New Bread!

I am so excited! This morning I told you that I was making bread... I mixed it up, let it rise for the 45 minutes, and got discouraged because it didn't rise any... Then I put it in the pans and let it rise for another 30 minutes... Still didn't rise... I turned the oven on and put the pans in hoping it would do something. Well, it did! The bread turned out wonderfully! The only person who doesn't like it is Roger, which is probably a good thing. :) I will give you what I have of a recipe. I say that because I really didn't measure any of it since I didn't know if it was going to work. I just sort of guessed at amounts of ingredients. :)

I do have to come up with a better name for it though... :)

Gluten free, Gum free, Flax Seed bread ;)

2 egg whites

almost two eggs

1/2 cup milk

a little over 1/2 tsp salt

a little over 1/2 tsp yeast

about 1/3 cup flax seed meal (or you can grind your own 1/2 cup whole flax seeds)

about 1/2 cup millet flour

almost 1 cup tapioca starch

Beat together eggs, milk, salt and yeast. Mix in flax seed meal and let sit a few minutes. Add millet, stir, and then add tapioca starch and stir again. The dough will be much thinner than regular wheat bread dough.

Let rise 45 min. Put in two miniature loaf pans and let rise in warm place 30 min. Bake at about 375 for 40 minutes.

I'll warn you though, it is too easy to eat the whole loaf while it's still warm! :)

On top of gluten intolerance, some people also have an 'allergy' to xanthan gum and/or guar gum. I have been using xanthan gum in the cornstarch bread, but we think that Eastin may have a problem with it. So in this recipe the flax seeds fill in for that since they get sticky and slimy and to the same job of holding the bread together. They also give the bread a wonderful 'whole grain' taste that's hard to get if you're on a gluten free diet.

Well, we have had the doors open all day today, with the breeze coming through. At one point I even got cold while I was lying on my bed reading for a few minutes of quiet time before I did the boys' English reading with them. I had a blanket over me, and Coen had the funnest time uncovering my feet!

Speaking of Coen, today he called me 'Na-na'. Today was the first time I've ever heard him say that. He's been saying 'da-da' for a long time, and 'ma-ma' for a few weeks, but today he actually called me by name...well, sort of. While the boys were watching the new Karate Kid after dinner, Coen and I were sitting next to one another in two dining room chairs pulled together so that he wouldn't fall off of his. For about the last 5 minutes of the movie he sat at the edge of his chair with both arms around me and his head against my side saying 'na-na' over and over! It was sooo precious!

Well, it is really late here, I know I should go to bed. I just had to share these few highlights of my day!

All my love,

Hannah

...Sigh...

Ahhhh.... I know it's still early here, so I don't have much to write about the day yet, but I just had to share with you about last night! Yesterday after the typhoon came through, the air cooled down incredibly! Last night was the first night it has been cool enough to sleep with my window open since early to mid June. So I opened my floor to ceiling window, crawled into bed, and covered up with my heavy comforter. There was such a nice breeze that blew all night long that I never got hot, and I even had to sleep with my arms under the cover most of the night! It was such a refreshing time! I wish this morning that I could capture part of the wonderful, fresh smell in the air and send it to you! It reminds me of being at one of the state parks back home in the middle of October. I feel so refreshed and re-energized. Still, at 10:30, we have all of the doors open and a wonderful breeze has been blowing through the house. The temperature is only 77 degrees now, but for us it seems so cool. I've always thought that between 74 and 78 degrees was the perfect temperature, anyway! We have had to prop all of the doors open, because if we don't, the wind causes them all to slam shut! :) At one point this morning someone even said: "close the doors, I'm cold!" As I walked Eastin to school this morning I was able to enjoy the breeze and fresh air. I love it!!!

I'll post more tonight, but I don't have much more to tell now, except that I just tried a new bread recipe. It's rising now, so I'll tell you how it turns out later. :)

Hannah

...Middle of the Week

Today...it rained.... I know that this is no unusual thing, especially for Japan during this time of year. But this is the first time it has rained since I got back from my vacation! This summer has been so hot for Japan, that there is something like a 'heat bubble' over just Japan. This causes all of the typhoons that usually come through Japan to bounce around the island, and hit Korea instead. So today, a typhoon finally got through the bubble and let us have it! It has been cloudy all day, and in the early afternoon it was so foggy that I couldn't even see the other side of the river!!! (It only takes about 5 min. to walk to the river from here.) So that means I couldn't see half mile away, which is unusual for being up this high! And, for the first time in several weeks, I just had to go for a walk...in the torrential downpour! :) For some unknown reason I woke up this morning and wanted to go for a walk. This is the first day I've wanted to go for a walk in about a week. When I woke up at 7:00 it was just a light rain. Well, I didn't get a chance to go out until about 2:30. I borrowed Abi's rubber boots, grabbed my umbrella, and left the house wearing my denim skirt and favorite T-shirt. The thing I've learned about typhoons, is that the rain never just falls strait down. It always comes in at an appalling angle. Today was no different. Very soon after I left the house I realized that my umbrella is not waterproof! (Which really doesn't make sense, because this umbrella has a design that only shows when the top is wet!) By the time I got back, I was quite throughly SOAKED! Literally, from the top of my head to the bottom of my socks, I had water dripping off of me...

