A few of my favorite things...

 We've been in our new house for a couple weeks now, and I think we're starting to feel settled.  Of course, many boxes still need to be unpacked and there are no pictures on the wall, but things are moving along.  :)  So here are a few pictures of some of our favorite things... hopefully it won't be too long before we post more pics of finished rooms. ;)

Even though the house doesn't have a yard, we're so blessed to have a large balcony on the 2nd floor... and the boys are finding it's large enough for bike races, running races, games, etc.  Most homes in Japan don't have yards, but outdoor space is always important and treasured.... and we appreciate that! :)





























We loved our last apartment, but it was a middle apartment, so it didn't have a lot of windows.  Our new house has windows in every room, and we're loving all the natural light.

I don't know if they have refrigerators like this in other countries, but we've been wanting one ever since we moved to Japan... you can open the door from either side - how cool is that?!  Of course you can see we're used to much smaller refrigerators; now we can start buying more food than for just the next few days. ;)

LOVE these awesome built-in bookshelves in the boys room!

 The house has a great half-bath right off the living room; Noah especially loves it because he can reach the sink.  I think this last week he has washed his hands about 15 times a day. :)

 The kitchen has very efficient cabinet space but not a lot of counter space.  But right before we moved in, we discovered it had a built-in dish dryer!  It just looks like another cabinet, but it's a place to dry dishes so you don't have to use up counter space.  Our dishwasher (a.k.a. Brian) is loving this unique part of our new kitchen.

We love the open feeling of the living room and dining room... perfect for parties and small group Bible study. :)

And last, but definitely not least, we have a Japanese toilet, otherwise known as a washlet!  If you're not familiar with these, you can get them much fancier than ours, but this one has a seat warmer and bidet.  Make sure you try all the options on the washlet next time you fly through Japan or come to visit us! :)