This Blog Still Exists?! Wow!

Wow! I bet you all thought I had completely given up on blogging! For a while there, I thought I had, too. I'd like to explain my extended hiatus, and hope that there's still someone out there who is willing to read it.

Here's the thing: Normally, I try to keep my posts here upbeat, and fun. I like to give those few of you that actually read Amber in Asia a small glimpse into mine and Jeremy’s lives here in the Land of the Rising Sun. For the most part, I feel like there is no need to share the not-so-pleasant aspects of life here, because I want to lift you up, and not bring you down. I mean, you all have your everyday problems and annoyances, like I do. So, why would I want to weigh you down with mine? With ours? That’s the main reason that I haven’t posted in so long. Before our Christmas vacation, every time I sat down to write, I found myself so distracted with the negative stuff, that my efforts were a complete failure. 

I am actively trying to move past that so that I can tell you all about the cool stuff we've seen and done. We don't have much time left here in Japan, and I want to spend it doing the things that I love. One of those is writing. Eventually, I will be completely honest with you about the negative things/people/situations that have kept me away from my blog for so long. That will have have to wait until we're back stateside, though. 

For now, I want to wish everyone a Very Happy New Year! 2014 had some really amazing moments for us, as well as some sad ones. We were blessed to be able to spend so much time with our family and friends. One of our oldest, and best, friends married the love of her life, and we were able to be a part of it. We traveled together to a country neither of us had ever been to before. One of my best friends asked me to be the godmother to her soon-to-arrive baby boy. These were some of the best moments of the year! Unfortunately, this was also the year that we lost my grandma. I will always miss her spunkiness, her smile, and everything else that made her her. But, I also know that she lived a very long, and happy life, and is in a much better place now.

While I may be ready to say goodbye to 2014, and hello to 2015, I still plan to make good on my promise to fill you in on all the fun things we did in 2014. I think y'all will enjoy hearing all about it, and seeing some really cool photos.

Happy New Year, y'all, and you will hear from me again very soon!

Time Flies!

Whew! Time really does fly! I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted anything. I am a horrible blogger! I am so neglectful, but I'm sure that everyone can sympathize with life getting in the way of me writing about our life. Ha! I have, however,  started and stopped the same post (not this one! haha!) several different times trying to find the right way to word it. That really doesn't count, though. Or does it?

I've got some great pictures to share and good times to fill everyone in on, but right now I'm trying to get our house ready to move next week. NO! We are not headed stateside! We are moving one street over and three houses down. We can walk to our new house in about 45 seconds. Seriously. Even though we're not going far, it's still a hassle to move, and they might actually weigh our household goods as if we were PCSing. Yep, that's crazy, I know! That's not even the craziest part of this move. But, I'll save that for another day!

I just wanted to stop in and let ALL THREE of my followers (hahahaha!) know that I haven't forgotten you. There is some good stuff ahead, though, so don't give up on me!

Sneak peek of coming attractions:

• Andy Warhol
• Cherry Blossom season
• Army housing madness
• Anniversary in Tokyo
• New house!!!
• Other fun stuff :)

So, if you're one of the few who haven't given up on me yet, thanks for your continued interest in our Japanese adventure. Hopefully, it'll get more entertaining for you soon!

Just a funny pic...I have crazy eyes! Haha!

Holiday Highlights

I was so very blessed this holiday season! My husband got home from Afghanistan the weekend after Thanksgiving, and made my Christmas very merry indeed! 

2013 was a long year. I had so many good times, but they were all shadowed by Jeremy being away. I loved getting to explore Japan, and making wonderful memories, and amazing new friends, but I was so lonely without him here. I'm not going to get all sad and mopey on you now, though! 

Thanksgiving was a fun-filled day at our friends' house. There were so many people, and, ironically, enough food for an army! Haha! We all enjoyed a big meal, and each other's company. We played a game after dinner, which gave us all a good laugh. I was thankful to be surrounded by such a good group of people! I also enjoyed having the opportunity to cook some of both of my grandma's food. 

