617940972014-11-11T06:22:00.001-07:002014-11-11T06:22:38.057-07:00October and HalloweenI can't believe Halloween is over and done for the year. October saw us eating tofu cuisine, swimming at the beach! (yes it was still warm enough for the beach here!) We also visited a beautiful park with lots of fun things to do for Gabe and beautiful nature to see and enjoy...but we came too late and could only stay for a an hour and a half before it closed and we were kicked out after driving for 1.5 hours! Another time.<br />
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We also hiked up to a beautiful shrine just above our apartment. It was very serene and peaceful. Gabe complained a bit about the long hike but it was worth it once we got to the top. I just can't believe how beautiful Japan is. Every place on Earth has its own beauty and I'm enjoying getting to know Japan's.<br />
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Gabe had his Fall break and we did make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and made a few Halloween crafts. We didn't get out much but we had fun anyway.<br />
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We hit a food festival, painted pumpkins, and enjoyed the school Halloween party.<br />
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Gabe was a pirate and I was a skeleton. I didn't go too crazy but it was something. Archie and I set (Archie) set up our trunk for trunk-or-treating. I took Gabe around to do all the fun games. Haunted house, donut eating contest, the works. Gabe had a good time. He only got trampled once in the mad rush to the line for trick-or-treating.<br />
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So without further adieu here are the pic highlights of our October!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15492891185" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 02, 12 43 57 PM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 02, 12 43 57 PM.edit" height="245" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2945/15492891185_fbbfe66d80_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tutor Yasuko San who took me to a tofu restaurant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15306540408" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 02, 11 28 51 AM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 02, 11 28 51 AM.edit" height="201" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2948/15306540408_db1de98660_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tofu plate!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15306189320" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 04, 3 01 07 PM (1).edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 04, 3 01 07 PM (1).edit" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3944/15306189320_bebf04fb77_n.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach antics!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15469764826" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 07, 5 34 41 PM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 07, 5 34 41 PM.edit" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3944/15469764826_8c23b2f840_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gabe loves swimming!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15336026299" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 11, 3 47 20 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 11, 3 47 20 PM" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5603/15336026299_3dc286182b_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bihoku park</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15336268218" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 11, 4 44 58 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 11, 4 44 58 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3945/15336268218_be2ec76729_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool mushroom playground!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15522922465" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 11, 4 55 37 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 11, 4 55 37 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3947/15522922465_e6239a9d52_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 puppies in a stroller!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15499749396" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 12, 11 57 12 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 12, 11 57 12 PM" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5609/15499749396_9470395c02_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15336023709" title="Photo Oct 12, 4 10 49 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 12, 4 10 49 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3934/15336023709_6250b73544_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15336022759" title="Photo Oct 12, 4 19 08 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 12, 4 19 08 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15336022759_2b54cc0d12_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15026224723" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Photo Oct 16, 5 52 18 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 16, 5 52 18 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3946/15026224723_5145201055_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15459736729" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 26, 11 13 32 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 26, 11 13 32 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3952/15459736729_f0739d0a0c_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy cookies and ramen dipping dinner!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15460947730" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Oct 27, 3 15 35 PM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 27, 3 15 35 PM.edit" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5609/15460947730_7af97d654b_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the last one says Boo!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15737464676" title="Photo Oct 31, 4 43 27 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 31, 4 43 27 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15737464676_5f0f813bd5_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15737463916" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Photo Oct 31, 6 19 59 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Oct 31, 6 19 59 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3951/15737463916_a7176d3f23_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-24162370886326801872014-10-12T23:44:00.000-06:002014-10-12T23:44:31.017-06:00September AnticsSeptember highlights include the Hiroshima City Park with the PTA families from Gabe's school and our trip to Bunny Island!<br />
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September also included sickness for Gabe and me...on into October as well, unfortunately. The germs are really hitting us hard here.<br />
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I joined the Hiroshima International Women's Club. It brings bilingual Japanese women and other women foreigners together to learn from each other and create a community. Our first meeting was a class on Ikebana, Japanese floral design. it's beautiful but a very difficult art to master. My new friend Tazuko san helped me quite a bit! We get together at least once or twice a month for coffee and cooking/and or other cultural exchange classes.<br />
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Fall comes a bit later here in Hiroshima. I'm looking forward to the beautiful Fall colors in the next month or two. But for now we are all enjoying the cooler weather.<br />
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Gabe is enjoying school. His reading has already grown exponentially. He went on his first field trip to see Japanese houses last week. He enjoys PE and Japanese class. He is also learning to swim really well. He loves it.<br />
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Archie is being worked to death....long hours makes it tough but we enjoy the weekends.<br />
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This week is Gabe's fall break. We plan to make a lot of Halloween and Fall crafts, bake some pumpkin bread and get outside a bit.<br />
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We are also looking forward to the school's Halloween party on Halloween. Gabe plans on being a pirate. I'm planning on a skeleton and Archie will go as himself!<br />
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I'm looking forward to healthier days! I hope! Being sick makes everything miserable.<br />
