A Whale of a Morning

Let me start by saying I’ve tried to tell this story in an abridged version, but always end up going back to the beginning, so let’s start at the beginning.

For those that have been following the blog I’ve started ocean swimming with a group of people called the Bold and Beautiful (B&B).  We meet every morning on the beach at 7AM for a 1.5K swim to Shelly beach and back.  It’s a great way to start the morning, and on occassion a group of us will do 3K's starting at 6:20. 

Well a week ago Thursday the plan was to get up and swim with the guys at 6:20, but decided instead to just go for the 7AM swim. So, I get up, start walking down the beach looking for the two guys, and see them swimming in...er, uh...swimming out...er, uh...swimming in.  They were all over the place. What the heck are they doing? They were about 300 meters off the beach when we saw them.  2 whales. 

Couldn’t believe it...they had been swimming with these whales for almost 20 minutes, and I had missed it.  The whales started swimming off.  Some of the early comers were on their way out to meet them, but missed the window.  So the rest of us started our normal 7AM swim, when to our surprise we saw the whales start to head our direction. 

Still a ways off, a group of us figured we'd give it a try and see if we could catch them. We started swimming the same direction as the whales.  Closer and closer we got to where we thought they were, when I noticed I was swimming over the top of some choral.  What was really strange was this choral was moving. There they were...2 humpback whales swimming right underneath me (a mother and it’s calf).  It was an absolutely amazing.

What was even more amazing was they hung around for another 15 minutes as we enjoyed the experience.  At one point, both whales swam under me again and started to surface...as I turned around to watch them come up, the tail of the calf waved right in front of my face.  Not any further away than the length of my arm. 

It’s one thing to be swimming with the whale sharks in the Georgia Aquarium, but there is something special about swimming with whales in the wild.  And it was just a normal day in Manly.

An experience of a lifetime, and I will never forget it as a part of my time here in Australia. This summer I’m shooting for my first ever 6K and 10K in the ocean.  I’m hunting the big white whale next...

(Note:  The following is a picture of 2 humpbacks to give everyone an idea of what I saw...these are not the actual whales, but you can imagine how much I wish there was a camera there :-)

Bold & the Beautiful Winter Badge for David

I’m so proud of my husband!  David earned his winter badge (without a wetsuit I might add!) with the Bold & the Beautiful!  The requirement was to do 20 swims during the 13 week winter period and my darling husband qualified with 55 SWIMS!!  He’s been loving every minute of his time in the water. 

David and Julie - the creator of B&B!

How cool that he can walk down to the ocean so easily for a morning swim.  We are just so lucky to live where we do and have experiences like this. 

He’s now set his sights on other badges - one for a 4.5K swim and another for a 6K swim.  6 Kilometers!!  I can’t even imagine swimming 100 meters in the ocean let alone 6K’s.  You go, babe! :)

~LAA :)

David with Tim, Graeme & Charlie

Had to get a picture with the budgies! :)

Ninjette Update - 39 Weeks

I’m officially at 39 weeks!  We’re less than a week from our due date - I can hardly believe the time has gone by so quickly.

I’m still feeling great, all things considered.  I was able to run until 36 weeks and have been keeping up my walking ever since.  Thank goodness for the support band and custom insoles for my runners - I really don’t know what I would have done without them! 

The past month I’ve struggled with sleeping (I mean seriously.  How cruel is Mother Nature to give 8 month pregnant women insomnia?!  Not to mention a huge belly to contend with when trying to turn over in the middle of the night) but I really have been so fortunate throughout this pregnancy that I have really no cause to complain.  A little swelling here, acne there is no big deal considering I’ve been able to control my weight gain and still have this much energy!

Ninjette is looking great - she’s estimated at just over 7lbs now and is head down getting ready to go.  She’s dropped very low but is not yet engaged.  David and I are so excited to meet her!

