DISCLAIMER** This post is kind of long (sorry)... it's been a while and a lot has happened!
February is a good month.
There has been a lot of Bachelor (the show) watching, a lot of exploring, a lot of different events happening, a lot of unpacking, a lot of organizing, and a lot of fun. Oh, and a lot of LOVE. We're newlyweds, what can we say?! Sorry we like kissing each other. Sorry we're not sorry.
That's why I am SO incredibly excited it is February because it's basically the MONTH OF LOVING. There are heart things everywhere, and flowers, and pink and red things, and .chocolate. (yum). lots and lots of .chocolate.
Speaking of chocolate, I made these delicious Valentine's Day-inspired Nanaimo Bars. I first had a Nanaimo bar when Arthur and I went to Canada and it may be one of the reasons I really like Canada. I brought them to Arthur's work because I would be too tempted to eat the whole batch but they seemed to really like them. If you haven't tried them before, I suggest making them. Here's the recipe I used. You're welcome. ;)
Last month was hard because I was so hurt by Arthur's blog post. (see here) I never knew I was like that. I cried for at least three days straight.
.
.
.
PSYCH. I thought it was hilarious. And if I didn't know that I take up the whole bed (sorry I need a lot of space), use a lot of hair conditioner (have you EVER tried having super curly hair??), have a lot of clothes (too many..), unaware of my emotions a good amount of the time (not my fault),like LOVE chocolate/candy/desserts, or enjoy the occasional TSWIFT song (all the time), then I might legitimately be crazy. I might have to disagree with the " I'm not a morning person. Or an evening person. My optimal operating hours are between noon and 6pm" though, because I definitely think I'm the sweetest ALWAYS. But Arthur might be a better judge of that...
However.. in ONE day it is our 6 month anniversary (How did it go by SO quickly??). I would say in these 6 months we have grown in infinite ways, learned so much about ourselves and each other, and have really learned how to rely on each other- as well as learned how much we need the Lord in our lives. It has been so much fun being married, and sometimes very hard too. When all of yourself is revealed to another - it's not always pretty. You see how selfish you can be, how unloving, disrespectful, and hurtful you can be. It's been a humbling experience and I definitely see that we are growing and learning. I see now how forgiveness, time to cool down, and a hug or kiss can change so much. So long as we are willing to let go of our pride because the truth is- it doesn't really matter who is wrong or right, it matters how our relationship is honoring the Lord and cherishing each other. I love being married. And I love who I married. Being right or getting the last word in is no where near as important as the man I chose to marry.
Anyways- enough on that. SPEAKING about things to celebrate (our anniversary), it is also VALENTINES DAY and I am so excited! Also, it seems crazy to me that about a year ago (Feb 1st), Arthur proposed! (see here).. I never would have guessed that a year later, we would be living in JAPAN. Throughout my life, I have truly seen how wonderful the Lord's timing is, and how much greater His plan is for my life, than something I have dreamt up.
Valentine's Day has been SO much fun. Seriously the best ever. I woke up next to my amazing husband and we exchanged gifts in bed because I couldn't wait- I kinda like gifts. Arthur got me an eye mask that you can heat up or put in the freezer because I really wanted one (don't judge) and he also got me TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS. SO INSANELY EXCITED. Which means in the beginning of May, we are going to Tokyo and watching my fave girl perform. CANNOT WAIT.
We then got up and got ready for the day, made a quick breakfast and headed to the Southeast Botanical Gardens. But not for the gardens... more so because I read online that they have a petting zoo where you can feed squirrel monkeys- which is basically a dream come true because I LOVE monkeys (and have since I was like 5). So we explored the gardens, took lots of pictures, and I was mesmerized by the cute little monkeys. DYING.
We also got to feed a Capybara- the largest living rodent on Earth. It was.... cute, in its own way...
They also had other animals that we could feed like pigs, a turtle, horses, and Arthur's animal of choice, the goat. This is just precious.
