27.Feb.2010 Onawatobi Taikai

Today is the Yawata city jumprope festival. Mia and many other kids from her school formed teams to compete in the event.

The first jumprope challenge was to jump as a team as many times in two minutes. Mia’s team had a hard time because the rope turners didn’t do a good job. They didn’t advance.

The next challenge was to jump rope as a team but they had to one at a time run through the jumprope and do it as many times as they could in two minutes. They did well the first time and perfect the second.

Unfortunately, I do not know the rules so I have no idea how they did in the competition even though they did well.

Now the kids are playing with their friends while Denise and I sit in the car eating our lunch bentos Denise made this morning.

I feel like I am camping!

27.Dec.2009 Merry Christmas, ya’ll! We were looking for the photos of your Christmas Day and can’t seem o make the system work. Are we doing something wrong? Please advise! Love to all, Mom and the Bella Bunch

Merry Christmas, ya’ll!  We were looking for your Christmas phtos but can’t make them come up.  Let us know what we need to be doing so we can share your Christmas.  We will send you some photos, too.  Love to all.  Mom

26.Dec.2009 Merry Christmas

Christmas has come and gone, but the meaning behind the special day will never fade away. Hope you had a very blessed Christmas Day wherever you were.

We had a nice little Christmas party at church last Saturday, and then on this past Wednesday night we went to the Underwoods’ house for another one. That will be the last time we will have a Christmas party at their house! I can’t believe it!

It sounds bad, but it wasn’t. It was a great little party. But unfortunately they will be moving away to another country next summer, so Christmas at their house next year will be out of the question.

On another note, Grandma Joyce is here with us this Christmas. She was here last year for two months, but could only come for one month this time. Her friend, Eileen, is also here with us staying for two weeks. They and Denise have been going out and about around Kyoto and Osaka seeing the sites and eating.

Having them here for Christmas and New Year’s is such a blessing for us. The kids are enjoying their time with Grandma and so are we…although, Denise gets to spend more time with Joyce than I do, mostly because I have been working.

However you are spending Christmas and New Year’s Day, we hope you have a fun, safe time. Praise God, we have gotten through another year in one piece and now are about to go into 2010. Pray we continue to do God’s will in Japan and grow closer to Him on a daily basis. We hope and pray you do, too. God Bless!

In Him in 2010!