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Here are some highlights from September....<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15173700741" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Sep 08, 11 52 46 AM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 08, 11 52 46 AM" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5580/15173700741_8a5178616e_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My arrangement and Tazuko san's</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15179983929" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Sep 21, 2 01 17 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Photo Sep 21, 2 01 17 PM" height="240" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2944/15179983929_fdf162dd74_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shaun the Sheep!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15343733886" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Sep 20, 2 01 31 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 20, 2 01 31 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3874/15343733886_c7ba2e8743_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Flower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15180150958" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Sep 20, 2 54 39 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 20, 2 54 39 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3882/15180150958_469dd8b761_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train ride up the mountain!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15180043750" title="Photo Sep 20, 3 35 57 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 20, 3 35 57 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3914/15180043750_0fe3b6d039_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15366437672" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Sep 20, 3 16 09 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 20, 3 16 09 PM" height="320" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2941/15366437672_35244f1cc7_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very scary but safe bridge!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15366737915" title="Photo Sep 20, 12 54 52 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 20, 12 54 52 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3874/15366737915_8881a8fcaa_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14989968079" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Sep 06, 4 52 12 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 06, 4 52 12 PM" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5557/14989968079_ace3e6bd60_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bunny island</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14989965609" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Sep 06, 4 21 09 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 06, 4 21 09 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/14989965609_0ebcaf911b_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubs feeding teh bunniez</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15176334512" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Photo Sep 06, 4 23 22 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Sep 06, 4 23 22 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3861/15176334512_85292aba5e_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-43660592788401954432014-09-27T03:13:00.002-06:002014-09-27T03:13:17.154-06:00Life Gets Busy....I had such high goals for myself when I came out here to Japan. I was going to blog incessantly and keep everyone updated. Facebook has had to do over the last couple of months.<br />
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I've been going through culture shock and homesickness and the blahs of being sick.<br />
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I'm crawling may way back out...but in the meantime...<br />
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Gabe started school last month. He rides the bus to and from everyday. He is also in school all day. It's been a bit rough on both of us. I miss my little buddy and he hates having to go 5 days a week but once he gets there he seems to enjoy every bit of it. I get to volunteer in class for an hour, too, each week.<br />
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I spend my days doing the normal things like cleaning, grocery shopping, budgeting, bill paying, cooking and planning meals. Plus, two days a week my Japanese tutor Yasuko San comes on over and we spend 4 hours a week that way. I'm taking an online class and plan to take a few more while I'm here. I exercise, walk around and see the sites, grab a cup of Joe, etc. And I get some more reading time in, too.<br />
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Archie works crazy hours so we don't see him until the weekends. We try to get out and see new things every weekend.<br />
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There's no guarantees how often I'll post but my goal is at least once a week.<br />
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Here are some picture highlights from our adventures over the last 6 weeks or so.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14864658767" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2014-08-11 15.42.40 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-08-11 15.42.40" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3882/14864658767_0959322208.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really good pizza place with wine!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15028217376" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Aug 14, 3 13 10 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 14, 3 13 10 PM" height="375" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3897/15028217376_b0dc4a5806.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chuo Park right by our apartment. Beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15028216496" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Aug 16, 1 33 20 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 16, 1 33 20 PM" height="375" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5585/15028216496_2e957331f1.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamada Beach.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15050853562" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Aug 16, 1 33 53 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 16, 1 33 53 PM" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5592/15050853562_69e7c6315c_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14864651077" title="Photo Aug 16, 1 34 06 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 16, 1 34 06 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3851/14864651077_58381105f4_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14864481449" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Aug 16, 2 18 46 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 16, 2 18 46 PM" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3892/14864481449_7d29505aa8.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He could have buried himself!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14864552540" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Aug 23, 1 08 20 PM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 23, 1 08 20 PM.edit" height="375" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5585/14864552540_8053319618.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miyajima--too hot that day. Look forward to coming back in the Fall.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15028214646" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Photo Aug 23, 1 27 03 PM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 23, 1 27 03 PM.edit" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3847/15028214646_d5ebbf421e_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14864619468" title="Photo Aug 23, 1 49 25 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 23, 1 49 25 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3853/14864619468_23e92a91f8_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/15051210975" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Photo Aug 23, 2 31 20 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 23, 2 31 20 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3836/15051210975_a867366bcf_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14864478029" title="Photo Aug 23, 3 40 09 PM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 23, 3 40 09 PM.edit" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5552/14864478029_0a841951f1_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14864616698" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Photo Aug 23, 12 17 50 PM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 23, 12 17 50 PM.edit" height="240" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5572/14864616698_6f9e253f14_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14864651837" title="Photo Aug 23, 12 31 12 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Aug 23, 12 31 12 PM" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3855/14864651837_88c42bfe87_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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I'll throw in more highlights soon. But this should be enough for this post.<br /><br />Japan was really hot in June and July. August was very rainy and now September has cooled off significantly with some sunny skies.Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-53882692226391391592014-07-24T23:37:00.000-06:002014-07-24T23:37:29.190-06:00It's Hot Tonight!The rainy season is coming to a close and now we are into really hot weather here in Hiroshima. The highest temps of the year were recorded yesterday and many people were taken to the hospital for dehydration and heat exhaustion throughout the country. I do not like high heat and combine that with the humidity, it's pretty unbearable here to be out and about.<br />
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So I'll be looking for things to do either at home or places to go that are inside or allow us to just cool off! The family pool is a great way to cool off with water and today we hit the river just 20 minutes away. The river is shallow so Gabe was able to splash around with friends and stay cool.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14753834123" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Photo Jul 23, 12 41 42 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Jul 23, 12 41 42 PM" height="500" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2914/14753834123_610a1e1a75.jpg" width="375" /></a>I did drag Gabe out on Wednesday to buy some art supplies. We didn't get everything I was looking for but we got enough so we can get started on some fun art projects. The store we went to is called Tokyu Hands. Each floor has a different theme. One level is for stationary and art supplies. Another for hobbies and small crafts. One floor even has a tsunami rescue shelter for 4000.00! Just in case, you know.<br />
