I love fall. It's my favorite season! Of course, now it's more like winter, but that's okay! We have had a beautiful fall here! The leaves on the trees really do change color, and they are so pretty. The wind blows pretty hard here, and when it really gets going, it looks like it's raining leaves! I love it! I just think that fall never lasts long enough! I just really start enjoying it, when all of a sudden, it's full blown winter! It's not just how beautiful things are outside during fall, it's the way I get to decorate inside, too! I love my dining room that time of year! I'm having a hard time forcing myself to switch out table cloths and place mats. However, I did get my Christmas centerpiece put together, so I'm on my way!
Jeremy and I had such a wonderful Thanksgiving this year! I'm so glad that it turned out well. "Firsts" are so important to me! This was our first Thanksgiving together, and it was also my first time cooking it on my own. Jeremy was a really big help! I couldn't have stayed sane without him! He also cooked his green bean casserole, and it was as yummy as always! I know that cooking a meal that size can be really stressful, and I wanted to enjoy the day like everyone else, so I started cooking on Tuesday! It worked out perfectly, though. I baked on Tuesday, made the sides on Wednesday, and, on the big day, all I had to worry about was the turkey and ham (and warming everything up, of course). We were so relaxed, and just really enjoyed ourselves and our company. The only thing that would have made it better is if the turkey would have turned out better. Live and learn, though! It was my first turkey, so I'm allowed a little room for error. I found a marinade, and injected the turkey the day before, and that is where I failed. I should have made my own, because this one was just too strong! My uncle thoughtfully gave me a recipe, so I'm going to try that next year, and hopefully that turkey will turn out to be just as good as the rest of our meal was this year! It was my intention to invite the single soldiers from Jeremy's office, and a couple others from his unit, so that they would have a good Thanksgiving while being away from their own families. I didn't have the turn-out that I had planned, for reasons I'm still not entirely sure of myself, but one of my most favorite people here was able to come, and for that I am very thankful! We had good food accompanied by good conversation, and you really can't ask for better than that!
Now, Jeremy and I aren't far from our very first Christmas as a married couple (and our first while together in the same time zone). I love Christmas! It really brings out the best in people! I love the search for that perfect gift. I love the look on the face of the recipient when they open it. I love taking the time to hang every ornament in exactly the right spot. I love hanging stockings, and then filling them with little happy's just right for that person (or cat). More than I love opening my own presents, I love watching people open gifts that I have put real thought into. I love children at Christmas! I wish that we could see our nephew and niece open their presents, but I'll settle for the pictures. I'm going to miss being at my grandma's house on Christmas Eve, but I'll be with my husband, and there is nowhere I'd rather be than in his arms.
I love the holidays! Yes, the holidays...it is okay to call them that. I'm referring to more than just Christmas. The holidays start with Thanksgiving, and they go all the way through the New Year. I love the food and being with family. Okay, I'll stop going on and on! I'm turning into a sap in my old age!
I really like being here in Japan. I finally forced myself to get started learning some of the language today. There are some sounds that I have a hard time making, but I am not going to give up! Jeremy had bought "Instant Immersion" Japanese while he was still in Germany, and, today, I finally got tired of staring at the box, and put in disk one. Now, I'm just going to have to make myself stick with it!
In addition to taking the first step in learning the language, I have gotten into a little volunteering to occupy my time. I volunteered to be the secretary for our FRG. We had our battalion Christmas party this past Saturday, and we invited the kids from the Bott Memorial. That is an orphanage here, and every year, we do an angel tree for those kids. Jeremy and I adopted two angels. On Saturday, all the kids got their gifts right from Santa Claus. The looks on their sweet little faces were priceless! Jeremy and I helped to set up, and we, as a battalion, put on a pot luck dinner for those kids as well as all the battalion families. I made my grandma's squash dressing, her corn casserole, two pumpkin pies, and Jeremy made his green bean casserole. A bunch of other people made all kinds of food, too, and it turned out to be a lovely lunch! Everyone had such a great time! All the kids got to play and have their pictures taken with Santa. It was just an awesome day! I'm hoping to find more things like this to get involved with, not just at Christmas, but year round!
If I don't get around to making another post before Christmas, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope that you are all enjoying this time of year as much as I am!
