Japanese Birthday Fun

For my birthday, the other day my sister, Liz, sent me a package in the mail. I was so excited to get it! =) She always sends fun things and they are always wrapped in such cool paper. I guess that's the Japanese way.....the fancier the better. When I opened it up, she had another fancy- wrapped package, a Japanese program, and a handmade card. Liz always puts so much thought into her gifts. This year she really wanted to get me a comfortable robe that the Japanese wear (ironically, they wear them while at the Japanese public bath and hotels......or at home), and found one at a yearly summer festival there in Osaka called Tenjin Matsuri where everyone dresses up in yukatas (summer kimonos). I have included some pictures from my sister's website so you could see how important and fancy the festival is to the Japanese. It would be fun to have these kinds of festivals in the US, I think! =) THANK YOU, LIZ, for such an awesome surprise and such a BEAUTIFUL gift!!!!! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!!! Less than 4 months til we get to see each other!!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!! =)

This is a very pretty robe! And, despite it being close to 100 degrees outside (and pregnant), this robe was VERY comfortable! =) I love it!!! =)

Liz told me in the card she sent that I needed to make sure I cross the left side on top of the right side when I am tying the belt (opposite from US). Otherwise, right over left is what they do for corpses! Yikes!

Here is the package Liz sent me. The program was all about the festival, however it was in Japanese so I couldn't read it.... =) Just notice the fancy wrapping..love it! =) (Yes, this is turned sideways again...)

Here is the handmade card she sent me. She writes in Japanese many times when she writes me and that is always fun to see. Japanese writing is so BEAUTIFUL!

Here are some of the yukatas (Liz is in the top picture with some of her friends--she opted not to wear a yukata this year, but did last year....). As you can see from the bottom picture, not even the guys are excluded from the yukata-wearing! And, notice all the fancy decorations on the poles.....

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For my birthday I also received a card from my Japanese friend, Ai, that I met through Liz while in Japan last year. She was SO SWEET to think of me and send me a card on my brithday!! It actually arrived ON my birthday! I was very surprised since it came from Japan! =) Thank you SO MUCH, Ai, for such a WONDERFUL surprise!!!!! =) I LOVED it!!! =)

Her card made me smile because she knows how much I like cats! =) Also, as you can see from her card, the Japanese like to make EVERYTHING look fancy and beautiful! This was just a simple card, but she added all the stickers and fun colors on her own. What a wonderful way to dress up a card! =) She even translated the Japanese for me. =)

Right now she is actually in the US, but is on the East Coast somewhere. I won't get to see her because it's too far away. I am thinking of her and praying that she has a safe trip and is able to be an AWESOME example for Christ!! She is one of the most driven Christians I know--she tries to share the love of God with EVERYONE she meets (whether in the US or in Japan) and has a VERY, VERY strong desire to see ALL of them come to know Jesus as their personal Savior! I am always so encouraged by her courage and love for others!! Thanks, Ai, for being such an awesome Christian example! If only ALL of us Christians had the same intensity that she has................................ We definitely take our churches and our love of God for granted in the United States!! It's SO much different in Japan!!!

Here are some pictures of Ai when we met her last summer while in Japan. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met-both inside and out! =) She ALWAYS has a contagious smile on her face and is so silly! Now you can see why Liz and I get along SO WELL with her! =) I love you and miss you, Ai!!! =)