We’ve set up the baby stuff - unfortunately we can’t really do a nursery because we don’t have the room in the apartment (our guest room will be occupied by our parents for the next couple months!) but we’ve set up the pack ‘n play in our bedroom and a changing station in the living room.  I’ve washed all of her clothes and blankets and my hospital bag is almost packed.  I can’t wait to create our underwater theme nursery when we get back to the US.  I already have visions of the sea creatures on the walls. :)

We took our antenatal classes, including one focused on breast feeding for me and a first time dad’s class for David.  The class we took together was a 2 Saturday marathon, first about labor and delivery and then about parenting.  I’m so glad we took the time to attend - both of us feel so much more prepared on both fronts. 

The hospital is beautiful.  The delivery and parenting suites are set up like hotel rooms with amenities to boot.  We’ll be there for 4 or 5 nights depending on the type of birth I have.  I continue to be impressed with the amount of support this country offers new parents.  Between the longer stays at the hospital, the local early childhood clinics and the automatic placement into mothers groups, I feel like I’m going to have more support than I know what to do with!  What a great feeling of security as we get ready to start this new adventure. 

I’ve been working from home for the past couple of weeks.  My last day will be September 30th unless Little Miss decides to make her appearance first.  The waiting game is tough but exciting! :)

Here are some recent pictures of Ninja's mom-to-be (Ninja is too big to fit on the ultrasound screen so no more pics of her until she's born!)

~LAA :)

29 Weeks

29 Weeks

33 Weeks

33 Weeks - where did that belly come from?!

37 Weeks

37 Weeks

Baby Shower

Our dear friend Jo Schofield threw me a darling baby shower.  It was small and intimate and just lovely!  The theme was baby butts and books - we got diapers and Australian/New Zealand children’s books from the girls.  We even got some hand-me-down baby girl clothes from Nat, David and Jo’s former boss!  How perfect for us!  I’m so looking forward to introducing Ninjette to a little bit of Down Under once we start reading together :) 

Jo put a lot of effort into the games - we had a ball, especially with pin the sperm on the egg (heehee).  Thanks Jo for all your efforts!

~LAA :)

Pin the sperm on the egg

Nat, Jo, Gemma, Linds, Sam, Shellee, Lisa

Jo and Linds - she's 9 weeks behind me!

Turkish Food - Trying Something New

One of the coolest things about living over here is that we are constantly bombarded with opportunity to try something we’ve never done before. It forces us to step outside of our comfort zone and experiment. I never realized how often we choose the “easy” option when faced with a choice – go with something you’re comfortable with or go with the unknown.

Last night we trusted our friends Jo and Pete and actually took a chance on dinner in a suburb we had never visited, to try a variety of food we both knew nothing about. We travelled to Balmain, over the (gasp!) ANZAC bridge to Efendy (http://www.efendy.com.au), a Turkish restaurant.

The food was amazing! We opted for the “Sultan’s Feast,” an 8 course tasting menu so we could try a variety of things. We practically rolled out the door at the end of the meal because we all couldn’t stop eating – everything was so delicious!

It goes to show that sometimes you need to take a chance on something that’s completely foreign to you. It’s the only way you’ll ever grow and you never know – you might find your new favorite thing!

~LAA :)

Ninja at 26 Weeks

We had a Dr. apt this week.  Ninja is doing great - she already weighs 2 pounds!!  Mom-to-be is doing fine as well.  Getting bigger by the day.  Running is becoming difficult but I'll try to persevere as long as I can.  It seems I'm going to become very good at walking in the next 3 1/2 months!

Dad-to-be was able to feel his daughter kicking for the first time this week!  It was such a wonderful moment - the smile that came over his face as he recognized her movements was priceless.  He's a proud papa!

Here are some pics from our visit this week.

~LAA :)

Check out the umbilical cord twisting at the top of the frame

Closeup of her face - you can see the lines of her skin and skull

Jervis Bay

Last weekend we took a road trip to Jervis Bay in the southern coast of NSW.  We drove down with our friends Jo and Peter and stayed the weekend with a few other friends in a house on beautiful Callala Beach.  Originally we went down to support a few friends as they rode in a 50K bike race, but unfortunately the race was cancelled due to all the rain we’ve gotten recently (the trails were in rough shape) so instead we all went down to have a “chill” weekend away from the city. 

