Christmas. Ankle. Mochi. Hair.

Whelp... We have left Japan! We moved from Japan back to the states back in May 2013, and are still heartbroken about it. We had the time of our lives living there, and am so thankful for the time we had there, the friendships we made, and the memories that won't be forgotten. But I'm still sad. Sad enough, that I've spent the past few days pouring over the pictures from our last few months in Japan-land, and I don't want to forget anything that happened! 

So here's a recap of our last few months in Japan. I got sick of carrying around our heavy camera so unfortunately I don't have pictures of everything that happened, and if I do, they were usually taken on my old 3G iPhone. 

I've been in a Culture Club (whoop, whoop- Group D!) coordinated through the Officers' Spouses' Club, and it's been one of the most rewarding experiences during my time in Japan! I've learned so much from these beautiful women while I was there, and I love them ALL! It was always a hoot when we all got together, they became like my Japanese mothers and grandmothers. This is a group shot taken during our Christmas party! 

We've spent every Christmas in Japan up in Hakuba, at the Lady Diana Resort. It's a magical place filled with ski hills, friends, and F-U-N! We take an (unofficial) squadron ski trip, with well over 30 people (not sure of this past year's headcount). We stay in traditional style rooms, and this year our friends the Erickson's, Huffman's, and Chapman's (well minus T.W., but he was in our hearts while he was stuck in a sandy Christmas-land... booo!) all stayed in a room together. Oh what fun we had! Ladies slept in the loft upstairs, and the guys slept downstairs. Really, it's the best way to have a vacation! They feed us, we ski, we party, and my favorite part--the onsens! We had a blast at our White Elephant Christmas gift exchange. It's always ridiculous to see what is brought, and the different things the married couples bring, to what the single guys bring. Hi-larious. This year George and I, and our friend Kate went in on a TREASURE we found at the base thrift shop... that's right folks, we brought a life size cut out of Justin Bieber. The best. 

I seriously do not have any pictures of this event that are not incriminating to one friend or another. Except for this one of me skiing with my Panda hat. You want to spread the Christmas spirit? Ski down a mountain with this on. It'll get you LOTS of smiles. 

Oh. And this other picture of our wall at the end of the trip. 

We rang in the New Year with friends in what was supposed to be an evening out in Tokyo. The base had recently implemented a curfew policy (a'int military life grand???) so we would have to be back on base by 1am (special extension for NYE, usually it was 11pm) but we were going to make the best of it while we could! So off we went on the trains, and only one stop from home, we changed trains, and George, who thought he had enough time to run into a convenience store in between stops (he didn't) fell down the stairs and sprained his ankle. We took a cab back to base, and to the emergency room. 1 sprained ankle later, we rang in 2013 at the Yokota Officer's Club instead! So silly, that husband of mine. 

Our culture club also got together to do a little "Mochi Pounding!" Mochi is a special dish, usually served as a dessert, and it's made by cooking rice, and then literally pounding it with a giant mallet in a tree stump, until it's one big doughy 'substance', and then rolling it into balls, and stuffing it with various items, usually red bean paste (made from kidney beans and sugar... I think) and rolled in flour. It is QUITE the process. (They can also be various other flavors, my least favorite involving anything fishy or flaky.) My most favorite, filled with strawberries!

In January I also cut my hair! Normally a hair cut would not be an exciting thing to add to my blog, but this was a very special hair cut for me, and thought I'd throw it in there since I have pictures of it. Many of you know that my dear cousin John passed away last March from a brain tumor. It was a big deal for him, even as a guy, to lose his hair due to all of his treatments. I still don't fully grasp what that would be like, but I know for myself, as a woman, I love my hair. It's part of who I am. And in honor of John, I wanted to donate my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. My new friend Jo took me to her salon down in Tokyo, Hiroo to be exact and the wonderful lady at A Cut Above  chopped my hair off! I still miss my long hair, but am thankful mine will easily grow back. It'll be long enough to donate again in no time!