May 2012 with family and friends

Golden Week is a long holiday in Japan which actually includes a few different holidays: Showa Day (The Emperor's birthday), Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children's Day.  The net is that the schools and businesses are closed for 4 to 5 days each year to celebrate.

On May 3, we stayed home to play.  Phillip and I went out to dinner at the Kitano-Tei, also known as the paddle restaurant. The chef cooks right in front of you and then serves your food on a paddle with a long handle.  Jacob stayed home with Matthew and Jessica.  After we returned, our friends Bob, Sue, Jeff, and Kristen came over for drinks on the balcony.  It was a lovely evening.

On May 4, we took the train to a Hanshin Tigers game against a Tokyo team.  The Tigers only got 1 hit and had 1 walk.  They lost 4-0.  There was certainly a lot less energy on the side of the Tigers as compared to our experience a year ago, but we had a great time anyway.  The line to get on the train was very long, so we went over to a nearby mall and found a buffet restaurant for dinner.  We ended the night at Macsys and then Margos with the Novaks and Congletons.

Phillip enjoyed sushi during the game.

Bottom of the 7th

Bottom of the 7th

On May 5, we took trains for 1 hour and 40 minutes to get to Nara, near Kyoto.  Nara was Japan's first capital and home of Japanese Buddhism.  This 1300-year-old city is also home to eight World Heritage Sites, including the Todaiji Temple and its Great Buddha, both dating back to the mid-700s.  After returning home, we joined the Congletons and Markhams at the Novaks for dinner and to say goodbye to Sue as she was heading back to Kentucky the next day to stay for the summer.  Sue has been like a big sister to me.  I will really miss her!

5 Story Pagoda

The deer walk around everywhere.

Todaiji Temple, home of the Great Buddha

The Great Buddha

The boys race up a steep hill for a great view of the city.

We had mailed Matthew's images to Chris in SLC to get a 2nd opinion.  On May 10, Chris told us that the pediatric neuroradiologist and the pediatric neurosurgeon thought that the lesion was a tumor based on the look and the location.  They recommended to wait 2 months and then get another MRI and additional studies.  We have decided to go to SLC for appointments on June 18 so that we can get the very best evaluation and recommendation for what to do moving forward.  I keep praying that this lesion will not grow and that Matthew will continue his very active lifestyle without any problems.

May 11 was Mother's Day.  Matthew and Jessica made me breakfast in bed!  We listened to last year's Mother's Day sermon from New Spring which brought us all to tears.  I took Matthew to get his permanent retainer fixed, and to our surprise, Dr. Takeuchi removed it!  Matthew said, "Now that is 2 things that we thought were bad, but they are actually good.  I thought it was bad that I broke my retainer, but I got to get it taken out.  Also, I thought my concussion was bad, but that is how we found out about the spot."  Very matter-of-fact and very positive.  I just hugged him and agreed.  Later in the afternoon, Jacob brought me lilies, while Matthew and Jessica gave me little Japanese bowls and plates.  We had shrimp and steak for dinner.  Then, we enjoyed bananas and strawberries dipped in chocolate.  After the kids went to bed, Phillip and I had a very emotional conversation with Grandma.  After this, I think we both cried ourselves to sleep.  I found Phillip asleep with Matthew at 4:00am.

Monday, May 12, was a tough one.   Once everyone left the apartment, I just lost it.  I cried most of the morning.  Afterward, I spent the rest of the day in prayer and reading the bible.  I keep coming back to these verses in Philippians 4:6-7.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

On Friday, May 18, Phillip surprised me with roses and dinner at LL Artista for our 16th anniversary.  (He was scheduled to be at a work dinner.)  Jacob's friends Brent and Dylan slept over.  Jacob's volleyball team had won their tournament games on Friday, and then on Saturday, May 19, they won 4 more games to secure the championship!  Jacob has been fortunate to be part of 6 championships across 4 sports in the past 2 years.  This was a great way to end his Canadian Academy and middle school athletic career!

Jacob and Joesh played all sports together the past 2 years.