On Saturday, being that neither Jo nor I am able to scuba dive (she's pregnant too), we went with Pete on a whale watch.  The weather was beautiful (cold but beautiful!) and we got some great shots!

Jo and Pete

Meanwhile, David was spending time below the surface (in 59 degree water!!) scuba diving with SEALS!  Yes, you read that right!  He got to dive with seals.  I don’t think I could be more jealous! 

David said the seals came within feet of him!

On the drive home, we stopped for lunch and a little shopping in a charming, English inspired town in the Southern Highlands called Berry.  It’s best known for its tree lined streets, the ivy-clad antiques shop and its art and craft shops.  What a great weekend we had!

~LAA :)

Bold and the Beautiful

David has been doing ocean swims from Manly to Shelley Beach with a group called the Bold and the Beautiful.  It's a bunch of diehards who do this swim every single day at 7am.  David hasn't become one of the crazies who goes every day but he goes 4-5 times a week and is loving it!  I'm so proud of him!!  It's 1500 meters round trip and the weather can make the swells as much as 8 feet high!!  Honestly, I get nervous every time he goes but I know he's always with a group (sometimes 100+ people!) so I know he'd be well taken care of. 

The group wears bright pink swim caps and bathing suits (aka "budgie smugglers" for men) so they're easily seen from shore.  David's fashion sense is so well regarded his picture was posted on their blog last week.  Check out this pic!  What a model he is :)

~LAA :)

We're Having a Baby!

Late January 2011 – early June 2011

We found out in Tokyo, Japan.  I arrived after a 16+ hour trip and just about collapsed when I walked in the hotel room to meet David.  We decided to get dinner before we took the test.  The lines appeared almost instantly - no doubt, we’re pregnant!  6 months of trying finally paid off!

The trying process was probably the hardest and most emotional experience I’ve ever had.  It was really tough for David as well.  I know 6 months isn’t a long time - in fact to fall pregnant in that amount of time is just about average - but I just couldn’t relax about the experience.  I was anxiety ridden and couldn’t stop thinking about how out of control I was.  No matter how much planning and scientific measuring I did there was nothing I could do to control whether we could actually conceive.  I think that’s the hardest part of any couple trying to get pregnant.  Relaxing about the process is close to impossible and the stress that ensues just draws out the experience which in turn causes more stress.  Geesh, Mother Nature could have worked better with us on that one, I think.

In Australia, there’s a baby boom on so that means as SOON as you learn you’re pregnant you have to book your reservation at the hospital where you wish to give birth.  What I don’t understand is why they want you to make a booking.  Back to the Mother Nature thing - there’s no way to predict when the baby will actually come so how can they honor a booking?  I don’t get how it all works.  All I know is that we needed to make a booking ASAP so we did.  North Shore Private Hospital, here we come October 1st!

Many people have asked if our baby will have dual citizenship – unfortunately, Australia doesn’t recognize babies born in this country as automatic citizens so the answer is no.  In fact, our baby will be born WITHOUT CITIZENSHIP and we’ll have to apply for US citizenship after we receive the birth certificate.  The only real down fall is that our child won’t be able to be the President of the United States, but I’m not sure we would wish that career choice on our own flesh and blood anyway… ;) 

The baby boom also makes getting ‘in’ with an Obstetrician difficult.  You see a General Practitioner for all medical needs in AU until it’s time to see a specialist like an OB. Our GP recommended a number of OB’s to choose from.  We narrowed it down to Dr. Stephen Morris who has a very modern practice which allows for scans of the baby at almost every appointment.  To me, that’s worth more than any amount of bedside manner.  I’m so visual that actually seeing the baby growing inside of me makes a huge difference, emotionally.  I feel more connected.  Our first appointment was Feb 16th and we’ve seen him every 4 weeks since. 

All of my tests have come back the way they should - the ones that needed to be positive were and the ones that needed to be negative were the same.  Good numbers all the way around.  The interesting thing was that my hCG levels were high for the time that I took my initial test – that could mean that we were having TWINS but thankfully, it just turned out to mean our baby was strong and healthy.  WHEW!  Escaped that one, narrowly!

