Smith Family Blog

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Yamato Bon Odori 2015

My first dancing festival was amazing! The base bussed us to and from the station where the festival was occurring, making it so easy. The event ran from 5pm til 8:30! We danced for one hour straight, in the HOT sun before it went down. These Yukata outfits are heavy and not breathable! I was prepared to sweat!! And we did!!

The base offers this opportunity and they train us for 6 weeks (90min lessons once a week) to prepare and learn the dances.

At today's festival we performed two dances.

All dressed in my Yukata. They arrange someone to dress you in this! It's like a Japanese corset. Very fitted and tight!

The red part is called an OBI. It is a banded belt of sorts and you see them everywhere here. Then there is the bow that slips in the back, and the fan!

All the ladies who danced today

Dancing at the festival! We dance in three lines, three across! Spacing is important!

It was 3-1/2 hours of constant rotating dancers. So we danced for one hour, ate for an hour and then had an hour to enjoy the performers and people watch.

Lots of young kids dancing in the mix

All the performers are very energetic and animated!!

Lanterns at the festival entrance

We stopped at a Chinese restaurant and it was amazing. No English menu, but I took a chance and loved this dish. Pork and veggies with squid and some very different mushroom variety.

Ended my night pounding one of these.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Peach Picking, Kaleidoscope Making and Winery Tour

Last Sunday the kids and I went on our second base guided tour.

It was for "Peach Picking, Kaleidoscope Making & Winery Tour"

It was a great kid-friendly trip, 8am-8pm!

The peach orchard was very hands on. We got to pick and eat as many peaches as we wanted!

And then any extras we could pick and buy to take home.

Fruit here is horribly expensive (compared to the USA).....so 3 large peaches was about $8.50

Washing off her peach

Chowing down.......of course Maddy just stared at hers since she's my anti-fruit child

Alongside the orchard were some grape vines--pretty to peek through

I told Abby to hold up the peaches we were going to buy....I had no idea it would look like THIS :)

After the orchard we drove to a craft/cultural center to make our Kaleidoscopes.

They had the kaleidoscopes prepared for assembly (which made my life SO much easier......since I was assembling three of them).

First we assembled them, then we stamped our design onto our Japanese Washi paper, and then glued the paper onto the tube and chose our rocks/gems for the capsule.

The finished product. Very cool!

Then we were on to our final destination--Shirayuri Winery

Our group had a tour of the facility and the grape orchard

They grow a few varieties from Japanese to French grapes!

The Peach Wine bottles before labeling

After the tour we ended in their tasting room and were allowed unlimited tastes of their 6 varieties!

Plus Sparkling Wine and Brandy!

The Japanese do NOT make good red wine. I was warned by friends upon coming here that wine is NOT the choice drink when out for the night. But the whites at this winery were quite tasty and refreshing!

My loot for the day! I purchased a bottle of Sparkling Dry, Chardonnay, and a Peach Wine!

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Happy Anniversary

July 24th

Finally a moment to reflect on where we started over a decade ago. 11 years ago today I married my best friend and started the craziest, unplanned journey of my life (still ongoing)!! And that's a lot coming from this girl who likes to plan. But somehow the volatility of our military lifestyle has only magnified my excitement for life and adventures!

We have moved 6 times so far in these 11 years and lived in 3 states and a new country! We expanded our family with two wonderful children who couldn't be more adaptable and perfect for this circus ride! The four of us have embraced each move, each transition and each new adventure with open arms. And we benefit from it more than we know.....and realize wholeheartedly when we move what we have gained and what we sadly have to say goodbye to.

Life is short--leave the house and explore is my motto here. Mike may (occasionally) despise my constant need to be busy and on the go......(hence my calendar already being CHOCK FULL for Aug, Sept and Oct!!!) but I know he appreciates the diversity it brings to our family experiences as much as I do!

Cheers to MANY more wonderful years and adventures with my best friend and biggest supporter.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Busy Summer Weeks

We've been busy keeping cool!

Afternoon at the pool!

Evenings at the park right next to our house--it gets the perfect late afternoon shade and breeze! So refreshing after so many roasting days

Nightly hour long swim lessons for Abby!

Evening sky!!

Abby and I went to Costco today!

And she helped pick out this sushi tray for dinner tonight!! This entire fresh tray is $10.75!!!!!!!!!!! It was delicious! Tuna and Salmon!

Monday, July 20, 2015

Mount Takatori

Today my good friend Carrie and I took our four kids to hike Mount Takatori! I drove an hour to her base and we walked right off her base for the hike! We knew we were in for a challenge, and the kids did amazingly considering 90% of the hike was uphill and steep!

This was a great challenge that was totally out of my box and certainly the most challenging adventure the girls have ever done.

WIN: I didn't carry a single child on the entire hike. Maddy whined a few times, but given some water she warmed right back up to the adventure and seeing what was around the next corner!