Rigdon Review: Our Adventures Abroad

We are nearing the end of the school year (school in Japan ends in March, and the new school year begins in April) and so the kids have had their end of the year performances and observation days, and I LOVE THEM! There are often times that we wonder if we made the right choice putting our kids in the local schools here.  We did have the more "comfortable" option of putting them in school on base.  But when we go to events like the ones we have been to over the past couple of weeks I can't help but be so incredibly grateful that we made the more difficult, time consuming and uncomfortable decision.  The decision that stretches all of us, sometimes past our limits.  The decision that is physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting ever. single. day.  Why?  This one simple decision has allowed not only our children to learn and grow in ways they never would have been able to otherwise, but also myself, Andrew, our family all together. Some of the minor thi...

 I know, I know, Christmas feels like a lifetime ago.  But it was such a chore to get the pictures off the camera, decide which ones I wanted to use, and then...ya know...write the blog.  BUT HERE WE ARE!  Only.....22 days after Christmas.  See, this is why I am not paid to do stuff like this.  I couldn't follow a dead line if I tried because...I mean...Have you people seen the new show, Lupin, on Netflix?  I ain't gettin' nothin' done until I've finished that show! ***update, I actually didn't get this finished until after finishing Lupin.  Which was actually 26 days after Christmas so....I rest my case*** Back to the topic at hand: Our first Christmas in Japan.  Since we first found out we were moving here, the kids (especially Keane) were really worried that we wouldn't be celebrating Christmas.  It really isn't a big deal here.  There are lights, there are some fun celebratory things, but the actual Christmas Morning bit...it's ...