I felt so good! It made my day to be able to stomping in water puddles wearing rubber boots, and get horribly wet, and be blown around by the wind! Although lots of people stared at me while I was walking through the rain during the worst part of the storm (a fact of which I was not aware until later) I really enjoyed it.

Other than that, my day has been pretty calm. Part of this morning was spent learning the results of the livestock show that my sisters competed in. That was really exciting! I am so proud of them! I have a special place in my heart for the competition they just completed. It was the first time I ever showed a cow, and I have fond memories of that show from the past two years!

Tonight we had guests over for dinner. A Christian singer who is going to be doing a mini-concert at church this Sunday came to rehearse with the bass player that plays at church. I have enjoyed listening to them practice while I have been writing. I look forward to the concert!

Before I go for the night, I just have to share with you this memory of mine... All day today I have been remembering one day when I was very small. I recall this one day when it was rainy and cloudy all day long. I was the youngest member of my family at this point, and had not started school. My Mother decided that on that dark, rainy day we would spend the day together having fun. So for several hours that morning my brother and I listened as Momma read aloud to us. For lunch we had homemade popcorn and chocolate milk, and in the afternoon we fell asleep listening to Momma read to us again. I don't remember what she was reading, but listening to our parents read aloud has always been very special to my siblings and me. Just that simple day made a lasting impression in my memory! I'm thankful for all of the special times from my early childhood God has allowed me to remember!

Well, now I think I'll call it a night!

My love to you all,

Hannah

September 6th, 2010!!!

I hardly know where to begin! Today has been so...different. It was different from probably any other Monday I've had since being in Japan.. It was different than any other birthday I've ever had, and it was different than how I had imagined this birthday would be. (Oh. By the way, today is my birthday.) I had a wonderful day! I talked with my family this morning and they all gathered around to sing Happy Birthday to me, and while I was video chatting with them I opened the many presents they sent me. I also opened many very thoughtful cards! One card even just arrived today! Sending that one was good timing. :) Over the weekend several of my friends have given me gifts, too. Hinako and her family gave me a beautiful basket of roses, and a card. Yukiho gave me a hair scrunchy and lip balm. Aidan drew me an adorable card and gave it to me this morning. :) God has definitely blessed me throughout the weekend. Last night Satoshi and Yukiho came here for dinner. Abi totally surprised me after dinner by lighting a candle in some brownies, and having Roger play happy birthday, and everyone sang 'Happy Birthday'! Then she gave me the whipped cream and told me I could top my brownie with 'as much as I wanted'. :) Again, I just have to praise God for my 'family overseas'! He has allowed me to make wonderful friendships that I hope last forever! I praise Him for my family at home in the States who sacrificed most of their evening talking to me today. I am so thankful for all the many people praying for me as I am away from home. Today, while washing a few dishes, I began to play my own little 'what if' game. I wondered to myself:

"what if my parents and I hadn't discussed the possibility of my coming to Japan one day at a Mexican restaurant after I got off from work?"

"What if I hadn't been leaving for the other side of the world 4 days after I graduated high-school?"

"Would I have enjoyed my graduation day more...or less than I did? Would it have meant as much to me?"

"How would my life have been different if I had stayed home after finishing high-school? Would I have started college by now? How would I be doing with it?"

"Would the night we all sat together in the den on May 11th have been different if I hadn't been flying out of the country at 7:00 the next morning?"

"What if I had had the 'mother/daughter tea party' that I had been planning for my 18th birthday?"

"Would I have been following God's plan for my life?"

As these thoughts were flying through my head, God allowed me to remember those days just before I came to Japan. I remembered some of the thoughts that ran through my head as I imagined myself living in another country....away from my family for the first time in my life... It also seemed as if he brought to mind every reason I decided to come here. He showed me each thing that helped prepare me for this job. Then I knew the answer to the last question. I am where God wants me for the present. Coming to Japan to be a nanny for these children is what God wanted me to do this summer and fall. I don't know all the ways God will use this in my life or where He will lead me in the future. But I know on this 6570th day of my life (approximately), my 18th birthday, I am in Japan because God wants me here. I was overcome with joy. How Great is our God!