The flowers were really pretty at the gardens and they had a cool walk through the gardens that we explored.
After we got done at the gardens, we drove to a beach called "sea glass beach" where they supposedly dumped a bunch of sea glass at (hence the name) and it's just laying around amidst the millions of seashells there as well. We walked along the beautiful blue water and picked up a handful of sea glass and seashells we liked. We then drove home to get ready for dinner where we ate at the Transit Cafe (one of our favorites here). We may or may not have gotten the affogato and all the food may or may not have been extremely delicious. We are now back at home, laying around and relaxing together, about to watch a movie and cuddle and enjoy the rest of the wonderful Valentine's Day we have had. Pure bliss. :)
SO our household goods finally came (two months later) and Arthur and I have realized how little we truly need in life. We were perfectly content with a few outfits, some pots and pans, a couple plates and bathroom supplies. I must admit that I am very excited to have all of our stuff, but I guess unpacking just made me realize how fortunate we are to have everything we do, and it made me appreciate everything just a little more. We spent about 3-4 days unpacking and organizing everything-which was actually fun! We made our apartment actually look like we lived there and it gave us a feeling of an actual "home" now. Here's a few pictures of our apartment.. (Don't judge.. it's kind of hard to decorate on all wood panel walls. :)
This is how is started...
Last weekend we went to the cherry blossom festival in Nago which was a lot of fun, despite the cold weather. There was a parade, lots of small little booths selling delicious Okinawan food, cherry blossom trees that were almost fully bloomed, and a nice little hike up to see all of Nago. It was a lot of fun.
I've been cooking a lot lately and it's been AWESOME! I like trying different things but I need to find a way to be a little more creative. One day... Here's some of what I've been cooking!
BREAD. (This bread is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, ingredient-free, sulfate-free, carb-free, and calorie-free. JK. It's normal bread-sorry.)
A YUMM BOWL sans yumm sauce (how I miss you yumm sauce)
Bruschetta Chicken in da houseee
PINEAPPLE chicken MMM
and toast with avo and eggs.
The other weekend, we ate out at this sushi track restaurant and it was GOOOOD. I especially liked the Hello Kitty rice balls. MM.
Since being here, it's been fun to try different things. I went with a group of really sweet women from church to get pedicures. The pedicures here are awesome. They last forever- because they massage your legs forever. They also do really cool designs on your toes. AAAND you get iced tea with your massage. It's good. Sorry if you don't like toes, but here are mine! I got a cherry blossom design. I thought it would be a little more pink in the background, but I still liked it:). It also still looks great, and it's been a while since getting them done. Whoever comes and visits- we are going here! There are at least 100 different designs they do so get ready! :)
I also like to buy face masks and try them out. This one was a little scary but I think Arthur thought I looked beautiful.
We have tried their "Blue Seal" ice-cream. It's delicious. The purple kind is Beni-imo (sweet potato) and it's yummayyyy.
ALSO, McDonald's is very fancy here:
The weather lately has been pretty cold, windy, and a little rainy. I thought we left Eugene... ;). I'm excited for it to start warming up. We've continued exploring this beautiful place we call home and have found such fun places. We found a beach with tons of cool shells and a nice place to swim. We found an awesome outdoor aquarium with dolphins and giant sea turtles and manatees. We found cool stores, fun restaurants, and beautiful parks.
I've started driving down to Naha every Saturday to work with a couple who started a school about a year and a half ago. It's pretty small now, but we teach the children english and play games and make crafts. It's a lot of fun and the children are SO cute.
Last Thursday, I drove down with the Enlisted Spouses Club to a Business College in Naha. A classroom of students are headed to Australia this week and so they wanted to practice their English before they left. I had such a blast. They had drinks and snacks for us and they made these octopus meatball type things that were actually good. Each American were in a group with about 3-5 Japanese students and we talked and hung out and asked questions for about an hour and a half. The class was so generous and hospitable and so welcoming. It was a lot of fun!