I can admit openly now that the beautiful Tiffany’s ring that David bought me in Tokyo was not just a Valentine’s Day/Birthday gift but also a “you’re-having-my-baby-ring!”  I love looking at it and knowing its true significance in our lives :)

The word is out to most everyone we know by now.  The first 3 months were very hard to keep things under wraps, but that’s the experience all to-be parents have.  Only tell those who you would need to lean on if (God forbid) something difficult were to happen.  Otherwise keep the most wonderful secret in the entire world to yourself until you can’t possibly keep it in any longer – or at least until the NT scan at 12 weeks and then let the cat out of the bag.  :)

When we told Janine, Niels and Jacs (Sam was away) we decided we needed to come up with a nickname for the baby to have something “real” to refer to as (s)he grows.  Sawyer Seebeck was known as “Legend” for his time in utero - our baby will forever be known as “Ninja” since we found out while we were in Tokyo. :)

Pictures of Ninja:

Ninja 8 Weeks

Ninja 12 Weeks

Ninja 16 Weeks

Ninja 19 Weeks

At 16 weeks we found out we’re having a GIRL!  That’s right, “Ninja” is a ‘Ninjette!”  Of course we would be just as excited to be having a little boy – either way, knowing the sex has made it all the more real for both of us.  Let the naming debate begin!  We’ve decided we’re going to pick a handful of names and wait until we meet her to actually name her.  Choosing the name is really the biggest part of this pregnancy that David can participate in so it’s important to us to take our time and take this family decision really seriously.  I can’t imagine what it will feel like to look down at our newborn baby girl together and say, “Yup, her name is ____ because she just looks like a ‘____.’”  That’s got to be one of the most special moments a couple can share together and I simply cannot wait to do it with David.   

We had a “sex declaration party” with Janine, Niels and Jacs to tell them our news.  We decorated cupcakes with “sex colored” icing to surprise them. :)

I felt the first flutters at 16 weeks.  They turned into true kicks at about 18 weeks.  I’ll never forget the sensation of lying in bed, half asleep and feeling the skin on my belly come out and fill up the palm of my hand.  It shocked me awake and I couldn’t stop smiling for a couple hours in the wee morning.  She let me know she was really in there!  She was ready to connect with me and prove she was getting bigger and stronger!  What an amazing feeling!  6 weeks later, she’s kicking up a storm.  Sometimes I think she’s playing a soccer game in there!  David hasn’t been able to feel her yet, but it will happen soon – we know it!  She’s getting stronger by the day. 

My belly “popped” at about 18 weeks.  I’m SO glad to be in true maternity clothes now because the whole rubber-band-to-keep-your-pants-on thing was getting really old.  Mom was kind enough to make me a “belly band” to help my normal pants last as long as possible but there’s just something to be said about the elastic panel built into maternity pants.  We’ve joked that we should invent something similar for men and women alike around the holidays. It could be a Thanksgiving tradition to allow people to eat what ever they like and still be able to keep their pants fastened after dinner ;)

So far, this pregnancy has been almost a non-event for me – I feel so fortunate.  No morning sickness and I’ve been able to do most everything I’d like with the exception of drinking lots of wine, eating smoked salmon, feta cheese and sushi.  It’s been amazing to read about the development stages as Ninjette and I have grown together.  I understand why they call it, “the miracle of birth” now.  I’m fascinated learning about the changes going on in my body and how the baby is growing and changing by the week.   

I’m at 24 weeks now and I’m still feeling great.  I’m still running but getting slower for sure.  My shins have been killing me with the extra weight, although I’m happy to say I’ve managed to push through the pain and keep up a 4 day a week exercise routine.  I find that I feel so much better after I exercise and it really helps me sleep better (which by now is starting to become more of a challenge).  I’m looking forward to picking up my custom orthotics (for my running shoes – thank you Australian insurance!) and I have a support band coming for my ever-growing belly to assist with my runs in the coming weeks.  I’m planning to go as long as I can – keep your fingers crossed for me! 

