This is a story about an international couple raising and home educating three young boys on a small island in Japan, half living in buses, engaged in organic, self-sufficient farming in the middle of a mountain forest while dealing with climate, cultural, and personal challenges. These pages are about pretty much anything and everything all guided by our family motto, Taking Chances, Making Changes, Being Happy. Thank you very much for joining us on our ongoing crazy adventure.

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Home - Story - May 2016
Welcome Son

May 2016 - Welcome to our new son, Lael Rani Hayman, who was born on Tanegashima Island, Japan on May 3, 2016. The month continues and our son is changing every day....new noises and faces.

Picture - About 15 minutes before leaving for the birthing center.
Koinobori

May 2, 2016 - Koinobori (鯉のぼり), meaning "carp streamer" in Japanese, are wind socks made to look like carp which are traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi, 子供の日). We put these up in the farm.

Picture - Home - Koinobori displayed in the upper farm.
More Pictures

May 3, 2016 - More pictures from today.

Picture - Akiko pregnant picture.

Picture - Home - Getting ready to leave 1.
Picture - Home - Getting ready to leave 2.
Picture - Home - Getting ready to leave 3.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture a side view.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture another side view.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture a front view.
Our New Son Arrives

May 3, 2016 - This month began with the arrival of our new son. From early this morning Akiko began not feeling well. As the hours progressed we realized it might be a good idea to take the drive up north.

Picture - Presenting Lael Rani Hayman....live long and prosper.

This particular day it was raining, actually pouring....torrential wind driven rain and thunderstorms. We were in the car at about 1:00 pm and arrived at the birthing center at around 1:45, a new record of 45 minutes....lol. Our son was born a bit less than two and a half hours later.

After the baby was born, we moved into room 8 of the birthing center but then switched to luxury room 1 after we were told we could stay overnight. Actually no problem for the husband to stay overnight but kids are not usually allowed. I slept on the couch and Shai slept on a few chairs pushed together.
More Pictures

May 3, 2016 - More pictures from today.

Picture - Akiko with the baby a couple of minutes after he was born.

Picture - Home - Getting ready to leave 1.
Picture - Home - Getting ready to leave 2.
Picture - Home - Getting ready to leave 3.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture a side view.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture another side view.
Picture - Home - Akiko pregnant picture a front view.
And Even More Pics

May 3, 2016 - Even more pictures from today.

Picture - Me and Shai with the baby.

Picture - Birthing Center - Really cute baby 1.
Picture - Birthing Center - Really cute baby 2.
Picture - Birthing Center - Really cute baby 3.
Picture - Birthing Center - Really cute baby 4, live long and prosper, funny pic.
Picture - Birthing Center - Dad and son and baby about 90 minutes after 1.
Picture - Birthing Center - Dad and son and baby about 90 minutes after 2.
Picture - Birthing Center - All together about 90 minutes after baby was born 1.
Picture - Birthing Center - All together about 90 minutes after baby was born 2.
Returning Home

May 4, 2016 - The next day me and Shai spent time with Akiko and the baby and then drove home for a very much needed good sleep in our own bed after a night spent on a couch and a few chairs.

Picture - Us back in the standard room.

Picture - Birthing Center - Now in the room together 1.
Picture - Birthing Center - Now in the room together 2.
Picture - Birthing Center - Now in the room together 3.
Picture - Birthing Center - Now in the room together 4.
Picture - Birthing Center - Now in the room together 5.
Picture - Birthing Center - Now in the room together 6.
Picture - Birthing Center - Now in the room together 7.
Picture - Birthing Center - Now in the room together 8.
Evening Visit

May 5, 2016 - Me and Shai drove back up north in the afternoon and stayed until the evening and then returned home.

Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 1.
Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 2.
Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 3.
Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 4.
Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 5.
Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 6.
Up North Again

May 6, 2016 - Another long drive up north for what would be the last day for Akiko and the baby at the center.

Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 1.
Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 2.
Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 3.
Picture - Birthing Center - Us in the room together 4.
Returning Home

May 7, 2016 - Akiko and the baby returned home today.

Picture - Birthing Center - A bit of funny and incorrect English.
Picture - Home - The first car ride for the baby.
Picture - Home - Us relaxing in bed together 1.
Picture - Home - Us relaxing in bed together 2.
Mommy Day and Baby First Bath

May 8, 2016 - Me and Shai made some nice decorations for Mommy and baby to see when they came home. We spent a really special Mommy Day together.

Picture - Home - Mommy giving the baby a bath 1.
Picture - Home - Mommy giving the baby a bath 2.
Picture - Home - Welcome home decorations picture 1.
Picture - Home - Welcome home decorations picture 2.
Picture - Home - Welcome home decorations picture 3.
Picture - Home - Welcome home decorations picture 4.
Mommy Day Again and Missing Berry Button

May 9, 2016 - We were actually way too tired to take pictures the day before and celebrated Mommy Day again today.