Home safe!

That same weekend, Jeremy got home, and I was truly thankful to have him back home safe with me, and our two fur babies, of course! My nerves were wracked on the way to pick him up from the airport. If I had it my way, I would have gone alone. I wanted my moment. You know the moment, right? You see him, he sees you, you run and hug and kiss...yada yada yada. The way I saw it, since he deployed without his unit, and he was returning alone, we didn't need a big group of people. But, I didn't get a vote, so I shared "my moment" with a couple guys from his office, and his 1SG and CO, who apparently "had to be there." 

Wow. That sounded  a little bitter. I didn't think I was, but seeing it all typed out like that, I guess I was. Or am. I don't know. 

The most important thing is that he is home. Safe. It doesn't matter if all of Camp Zama had gone to pick him up, as long as he got off that plane!!! 

The thing is, I'm uncomfortable around people I don't know well. I hide it quite well, but inside, I'm all nerves, and I get flustered, and then I start to nervous sweat...and that's just not how you want to be when you're greeting your husband at the airport. 

I guess all that is irrelevant, though! 

Jeremy's Welcome Home

Welcome Home!

Karaoke! Because how else would we welcome him home?!

Christmas! Christmas was wonderful! Ever since I was a little girl, Christmas has been my favorite holiday. I love everything about it: the tree, decorations, all the lights, stockings, Santa hats, Santa himself, presents under the tree, Christmas carols, the smell of Christmas dinner, family and friends...it truly is the very best time of year! When I was little, we would go to my grandma's house every year on Christmas Eve, and her house would be full of my aunts and uncles and cousins. I loved it! This year, on Christmas Eve, Jeremy and I had another couple over to open presents and drink a little wine, (not too much, Christmas Day couldn't be ruined!) and play Wii. We had a good time, but managed to get to bed early enough to get a early start Christmas morning!

I cooked a big dinner for Christmas Day, and we were blessed to have a house full of wonderful friends! When I was little, I may have enjoyed Christmas Eve at one grandma's house, but I enjoyed the food at the other grandma's! I tried to recreate some of her yummy goodness in my own Christmas dinner. I'll never be as crazy talented in the kitchen as she, but I loved every minute I spent creating that dinner! It was an awesome day of fellowship with friends, and while we may have missed family back home, our friends here made it easier to be so far away. I hope that we were able to do the same for them! 

A Very Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas apron!

I let her borrow it! 

 

Christmas nails! I just had to share! They were adorable!

 I love taking pictures. Seriously. Normally, I take too many, and someone has to pry the camera from my hands. So, it is with a heavy heart that I say: I took absolutely no pictures while everyone was here Christmas Day. FAIL.

I know Christmas isn't about the presents, but I just want to say that we absolutely nailed it this year with our gifts for our niece and nephew!!! I think we did pretty good with everyone else as well, but the scene stealer was definitely the kids' presents. We kept our presents for each other pretty small. We didn't go all-out. We were just both so happy to be spending Christmas together, that our presents were almost an afterthought!

And, now it's the new year! I can't believe it's 2014! Wow! We had fun New Year's Eve, and then I cooked a nice New Year's dinner the next day. I did it like my grandma used to (Mississippi style!): corn bread, turnip greens, and black eyed peas. There was ham, too! It was pretty yummy! So, I'm hoping for really good luck, health, and wealth this year! Haha!

The girls! Jodi, Brittany, me, and Danielle in front

Japan bestie and me!

Happy happy couple! Happy New Year!

Right now, Jeremy and I are looking forward to him taking a little leave in February. February is going to be a great month! Valentine's Day is coming up, and then our anniversary. We're hoping for a short getaway while he has some time off. I will definitely take lots of photos!

Here's to another amazing year filled with family, friends, and adventure!