I’ve been asked to post some pictures of me and my pregnant belly so here you go! 


~LAA :)

14 Weeks

20 Weeks

24 Weeks

US Trip - April 2011

We took our annual trip home to the US in the last half of April.  We went to Atlanta and Denver and were lucky enough to see all of our immediate family members because Tim flew in from Fort Bliss in Texas and Dad and Bill flew in from Vermont.  We had a wonderful, all-too-fast trip.  Here are some of the highlights:

Mom, Tim, David and I all went over to Jonathan Hill-Alto’s new house (Bill’s son) for a big family BBQ.  We had a great time chatting, looking at the amazing art that Jonathan and Joanna (Bill’s daughter) have done and enjoying pulled pork BBQ.  What a special treat to have both sides of our families together!

Ami (aka “That Little Ross Girl”) made the trek from NH to come see my pregnant belly and help me do some ever-important maternity clothes and baby goodies shopping.  It was SOOO great to see her and to have some waaaayyyy-too-long-between-visits QT.  I’m always amazed how we just slip back into our friendship, picking up where we left off even after not actually seeing each other for year(s).  It’s a testament to true, solid, forever friendship and I’m so grateful to have her in my life :)  Love you Aim!

We got to meet Hannah Mitchell, Carrie and Greg’s new little bundle of joy!  She’s absolutely adorable and a great sleeper to boot.  The Mitchell’s have taken to their new family addition with flying colors – I just loved seeing Carrie in her maternal mode.  It suits her well. :)

While in Atlanta, we were able to connect with Dirk Brown, Karen Bowers and Charles King – good friends and former colleagues of David’s from PGI.  Tim joined us as well.  We had a great time catching up – I had to drag David away at the end of the night (being the DD, I was turning into a pumpkin).  There’s never enough time to spend with the people we care about!

Lee Ann and I were able to connect for our annual sister lunch.  I love our tradition.  It’s often difficult for us to catch up in person, even when we live in the same city, so having a tradition like this means we have at least one dedicated time to spend with each other one-on-one.  It’s our birthday present to each other.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

Janine, Niels & Sawyer Seebeck moved back to ATL from Sydney only a couple of weeks before we arrived for a visit.  We went over to their house to catch up and for me to do a little free maternity clothes shopping in her closet.  Their house is beautiful and a night-and-day difference from the housing options we enjoy in Sydney.  It’s going to take some time for them to get used to having all that space again.  I’m so grateful for the maternity clothes Janine loaned me, not to mention the baby clothes that Sawyer has grown out of already.  Thank goodness for hand-me-downs!

What would a visit to Atlanta be without a SALAD night??  Unfortunately Suzanne couldn’t join us, but NoE, Debbie, Mom and I had a great night at Aspens.  MMMM…  lobster bisque and chopped salad – I’m drooling just thinking about it now! :) 

Sam and Max got married!!!  The wedding was beautiful.  I spent the day with Sam and the girls on Friday for the non-bridesmaids luncheon and to get ready.   It was a lovely day – the weather was beautiful and things flowed smoothly.  We had a blast at the party catching up with the old Iron Mountain crew.  I miss those girls!

We celebrated Mother’s Day for Mom and Mom Sharon while in their respective towns.  David’s family isn’t as into picture taking as mine is, so we only have a picture of the Adams-Voorheis-Gilson’s and not the Adams brood but I think both mothers enjoyed their special celebrations.  We were glad to be there to see them and thank them for being wonderful mothers for yet another year :)


We had a nice visit with Mom Sharon, Papa John and Gigs in Denver.  Our visits always go too quickly.  We shopped, enjoyed a lovely dinner at Briarwood for Mother’s day, had great homemade pasta with meatballs and some fun QT with the family.  Sometimes family visits are best spent sitting around the dinner table and just talking about stuff.  Sharing opinions and bantering about whatever comes to mind.  You know you’re with family when you’re comfortable not making any big plans and just hanging out together.  It’s the little things :)

Mother’s Day dinner at the Briarwood was yummy!  They start you off with an appetizer spread of dips, cheeses and shrimp cocktail, and they complete the meal with a dessert display.  Too much food to be sure, but it was a wonderful indulgence and a nice way to celebrate Mom-Sharon. 