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The paper here is adorable. They have cute post-it notes of every type of cat and dog and cute animal shape you can think of or letters and envelopes and origami paper. It's a scrapbooker's wet dream ;) I got a few items for my own journal. :)<br />
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This month we've just been trying to get used to actually living in Japan. Where are the stores, the malls, the restaurants? Where are the fun places to go? How do I get there when my fellow expat friends aren't driving me there? Driving and biking still give me pretty high anxiety. So I'm taking it pretty slow. Biking isn't going to do me a lot of good until it cools off. I can take me and Gabe to some local parks and the local YMCA for his swim lessons, etc. But I probably won't take the bike too far from my house. Bikes aren't allowed on the trains. So my best bets for getting around far are the car and the trains and buses. But it'll come in handy for places within a 10-20 minute walk.<br />
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Last weekend we took around some co-workers of Archie's to see some of the local shopping areas. They are here for 2 weeks at a time once or twice a month to get things going for Micron over here.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14710985606" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Jul 19, 11 26 30 AM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Jul 19, 11 26 30 AM" height="180" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5568/14710985606_46635bca07_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the bomb hit</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14547345739" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Jul 19, 11 26 20 AM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Jul 19, 11 26 20 AM" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2910/14547345739_aa826a25d5_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the bomb</td></tr>
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We first headed over to the Peace Memorial Museum. The first weekend we got here we visited the A-dome but not the museum. It's a very sad and yet hopeful experience. Hiroshima does not pull any punches when it comes to its descriptions of what happened to their people and city when the atomic bomb was dropped. Pictures and stories. It was a very harrowing experience but an important one. Don't forget the past or one is doomed to repeat it. They are very pro-peace in Japan and are always involved in summits to disband all nuclear weapons around the world. Gabe was a bit young for the museum but I'm hoping to take him back before we move back to America when he's 7. I think he'll be able to handle it better and take it in. This is a place I'll probably come back to alone to take it all in.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14753835163" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Photo Jul 16, 3 15 50 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Jul 16, 3 15 50 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3838/14753835163_4bfe34a698_m.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14710985836" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Photo Jul 16, 4 08 28 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Jul 16, 4 08 28 PM" height="240" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/14710985836_2dbdedcb73_m.jpg" width="180" /></a>Last week Gabe and I ventured out by ourselves on the train to the Children's Museum! It's small but fun. And it's free! Can't beat that ;) Gabe got to enjoy a large climbing tube area and the joys of sound and light. The second floor has a big train track that you can play with and lots of little gizmos that run on solar power!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14547346119" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Jul 16, 2 57 50 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Jul 16, 2 57 50 PM" height="240" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2924/14547346119_1f3a2c3126_m.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It went all the way up to the 2nd floor!</td></tr>
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Sunday I wanted to practice driving---well, not actually but I need to. I've been especially weary since the last time I drove I hit a curb and my hubcap flew off. Archie had to track it down and put it back on. Doh! But I couldn't find my International Driver's license so Archie ended up having to drive but I did find it after I returned home. He thinks I subconsciously misplaced it so I wouldn't be able to drive! I think he may be onto something....We made it up to Gabe's school. It's about 25 minutes away in the car and a pretty straight shot. So I'm happy about that. I'll try it out this weekend. I'm even hoping to make it to Costco soon ;)<br />
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Later that day I had a Meetup with some Japanese people. So Archie and Gabe came along so I wouldn't get lost! The meetup is for the Japanese people to practice their English. So I got to speak English and ask a lot of questions about their language and Hiroshima. I look forward to more get-togethers with them! All so nice.<br />
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Monday was a national holiday here in Japan. Sea Day. They celebrate the ocean and all the marine life and everyone gets the day off! It's pretty cool. I really like how Japan celebrates nature. We wanted to get to the beach but we were pretty worn out from Saturday and Sunday. So we relaxed at home and then went to dinner with some expat friends.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14731614904" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Photo Jul 21, 7 06 53 PM by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Jul 21, 7 06 53 PM" height="400" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2905/14731614904_0e31bbf4ea.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this was dessert!</td></tr>
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Many places shut down on Mondays, but especially on holidays so it took a bit of time to find a place open but we did! A little Mexican-American place that sells root beer! That is a tough thing to find in Japan. So Gabe had a root beer float and a quesadilla. I went with pollo mole and Archie went with a burrito.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14547535327" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Photo Jul 21, 6 18 37 PM.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Photo Jul 21, 6 18 37 PM.edit" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3840/14547535327_786d1c1307_n.jpg" width="274" /></a>We definitely are having fun finding new places to shop and eat and hang out!<br />
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On the rainy days we take our tea outside on the balcony with treats, Tiggers, and a good book :)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14650391345" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Tea party today on our balcony with Gabe's stuffed animals and a wonderful story. Perfect afternoon :) by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Tea party today on our balcony with Gabe's stuffed animals and a wonderful story. Perfect afternoon :)" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3869/14650391345_d1e99a40bd.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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It's pretty lonely. We do miss our American holidays and open spaces. The States have a lot of that. We miss our cats and friends and family too. But we are giving Hiroshima our best and are loving our experiences here too!Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-36340178308396952922014-07-08T21:47:00.000-06:002014-07-08T21:47:29.202-06:00Japan So Far....I need to be more consistent! After our visit to the Hiroshima Castle I've been a big slacker. I'm just trying to get used to everything here and find my way so I haven't had as much time to just take it all in and write about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14527011485" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2014-06-28 14.26.53.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-28 14.26.53.edit" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3920/14527011485_57014e9f75_z.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiroshima Castle</td></tr>
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I still need to take time to take some sunny day shots of our apartment. It doesn't get a ton of great natural light but I'll do my best when it gets sunnier. Hopefully this weekend and when the place is a bit cleaner ;) I really like it, though. It'll do for us over the next 2 years!<br />
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I am enjoying having so many things really close. Lots of shopping district, restaurants, and the grocery stores are all within walking distance or a short bike ride or hop on the train station, which is literally right outside our apartment door. We have McDonald's across the street too ;) A family pool is two train stops away and it's pretty nice. The Hiroshima Castle and Temple is within walking distance and if I ever decide I want to run, they even have a jogging trail! The YMCA is also very close and it offers lots of stuff for Gabe to do like swimming lessons, dance, sports, etc. I can even sign up for the gym if I desire.... And a really nice liquor store is literally next door! They have a children's museum close by which is free except for the planetarium. The library is right next door to that. And any street car or other train lines are all within another train ride away. Oh, I can't forget the Costco! Lifesaver! It doesn't have everything I'm used to but it still has plenty.<br />
