Sapporo Snow Festival - Day 1

Ever since we first arrived in Japan and started looking through friends' travel photos, we've wanted to go check out the big snow festival in Sapporo (on the north island). However, for the last two years James was TDY in Guam during the festival. So this year, we planned ahead and made sure we could go. With less than a month left in Japan, we felt like this was kind of our final hurrah with regards to Japanese tourism.

On Wednesday, February 6th, we hopped on the train and began our long trek north. We had to switch trains a couple of times, and the whole trip took about 7 hours (including a quick stint where the train went underwater on its way to the north island!) That's a long time to be sitting while pregnant... but it definitely beats getting sea-sick on the ferry. James and I both took advantage of this down time to peruse a few parenting books. Very fun.

When we arrived in Sapporo, it was late afternoon and already getting dark. We checked into our hotel, rested for a little bit, and then bundled up for our first night on the town! Thankfully the night was clear and not too cold. Three layers, thick boots and hand warmers kept all three of us nice and toasty.

Our first stop was the famous Sapporo Brewery and Restaurant. We met up with several friends from the other squadron who were up there to ski and enjoyed a meal of grilled meat and veggies. The tables in the beer garden all have grills in the middle so the staff bring you an endless supply of raw meat strips and veggies, and you can grill them as you wish. The lamb was particularly good. Definitely a fun way to start out our Sapporo experience!

The factory was beautifully lit up that night

grilling dinner

After dinner, we headed out into the city to see the famous ice and snow sculptures! There were streets lined with people slowly walking past all these beautiful winter works of art. I think James and I enjoyed the ice sculptures more. They were definitely smaller, but much more intricate.

Street full of ice sculptures

The detail was incredible!

One of my favorites, carved to look like tropical fish

James sitting in a very cold car

Those were real fish frozen in the blocks of ice!

After we had seen all of the ice sculptures, we walked a couple blocks up and marveled at the main attraction. These snow sculptures were HUUUGE! There were not nearly as many sculptures as we were expecting, but they were definitely impressive to look at. Especially when they were all lit up at night! There was one "sculpture" that was really a giant ski and snowboarding ramp. So cool!

check out the size of that thing! (back side)

small ice sculpture with the famous TV tower in the background

different countries had entries in the contest. This was the submission from Thailand

replica of the famous kabuki theater in Tokyo

cute sea creatures!

By the time we had seen all of the snow sculptures, I was tired and ready to curl up in a warm bed. Thankfully, we had a pretty laid-back agenda for the next day so we were able to sleep in till 10:00.

Club Beyond Outreach Kick-Off

Over the past several months I've been working to help get the new Military Christian Youth Ministries outreach program known as Club Beyond started on base. Club Beyond, which is essentially an overseas military version of Young Life, is already has an established presence in Europe. But Misawa was the first base chosen in their Asian invasion. Getting this ministry (which is geared toward introducing non-churched students to the gospel) has been a long and arduous process. But all good things come to those who wait and pray!

We were very excited to FINALLY hold our big Club Beyond kick-off at the end of January. Our MCYM contractors Dave and Beth came up with some fun "gimicks" to get kids through the doors and introduce them to what the program is about. So on Monday, January 28th we made a 20 gallon milkshake in a sterilized garbage can, and invited any high school students to come and partake. We played music, did a silly skit, held a raffle for some cool prizes, and then shared a little bit about what Club Beyond is and invited them to start attending regular meetings each week. A duplicate program was put on the following Friday for the middle schoolers. The middle schoolers FAR outnumbered the high schoolers in terms of attendance and interest, but over all I think the launch is going fairly well. I pray this ministry will blossom so more and more students will come to know the Lord here in Misawa (and all over Asia)!!

Volunteers adding several gallons of ice cream

Then game the milk. SOOO much milk...

Thankful for strong young male leaders who were able to mix it up!

Making silly faces while enjoying their milkshakes

High school group being welcomed by the base vice-wing commander before the raffle began

Fun prizes! Yes, that is a real chocolate bar.

VERY excited winner!

slurping up the last of the milkshake through super long straws!!

106 Middle Schoolers laughing at the skit on Friday! PRAISE GOD for large attendance!

Not only do I believe in this important ministry, but getting Club Beyond off the ground has been a high priority over the last few months because these contractors will be taking over my responsibilities leading Bible studies for the youth group on Wednesday nights. There have been some growing pains with this transition. But I pray that they will do a good job and our current students will continue coming after I leave so God can continue working in their lives! New but great things on the horizon for all!