We had a fun dinner with Eric and Magali at The Keg in Denver.  The constant chatter between the 4 of us made it evident that if we lived in Denver we would hang out together all the time.  If only it wasn’t so darn dry in Denver.  My poor eyeballs could never stand a long term commitment to the otherwise lovely city.  

David introduced me to the infamous Beau Jo’s for 3 POUNDS of pizza with Laurie and Terri.  It was so nice to see the charming ladies and hear the latest and greatest in their neck of the woods.  We barely made it through the pile of pizza in front of us, and of course had to finish off the massive crust while dipping it in honey.  David was so excited to get a taste of home while in his beloved Denver.  I was all too pleased to partake. :)

In short, our visit was all about great visits with friends and family, shopping, a little work (on David’s part), shopping, more wonderful visiting, and shopping.  Did I mention shopping?  I bought an entire maternity wardrobe and everything new parents could possibly need to care for a newborn for the first 3 months.  Our trip back to Sydney included SEVEN pieces of luggage.  I don’t know how we managed to do it, but we got out of having to pay for excess baggage fees.  Although, even if we had to pay over $1000 to get all our newly purchased goods back to AU, we saved more than that much money by buying all of this stuff in the US instead of AU.  It’s unbelievable how much more expensive things are in Australia.  

Being home for a couple of weeks made us both homesick, as these trips always do.  We love Australia but look forward being home again, close to our families and friends. 

~LAA :)

Fiji

How could you not have an amazing time in paradise?  Fiij was absolutely beautiful and lived up to its reputation.  Our friend Dirk joined us for the week at the timeshare at the Worldmark Denarau.  The two bed/two bath apartment was perfect for the three of us.  The only person missing was Tim, Dirk’s partner who unfortunately couldn’t make it due to pressing family matters.  

The plane ride from Sydney is only about 4.5 hours.  It’s funny what you get used to living in Australia - it seemed short and easy.  When we were in the US a 2 hour plane ride from Atlanta to Boston was arduous.  

Fiji is a large archipelago with many islands surrounding two main islands.  We were on Viti Levu, the largest island outside the main town of Nadi.  Denarau is a planned community only about 25 minutes from the airport.  There are 5-6 high quality resorts, a golf course, a marina, a couple of spas, a small high end residential community, and it’s all surrounded by a great walking track and beautiful landscaping.  The drive from the airport to the resort area is pretty dismal.  Poverty abounds and there’s very little to write home about.  From what we learned from the cabbies in Denarau, it’s pretty prestigious for people to get jobs inside the resort area and I can see why.  It’s certainly night and day crossing the gates.

We spent the entire week relaxing.  There was very little on the agenda other than that!  Our mornings started with breakfasts of local fruits in season...watermelon, pineapple, papaya, and bananas.  We had fresh eggs and bread from the local bakery.  Our balcony was large and the sound of the waves crashing and palm fronds cracking against each other in the wind was so peaceful.  Dirk and I spent most mornings together because David was off Diving.  We didn’t make it out to the pool until noon most days because we enjoyed the mornings in the apartment so well!

Every day we enjoyed the poolside lounges overlooking the beautiful ocean and island clusters, under thatched umbrellas and palm trees.  We all read endlessly and chatted the hours away.   Dinners were in the various great restaurants in the resorts and the Marina.  There was one in particular, Moo Moo’s at The Westin that we loved so much we enjoyed twice!  Moo Moo Jus on warm bread with butter and carrots (sounds strange but SO good) and a Japanese Wagyu beef roast for three.  Crusted with mustard seed yumminess and served with a pear and parmesan salad, fresh green beans and mashed potatoes.  TO DIE FOR!  And of course we had to seal the deal with a hot fudge brownie sundae.  I’m drooling just writing this! 

