Impressions of Japan – happy, friendly faces / small places (great space utilization); narrow allies with shops in them / the very best hospitality!! first class service / bowing hello & goodbye / many slippers everywhere (in taxis, in hotels, and in every room entrance in the medical device development center on campus) / very, very clean (streets, wash up before meals, taxis with very white doilies over the headrests) / ferris wheels / many urban streets yet very safe feeling / vending machines on every corner with all sorts of stuff in them / fresh food – fish, seafood, and yummy Kobe beef (George Bush Sr.’s fav I guess) / people dressed up so formally every day / ladies with umbrellas to keep the sun off / cute babies and children / little English on signs or lips yet somehow they really will work with you to order meals, perform transactions, or perform services / really loved the women clothing styles (from a girl that doesn’t shop too much – flowers, embroidered, flowing, layers – styles are just like my favorite way-too-expensive store, Anthropologie, but half the price)

Compai & Adi-gato Japan!! Adi-gato. Your culture is very beautiful; your people are very nice.

It was a bittersweet, sentimental day for us yesterday as we were able to put our beloved Joyce on the airplane to travel back to the little town of Mansfield, where she has always lived. We will really miss her, but we were so, so happy that she can finally be outside of the hospital and return home, where she will be more comfortable for her recovery and where all of her friends can visit her.

We are also so happy that Dad Kirkendall will be somewhat able to return to his routine and career. He has endured this situation so well and been by Joyce’s side through it all. We will really miss having him around our place, eating dinner with him each night, not missing one night of dessert time, and his help with dishes and cleaning. These simple daily things will be some of our cherished memories of time spent with him.  

Thank you to all of the people who sent greetings and wishes to Joyce. The man mail in Mansfield and at the hospital will be happy to go on breaks now. Matt’s car could also probably use a break from the 127 mile trek that was travelled most evenings to the hospital, adding 50 more miles onto his long commute.  

A special thanks to her dear friends Connie, Laraine, and Karen DeMoss who have made the trip all of the way to California to help her dance again (literally!!) and made daily phone calls. She is so excited to see you again and that you will be with her at home to assist her over the next few months.

She will still have quite a recovery road ahead of her since she still has the feeding tube, still has several wounds that are healing, and also will have to undergo another surgery to reverse the ileostomy, but at least she is getting stronger, feeling better most days, and there is renewed hope for better days ahead.

Today we are wondering if Joyce just really needed to get back home in time for the Super Bowl XLIII!! Her love of sports and her fantasy football participation got her through many long months in the hospital.

We had a nice evening celebrating Matt’s birthday at Donovan’s Steak House in La Jolla.

 

Text Note from Mother (Joyce in hospital) to Son:  “Happy Birthday to my 31 year old handsome baby boy….you were such a spark of joy growing up and fun to raise……we are proud of the man you have become….may you have a great birthday and year…..we love you….love mom and dad”

 

Our new home went into pending status today!! – after just 10 days on the market and five or so offers submitted to the bank on the fourth day. We have found that the good ones go so quickly and we finally got in on a great deal (plus the lowest interest rates in history)!!

 

It is the best one that we have ever found over this past year of searching and has every feature that we were looking for: elevated lot with mountain views; large grassy back yard with covered brick patio area and pool in separate gated side yard; open floor plan; light and bright; professional tropical landscaping with birds of paradise and mature palms; cul-de-sac location; nice, uncrowded, family neighborhood; 4 bedrooms/2.5 baths plus extra room/loft; 3 car garage; upgraded with wood floors, tile, granite counters, plantation shutters, dual vanity/sinks in both main bathrooms.

 

Here are just a few photos that were taken – stop by after Feb 20th!!

 

 

On the Monday after the Chargers playoff game, we went to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium to watch the Ohio Buckeyes vs. Texas Longhorns. It was an exciting day of pre-game activities and then a crazy game with a last minute ironic ending.

 

We had great seats and sat with a college-aged Montana girl from Helena dating an Ohio boy! They had come to the game from Las Vegas. She was cheering for the Grizzlies when we met her.

 

We enjoyed another great night at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego on Saturday when the Chargers beat the Colts in overtime to move on in the playoffs.  It was a great game to be at with so many blown chances for the Chargers to win the game in regulation and the place went crazy when “little big man” Sproles ran in for the game-winning touchdown!!!!!  

 

 

 

 

We decided to travel up the California coast this holiday break and visit all of the unique cities along the beautiful coastal Pacific Coast Highway (PCH).

 

Our trip began in San Diego and included stops in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Solvang, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, Cambria, Hearst Castle, Big Sur, Palm Beach, and Monterey.

 

 

 

 

Feel free to view just a few of the many photos via this link. We are still waiting for our photographer to return from holiday break with her family. When she does, we will receive the cd of photos to upload to our site. It will be our favorite photos that show the story of the full day since our excellent photographer used the photojournalistic approach to document the day.

Many more photos coming soon!!