So much has happened since my last post in November. The two most significant events being our move to Japan and the fact that we are expecting a new little one!

This transition has been a bit difficult since I’ve been suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum. Commonly thought to be “severe morning sickness,” it’s actually a much more severe condition than that. In my case, the nausea and vomiting was bad enough to cause kidney stones and an infection. The HG and kidney issues caused me to be hospitalized 6 times in my first and second trimesters, and many more ER and doctor’s visits. Thankfully things seem to be mostly under control now with steroid and anti-nausea prescriptions. We’re expecting our new little guy to arrive at the end of August and are so excited to meet him and complete our family!

There is so much about Japan that is different from Italy. But surprisingly, there is so much that also reminds us of Italy! For example, today we visited a gelato farm! It wasn’t water buffalo, but there were cows, llamas, sheep, horses, and miniature ponies. There was a huge field for the kiddos to play in and lots of old tractors and trucks that they could climb on. The gelato wasn’t exactly Italian style but it was super delicious and we really enjoyed a calm and relaxing afternoon.

Now that the long winter has ended and all the snow is melted away we’ve been having so much fun exploring our local area. Over spring break we visited the nearby large city of Aomori and a few temples and shrines. We are close to the coast and lots of black sand beaches. They are different than Italian beaches but certainly have their own charm and beauty.

We’ve met so many amazing people who have helped us through all of our rough times when I was in the hospital and at my sickest. They have brought us meals, watched our kids, and prayed so much for us. Now that I’m feeling better on a regular basis it’s nice to be forming some friendships. I joined the exec board of PWOC (just couldn’t stay away!) and Justin has been enjoying the PMOC group they have on base. I’m so excited for him that the men have a group, too! In Italy he would often say that he wished there was something like PWOC for the guys.

The boys have been doing great at their school here and have just about 10 days before wrapping up Kindergarten and 3rd grade! They talk about their friends from Italy and their family in Texas a lot but they’ve done a great job at jumping in the community here and making new friends. I’m so proud of how resilient they’ve been!

That’s our quick update from the last few months! I’m excited to write more and get back to some more specific posting soon!

Thanks for reading!