12 Weeks - Baby Announcement & Big Decisions

Before we knew it, I was 12 weeks into our pregnancy, and it was time for my first big health evaluation with the OBGYN doctors here on base. We went over my blood tests, my diet and nutrition, did a quick physical exam, and - my favorite - took another look at the baby. Thankfully, both of us were healthy and progressing on schedule. I was amazed to see how much the baby had grown in only three weeks! Not only was the little guy/gal squirming and kicking with long legs and tiny feet, but I was amazed to hear that the poor thing had the hiccups! I didn't even know that was possible in utero. Below is our most-recent ultra-sound photo. Check out those legs!

My big item of concern that we discussed at length was how my scoliosis surgery would affect my pregnancy. Thankfully, the doctor said she would not consider me a high-risk pregnancy. However, the titanium rods and spinal fusion will make me a high-risk anesthesia patient. I am fused too low to receive an epidural or spinal block. I also know from experience that I have a very poor tolerance for narcotics thanks to all the drugs I was on while recovering from that operation. So I will likely either need to have the baby 100% naturally (which is my preference), or have them completely put me under while performing a C-section. Both are possible options. It will really just depend on how my body, the baby, and specifically those muscles around the surgical sites, handle the intense labor contractions.

We were presented with a unique challenge due to our PCS timeline. We are not scheduled to arrive in Korea until the start of my third trimester, which is very close to the cut-off date for air travel during pregnancy. Since Osan is considered a remote over-seas assignment, we were not sure what kind of medical care they provide or if they would be able to handle my unique situation. Normally, we would just meet with the doctors once we arrive and have them make a judgement call. But we felt that, if we waited to make a decision about whether it would be safer for me to have the baby in the States, it might be too late for me to leave Korea. So, as inconvenient as this was, we needed to make that decision now. That way, if we knew it was better to have the baby in the States, I could just stay in Colorado after James finished with S.O.S. instead of going to Osan, then having to fly home alone while large with child.

This was a very difficult decision. On the one hand, we wanted to feel confident that the baby and I would get the best care possible, and we knew that would be the case in Colorado. However, if I opted to have the baby in the States, James would miss out on my whole third trimester, and possibly the first several weeks of the baby's life.

We spent a lot of time in intense prayer, and did a lot of research on the subject. First, I talked to my sister-in-law Alison who is a labor and delivery nurse in San Diego, and also has an understanding of the hardware I've got grafted to my spine because she used to work for a company that manufactured them. She helped me come up with a list of specific questions and concerns that would help us determine the best plan. Then I talked to the OB and labor and delivery doctors, in addition to the anesthesiologists here in Misawa. Their opinion was all the same: "If Korean hospitals are anything like Japanese hospitals, we are not comfortable with that option for you and think you should go back to the States." In Japan, they have rigid ways of doing things, and patients don't have much say at all in how they are cared for. Asian doctors also often don't use much in the way of pain medication. If something went wrong and the base hospital wasn't able to care for us, it would be a very uncomfortable and frustrating experience for us due to their cultural and language barriers.

However, after talking to the doctors and other new moms in Korea, we discovered that their health care is much more advanced over there. The situation is the same - in an emergency, I would be sent off-base to a Korean hospital. However, Korean doctors are much more willing to work with you, and women who have been in that situation affirmed that they received fantastic care. So that info, in addition to a strong sense of peace from the Lord, gave us the confidence to decide to have the baby in Osan.

With that decision and the first trimester behind us, we went ahead and announced our pregnancy publicly to friends and extended family via email/facebook. There is a common phrase these days, that when you find out someone is pregnant, you say: "Your eggo is preggo." So we took the photo below as a clever way to let our friends in on the secret. It was gratifying seeing the enthusiasm and excitement.

This whole process has been a growing process in more ways than one. James and I are growing closer than ever in our marriage. We're beginning to "grow up" and prepare for this new responsibility. I'm also slowly outgrowing my pants. But most importantly, we are learning in new and very tangible ways to trust God for everything! Looking forward to reaping the fruit of this bittersweet season of growth!