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Everyone is also so nice and helpful. Lots of restaurants have English menus and most of the menus come with bright colorful pictures so even if they don't have an English one I can just point and say please! No tipping is expected. I feel bad not doing it but it's how they roll here so I'm enjoying it.<br />
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Also everything is small and adorable. I found a little cocktail shaker that holds 4 oz maybe. It's just adorable.<br />
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The hard stuff so far. Driving! It's on the left side. All the signs are in Kanji with a bit of English or hiragana/katakana. The roads are smaller. The signal and the windshield wipers on the opposite side. Plus there are people and bicyclists everywhere! We all share the road to some degree and it's quite scary. I fear I'll maim some poor elderly woman or some punk kid on a bike going to fast! Yikes.<br />
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Bicycling is also scary. I got one of their big bikes with a basket and a seat for Gabe on the back. They are big and heavy and durable. I've never been much of a biker in the States so trying to figure this out is pretty daunting. They are very very talented bicyclists here. Weaving in and out of traffic and pedestrians is what they do.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14525988872" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-06-28 16.17.47 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-28 16.17.47" height="640" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3857/14525988872_2fd32aa54a_z.jpg" width="478" /></a><br />
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Also everything is in kanji. It's frustrating to not be able to read things. My brain hurts after five minutes at the grocery store. It'll take time but it's daunting in the beginning.<br />
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I find I'm missing bread. They do have bread here but it's only white bread and it comes in blocks which they slice into 3, 4, 5, or six slices. And they are pretty big slices. I found one that had ten once but I haven't found it again. So we head to the store pretty often to pick up bread. They do have bakeries but they are usually filled with pastries which are good but something I shouldn't have everyday! So flour, sugar, etc are all high-priced commodities. Specialty bake shops carry the things I need but I haven't been to one yet. Also our "ovens" are really microwaves with ovens too. I miss my large oven. But I love their gas stoves and pans! I can't forget the rice cooker! So amazing. We will be bringing one home with us for sure :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14525568644" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2014-06-28 19.52.41.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-28 19.52.41.edit" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3888/14525568644_dc80ef9dba.jpg" width="374" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Tea Cake! Yum!</td></tr>
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So it's harder to figure out what to cook for the family. I usually to crock pots and breads and pasta and all that American stuff...here it's doable but a lot more expensive. I have no idea how to cook Japanese style and it looks like lots of prep. So we do what we can. But curry is everywhere and it's good and quick and easy so we've had that a few nights.<br />
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I really want to learn how to make okonomiyaki! I've written about it before but it's heavenly. It's fairly simple ingredients but looks like it'll take some practice before it'll come out all right!<br />
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Shabu shabu is also delcious! You boil your meats and veggies in special sauces right at your table. Gabe loves the meats so it's a good one to go to. Ramen is amazing here. Katsu. Curry. I still need to find a good sushi place. I want to eat out every night but we can't afford that but we do make it out at least once on the weekends and try new things.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14310611007" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Fun day with friends :) beautiful gardens here. by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun day with friends :) beautiful gardens here." height="500" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5595/14310611007_ca0dab11d0.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shukkein Garden! Beautiful place.</td></tr>
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There's more to write but I'll end here....I'm a little lonely missing my kitties and my friends and family and English...ha ha! It's culture shock. I'm in it but trying to deal with it and know it'll last for a bit longer and may even get worse before it gets better. I keep my chin up and know it'll get better as I meet more people and get new friends, figure out how to drive and bike my way around, and get a bit better at Japanese, which all takes time :)Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-34024540095183788872014-06-16T00:11:00.000-06:002014-06-16T00:11:46.045-06:00Hiroshima Peace MemorialThe weekend came and went too fast, but we did manage to visit the Atomic Dome/Hiroshima Peace Memorial. I wanted to stay there a lot longer but when you have a 5-year-old with no attention span who's still adjusting to life on the other side of the world...well, you know.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/kids/KPSH_E/question_box/images/domeB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/kids/KPSH_E/question_box/images/domeB.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <a href="http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/kids/KPSH_E/question_box/question1.html" target="_blank">dome</a> before the bomb circa 1930</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14432306032" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-06-14 14.10.39.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-14 14.10.39.edit" height="271" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/14432306032_855943beee.jpg" width="500" /></a>It's one of the few buildings still standing from the atomic bomb. It took a few years for Japan to decide they wanted to turn it into a memorial. So many wanted the reminder gone.<br />
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It's a jarring sight. One you can't soon forget. To stand there and contemplate that only a few decades ago the destructive force of the atomic bomb ripped this city apart and the people within. Horrifying but one that's stands as a reminder for peace.<br />
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I'll definitely find times to come here by myself to truly contemplate what this means.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the sign said about the dome.</td></tr>
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We headed around the rest of the park and found other statues and memorials for peace.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14433621825" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-06-14 13.10.02.edit.1 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-14 13.10.02.edit.1" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5492/14433621825_10139afbab_n.jpg" width="243" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14247020170" title="2014-06-14 13.11.21.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-14 13.11.21.edit" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5574/14247020170_9445d5df9b_n.jpg" width="160" /></a><br />
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We then found the bell for peace. We each rang it. And Gabe did so very loudly!<br />
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Then we found the Jizo statue that still has the atomic shadow created from the blast.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14430273091" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-06-14 13.18.38.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-14 13.18.38.edit" height="500" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3859/14430273091_ce8cae7850.jpg" width="374" /></a><br />
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Japan loves origami and they create some pretty amazing art out of it. All of these pictures are of tiny origami cranes made into beautiful works of art, all for peace.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14247183907" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-06-14 14.12.53.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-14 14.12.53.edit" height="223" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3842/14247183907_f6e94d6364_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14432506384" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" title="2014-06-14 14.13.06.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-14 14.13.06.edit" height="226" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5033/14432506384_b85602e489_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14430272971" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-06-14 13.13.42.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-06-14 13.13.42.edit" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/14430272971_600485b0ce_n.jpg" width="219" /></a>This is just a taste of their amazing vending machines that you can find on every corner! You need water! Boom. Coffee? hot or cold? juice, soda...some even have beer.<br />
