Media and Groceries

Kon ni chi wa!

 

Brandon is settling in his new city but not for long. When he wakes up in about four hours it will be Saturday and they are leaving for spring training. They will train somewhere on the island of Okinawa. Thursday they had to do some media interviews. I forgot to mention his first encounter with the media when he arrived at the airport. Yes they were there waiting for him. He was greeted with cameras and questions. Nothing like a warm welcome. Anyways the website has more photos from the day. These are two of the other American players on the team. The website is www.buffaloes.co.jp/ if you'd like to see more photos and read the interviews. It's a little bit tricky once translated but I think you can get the idea of what they are trying to say. I know it isn't Cardinal red but so far I'm loving the dark navy and gold. 

 

He also did a little grocery shopping. He only got what he knew how to fix because he can't read the Japanese directions. The loaf of bread has five slices and he said it's thick like Texas toast. Last night, Friday night for him, they went to a sports bar and had some pizzas. His only complaint about the food so far is that the portions are small. He had Subway his first day there and told me they only gave him half of a sandwich. From now on he will order two. His stories always make me laugh. Not because they are that funny, but just because he is learning to adjust to something completely new and it's fun for me.

 



New Digs

I present our new apartment. We landed a top floor corner apartment. Thank you to whoever set this up for us. It is amazing! If you remember our Memphis apartment and the roaches then you know I feel like this is a castle. Brandon took me on a virtual tour of our place and I am already in love with our new nest. The view isn't bad either. I can't tell you how thankful I am for this apartment - an answered prayer. This place is better than I imagined and we don't have to move throughout the season. Of course after seeing our new place I am ready to book my flight and go.

 

living room

 

 living room into dining room

 

master bedroom

 

kitchen

 

 

 guest room - hello visitors

 

morning view

 

corner view

 

What do you think? Who wants to come visit?

Small Town Kid

We hit the pillows around 12:30 a.m., set our alarms for two and half hours later and held on to each other as if we weren't going to see one another for years. As soon as my alarm went off I thought, please not yet, I'm not ready for him to go. He gathered his last few items shoved them into his luggage. I headed out the door first so I didn't have to witness him saying goodbye to our pup. I knew I would lose it. We rode silently to the airport holding hands. I had a lump in my throat and my stomach. I apparently had refused to acknowledge the idea that we were moving to Japan. I ignored the fact that he was getting on a plane without me and flying halfway around the world.

We talked little about a few things that didn't get taken care of before he left. All things that I can easily take care of for him. As we got closer and closer to the airport I couldn't help but feel more and more anxious. Where had this peace gone that I was so confident I had. He was going and I couldn't stop him. But I didn't want to, I just wanted to be going too. We hugged and exchanged looks. His said, "I love you please don't cry." Mine said, "I love you please don't go." Tears slowly streamed down my cheeks as I kicked myself for crying. This is just as hard on him don't make it harder. I wiped them away, smiled, and sent my handsome hubby on his way. I hate to see him go but I love to watch him walk away.

I drove home alone and it always amazes me the songs that play on the radio during certain times. Two in particular. First played Brad Paisley's Southern Comfort Zone. Although Brad is singing about Tennessee, substitute Alabama and this fits perfectly for Brandon.

Not everybody drives a truck, not everybody drinks sweet tea
Not everybody owns a gun, wears a ball cap boots and jeans
Not everybody goes to church or watches every NASCAR race
Not everybody knows the words to "Ring Of Fire" or "Amazing
Grace"

 

And I Miss my Tennessee home
But I can see the ways that I've grown
I can't see this world unless I go
Outside my Southern Comfort Zone

- Brad Paisley

 

Then I heard Thompson Square's If I Didn't Have You.  Basically saying this life would kill me if I didn't have you. True. It probably would. I can't tell how comfortable I feel when Brandon is around.  I'm so proud of him because I know that he took this job for more than just himself and baseball, but to provide for our family. How can I be sad or upset that he left? I can't. We mesh perfectly and I'm looking forward to meeting up with him in Japan as quickly as it can come! I miss that cowboy of mine.

 

 

 

 

Retired

This guy.

Every year he does some sort of speaking engagement.

It's not that he volunteers for them, the situations just come up.

Friday he was honored by his high school as they retired his senior baseball number.

As they spoke of Brandon, his character and achievements

I found myself beaming with pride.

I wonder how I ended up with such a great guy.

I wish you all could know him because he is truly one of a kind. 

 

 

 

At Peace

 

 

Our relationship has always had the element of distance play a role. When we first started dating we lived in different cities ten hours apart. The day before he would leave from a visit I would get really sad and not be fun to be around. All I could focus on was that he was leaving me the next day. Then the day of I would cry. It was the I don't want to live without you cry. I realize now this may have been a bit dramatic.

The following season we were only five hours apart with visits about every other weekend. The same for the following year. Some visits would end with me leaving sad and in tears but for the majority I tried to avoid being Debbie downer. Once we got married the distance was still there but it occurred just about every other week for seven to ten days. Distance has been at bay for the last few months but soon distance will have found it's measly little way back into our life.

We have spent the last four months almost inseparable except for a few hunting trips here and there. We have bonded and become closer than I feel we have ever been. Naturally you would think it to be really hard to say goodbye for six or seven weeks but I have this peace about it.

As we moved home in September pretty defeated about the previous season, we were uncertain as to where a job would take us. A new place to live. New teammates and wives to meet. A different life to settle into. It would be a new city to explore and of course a great new chapter to write in the story of our life. I just hadn't thought that it would be such a foreign place. Yet again I have peace about it.

If you came over to our house right now I'd be slightly embarrassed, not because all of the camouflage decor but the fact that it's undone and I feel like I've been cleaning and organizing since we got here. Remember the ant infestation of 2012. Ugh. It's hard to dedicate our 'off season' to big projects around the house. We want to enjoy things like movie dates, vacation, traveling, and lazy mornings like most people do all year round. So we have started lots of those big projects they just have yet to be completed at this point.

We are still very settled in. Cozy in our home. Our pantry is stocked and a fresh batch of cookies made. It seems as if no one is going anywhere anytime soon. I know different, but that isn't my focus. We are enjoying each day and the little preparations leading up to this adventure. I'm not stressed or worried about making sure everything is perfect and ready for Brandon's departure. Little by little the last month we have been prepping and guess what? I feel at peace about it.

This is completely out of nature for me. I tend to focus on what is being left behind. I dread when certain times in our life pass and I resist new changes. But this time I am confident that our new adventure will leave us changed forever with a stronger marriage and relationship. Not only do I have peace with the whole change, I am excited for the change.

Shoe Staples for Travel

Shoe Staples by lauren
 

I've already started thinking of what to pack on this seven month trip. Thanks to Polyvore something that I am brand new to, but loving, I created this sampling of footwear. I want to pack light on the way there because I have a tendency to shop like most women. I have also heard through the rumor mill that maybe, just maybe there is great shopping in Japan. I was thinking five pairs of shoes. A flat, sandal, wedge sandal, athletic shoe, and a pair of everyday flip flops.

 

Do you think I'll be safe sticking with neutrals?

Is there an everyday sandal you recommend?

How about another type of everyday shoe?   

 

I'd love to hear what shoes YOU would take on a seven month trip to Japan.

By the River

I'm a lover of black and white photos. Especially of our pup Tag. He has grown so big since we picked him up in September. His personality has also started to blossom. We took him down to the river last week and he loved exploring. I also snapped some other photos while we were there. We miss out going to the river during the summer months but one day we will be able to do these things.