The first night we enjoyed fire dancers (check out the pictures!) and we took a day trip on a catamaran out to Musket Cove to do some snorkeling.  The snorkeling was amazing!  Crystal blue waters and white sand beaches.  We saw a school of cuddle fish (25-30 of them!) and marveled at how they changed color as they swam close to check us out.  Another day Dirk and I enjoyed massages at the Spa - outdoor cabanas with breezy massages.  Divine!

Dirk admired the flowers as much as I did and thankfully he knew the names of them so I could share them here. :)  Hibiscus, orchids, bromeliads, birds of paradise, plumeria and many we didn’t recognize.  Beautiful! 

Each night there was merriment with duty free vodka mixed with fruit juices and baileys for dessert.  We had a ball laughing and telling stories all week.  It was wonderful to see David and Dirk getting some quality time - how heartwarming to see close friends share inside jokes and even allow me to play along from time to time. :)  We all agreed that it was a perfect vacation and can’t wait to go back! 


This last picture shows just how sad David and Dirk were to leave Fiji... ;)


~LAA :)

Tokyo Day 3

This last day in Tokyo was dedicated to famous historical landmarks - we planned to visit the oldest Buddhist Temple in Tokyo and the Imperial Palace.  

I’ve never seen anything so old in my life.  The Sensoji Temple, built for the goddess of Kannon (goddess of mercy) was completed in 645 A.D.  That’s right, six hundred and forty five.  The building is 1366 years old.  Let that settle in for a minute...  It’s astounding to me!  I was in awe watching the crowds pay homage to Buddha as they prayed at the temple door, and the many believers throwing incense smoke on their ailments in hopes it will heal their pain.  

I stopped to get a fortune - because I, unlike my husband, believe in such things - and brought it home to share it here.  When receiving the fortune, I was reminded to not be vein or ungrateful if I was lucky enough to receive a good fortune.  

“The moon is covered by floating clouds. You will have difficulties in making any plans.  Do your best and ask for help of others.  Then you will be able to catch good fortune.  You don’t have to worry; open your eyes and look into the future.

*Your wishes will be realized in the end. * A sick person will recover but take a little while. * The person you are waiting for will show up after a while. * The lost article will not be found. *Building a new house and removal are both half fortunate. * Marriage and making a trip are both good. * Employment should be stopped.”

Here’s my interpretation:  We can’t make any plans for now until we find out if our contract will be extended here.  I need to reach out to those around me for help and stop worrying because my wishes will come true in the end.  My marriage and travel are good and I should quit my job. (heehee - just kidding on the last one!). ;)

We did a bit of shopping after leaving the Temple and found a beautiful piece of art!  It’s in the Ukiyo-e Style (block printing) and the artist’s name, Yume Ji means “Dream”.  We will likely have to wait to return to the US to frame it, but I’m excited to have a bit of Japan for our home one day. 

After the Temple we got back on the train and headed to the Financial District where the Imperial Palace and all it’s splendor is placed ironically amongst the sky scrapers.   

Although it’s not the time of year to really experience the full beauty of the Palace East Gardens, we certainly got a sense of the perfection and precision that goes into the maintenance of the famous grounds.  It’s one of the things that impresses me most about the Japanese culture.  They take such pride in their work.  Even in the dead of winter the grounds were immaculate and you could tell how gorgeous it all must be in the peak season.  One day I’d like to build a Japanese garden, complete with water feature, in our back yard.  They’re so peaceful and serene. 

The palace grounds are huge with massive gateways at every turn.  Some value the property as more than the sum of all of the real estate in the entire state of California!  There are 3 story stone walls which used to act as protection and the entire structure is surrounded by a large moat.  There are beautiful bridges and historical Samurai guardhouses scattered about.  It wasn’t very crowded and we were lucky enough to get some great pics of the plum tree blossoms which were just starting to come out.  

It got pretty cold as the day progressed and we headed to the airport.  It snowed as we got onto the plane to return to AU.  What a wonderful way to end a wonderful trip!  Japan was amazing.  I’d like to go back one day!

~LAA :)