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Gabe got pretty bored and tired after an hour or so but he was a trooper and kept at it!<br />
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The rest of the day we spent at the Aeon Mall. It has a really nice dollar store, Toys R Us, a big grocery store with other department store type things on other floors, and good food. We ventured on the trains. Archie knows a lot of Japanese and is getting better as time goes on. So he can ask for train tickets and order our food. I'm not there yet, but look forward to the day when I can.<br /><br />Sunday was a relaxing day of bill paying and paper work and puzzles, TV watching, okonomiyaki! and just chilling.<br />
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We should be getting into our apartment on Friday. And hopefully our resident visas will come through within the next couple of weeks so we can get cell phones and other things.<br />
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The next big daring adventure will be to learn to drive on the left side of the road. Archie tried it from work with his boss who's been driving here for awhile and with Gabe and me from his boss's house to our hotel. It was pretty nerve-racking!<br />
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We are all looking forward to our own space and routine again! We've been going a bit crazy living out of suitcases and in hotels.<br />
<br />Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-82159736188240199452014-06-11T16:52:00.003-06:002014-06-11T16:52:50.618-06:00Flying and Arriving in JapanIt's been a whirlwind of a week. We headed out bright and early on Saturday morning. We flew to Denver to get on the plane that took us to Tokyo. Gabe refused to sleep until it was about 2 hours before landing....that didn't work out so well. He was in his deep sleep by that time and we took him of the plane literally kicking and screaming while he was half awake and half asleep. It was miserable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://q-ec.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max300/141/14186885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://q-ec.bstatic.com/images/hotel/max300/141/14186885.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/sheraton-hiroshima.html" target="_blank">Our hotel</a></td></tr>
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Then we got on the last plane flight from Tokyo to Hiroshima. The plane is small so they couldn't fit all of our luggage on the plane so they said they'd send it down the next day to our hotel. Gabe had some underwear and clothes but Archie and I didn't. We were super smelly and sticky...yuck. We crashed at the hotel and didn't have any clothes to get into so we stuck on our smelly items and went and got breakfast at.....<br />
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Yup, McDonald's. Gabe really wanted pancakes. They taste the same! Then Archie had to make it up to work on Monday and took the train. The commute is about 3-hours round trip. So it makes for some long days. But once we get settled into our apartment he'll be able to carpool and it'll cut the time in half, hopefully.<br />
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We have some friends here already that came from Utah last summer. So Amanda has been showing us around. We even bought baseball tickets for next month. Hiroshima has their own baseball team, The Carps! It'll be really fun.<br />
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We took in Costco pizza for lunch and then went back to her house and Gabe played with her girls for a bit till it was time to make it back to the hotel. We had to walk under in the tunnel. But we couldn't find our way for a bit---we got lost and had to ask someone for directions! We found it. Gabe was scared for a bit but OK after we made it to our hotel.<br />
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The next day we spent more time in the hotel and ventured out to get an ice cream cone. I really want to figure out the train system this weekend so we can go out and do more things this next week. But for now, we stick close to home so we don't get lost!<br /><br />I don't have any pics yet since my cell phone doesn't work here and I won't get a phone for a couple of more weeks...so once that's done I'll be posting more pics like crazy!<br />
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Everyone is really helpful and nice. Most of their menus have pictures so usually I can just point at it.<br />
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Today, in Japan since it's 15 hours ahead of Utah, is my birthday. Pretty uneventful it will be this year at least the actual day. But I'm looking forward to getting settled and celebrating soon, out on the town! Happy birthday to me :)Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-25176619202542519452014-06-06T00:16:00.001-06:002014-06-06T00:16:51.152-06:00Home-finding Trip Part DeuxJapan has some pretty awesome things. I've already talked about the food. The first day was ramen. The second day we tried curry. Soooooo good. And the third day we tried okonomiyaki, Hiroshima style! All so very good.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/10/okonomiyaki-hiroshima-style.html" target="_blank">Okonomiyaki Hiroshima Style</a>! Yum</td></tr>
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One amazing thing about Japan, at least what I noticed in Hiroshima, was their amazing customer service. Everyone is nice and super polite. You feel like a king no matter what restaurant or store you walk into. There is no tipping in Japan. They wouldn't know what to do with that extra money. They pride themselves on a job well-done. I'm hoping the service industry is paid a bit better than here in the States!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14355271283" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2014-05-19 17.20.41.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-19 17.20.41.edit" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2935/14355271283_4cdedd62de_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside our hotel</td></tr>
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Archie spoke Japanese 20 years ago or so; he's a bit rusty but it started coming back to him while we there. It was fun watching his face light up as he started to use it and understand it a bit! I tried to learn their two syllabaries, Hiragana and Katakana, while I was there. I did it once but I haven't picked it back up since. But I'm hoping to gain some basics while there so I can get around and maybe talk with some people and make a new friend or two. Archie's company is providing tutors for both of us and I intend to use them!<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14161772579" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-05-22 23.32.30.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-22 23.32.30.edit" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3898/14161772579_244038c20e_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Archie's work put us up in the hotel by the Hiroshima airport. It's an hour out of downtown Hiroshima. But that's the place we needed to be everyday. So they dropped the ball on that one. Our escort had to drive out an hour and an hour back just to get us around and back. It was very inconvenient. But we made the best of it. There are a couple of beautiful gardens right next to the hotel. So we took part of a day to explore those. It was tranquil and peaceful. It was a much-needed break.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14161807238" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-05-27 08.43.44 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-27 08.43.44" height="320" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2912/14161807238_f432731933_n.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14161825750" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="2014-05-22 23.44.29 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-22 23.44.29" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3906/14161825750_8f2d758a2c_n.jpg" width="180" /></a>But we think that Archie picked up his flesh-eating bacteria there in the hotel. He used their pillows; I brought my own. We will never know for sure, though. He got on antibiotics within a day or two of coming home. Though I wouldn't wish this on anyone, Archie did get an extra week here so we have been able to get everything done that we needed to--well, almost.<br />
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I spent last week saying goodbye to a lot of people. I played my last softball game, had my goodbye party/last book club, got to drink Death Stars at El Chihuahua with more friends.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14170559918" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="2014-05-30 19.45.21.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-30 19.45.21.edit" height="231" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5488/14170559918_ab86e6b6c3_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>This week was spent packing stuff and then hauling it into storage, closing accounts, getting bills paid online, shopping, and making sure all the cleaning, fixing, etc gets done within the next week or two to rent out our place.<br />
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It's fast and furious and makes me sad to leave my kitties, friends, and family. But excited for the new adventure.<br />
