Sumo in Fukuoka

Tony and I went to the Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka on Sunday we went with a bunch of our friends on the MWR bus, we had a really great time and it was nice for just Tony and I to get out. We will Definitely go again. Sumo comes to Fukuoka every November. Enjoy the pictures below. Tony and I outside the Venue in line to get in.

The sumo ring is called the dohyo and takes its name from the straw rice bag which mark out its different parts. The greater portion of each bale is firmly buried in the earth. The dohyo is 18 feet square and 2 feet high and is constructed of a special kind of clay. The hard surface is covered with a thin layer of sand. The bout is confined to an inner circle a little over 15 feet in diameter. Over the dohyo suspended from the ceiling by cables is a roof resembling a Shinto shrine with four giant tassels hanging from each corner to signify the seasons of the year.

On each day of the tournament immediately before the maku-uchi matches are scheduled, the colorful doyo-iri or "entering the ring " ceremony take place. Down one aisle in reverse order of their rank comes one team of maku-uchi rikisii wearingkesho-mawasii or ceremonial aprons. These aprons, beautifully made of silk, richly embroidered with different designs and hemmed with gold fringe cost anywhere from 400,000 to 500,000 yen

The leading roles in the dohyo-iii are reserved for the yokozuna who have not taken any part in the ceremony up to now. A yokozuna comes down the aisle attended by a senior gyoji and two maku-uchi rikishi in kesho-mawashi one bearing a sword. Over his kesho-mawashi the yokozuna wears a massive braided hemp rope weighing from 25 to 35 pounds tied in a bow at the back and ornamented in the front with strips of paper hanging in zigzag patterns. This is a familiar religious symbol in Japan. It can be found hanging in Shinto shrines and in the home over the "shelf" of the gods where offerings are made at New Year.

These banners were Advertisements the bigger the match the more banners we saw.

This one came out a little blurry but had to put it in the mix :)

The concluding rite of the day is the "bow dance". After the final match a specially picked makushita rikishi climbs into the dohyo, is handed a bow by the gyoji with which he performs the yumitori-shiki, a brilliant routine with a twirling bow. The ceremony was introduced sometime during the Edo Period when a winning rikshi was awarded a prize of a bow and to express his satisfaction performed the "bow dance

This is Yokozuna Hakuho he took the top division championship with a 15-0 record for his 12th Makuuchi Division title!! He got a lot of big Trophies :)

Reminds me of the Stanley Cup

I was told by our Tour Guide that this was the Prime Minister of Japan but after looking for his name the face doesn't match their Prime Minister so still doing some research on who this is.

Our Christmas Tree

We woke up at 530AM Friday Morning to go get a real Christmas tree we were told if you waited too long they would be gone so we got in line at 6am lol picked out our tree shoved it in the car lol and went over to the Exchange to do a little black Friday shopping, nothing there don't know what all the fuss was about :) We got back to the house at about 9am put up the tree and decorations :) I'm so glad we can continue on the our real tree tradition :) The girls love it too :) Going to give our tree lots of TLC cause we were told these trees will be brown by Xmas lol. love you all enjoy the pictures.
Kayleigh putting window clings up :) Our Christmas Tree

Tony finishing up the decorations on the tree Autum moving the tree into the corner

Kayleigh helping Mommy with the decorations

Kayleigh loved putting the ornaments on the tree

Carrying the tree through the hallway

Thanksgiving in Sasebo,Japan

Today we celebrated Thanksgiving in Sasebo, Japan this was only the 2nd Thanksgiving I have missed in West Virginia :( Tony has missed a lot but the girls and I were always able to go. I missed the Evick Thanksgiving a lot and all of Meme's GREAT food:) It was very quite today guess cause there was only 5 of us to celebrate lol us 5 were together and that is all that mattered to me :) Tony has missed out on so much in our lives since the Iraq War started it was great to have him at the Thanksgiving table. Enjoy the pictures below and HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
Amber enjoying the meal :) Our Turkey Tony did a great job :)

Our Family Picture thanks to delay snap lol

Tony putting the Turkey in to get cooked!!! Autum and Amber helping with the Turkey they had a lot of fun

Putting Stuffing in the bird

Autum helping Tony chop up the veggies to put in the turkey

Our Turkey 14.5 lbs :)

Our Homecoming November

This Homecoming was so different then what we are use too. I didn't receive 1 phone call or email letting me know when Tony would be home from anyone from the Essex Ombudsman office or any FRG'S. There were no families with Banners or Signs except us. No tents set up with Hot chocolate or Donuts. No Welcome Home Parties from other Military members. We were not looking for 6 or more Charter Buses full of Marines. I didn't have to go through hundreds and hundreds of sea bags to find my husbands. When we got home I didn't have to have Tony undress on the porch there was no Iraqi Sand this time :) Tony arrived in Port about 9am I got a phone call at 935 where are you he said I'm like at Home then he says I'm here they are letting us off in 30 minutes. So they girls and I jumped in the car and raced over there. We arrived Safely lol We waited about 15 minutes and there came Tony walking Kayleigh saw him right away and was excited she went to him and Gave him a hug and kiss. Everyone was pretty quite until we got to the car then everything was normal Kayleigh laughing and talking up a storm and the girls telling him about school and things we have done since he has been gone. Below are some pictures of our Day with Tony. We went to Chilli's for Supper Kayleigh and Tony are looking at the moon.
She is not Mommy's little girl anymore. :)

Kayleigh and her Gaga :)

Mommy and Kayleigh

Really nice picture I must say :)

Amber waiting on Daddy to get off the Essex Autum and the sign she made for Daddy

Kayleigh and I waiting on Tony

This is the Ship Tony was on Essex

Kayleigh and her sign she was very excited :)

Mikan Picking

Autum's class went Mikan Picking today she had a blast. We paid 150 yen for her to get a bag of Mikans well worth it:) “Mikan” is the Japanese word for mandarin orange. It is also commonly called a “satsuma”.
Citrus unshiu is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant of Chinese origin. In Japan, it is known as unshu mikan (Japanese: 温州蜜柑, unshū mikan). The Japanese name is a result of the local reading of the same characters used in the Chinese, the name meaning "Honey Citrus of Wenzhou" in both languages. It is also often known as "Seedless mandarin or as a satsuma.
Its fruit is sweet and usually seedless, about the size of other mandarin oranges smaller than an orange

Some of the Mikans she got.

Lots and Lots of Mikans

Autum and her friend "Angel"

Making Homecoming Signs for Daddy

Tonight was Kayleighs Induction to Homecoming signs lol I wrote out Welcome Home Daddy she did the rest I let her do whatever she kept marking somewhere and saying you sure you sure lol I told her whatever she wanted to draw, she could have at it :) She had a lot of fun these will be added to our collections after Tony is home :) Amber working on hers :)

Autum making her sign for Tony I had to put this picture in Kayleigh was so Hyper this evening this explains her mood :)

She loved doing this and was very excited, she doesn't understands days so me telling her few more days till Daddy comes home wasn't working.

Amber and Autum making their signs

Kayleigh looking at pictures of her good friend Aeris's 2nd Birthday back in the states they will be coming over for a visit this summer we are very excited :)