Andrew, Cassia, Thomas, and Isabella McCormick came over for dinner that night.  This was the first family we met when we moved here and they were the link that led Matthew to play rugby.  We so enjoy their friendship - such a wonderful family.  Isabella stayed overnight with Jessica.  Jacob went to Andy's house late to spend the night.

Then, on Sunday, we went to dinner at the Wilson's (Pete, Jenny, Andy, Anna, and Allie).  The kids ran around on the CA field and playground a lot, and we enjoyed a wonderful Peruvian dish and homemade apple pie.

We are very thankful for the friends we have made here in Japan, and we will miss them very much.

Peace and Love.
Tina

Trust and Faith April 2012

On the evening of April 24, Matthew asked go play football with friends at the CA turf.  I told him that dinner would be cold if he went, and he thanked me for giving him the option!  About an hour later, he came home crying and said he hit his head and could not see well with his left eye.  He had lost his peripheral vision.  I called my friend Sachi Elliott and told her that I did not know what to do.  She told me to wait and she would figure it out.  Her husband called me back and said the she and her sister were on her way to pick Matthew and me up.  Her sister?  Yes, Sachi's sister is a doctor who just moved to Rokko Island to start work as an ER doctor on Port Island in April.  Amazing.  She did a couple of things with Matthew and then we got in the car.  She asked a lot of questions on the drive to try to get as much information as possible.  We arrived at Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital.  Sachi's sister got us right back to see the English speaking doctor within a few minutes.  The exam was tough.  Matthew cried, said he felt terrible, and just had a rough time getting through the exam.  The good news was that his vision had returned.  Matthew finally threw up as we went into the room for a cat scan.  After that, he was much calmer, and he fell asleep on the bench in the waiting area with his head in my lap.  The doctor came out to tell me that she consulted with a neurologist because she saw a black spot on his scan.  They thought that maybe he had moved during the test, so they asked us to wait for 2 hours and repeat the scan.  Sachi's sister took us back to a bed where Matthew could sleep.  I told them to go home, and I would be fine.  I prayed.  My friend Carroll prayed over text message with me.  I walked around, continuously in prayer.  The time came to wake Matthew and go for 2nd cat scan.  We took him in a wheelchair because he was so sleepy.  He did great, and by the time we got back to the bed, Matthew was completely back to normal.  The ER doctor told us that everything looked good and that we could go home.  I sent Phillip a text to come get us.  We paid (through an ATM-like machine), bought food and drinks at the Family Mart just off the lobby, and waited for Phillip.  When we got home, Matthew showered and fell asleep with Mom and Dad about 2am.

At about 8:30am on April 25, the ER doctor called my cell phone.  She said that the X-ray specialist had found an "old black stain" on Matthew's cat scan, completely unrelated to the injury.  She asked us to see a neurosurgeon that day.  Sachi went over with me again to translate.  The doctor said he was concerned that the spot was a tumor.  He told us to get blood work (to ensure his kidneys are healthy) so that dye can be used for MRI.  We scheduled the MRI for Friday afternoon, but the neurosurgeon could not see us to give results until Wednesday, May 2.

On April 26, I called SOS International (a service provided by Cigna International and Procter and Gamble).  Within 5 minutes, I was on line with an English speaking doctor.  He assured me that the doctor was following the right course of action and that the care in Japan is very good.

On April 27, I called to get an interpreter through Procter and Gamble for upcoming appointments.  I then "cleaned up Rokko Island" with Jessica and her classmates.  I stopped by Tullys to chat with a few ladies and just broke into tears.  My dear friend Carroll prayed with me right there in front of Tullys.  She had a devotion book for me in her stroller.  I walked the green belt with Megan and Lisa.  Then, Phillip met Matthew and me at the bus stop to head over to the hospital.  The MRI took 35 minutes.  The worst part was that they would not let Phillip or me go in with him.  We explained to him what would happen.  He did great.  The radiologist did not see anything "emergency" so she did not call the doctor.  We thought this must be good news, but we weren't really sure what to think.  We pray.  We wait.

On April 28, we watched Jacob play volleyball and threw the football around with Matthew.  We walked around the spring festival on the island for a while.  Then, the Clapps joined us downstairs to watch boys play football, and then came to our apartment for cards.  We pray.  We wait.

