SNOWBOARDING IN JAPAN!!!

Here are some pictures of my day snowboarding!!!


Erika and myself at the top of the hill!!!


Dean and Brian at the top of the hill!!


Well... the picture says it all really, but the snowboard that I had some how was wrecked so I had to rent a board and this is what it said on it. We all had a laugh about it at the top of the hill!!!

What a view we had from on the hill... here are some pictures check out the view!!!




This one is my favorite it almost looks like a dove and the light shinning down!!!


God sure did create some beautiful stuff for us to look at and enjoy!!!

Valentine's Day

It started off as just another day here in Japan.... I was upstairs making lunch for Erika and myself, while planing my lessons for the day...... When all of a sudden I thought [Hey it's Valentine's Day today]. So when Erika came up I said happy Valentine's Day and gave her the only thing I had Sembei (rice cracker). Then we sat on the heated carpet and ate while we mourned about our day. Then we had this crazy idea to make cupcakes for the kids to decorate during class. Why not sounds like they type of thing the kids would love doing and it can't be that hard to make right???? Wrong.... By this I mean Erika and I should never attempt something like this last minute and in a hurry!!!!




These are the pictures we took at the begining. Then we didn't want to take any after, cause it turned haywire and didn't want any memories.... We had all different shapes, don't ask me how that happens. We made on batch white and on batch pink, but some how they turned out different shades like bright pink, brown pink, white, and brown; thankfully we didn't burn any though!!! But I guess you can't always have a perfect day!!

My day at the museum!!!

Well I am trying to keep up but some how time just seems to slip through my fingers!!!! So I will continue to try harder!!!



Erika's friend Heather came to visit. Heather is on the left!



This is us in front of Happy Drugs, yes there is a store called Happy Drugs where I live!



Erika's morning class in Odate took us to the museum to see the Hina Dolls!!! It is a tradition that people set little ones up in there house (like a christmas tree) on girls day. And if the don't take them down before three days after the girls in the house will grow up and never get married!



This is the one Erika and I like to call the Break Dancing mouse!!!



It was the first day for this part of the museum to open so the people from the paper where there to take pictures. When we came in they said that it was really boring and asked if they could take pictures of us!!! This is me and Erika being followed around by the Paparazzi.



This is a picture for you Grandpa.... Look at the sizes of there equipment it like 1/4 the size of ours!!!



This is everyone who went to the museum!!! It was a fun day out!!!

This Entry is Dedicated to Sam!!!

Sam the pictures say it all. I saw them and had to take them. The first thing I thought about was you!!!

My Home Town!!!!!

I had fans wanting pictures of where I live so here it goes!!! I will have more and better ones as time goes, but it gives you a general idea!!!



This is the church, where I will be living until May and where I will be working my whole time here!! I like it cause of the design it's different!!!




This is the bridge that I cross to get to pretty much everything!!! Train, Grocery Store, my apartment when I get it, and all the other stores in town!!!!



This is the view from the Bridge at least on one side. I love this view!!!!



This is just a picture of the beginning of Downtown main street. I will get a better one of this!!!



This is the grocery store where I get my groceries!! But if you look close you can see the little guy. They direct traffic in the grocery store parking lot, isn't that great!!!!

Well now you kind of have an image of where I live. Hope you enjoy it, maybe even enough to come visit me??????

Who want's to see pictures?

I have some good pictures that I should show, so I kind of made it all one blog. Hope you enjoy it!



This is me and Erika having Starbucks in Akita, yeah for Starbucks I miss my daily drinks!



This is me in front of the sign that I thought was really funny "Three minutes Happiness". Isn't that great, I love the English here!



This is the best shirt I have ever seen and now wish that I had bought it.



This is Erika showing her true Alienation. We had to take lots of pictures to get it right, but I think this is the best one and Erika may beg to differ.



These are paper Cranes we made I made the light/bright green one on the right. Isn't it cute? But don't ask me to teach you cause I don't think I will remember.





This is called TAMAKIZUSHI it is sushi that you make in your hand and eat it was really good. I tried everything except for the raw tuna, cause I can't eat it, it's a texture thing , crazy hey!


Today is Setsuban Day, which means the day before the beginning of spring. The tradition is that everyone throws soya beans in there house to get rid of the bad and let the good in. They open every door in the house and literally throw soya beans everywhere. But now they use peanuts so you can eat them. A wonderful couple opened there house so I could try this holiday that's new to me. After opening every door then you put the peanuts in a basket and offer them at the alter, which most Japanese people have in there house to worship there ancestors.



If you look closely you can see the basket on the top shelf. The lady of the house lights the candles and prays. If you ask who they are praying to they say they don't know. I don't want to say tradition but they are worshiping something because of a tradition. Then you take the peanuts and throw them all around the house.



If you look really closely again, you will see the peanuts I threw, not going to lie it was a lot of fun, that was the first time I was asked to throw food around someone's house. When you throw the peanuts you are suppose to yell "Oniodasu" which means out with the bad(Devil). It's so hard to say devil though cause they don't use it here in the same context we do, it's not the devil we think it's more related to bad things. I think this is a lot like we as christians do in our hearts out with the bad and in with the good. Only we don't need to throw peanuts, we open our hearts for God to come in and chase the devil out. Then when you are done throwing them and having all the fun you have to pick them up and eat as many as years you are old, I was so happy cause I was only 19 years old and I was still full from dinner.

Well that brings you up to date on my picture's hope to put more on soon.