Picture - Us celebrating Mommy Day.

Today the "berry button" as Akiko calls it, AKA the belly button, fell off of our son. Akiko ran around the house frantically looking for it and finally located the little guy in the diaper. A very important item for Japanese people who use the belly button to make earrings....kidding....they do keep it though and give it back to their kids at a later age.

Picture - Home - Mommy Day decorations.
Picture - Home - Us relaxing at home 1.
Picture - Home - Us relaxing at home 2.
Picture - Home - Us relaxing at home 3.
Picture - Home - Us relaxing at home 4.
Staying Home

May 10, 2016 - A second straight day of torrential rains and thunderstorms kept us all in the house again for much of today.

Picture - Home - Shai holding his little brother 1.
Picture - Home - Shai holding his little brother 2.
Picture - Home - Daddy holding the baby 1.
Picture - Home - Daddy holding the baby 2.
Picture - Home - Mommy holding the baby 1.
Picture - Home - Mommy holding the baby 2.
More Baby Pictures

May 11, 2016 - A day of doing a few first things with the baby.

Picture - Home - Daddy giving the baby a bath 1.
Picture - Home - Daddy giving the baby a bath 2.
Picture - Home - Daddy giving the baby a bath 3.
Picture - Home - Daddy feeding the baby 1.
Picture - Home - Daddy feeding the baby 2.
Picture - Home - Daddy feeding the baby with Shai 1.
Picture - Home - Daddy feeding the baby with Shai 2.
Picture - Home - Mommy feeding the baby 1.
Picture - Home - Mommy feeding the baby 2.
Picture - Home - Mommy feeding the baby with Shai 1.
Picture - Home - Mommy feeding the baby with Shai 2.
Grandma Visits

May 17, 2016 - Actually grandma came to stay with us from the 12th and went home today.

Picture - Home - All of us with grandma relaxing together 1.
Picture - Home - All of us with grandma relaxing together 2.
Picking Strawberries

May 18, 2016 - We went out to pick wild mountain strawberries with friends today.

Picture - Minamitane Town - Mountain strawberries growing wild in the fields.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Shai and Taiyo showing off the picked strawberries.
Picture - Minamitane Town - Shai and Taiyo showing off the picked strawberries again.
Picture - Home - Mountain strawberries in a bowl.
New Parking Space and Beautiful Flowers

May 19, 2016 - I made a new parking space for our other car today. These beautiful and fragrant flowers were blooming in the upper farm.

Picture - Home - New parking space 1.
Picture - Home - New parking space 2.
Picture - Home - Beautiful white flowers now blooming in the farm 1.
Picture - Home - Beautiful white flowers now blooming in the farm 2.
Baby Pictures

May 20, 2016 - Lael was in our bed and crying.

Picture - Home - Lael in our bed 1.
Picture - Home - Lael in our bed 2.
More Baby Pictures

May 22, 2016 - Lael was in his bed and sleeping.

Picture - Home - Lael in his bed 1.
Picture - Home - Lael in his bed 2.

Picture - Happy sleeping baby.
Happy Birthday Pets

May 23, 2016 - Today our doggies and kitty turned three years old today. A happy birthday to Einstein, Copernicus, and Urura the cat.

Picture - Home - The kitty Uhura hanging out on her special day 1.
Picture - Home - The kitty Uhura hanging out on her special day 1.
Picture - Home - The doggies Einstein and Copernicus on their special day 1.
Picture - Home - The doggies Einstein and Copernicus on their special day 2.
Picture - Home - The doggies Einstein and Copernicus on their special day 3.
Picture - Home - The doggies Einstein and Copernicus on their special day 4.
Baby Pictures Again

May 26, 2016 - Lael in our bed.

Picture - Home - Lael in our bed 1.
Picture - Home - Lael in our bed 2.
Picture - Home - Lael in our bed 3.
Picture - Home - Lael in our bed 4.

Picture - Baby in our bed.
Leaves, Geology, and Driftwood

May 27, 2016 - A day out with Shai looking for cool stuff.

Picture - Rock Beach - A bunch of leaves called Amami which are edible.
Picture - Rock Beach - The flower of the Amami.
Picture - Rock Beach - A group of leaves called Hamayu.
Picture - Home - Shai was studying geology today.
Picture - Maenohama Beach - A really nice piece of bamboo found at Maenohama Beach.
Outside Barbecue

May 31, 2016 - We made a nice barbecue outside today.

Picture - Enjoying outside together.

Picture - Home - The baby got to be outside with us for the first time today.
Picture - Home - Another picture of all of us.