April 29.  We pray.  We wait.
April 30  We pray.  We wait.
May 1.  We pray.  We wait.

Finally, May 2 came.  Phillip, Matthew, and I took the bus and then the train to Port Island Hospital.  Our interpreter was already there and helped us check in.  The appointment was at 9:30am, but we waited until 10:00 to see him.  This 30 minutes seemed like it took 3 hours.  Finally, the nurse took us in to the room.  It was so weird that the doctor was speaking to the interpreter, and we had to wait to understand what he was saying.  Dr. Asai said that the spot is so small that he does not know what it is.  It could be a tumor.  The spot measures 6.7 millimeters.  He told us that the spot did not change colors during the MRI, so it is not malignant at this time.  He recommended that we get another MRI in 2 months to see if the lesion is growing.  If not, then Matthew will likely need to get an MRI at 6 months and then annually to monitor.  If it is growing, then we will have to figure out what to do at that point.  It was a weird feeling of relief and yet anxiety.  We were happy that the lesion is not malignant now.  We were happy that it is small.  We found ourselves still curious and anxious, though, that the doctor did not know what it was.

On the train ride home, I asked Matthew if he understood what was going on.  He said that he knew there was a spot on his head and that he will need to get another MRI.  He looked at me with those big blue eyes and bright shining smile and said, "I'm fine, Mom.  Look at me."  Indeed, he is the picture of good health, great athletic ability, and amazing attitude.

I know that these events came together for a reason.  Matthew had a concussion.  Sachi was home to take my call.  Sachi's sister just started working at the hospital April 1.  We found the lesion while it is small.  We need to follow up in 2 months - exactly when we arrive back in the US.  I know that God has revealed this to us now for a reason, and I know that Matthew is in the palm of His hand.  The waiting is so hard, but perhaps that is part of trust and faith, huh?  I kept repeating words from a Perry Noble webcast.  God is Holy and good.  He is beside me always.  God is in control.

Peace and Love,
Tina

March and April 2012

March and April brought the beginning of tearful goodbyes.  The Japanese school year is from April through March.  Since the sports leagues follow the same schedule, Matthew and Jessica would finsh their Japanese sports leagues this spring.  We were really touched by the "sayonara" that they each got.  The teams said goodbye and took pictures with them, and really acted as though they were going to miss these Americans!  We also enjoyed a great Easter, beautiful Sakura trees, international food day, and a teenage birthday!

In March, Jessica finished her gymnastics league.  Her friend Isabella decided to stop going too as it can be very difficult when you are the only non-Japanese student.

Jessica also finished her Monday soccer league.  Jessica and Alex were the "roses among thorns".

On April 3, Phillip and I attended the elementary school monthly assembly.  Matthew spoke as part of the 5th grade leadership club.  He was confident, articulate, and showed a little sense of humor!  Jessica and her friend Karina performed a dance routine to "I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias.  They showed great confidence and good dance moves, and importantly, their outfits were adorable!  The girls threw their hats at the end.  So cute!

Matthew with the 5th grade leadership club

Jessica and Karina at the end of dance

On April 8, our family celebrated Easter, the most important day of the year.  We gave thanks to God for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and to rise from the dead so that we may live in eternity.  We watched the Perry Noble webcast (New Spring Church in Anderson, SC) from last year's Easter service since we are 13 hours ahead of eastern standard time.  The sermon was very moving.  This was the first time the children got to see Perry Noble as we usually listen to Son Rise.  Noble is an amazing instrument of God.

We then took the train to the Oji Zoo.  It was absolutely beautiful.  The sun was shining, and the sakura trees were in full bloom.  We are also always amazed at close we get to the animals there.

Just a glass between Jacob and a tiger!

On April 14, Canadian Academy celebrated the annual International Food Day.  This was really a fun day that kicked off with the parade of nations.  Matthew had volunteered to help with any country that needed students to march.  First, he was with Australia.  Then, we noticed he was with Sweden.  He is such a trooper.  Jessica remained with the Americans.  There were food booths from many countries, along with entertainment and a raffle.  Jessica helped me sell burgers, hot dogs, and cookies in the American booth, while Phillip enjoyed grilling those American burgers outside with the guys all day.