I was reminded of another old hymn....

"Come, thou fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing thy grace,

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise....

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for thy courts above.

!!!

I've included a picture of my flowers, and my official 'birthday picture'. I make sure I have one every year. :) In this picture, I am wearing my birthday presents. I love then!!!

Well, I think now I'll go and enjoy my birthday ice-cream!

All my love,

Hannah

Today

Good morning everyone... I have decided since yesterday that my posts are entirely too long... However, I have not decided what I could do to make them shorter. I feel like almost everything in them is important. Therefore, you should just get used to long posts or several in one day! :) Today went very well, I thought. Today was the first full day of school that both boys have had. I felt proud of myself for getting up at 6:35. After I pulled myself out of bed at such an early hour, I found that I was the last person to get up!!! Everyone else was up and most of them had already had breakfast! Oh well. I also had a while this morning after the boys left for school to actually video chat with my family. It was good to get to see them again. I was also very glad to be able to see my grandparents as well. It had been WAY too long since I'd seen them. Just after I finished talking with them, I noticed the door to my room being pushed open. In walked Coen with a model car in his hand. His car was flying across my door, over to my closet door, along the boxes that line my room, and finally he got to where I was sitting. The scene was completed by his one year old hot rod sound effects. He stopped, looked at me as if he just noticed I was there, and gave a big grin. Then he decided that his car needed a pit stop. He climbed into my lap and simply sat there while I was working on my computer. Since I sat down here he has been doing the same thing, with his car running all over the window sills, the furniture, the arm of my rocking chair, and all across his Mommy. (Complete with sound effects.) I know all children probably do this at some point, but I remember doing it when I was much older than 15 months old! It is absolutely precious!

Well, I made more bread today. I put on my beautiful blue and white apron, went into my little palace, began to gather my ingredients, and then realized that we were out of cornstarch!!! (GASP!) My spirits were crushed as I pulled the bag of rice flour out and found a new recipe to use. You may not remember as vividly as I do that rice flour and I go way back. And it hasn't been exactly what I would call a nice friendship. It's more like the friendship that Sherlock Holmes has with Professor Moriarty. Nothing I have ever tried to make with rice flour has turned out well! This was no great breakthrough. My bread rose beautifully in the oven, and sank when taken out. :( But I am not discouraged like I was before, because I know that with cornstarch I can make as many beautiful loaves of bread as I want!

After I made the bread and had a quick lunch, Roger and I went to Tokyo to get my re-entry visa for Japan. It was so easy! I just filled out a form, gave them my passport and gaijin card, paid for two $30 stamps, and within 2 hours I was given the privilege to exit and re-enter Japan multiple times between today and May 2011. It was a load off my chest to know that I have that now. On the way to and from the Bureau we rode in a bus. I have not ridden a bus in about 14 years. I was reminded of years and years ago when I rode and played in a big yellow school bus. I never went to school on a bus, but I rode it for pleasure with my grandmother. I have fond memories of it. I usually sat right behind the driver's seat and watched the students pile in. When the bus was parked, my brother and I played in it as our ship. We loved opening and closing the doors! From those years came one of my favorite conversations of all times: "Watch the bus!" "I see the bus." (Sorry. If you were there, you'll know what I mean. If not, I know that makes no sense whatsoever. I just had to put it in because it's such a fond memory for me.)

For supper tonight we had baked potatoes. I crumbled bacon and grated cheese for the potatoes Abi baked. They were really delicious. Then, since the bread called for 6 egg whites, I made vanilla pudding for dessert. It was VERY good. The only thing that bothered me was that it was too sweet. After being in Japan for so long, my taste buds have gotten used to the reduced amounts of sweetness in Japanese food. I can handle large doses of caffeine with little side effect. But sugar is a different story. After eating the pudding, I felt like I couldn't see straight for about 20 minutes. :) But now I know how to make real pudding. I suggest everyone learn to make pudding. It is always better than instant pudding!

Anyway, the sugar must have worn off already, because I'm really tired now. I think I'll end this long post.