This last Wednesday I had a social with the Enlisted Spouses Club where we played BUNCO. For those of you who haven't played- you should probably do so because it's so much fun. The girls are super sweet and It's been a great outlet.
We have also been very excited with the church we decided to attend. Can I just say the messages have been SO good (also SO convicting) and everyone is extremely kind. We are hoping to get involved soon and start serving. Plus- they just announced that in March, we are doing a series called "Marriage madness" and you could say I am really excited for that.
It's been a lot of fun here, very busy, but things are finally settling down and seeming like we actually live here and it's not just a vacation. Although it may always seem at least a little bit like a two year honeymoon. Like always, we miss our families and friends and hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the new year. You are in our thoughts and prayers and we love you guys!!
XO
February is a good month.
There has been a lot of Bachelor (the show) watching, a lot of exploring, a lot of different events happening, a lot of unpacking, a lot of organizing, and a lot of fun. Oh, and a lot of LOVE. We're newlyweds, what can we say?! Sorry we like kissing each other. Sorry we're not sorry.
That's why I am SO incredibly excited it is February because it's basically the MONTH OF LOVING. There are heart things everywhere, and flowers, and pink and red things, and .chocolate. (yum). lots and lots of .chocolate.
Speaking of chocolate, I made these delicious Valentine's Day-inspired Nanaimo Bars. I first had a Nanaimo bar when Arthur and I went to Canada and it may be one of the reasons I really like Canada. I brought them to Arthur's work because I would be too tempted to eat the whole batch but they seemed to really like them. If you haven't tried them before, I suggest making them. Here's the recipe I used. You're welcome. ;)
Last month was hard because I was so hurt by Arthur's blog post. (see here) I never knew I was like that. I cried for at least three days straight.
.
.
.
PSYCH. I thought it was hilarious. And if I didn't know that I take up the whole bed (sorry I need a lot of space), use a lot of hair conditioner (have you EVER tried having super curly hair??), have a lot of clothes (too many..), unaware of my emotions a good amount of the time (not my fault),
However.. in ONE day it is our 6 month anniversary (How did it go by SO quickly??). I would say in these 6 months we have grown in infinite ways, learned so much about ourselves and each other, and have really learned how to rely on each other- as well as learned how much we need the Lord in our lives. It has been so much fun being married, and sometimes very hard too. When all of yourself is revealed to another - it's not always pretty. You see how selfish you can be, how unloving, disrespectful, and hurtful you can be. It's been a humbling experience and I definitely see that we are growing and learning. I see now how forgiveness, time to cool down, and a hug or kiss can change so much. So long as we are willing to let go of our pride because the truth is- it doesn't really matter who is wrong or right, it matters how our relationship is honoring the Lord and cherishing each other. I love being married. And I love who I married. Being right or getting the last word in is no where near as important as the man I chose to marry.
 |
| just so excited to be married :) |
Valentine's Day has been SO much fun. Seriously the best ever. I woke up next to my amazing husband and we exchanged gifts in bed because I couldn't wait- I kinda like gifts. Arthur got me an eye mask that you can heat up or put in the freezer because I really wanted one (don't judge) and he also got me TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS. SO INSANELY EXCITED. Which means in the beginning of May, we are going to Tokyo and watching my fave girl perform. CANNOT WAIT.
We then got up and got ready for the day, made a quick breakfast and headed to the Southeast Botanical Gardens. But not for the gardens... more so because I read online that they have a petting zoo where you can feed squirrel monkeys- which is basically a dream come true because I LOVE monkeys (and have since I was like 5). So we explored the gardens, took lots of pictures, and I was mesmerized by the cute little monkeys. DYING.