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I have been able to visit my kitties a bit this week and that's helped just seeing them adjusting and getting along. Especially Shadow. She gets to go outside in a fenced backyard and she's loving it. She has even lost weight in the week and 2 days she's been there! Wolfy and Frodo have taken over the living room at my parents'. So I think they're doing OK too. I miss them already but know they are in good hands.<br />
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Only a few things to wrap up Friday and off we go!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shadow lovin' the outdoors!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-62434266063188358502014-06-02T23:44:00.002-06:002014-06-02T23:44:34.053-06:00Bon Voyage, Utah and Home-Finding TripI'm pretty sure we're leaving this Saturday, June 7th but we still don't have visas in-hand yet so you never know....but our tickets have been bought!<br />
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May 12-15th I headed down to Vegas with two of my besties and we hit the town hard...well, not too hard. I'm getting old ;)<br />
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This pic encapsulates our awesome adventure. This one was taken at Coyote Ugly where Brittney got up onstage and danced her patootie off!<br />
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After all that fun it was time for Archie and me to head off to Japan for our home-finding trip. It was fast and furious and stressful and fun.</div>
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Hiroshima is really an amazing city and I only saw a little bit of it. Jet lag was pretty tough. I woke up at 4 am almost every morning. So it made for some long days. </div>
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Japan is 15 hours ahead of Utah so that made for some interestingly timed phone conversations with my mom, who was watching Gabe for that week! The flight was really long and it never was night. We kept up with the sun the whole time. That was so fascinating. The International Dateline is in the Pacific Ocean and it heads east. So Japan is a lot further ahead than say England even though the flight time is comparable! Just crazy. And we lost a day. So we left Sunday in Utah and arrived Monday night in Japan.</div>
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Tuesday was our home-finding trip with Paul, a Japanese-Canadian! He was fantastic work with. He told us everything he could think of on Japanese culture and getting around Hiroshima! We ate Japanese ramen and it was the most delicious ramen ever. I should have taken a pic but I was too jet-lagged to think straight and I know I'll have more opportunities in the future. It also rained all day, so Paul even bought us each an umbrella so we could stay dry.</div>
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Wednesday was a trip to Gabe's school to meet the principal and take a tour of the school. We're excited! I think Gabe will really enjoy it. Then it was off to pick our apartment after we had narrowed our search to 2 apartments. We chose the one with two stories. It was the biggest apartment Paul had shown and it's close to Archie's boss and his family that are also from Utah working for Micron out in Japan like us. The subway is two seconds away as well. So it just worked out nicely for us.</div>
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Here are a few photos of our new place! We have some lighter furniture to help brighten the darker floors and cabinets. It should be nice. A little cozy but comfy.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14148500918" title="2014-05-19 20.04.43 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-19 20.04.43" height="180" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/14148500918_7e93e80acb_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14148658707" title="2014-05-19 20.04.08 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-19 20.04.08" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2902/14148658707_7b46ec0f54_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></u></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14335159995" title="2014-05-19 20.03.33.edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-19 20.03.33.edit" height="180" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5568/14335159995_9e819abaa0_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14148503968" title="2014-05-19 20.05.44 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-19 20.05.44" height="320" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5561/14148503968_982a0781ac_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></u></span></div>
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Here are a couple of photos of Gabe's school.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14333492242" title="2014-05-20 19.56.19 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-20 19.56.19" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3893/14333492242_119c41fd86_n.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/14148577490" title="2014-05-20 20.10.25 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-05-20 20.10.25" height="180" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/14148577490_a3869659b6_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></u></span></div>
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The wheel has a bunch of different areas where the kids talk about how they fit in or didn't fit in each day or week. Some are risk-taker, caring, reflective. The older kids help out the younger ones with planting and gardening!</div>
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This post is getting a bit long so I'll add another post on the rest of our home-finding trip soon.</div>
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Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-72149351730486021362014-05-09T11:52:00.002-06:002014-05-09T11:52:13.055-06:00Japan Update!My posting has been pretty sporadic this last month and it will continue to be so until we all get settled in Japan. But I will try to post what I can with some updates and hopefully some bookish things too.<br />
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I'm heading to Vegas this next weekend with my friends for one last hurrah! I'm so excited. My devoted H is taking the week off and getting stuff moved and watching Gabe. He is so sweet to let me have this last little vacay with my friends.<br />
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Then the week after that it's off to Japan for a week to find a home. The agency working with us has picked out various apartments within our family range and most look pretty neat. They are small--so we will be heading back to apartment status for two years but they look nice and we're all excited.<br />
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As for my kitties. My oldest, grumpiest, and most needy cat Frodo will either be staying with my mom or my friend for the first 6 months and then my mother-in-law will take him the rest of the time once she moves back to Oregon. So I'm feeling a lot better about that. I'll miss my cats to so much. My friends and my cats, those are the hardest things about this move. But I'm trying to be positive and am looking forward to our new adventure!<br />
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We even sold our Toyota Camry this week for a good price and am now driving around in a rental VW Jetta :) We're signing our rental agency this next week to get our place rented out and taken care of while we're gone. There is still a ton of packing to do but we are getting it done slowly but surely.<br />
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I've been putting together a little airplane kit for Gabe. My friend sent me an article from Parenting.com on <a href="http://www.parenting.com/gallery/50-ways-entertain-kids-plane?page=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">50 Ways to Entertain a Kid on an Airplane</span></a>. A lot of the suggestions are for toddlers, but there were plenty of ideas that still fit Gabe's age.<br />
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<a href="http://cdn.trendhunterstatic.com/thumbs/my-neighbor-totoro-bed.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.trendhunterstatic.com/thumbs/my-neighbor-totoro-bed.jpeg" height="292" width="320" /></a></div>
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And when I get anything in Japan, the top of the list will be this adorable Totoro bed ;) And if you don't know what I'm talking about you need to watch <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: red;">My Neighbor Totoro</span></i></a> pronto :)Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-34608481713442575542014-05-04T00:00:00.000-06:002014-05-04T00:00:01.170-06:00Easter!Due to our chaos of moving to Japan next month...Easter wasn't quite as festive as I usually like to make it. So I didn't get my Spring flowers planted or my fun decorations up.<br />
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But we did manage to color eggs, homemade even! We delivered the basket with time to spare.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/13950287574" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Our beautiful Easter eggs! by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Our beautiful Easter eggs!" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7442/13950287574_a375fd38be.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vinegar, food coloring and water! ta da!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/13949784383" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="The Great Bunny came! ;) by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="The Great Bunny came! ;)" height="500" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7177/13949784383_65055879e8.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gabe got a special box from his Aunt Jean with pirate eggs galore!</td></tr>