All my love,

Hannah

Day 111

Ok. I've given you all a fair chance by now... Happy first day of September!!! (Did I say it first?) This tradition was started by one of my sisters. On the first or last day of each month, we have a little unofficial competition to see who remembers it first. Usually the three place winners are Daddy, Zoe, or me. Since I've been in Japan, I've won the last several times due to the date line. I didn't mention it in my post this morning, so that I could give you all a fair chance. :) I did think about it earlier today, though... I was thinking how special just this simple thing is to me. Without it, I feel like I don't really experience each month. The change of a month should be more than just going to bed one night, and waking up the next day in a different month. It is a whole new set of days that God has put before us. We should be thankful for every moment we have, and every month is like a 'complete set' of days. I feel like this reminds me where I am, and what's happened in each month. It's so... sad, or, boring... when you just go through each month as days and days, and one month fades out of existence into another... I really treasure this little tradition of ours. :) Thanks Zoe!

Today, this first day of a whole new month, has been a very good one. After lunch Hinako cameover for about two hours just to play. I took Aidan, Eastin, Hinako, and Coen downstairs to the deck to play. The 4 of us (excluding Coen) played soccer together. It was probably the most physical play I've had in the last three months, I'm sad to say. We played for a little over an hour. Nearly the entire time, Coen just walked around dragging a yo-yo by the string. He does this almost every day. We call it his pet, and he regularly takes it for walks all around the house, and even the halls outside. :) He is so adorable! After that, we came in and had a cool down snack. I then helped Aidan read a story in English while Eastin and Hinako played with a train set. Not long after Hinako left, Roger and Abi went out too. So I made a quick dinner, and the boys and I watched the new Karate Kid. It is really good. For dinner I made sort of an impromptu lasagna. I half cooked some gluten free macaroni while I browned some chopped chicken. I added spaghetti sauce, herbs, and spices to the chicken, and then layered the pasta and sauce with grated cheese in a pan. I put gluten free bread crumbs on top, and baked it at 300 degrees for 40 minutes. I thought it was really good, and the boys must have too. All three of them ate everything I gave them! After dinner and the movie were over, I "played Karate Kid" by telling them chores to do like Mr. Han had done in the movie! It worked wonderfully. They completely cleared and wiped the table for me while I just sat there! All I had to do was wash the dishes when they got done!!! Then I put them to bed with much more ease than past attempts... Except for Baby, that is. He was determined to stay awake with me, so I let him stay up a little longer.

Well, it's nearly 10:00 here, so I should probably go to bed. I've been trying to get up before 7:30 this week... I think I've woken up at 6:30 every morning, but haven't gotten up until nearly 7:00 or a little after.

Oh. I just have to tell you this! Abi just walked in and told me about the latest news 'decree'. Over 200 people have died in Japan this year due to heat stroke. All of the news stations are telling people to use their air-conditioners. Japanese people rarely use their air-conditioners, even when they do have one. I think it's funny that some Americans use either their central heat or air all year long, and most Japanese don't use theirs even when they do have one! Just so you don't start to worry, we run the air in the living room during the day, and I keep the one in my room on at night...

Speaking of my room at night, I think my little futon is calling me! :)

My love to you all,

Hannah

Eleventy First Day

Good Evening this time... First of all, I had to say hello on my eleventy first day in Japan! (I've been reading Lord of the Rings lately.) :) If you are like me, and are trying to figure out what that means, I'll go ahead and tell you. I have been in Japan for 111 days now! I can't believe it. Sometimes it seems so long, and some days it seems like I haven't been here for over three months.

Anyway, I remembered something this morning that I had meant to say last night... I have not been good at replying to comments on my blog. :( I realized recently that I was asked a question in a comment, and never answered! Gomenasia (I'm sorry). The question was 'are there bath houses in Japan?' The answer is definitely a yes! There are many onsen (public baths) in Japan. Some of the most famous ones are north of Tokyo in the mountains. The baths are natural hot springs, and are mostly found around volcanoes. I have heard many funny and nice stories from foreigners who have visited onsen. I've heard how nice it feels to sit in the hot water, and feel the massages, and even sit in the electric chair! (Yes, there is an electric chair in the hot water... That's the source of most of the funny stories!) I've also been told how beautiful they are. The ones in the north are especially beautiful, since they are surrounded by mountains. I, however, have never and will never visit one of the onsen. I've been told that many of the short term missionaries are taken to the onsen against their will and end up enjoying it. But this is one short termer who will not be taken! If I want to sit in hot water with no clothes on, I am perfectly content to use the bathtub. :)

I know there was also something else I thought of that I wanted to say, but I forgot it again. I suppose it wasn't too important.

Both boys are at school now, on the first day of school. The shogakko (elementary school) is having an earthquake drill today, so they get to come home early. I think it's kind of funny... In the States we have fire drills and then go back to school. In Japan they have earthquake drills and get to go home for the rest of the day. I guess it makes sense, since earthquakes are more severe than fires generally.

I should probably go for now...

All my love,

Hannah