Tina and Jessica work at the American food booth.

We left early Sunday morning, April 15, to take family pictures at Shukugawa River.  Our neighbor happens to be a professional photographer.

The Hyogo Rugby League had agreed to let Matthew play on until an April 14 tournament so that he could play in real games one last time.  Matthew had joined the team in August 2010 right after we moved here.  He has been the only non-Japanese player in the league.  Unfortunately, I got a call that the tournament had been cancelled, but the coach really wanted him to come to one last practice on April 15 which happened to be at CA in the afternoon after our family pictures.  I was extremely touched by the sayonara they gave him.  First, the principal of the league secretly gave me something for Matthew's desk that had a rugby jersey and Matthew's name inscribed.  He said this was special just for Matthew.  His card was also very touching as he talked about Matthew's passion and determination.  (He had someone translate the card to English.)  Then, after the training, the principal brought Matthew up in front of the league to say a few words, while my friend Chieko translated.  They divided back out into individual teams.  Our team gave Matthew a rugby ball signed by everyone on the team.  We took lots of pictures, with many parents looking on.  Then, the coaches threw Matthew up into the air 3 times.  One teammate Rintaro (Chieko's son) cried.  This was a very touching day.  We are so thankful that the Hyogo Rugby League allowed this blond-haired, blue-eyed American to play on their Japanese team.  We are thankful to coaches for teaching him the game, and to his teammates for becoming his friends.

Matthew scores a try one last time.

Matthew's rugby team and coaches

Rugby team with Principal Kuwahara and our family

The coaches threw him up really high!

Buju, Matthew, Sushi, Rintaro

Cheiko is a wonderful lady and our lifeline to the rugby league.

On Sunday, April 22, we enjoyed steak dinner for Jacob's birthday (eve).  Jessica showed him a video that she had been working on since January.  It had beautiful pictures of Jacob with family and friends, all set to music.  We all cried.  What a special gift!  On Jacob's actual birthday April 23, we had barbecue ribs, and I made him a red velvet cake at his request.  

May all your wishes come true!

Our new birthday tradition, borrowing from Phillip's younger days

Peace and Love,

Tina

Hong Kong Spring Break 2012

On our Sunday, March 18 flight to Hong Kong, Matthew said that his tooth was bothering him.  This baby tooth was little wiggly, but not much.  He grabbed napkins and pulled and tugged until he got that tooth out!  Because it really was not ready to come out, the amount of blood was incredible.  It completely freaked out the flight attendants.  We had just begun our landing, so we could not get up to go to the toilet.  They brought tons of napkins and bottles of water.  It was amusing.

We arrived in Hong Kong to find a very long line at immigration.  We have grown accustomed to all the staring, so we just smiled.  We then had a long bus ride to our hotel, The Cosmo.  We checked in and headed out quickly to Causeway Bay to find dinner.  We ate falafel and beef donor wraps.  An unexpected find, but very good.

Our 2 bdrm suite had big family room area with a L shaped comfy couch and footstools.  The kids came up with some cool games of balancing and jumping.  Phillip called reception and found out that no one was below us.  After living in an apartment for almost 2 years, being able to jump and make noise was quite fun.

On Monday, March 19 we had the buffet breakfast and then took a cab to Ocean Park.  We took a cable car from the Waterfront part of the park to the Summit.  We saw beautiful views of mountains and the China Sea.  As we are racing to the first ride (Hair Raiser), we saw our friends, Keith and Mary Gail Congleton and their daughter Natalie.  The Congletons live right below us in our apartment building.  What are the odds?  We hung out all day together.  We rode Hair Raiser, bumper cars, Flash (which went all the way over 3 times), Mine train, Dragon, The Abyss, Bungee Trampoline, water rides, ... So much fun.  We got pretty annoyed at how aggressive the Chinese people were, though.  They literally would bump and push to try and make their way to get in front of us while standing in line for a ride.  Unbelievable.  We started "boxing out" to keep them from breaking line.  Because we stayed until closing, we stood in long line for the cable car to get back on the other side of the park to the exit.  We took a cab to Central Station.