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Every year I make crepes for Easter. I invited my family over for crepes on Saturday and then made them again Easter morning at our friends' house. Shortly after we hid the kids (or the dads did) and let the kids go on an Easter egg hunt.</div>
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I would have to say despite not getting it all done the way I would have liked, it turned out to be the best Easter yet!</div>
Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-17941109337527750232014-05-01T18:08:00.001-06:002014-05-01T18:08:51.079-06:00Vacationing at Zion's!Last month we headed down to Zion National Park with our wonderful friends Stacie and Dan and their two kids. Taking vacations with friends is the best way to do this! Highly recommended for the future.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/13727227105" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2014-04-05 11.10.16.edit_f by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-04-05 11.10.16.edit_f" height="116" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3699/13727227105_ed1fbd46b5_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a panoramic pic I took of the surrounding area!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/13721663004" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2014-04-05 11.39.22 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-04-05 11.39.22" height="282" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3758/13721663004_e4362a4237.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the rock I was talking about!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killer squirrels that live at the park. They have huge signs around with a man's hand completely bit from a killer squirrel--freaked us all out! Don't feed them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/13721359103" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2014-04-04 13.19.35 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2014-04-04 13.19.35" height="282" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5119/13721359103_a2dc878c52.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It really was beautiful down there!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did it!</td></tr>
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All the kids did really well! Some of the hikes were two or three hours and while they did complain a bit, overall they enjoyed the scenery and playing!Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-86699805785635429642014-04-24T13:20:00.001-06:002014-04-24T13:20:23.693-06:00And We're Off to Japan!Archie got a new 2-year position in Japan helping his parent company Micron set up their new plant in Hiroshima! It's going to be amazing and crazy and all that. We're very excited! Gabe keeps asking everyday if we are leaving yet!<br />
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It's going to take a lot of fast and furious times to get ready to leave in a few weeks. We're renting out our place, finding 2-year homes for our 3 adorable kitties, packing, storing, throwing out, selling, etc!<br />
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I really want to start using this blog again to post about our adventures living in Japan! I will try to keep everyone updated :)<br />
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This is the city we will be living in!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/g8/2160_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.japan-guide.com/g8/2160_01.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2160.html" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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We will be making a quick home-finding trip in a couple of weeks to pick out our apartment and furnishings :)Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-47485438450370183252013-09-22T14:09:00.001-06:002013-09-22T14:11:36.347-06:00September Means School Starts!Gabe has been having a fabulous time this summer and now it's over officially today, the Autumn Equinox. But that means Fall has begun officially, too.<br />
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Gabe started his second year of preschool with Miss Julie. He is going a full 3-days a week now :) He is loving it! Lots of fabulous art projects and learning of his numbers and practicing his ABCs!<br />
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Let's see. We won a really nice grill through Archie's work at the yearly Summer work party at Cow-a-bunga. So we've been doing some grilling! Archie enjoyed putting it together and leaving out a few screws here and there ;)<br />
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But Gabe got into some crazy antics a couple of weeks ago...well, not his fault, per se. But a friend accidentally threw a wooden object at him on Memorial Day and he ended up getting a pretty deep cut. It was a bloody horror show when he came up the stairs...blood just streaming down his whole face. His two friends and brothers came up the stairs so devastated. They literally thought they had killed him and that they were going to jail cuz that's where bad people go. So sad.<br />
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We thought we could close it up and he'd be OK, but another few days later we went over to a friend's house and she has a German Shepherd who has an infected ear...we don't know exactly what happened but the next thing we know the dog has her mouth around Gabe's head and his would was reopened. No, visible bite marks or anything. But it was pretty scary. So we took him into the doctor and has his little cut glued shut, finally. It's healing!!!!<br />
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Such a trooper. It was pretty traumatizing hearing the screams as they put the glue on him. :( But a sucker and an ice cream later and he was good to go!<br />
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Archie's brother came down to stay for a surgery he needed performed and we helped him recover and spent time with him. We ended up going to the super duper Scheel's store that has a freakin' Ferris Wheel in its store! Lots of fun things to do with the kiddos...a play place, an aquarium, and pictures with sharks and fish that we 'caught.' (wink wink).<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9730074838/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Fun day at Scheel's!!! by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun day at Scheel's!!!" height="240" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2865/9730074838_bf6558f2f8_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Let's no forget soccer! Gabe started for the first time this year! He's enjoying it so far. He's not the most athletic out there, but they are all having so much fun and that's the most important thing.<br />
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We also headed down to the first ever <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ProvoPride" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Provo Pride Festival</span></a>. It was small but great. Lots of people and vendors and local groups and churches supporting the GLBT community. We even got to make a noodle necklace made out of rainbow pasta! I love being able to teach Gabe about love and acceptance and caring about others.<br />
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Lots of gorgeous sunsets and clouds this month too :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9796827434/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Beautiful sunset tonight! by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Beautiful sunset tonight!" height="240" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5447/9796827434_f6df3758a9_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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I'm having a little Fall Equinox party today and I'll post about that later :) Happy Fall everyone.<br />
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<br />Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-86050859694304107142013-08-26T22:14:00.000-06:002013-08-26T22:16:10.276-06:00August Fun!August went by in a flash! I don't know where it went...swoosh and out the door :)<br />
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Gabe had swimming lessons with his friends Alex and Lizzie!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9605614080/" title="2013-08-01 12.36.12 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2013-08-01 12.36.12" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5543/9605614080_9359bb7d4e.jpg" height="282" width="500" /></a><br />
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We went camping again with some more friends where we really roughed it. We tried to find a walk-in campsite but by the time we got up there on a Friday, they had all been taken. So we tried out their dispersed sites aka no running water and no toilets! So Archie dug a latrine and we headed to a store and got some extra water. It was really fun. We camped really close to a forest enclosure and the kids went and played in their all day. We ate yummy food and had some yummy beers and a campfire to end both nights :)<br />
