Final iphone shots from my time home...I am already missing the simple joys of guacamole, honeyboba...and changing my nieces and nephews diapers.
FOODS YOU MISS WHEN YOU LIVE IN JAPAN: CHIPOTLE, TRUE FOODS (AKA KALE), CHICK-FIL-A...just to name a few.
Hunty and Cam now sleep in a big bunk bed and one night I came over to babysit so R&J could go out for R's Bday. It was my favorite night because we crawled up to the top bunk and Hunty showed me his Paw Patrol wall of stickers and we read books until the boys fell asleep.
Quick reunion with my high school bffs...these girls are doing some radical things and I love catching up with them. Funny enough, we found ourselves back at the Mcdolands by our high school eating fries and icecream cones at 10pm...some things never change.
I was so stoked to finally be back at The Bridge (young adult ministry at CCSB)! My bro-in-law, sis, and ofie gave the announcements that night and it was the best thing ever. Loved seeing all my homies from discipleship and fellowshipping with everyone again!
Had to spend some QT with rin-sissy (Karin) and the girls!
Had lunch with G&G one day. Grandma made me a half sandwich and we shared prunes after. Their home will always be a special place for me.
One of the joys of being back in LA was visiting my former boss and the place that got me started into teaching!! Yuko has been a mentor to me these past few years and such a dear friend. I absolutely loved being back at her tutoring center reuniting with all the ladies I used to teach!
My fam got to drop by my cousin Kyle at his new place! Kyle and I have gone through basically every life stage together (we're 3 months apart) so it was super surreal being back and sharing stories of Japan while sitting in his house! It's crazy how far we have both come and I know we will always share a special cousin bond.
Hunter is almost 5...WOWZA...and I loved taking him to school one day, going to trader joes, and the farmers market..and just chatting it up with him as much as possible. He kept asking me, "Bon bon can you tell me a story? Make something up, about animals." So I would try to create this elaborate story about penguins getting stuck in the arctic or something and he would laugh and then say, "you're not really good at telling stories. They're too short." hahah funny kid.
PRETTY FOOD. Not gunna lie, almost shed a tear when I ate that plate of tacos. Nothing comes close to that in Japan.
On my last day at home...I was able to spend it at church. That was the best ending to a great time at home. This place holds so many memories for me and my family and I was holding back tears the whole service. I have this distinct memory of being a little kid, and having a church sleepover with the youth group. We were all running around the sanctuary and we would play this game where we started in the very back and would lay on the ground and roll down under all the pews to the very front row. First person to touch the stage won. I grew up on those pews, learning from the pastors that have stood on that stage, and hugging so many familiar faces every Sunday of my life. I loved being back there...and I really had to hold back tears the whole morning!
And just like that...I kissed all my loved ones goodbye and boarded a plane back to Japan. It was a jam packed 10 days and I was so thankful to have seen so many people! Living abroad has increased the capacity to love in my heart and it really swelled x10 while I was home. Distance really does make the heart grow fonder !