College Reunion in Japan

I recently found out that my college friend Sarah (Bues) Thomspon, who served with me on the Intervarsity Exec Board in Carbondale, is living in Sendai and working as a missionary. I haven't seen Sarah since graduation, but we've kept in touch via facebook. She is not married and also teaches English in her spare time.

Sarah is pictured here to my right in the red plaid shirt

We couldn't pass up this unexpected opportunity to have an IV reunion in Japan! So she took a train up to Misawa and stayed with us for about 24 hours. Due to our limited time together and all of the lovely snow, we weren't able to do a whole lot of sight-seeing. But James and I did enjoy giving her a welcome taste of Americana. The night she arrived, we took her out to dinner at the steak restaurant on base. Then the next morning, after an American breakfast, we went shopping at the BX and commissary, helping her stock-up on those essentials you just can't find in Japanese stores like Tylenol and Cheerios and English DVDs. We are very blessed to have the opportunity to live overseas without having to completely forgo the comforts of home.

 Then, with our remaining time that afternoon, we wandered around the Misawa Air and Space Museum. A majority of the museum is set up like a children's science museum, with fun interactive displays. They also have some static displays of old airplanes, as well as new ones. In addition to messing around inside, James and I enjoyed showing her what living in Misawa is really about. (Note the F-16 in the background of this photo). ;^)

It was a quick, whirlwind visit, but we valued the time to catch up and reminisce about our college days! Looking forward to having more visitors in Korea! (Hint, hint...)

Fun in the Snow

As always, we've had A LOT of snow here in Misawa. A few weeks ago, the guys decided to make the best of the mounds of powder and built an igloo. I was very impressed with their ingenuity. It only took them four or five hours to make an igloo (with a solid dome roof) large enough for 6 people to sit in. I think they planned to make a small table in the middle and have a party in there the next weekend. But we had a surprise warm spell that caused the roof to cave in. Ah, well. It was fun while it lasted!

The four architects next to the finished product

Party in the igloo!

Love & Light for Kendall & Baby Nations

In January, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a massive baby shower for my good friend Kendall Nations. She and her husband Chris have decided to wait and be surprised by the sex of the baby when it's born. So we came up with a gender-neutral theme showering Kendall with love and light in the Misawa winter! Shimmery star and moon mobiles hung from the ceiling, and white Christmas lights and candles cast a warm glow over a huge spread of finger foods.

Mimosa station

We had almost 40 guests crammed into one house for this event, so we only played one short game, and used the rest of the time to "Ooo" and "Awww" over all of her gifts.

I knitted a blanket for baby Nations. Kendall loved it. =^)

Hilarious gag-gifts kept things interesting

It was a pleasure throwing this big party for such a special lady and her baby!!

A New Year Brings New Adventures

Happy New Year (6 Weeks Late...)!!! Clearly I am not making good on my new year's resolution to keep this blog updated...

Thankfully, I have a great excuse! Heading into 2013 we have many new adventures on the horizon. Some of those include a 2 month stint in the USA while James completes Squadron Officer's School at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, AL, as well as our big move to Osan AB, South Korea. But undoubtedly, the biggest and most exciting change coming our way sometime around August 1st will be a new baby!!

We were excited to find out that I'm expecting on December 1st. Little Wentzel will be a stereotypical post-deployment baby, but we're OK with that. December was a difficult month. Thankfully, I did not experience severe morning sickness or cravings/food aversions. However, I was definitely queasy, moody, exhausted and forgetful all of the time. Two weeks in, I washed my iPhone with our bedsheets. I have no idea how it got in there. I'm hoping that my sudden lack of brain power means this child will be very smart.

We had fun sharing the news with family members on, or in the weeks following, Christmas. For those parents with skype, we had a little fun surprising them with the following set-up:

We waited till each conversation gave us a good reason to take the family on a digital tour of our snowy, holiday-decked apartment, and ended with an eye-full of our big news!

On January 7th, we got our first glimpse at the little peanut. We were extremely excited to not only receive confirmation that the baby was growing and healthy and hear its heart beating, but to see it moving and waving its little arms and legs at us! We're overwhelmed with this miracle God has blessed us with! At this point, we were only 9 weeks in, but already this little baby has limbs, a face, teeth, and the beginnings of a personality! Incredible.

Needless to say, this next year will be a big one. We will be sad to say good bye to Japan and leave all of our close friends behind. But we are excited for all that God has in store for us in 2013!