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We made Magic Power Shields and talked about the Plains Native Americans and listened to some fantastic music while creating art and learning of other cultures!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9599598921/" title="Gabe's magic power shield. We learned about the Plains Native Americans today :) by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Gabe's magic power shield. We learned about the Plains Native Americans today :)" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2871/9599598921_48153b396d.jpg" height="500" width="500" /></a><br />
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A transformer near our neighborhood blew out the other night and knocked out the power for a few hours. So we gathered with our neighbors and talked and let the kids play outside till the lights came back on.<br />
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We had fires on the other side of the mountain that made for some pretty sweet sunsets and clouds.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9506987454/" title="There were some sweet clouds going on today :) by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="There were some sweet clouds going on today :)" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5510/9506987454_1ddc7f57ff.jpg" height="500" width="500" /></a><br />
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Archie had his work party at Cow-a-Bunga water park and it was spectacular for Gabe! He keeps asking when we can go back :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9557725073/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Fun times at Cowabunga Bay!!!! by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Fun times at Cowabunga Bay!!!!" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5329/9557725073_bef13b7038.jpg" height="500" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
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And he has started soccer this year. He's had his first practice and his first game happens tomorrow night. He signed up with his neighbor friend and so far loving it! Sports for your kids become so much better when you are not coaching :) Yay to enjoying soccer this year!<br />
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So it's been a fantastic month and now onto school! Gabe starts his second year of preschool next week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9602379827/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2013-08-25 13.32.19 by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2013-08-25 13.32.19" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3703/9602379827_fdd1d3bfff.jpg" height="282" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday fun times with friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9438062915/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Battle Creek Sunday hike!!!! by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Battle Creek Sunday hike!!!!" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3801/9438062915_0b2aac61fb.jpg" height="500" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
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Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-83502901818354375142013-07-21T22:16:00.000-06:002013-07-21T22:18:24.198-06:00Camping at Mirror Lake!My friends invited Archie and I and Gabe up to go camping with them last weekend and it was so fun. We decided one night would do us since we are always weary with Gabe and camping...But they had two boys that Gabe played with the whole time.<br />
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They brought up their water-rafting raft and handcrafted some oars and we went on the lake. A thunderstorm followed us up but it wasn't too bad. We got off the boat right as it started to downpour. Luckily we didn't see too much lightning!<br />
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Camping up in the mountains with a beautiful lake and beautiful trees hit the spot. We sat around the campfire and drank some beer, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and gazed up at the Universe. With no light pollution, the sky at night is gorgeous.<br />
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The only thing bad about camping is the sleeping. I don't sleep well and even less so when camping. But one night ain't too bad. Gabe got to see experience nature and getting dirty with friends and we got to relax with friends in nature. We even saw a couple of deer run through our camp!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9283818257/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2013-07-13 edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2013-07-13 edit" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3757/9283818257_7b5ec3a798_n.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9286594298/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2013-07-12 15.04.48edit by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="2013-07-12 15.04.48edit" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3687/9286594298_b02a2e5680_n.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gabe sleeping peacefully in the car!</td></tr>
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<br />Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-8425538742207407952013-07-02T13:24:00.002-06:002013-07-02T13:25:50.274-06:00Cousin Time!Archie's brother Logan and his family all came down this weekend for vacation! They stayed with us for 4 days! Fun times for little Gabe since he has no siblings :) It was a full calendar with the Dinosaur Museum, swimming pool, splash park, Discovery Museum, movies, and all around kid mayhem!<br />
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It's great for Gabe to see his family since Uncle Logan and Aunt Sarah and their four kids live in Oregon. Now they are headed off for more than two weeks worth of camping and dinosaur site exploring!</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hmsgofita/9194622124/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Gabe had so much fun with his cousins this weekend! He is sad to see them go. by hmsgofita, on Flickr"><img alt="Gabe had so much fun with his cousins this weekend! He is sad to see them go." src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/9194622124_155633125f.jpg" height="500" width="500" /></a></div>
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It was fast and furious but oh so fun!</div>
Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-31482736989313335532013-06-24T17:02:00.001-06:002013-06-24T19:36:26.491-06:00Family Pictures 2013!It's been almost 2.5 years since we last got our family pictures done! Way too long, I know. At least once a year, right?<br />
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Well, my beautiful friend Jill agreed to take our pictures up at a lovely site in the mountains!<br />
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I think they turned out pretty good. :)Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-85489276456978562202013-06-06T15:46:00.001-06:002013-06-06T15:54:08.348-06:00Spring Hiking!We've been doing a lot of hiking the last month. I've gone twice with friends and once with Gabe. Gorgeous mountains of Utah!<br />
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<br />Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1379666069452372846.post-24357005647295946292013-05-13T16:45:00.001-06:002013-05-13T16:46:35.773-06:00Mother's Day 2013I awoke to a fabulous cuisine of....Reese's Peanut Butter cups and peach rings! And an adorable card drawn by Gabe at preschool along with a cute decorated planter and plant.<br />
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We headed over to Denny's for some Mother's Day brunch and coffee.<br />
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Then it was over the local splash park for some fun with water. Just a relaxing afternoon with Gabe and Archie. It's Spring and so I decided to put in my flower barrette that my beautiful friend Sarah made for me back in February and my Spring dress.<br />
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It was a gorgeous day and we spent the rest of it with my mother and my sister's, bbqing and talking and eating dessert while Gabe ran amok with his cousin Mailia!<br />
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I wanted to say some other things about Mother's Day. I know this is a day that can cause a lot of distress and anxiety for so many women. If you are a woman who's never wanted children of her own, it can be a day of judgment and misunderstanding. If you have lost a child it can be a day of depression and anger. If you don't have enough children or too many or don't have a "normal" family, it can cause the day to be quite stressful.<br />
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I go back and forth on this because I'm not the most nurturing of mothers. I don't fit that typical role. It's tough and because it's so damn tough for me, Archie and I have chosen to only have Gabe. And sometimes this day causes anxiety for me because I feel guilty. I shouldn't have a day lavished on me because I don't fit the "role" or whatever. It's dumb but they're feelings and they affect me.<br />
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But I try to think about how I care about people in general. I empathize, I want the world to be a better place. I love my son and my friends and my family. I have cats. I nurture them. I have plants outside on my porch that I try to nurture (some days are better than others). I try to nurture my friends' kids. My point is I think most of us (men too) are nurturers. We "mother" things, people, Earth, etc. I think it's a day to celebrate life and the nurturing of that life in whatever form that takes.<br />
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Happy nurturing and life day to all :)Heather G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18051840056392247706noreply@blogger.com0