We also got to feed a Capybara- the largest living rodent on Earth. It was.... cute, in its own way...
 |
| Crouching Tiger Hidden Arthur |
SO our household goods finally came (two months later) and Arthur and I have realized how little we truly need in life. We were perfectly content with a few outfits, some pots and pans, a couple plates and bathroom supplies. I must admit that I am very excited to have all of our stuff, but I guess unpacking just made me realize how fortunate we are to have everything we do, and it made me appreciate everything just a little more. We spent about 3-4 days unpacking and organizing everything-which was actually fun! We made our apartment actually look like we lived there and it gave us a feeling of an actual "home" now. Here's a few pictures of our apartment.. (Don't judge.. it's kind of hard to decorate on all wood panel walls. :)
This is how is started...
 |
| Master Bedroom |
 |
| Guest Bedroom |
 |
| View from the guest bedroom on a cloudy-cold day :) |
 |
| Living Room |
I've been cooking a lot lately and it's been AWESOME! I like trying different things but I need to find a way to be a little more creative. One day... Here's some of what I've been cooking!
BREAD. (This bread is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, ingredient-free, sulfate-free, carb-free, and calorie-free. JK. It's normal bread-sorry.)
A YUMM BOWL sans yumm sauce (how I miss you yumm sauce)
Bruschetta Chicken in da houseee
PINEAPPLE chicken MMM
and toast with avo and eggs.
The other weekend, we ate out at this sushi track restaurant and it was GOOOOD. I especially liked the Hello Kitty rice balls. MM.
Since being here, it's been fun to try different things. I went with a group of really sweet women from church to get pedicures. The pedicures here are awesome. They last forever- because they massage your legs forever. They also do really cool designs on your toes. AAAND you get iced tea with your massage. It's good. Sorry if you don't like toes, but here are mine! I got a cherry blossom design. I thought it would be a little more pink in the background, but I still liked it:). It also still looks great, and it's been a while since getting them done. Whoever comes and visits- we are going here! There are at least 100 different designs they do so get ready! :)
I also like to buy face masks and try them out. This one was a little scary but I think Arthur thought I looked beautiful.
We have tried their "Blue Seal" ice-cream. It's delicious. The purple kind is Beni-imo (sweet potato) and it's yummayyyy.
ALSO, McDonald's is very fancy here:
The weather lately has been pretty cold, windy, and a little rainy. I thought we left Eugene... ;). I'm excited for it to start warming up. We've continued exploring this beautiful place we call home and have found such fun places. We found a beach with tons of cool shells and a nice place to swim. We found an awesome outdoor aquarium with dolphins and giant sea turtles and manatees. We found cool stores, fun restaurants, and beautiful parks.
I've started driving down to Naha every Saturday to work with a couple who started a school about a year and a half ago. It's pretty small now, but we teach the children english and play games and make crafts. It's a lot of fun and the children are SO cute.
Last Thursday, I drove down with the Enlisted Spouses Club to a Business College in Naha. A classroom of students are headed to Australia this week and so they wanted to practice their English before they left. I had such a blast. They had drinks and snacks for us and they made these octopus meatball type things that were actually good. Each American were in a group with about 3-5 Japanese students and we talked and hung out and asked questions for about an hour and a half. The class was so generous and hospitable and so welcoming. It was a lot of fun!
This last Wednesday I had a social with the Enlisted Spouses Club where we played BUNCO. For those of you who haven't played- you should probably do so because it's so much fun. The girls are super sweet and It's been a great outlet.
We have also been very excited with the church we decided to attend. Can I just say the messages have been SO good (also SO convicting) and everyone is extremely kind. We are hoping to get involved soon and start serving. Plus- they just announced that in March, we are doing a series called "Marriage madness" and you could say I am really excited for that.
It's been a lot of fun here, very busy, but things are finally settling down and seeming like we actually live here and it's not just a vacation. Although it may always seem at least a little bit like a two year honeymoon. Like always, we miss our families and friends and hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the new year. You are in our thoughts and prayers and we love you guys!!
XO
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