And...We're Back!

I'm sorry I've taken so long to post something on here. I started writing one during our last night in Japan but never finished it. A lot has happened in the last 3 weeks so let me fill you in. We decided late on March 17 to come home, booked a flight, and started packing up our lives Friday in order to check out on Sunday. Let me tell you it was a very busy/stressful time. Thursday night there was a black out so we started to pack things up with the light of our computer and a couple of tea candles. Friday I worked a half day, and Brad a full day but somehow we got it all done by Saturday night. I was surprised how hard it was to get rid of all of our appliances. I would have loved to have donated it to people displaced by the tsunami but the only charity drive that we knew of was only accepting brand new items.  We had originally sold all of the stuff but people weren't going to pick them up until the next weekend. But our plans changed and so did theirs. Luckily there was a couple with a truck that came and picked up most of our appliances along with some of our trash to haul to the dump for us and saved us a world of money, stress, and time. We also got lots of stares from people on the street because of the massive trash pile in front of our place. Usually they are very strict about trash and you can only put certain things out on certain days, but we didn't have the time so it piled up. (And it's amazing even knowing that you're only going to be in a place for a year what you can collect!) We only mailed 3 boxes home (and one of them still hasn't arrived yet--hmm...) and we were able to fit everything in 4 suitcases and 2 carry ons. I seriously don't know how we did it, and I know it would have been hilarious trying to see us make it through all the busy train stations with our bags.

Everything we brought back with us. We had to leave a lot there, but guess what that means? SHOPPING!

We made it home to Denver after a long 12 hour flight to Washinton D.C. along with a lot of military families that were evacuating Japan as well. You guessed it, that means a lot of moms with young, tired, crying kiddos. Not fun. 

But we were welcomed by our entire immediate family at the airport and it was so meaningful to have everyone there (minus Cindy who was in Belize on a mission trip but we were very excited to be able to talk to her on the phone at the airport). I think the most amazing thing was seeing how much our 17 month old niece, Ziah had grown. She is such a cutie! My parents also brought us wonderful Chipotle burritos and had my favorite chocolate satin pie and blueberry buckle waiting at home. 

Then we got sick. Boo!

Then we went to Hawaii with Brad's family. Yay! (more on that later)

Then we bought a new car. Yay! 

'09 Nissan Versa that FIL Don helped us find that we'll hopefully get on Friday.

Then our computer died. Boo!

And I'll start my old job up again as an administrative assistant at a pediatrician's office on Tuesday while Brad works on selling his old car and following his job leads. 

We will also be going to South Dakota to visit Brad's family as well as Arizona to visit part of my family while my other Grandparents come to visit us in Colorado. 

Whew! It's amazing how busy we've kept ourselves in the past couple of weeks! 

I do want to say how much I appreciated all of the well wishes and thoughts from everyone during our last couple of weeks in Japan. Japan will always have a special place in our hearts and it was sad to leave a country that we have come to love as well as some great friends in an environment that is struggling. It was heartbreaking not being able to say goodbye to some people but I hope they know how much they meant to us and that we will be back again someday. As far as the issues that Japan is dealing with now, I know it will be a struggle each and everyday for some people, but one thing that I learned during our year there is that Japanese people are very strong. I have no doubt that Japan will return even better than what it once was, but in the meantime I know they appreciate all the help they are getting from the U.S. and other countries.