It's been two years, WHAT?!?!

Today is the two year anniversary of the day we left the United States bound for our new adventure in Japan. So we decided to take a mini-hiatus from posting about our adventures to reflect on the past two years we've spent here in Japan. We are going to show you the good, the fat, and the ugly. LOL.  We mention fat because since arriving to Japan, Kirk has lost 30 lbs. and I have lost 40! We are not meaning to toot our own horns, but we're proud of the weight loss we've accomplished. We have really put our health first (obviously we still enjoy food) but exercise has become a regular routine. Also, since the beginning of August we have been caffeine free. It has been tough, but we know it is for the best. We try to eat less meat and dairy and are really enjoying our fresh veggies and fish. Oh yeah, and anything that we put in the Vitamix (the best investment in a blender)!

Remember this?  Our good-bye cookout in Ohio! Ick!

Kirk gave me permission to post this picture, only because she says that flab is no longer accurate.

Painful to look back on.

Ditto.

Do you know how much 40 lbs is? The equivalent of a 5 gallon bottle of water or a human leg! 30 lbs is more than an average two year old!

Ick!

Of course, about to gorge ourselves!

 

No caption needed...

I think you get the picture. We were flabby. Now on to what two years of positive, healthy changes can do:

We get out and hike!

We have more energy to walk EVERYWHERE!

We fit into wet suits.

We compete in physical challenges.

We look better dressed up!

Scaling fences is now an option!

So to conclude our reminiscing, besides our weight loss, as we look back on the past two years we are so very grateful for the friends we have made and the experiences we have had. We also look forward to the next year and to see what God has in store for us. We have been truly blessed by the people we have met here in Iwakuni, the friends and family that have been able to visit us, and this lifestyle and culture we have been able to enjoy. It has been very difficult at times to be away from family, friends, and our dog, Bruce. But we absolutely feel confident that this is where God intended us to be. And hey, we're a lot healthier and skinnier for it!