Mine Train

Jacob was the only one to ride this super spinning ride.

Hair Raiser

Water ride with the Congletons

Jessica on Bungee Jump since she could not ride Flash.

Tina & Jacob on Flash

Phillip, Jacob, & Matthew on Flash

We took the Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui to see the Symphony of Lights.  We found a restaurant called BLT Burger for dinner.  What a great day with our neighbors!  We took the ferry over to Central station to be able to get a cab to the hotel.

Star Ferry

Symphony of Lights

ICC building during the Symphony of Lights

While the kids were enjoying their "jumping" games, I decided to check Facebook.  I saw a posting saying that 16 year old Collin Barton from our old neighborhood, Terrace Park, was missing.  He had left a party in Mariemont to walk home.  My heart just broke.  Our family prayed together for Collin and his family.  

On Tuesday March 20,  we slept in and then went down to breakfast.  There was smoked duck, pasta, and chicken nuggets, as well as eggs and pancakes.  We took a Ding Ding, but then we hopped off to go back to hotel to get Phillip's pedometer.  We walked through a fish market and then took a cab back to the hotel.  We started over with another Ding Ding.  We realized we were going the opposite way of where we wanted to go.  Once more, we got off and boarded a 3rd Ding Ding.  It was so cool to sit on top deck.

Aboard the Ding Ding

We went to Central Station, walked to Hong Kong Station, and then took a subway to the International Commerce Center (490 meters), the 4th tallest building in world.  We have seen 5 of the 10 tallest buildings in the world – Hong Kong ICC, Petronas Towers (2 towers), Willis Tower, Trump Tower when it was being built.  We went up to Sky100 on the 100th floor for incredible views.

ICC Building

View from Sky100

Sky100

We took a taxi to Ladies Market / Sneaker Street, had lunch on the street, and started shopping.  We did 

lots of walking and negotiating for bargains.  We were excited to purchase Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretsky jerseys for our future sports basement.  We took a cab to the Night Market, but we were pretty much done with shopping.  We could not find a restaurant that we all liked, so we ended up at KFC.

We awoke Wednesday, March 21 to learn of Collin's death.  He had been hit by a car.  Our family prayed and cried together.  We were in a bit of a daze for a while.  We talked to the children about communication, decision making, and safety.  We decided to go back to Ocean Park, but our hearts were heavy all day.

We left Ocean Park early enough to catch a cab to the Peak Tram which goes to Victoria's Peak.  We wanted to be there before dusk.  We got a table at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company for dinner and had an amazing view.  We then headed up to the Sky Terrace.  It was a beautiful view, but it was very windy and cold.  We did a last bit of shopping, took the tram down, and then took a cab to our hotel one last time.

Peak Tram

Dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company

Sky Terrace at Victoria's Peak

View from Sky Terrace

On Thursday March 22, 2012, we had a 4:30 wake up call.  With our family of 5 and luggage, we took 2 cabs to airport.  On the Delta flight to Narita, Matthew got sick.  He felt better once we arrived.  We rode the Narita Express to Shinagawa and walked to the Prince Hotel.  Phillip went to a meeting.  Then, Jacob got a migraine.  So, the kids watched Sumo on TV while I went down to the 7-11 for snacks and drinks.  I never thought I would see the day when my kids would be so interested in watching Sumo!  Once Jacob felt better, the kids and I took the train to Hamamatsuchi Station and walked to see the Tokyo Tower.  We had great views of world’s biggest city.  Amazing.  We then took the train back to Shinagawa to meet Phillip for dinner at a Korean restaurant - steak, garlic, kimchi on lettuce.  YUM.  We played cards in our hotel room until 1am.

Tokyo Tower

View from Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower

On Friday, March 23, we had planned to take a river cruise to Asakusa.  However, it was raining pretty hard.  We changed our shinkansen tickets, grabbed lunch at a famous Tokyo noodle shop, and headed for home.  Only in Japan would we have left 5 suitcases outside a restaurant on a sidewalk while the whole family was inside eating.  I love this country.

So, our spring break adventures in China are complete.  We had a great time, but as always, it was good to be home.

Peace and Love,
Tina