Sarah chan is just tearing it up in Monopoly Deal although look...

Anna is doing well

Sarah is so close to winning!

So is Rebecca, and Anna is just... Hanging...

Kind of with Daddy because Daddy literally has no cards.

I've been completely wiped out by Sarah chan.

Me too. You too, I know

Dude it's been rough for the boys this time.

8 Million from everybody.

Oh my! One, two...

Life sometimes hits you like a game of monopoly

things can be going fine and then all of a sudden, bam!

Things are turned upside down.

Daddy is all out. No 8 million.

I'm in the game but not really.

Momma chan stays safely out of harms' way.

But at the same time, other people in the same game are flying high.

Are you going to finally win Sarah?

I will.

Sly Deal

Steal it! Bam! That red.

Do you have a "Just Say No"? No.

Yes! Finally, I'm done.

I won.

When you start off a new year, you want it to be your best year yet.

But so much of what happens in the year is beyond your control.

So the real quest is anticipating what could happen and being ready for it.

Those who do that- win.

[Life in Japan Theme Song]

We've been living in Japan almost 9 years and producing weekly Life in Japan episodes for almost 4 years.

The whole process has stretched us tremendously.

We've discovered things about ourselves that we love, and other things we'd love to change.

What's going on, guys?

They already see their bus.

There's a bus for what?

For the ski trip!

Right there! Look! Just look over there.

Oh my goodness, you're right!

Becca and Anna are starting off the year with a Japanese school tradition:

1st year junior-high school students all take a multi-day trip to learn to ski, and the busses are parking outside our place.

Go! You have to go! Leave!

You guys have to go!

Can you guys believe that big sisters are going on a ski trip?!

To say that the girls are excited would be an under statement.

We've been planning for this trip for weeks now,

and we hope they have everything they need for success.

See the big bus over there?

Yea, is it moving now?

We've gotta go. They're leaving! We've gotta go!

In some ways this is a rehearsal for life —

as parents we do our best to prepare our kids for the challenges to come,

and then pray they can not only conquer life's challenges, but have a good time and make good friends in the process.

This goes right? Oh yes it does.

Joshua, who are you going to give a hard time to while your older sisters are gone?

Maybe that big sister.

OK, here you go.

1, 2, 3

OK go!

Oh, I love you girls! God bless you!

Have a wonderful trip!

Bye!

It's happening already.

There's a lot of buses lining up here

Lot of kids going!

I want to see!

Bye!

2023 is starting off in a great way, and we've been able to enjoy several things together as a family

 like sledding on Mt Fuji

Look at this!

Look out! Oh, wipeout!

Whoa! Into the mud!

Oh man!

enjoying life together at Paz Church,

Here we go, church is happening!

And it is full!

Whew! Alright guys!

Here we go!

and even getting money from Vovó and Vovô, Ruth's parents, that the kids got to spend at Daiso.

Mommy, I got this. Wait, this is a 200 thing.

Yeah, so he gets one more 100 thing.

What did you find, Anna?

A poop pen. A poop pen?!

I think this goes up—this goes up if I flip the switch.

That's cool.

Can I buy it? Yea, you get ¥500 to spend.

Snacks! And what did you find?

Snacks, you're going to do snacks?

It can go up, it can go up.

No way! Poop pen!

Ruth made a couple of inexpensive purchases at the 100 yen shop, but don't let these purchases fool you.

They have incredible potential for making this new year our best one yet.

Ok!

Now I'm going to write my main — oh that's going to be perfect, just perfect.

We're trying something new this year called a vision board,

and it involves making some goals and putting a visual representation of them on a board in a visible place.

For me, the hardest part is not making goals, but making the right goals.

But this year, our goals seem to be coming together more clearly than ever.

One thing I really like about January is that fresh start,

Are there things in my life that I really like?

Let's reinforce those things.

Are there things in my life that I don't like?

Well let's minimize those things and work to continually improve my family, my lifestyle, my work situation

All those things.

So what kinds of things are going on your vision board?

Things I want to accomplish this year, goals I have

Like I want to do a lot of reading,

I want to travel... Yea buddy!

I want to start my own YouTube channel...

What?!

You know what channel I want to start?

You? You want to start a YouTube channel, Sarah?

Yeah! What is it?

It's the Joshua and Sarah livestream.

Joshua and Sarah livestream!?

Does that sound cool, Dude?

Yeah, there's going to be one on Life in Japan soon.

Oh, guess what? It's going to be in this episode!

I'm out with the little Reutter's... the not-so-little littles, having some McDonalds and a good time, huh guys?

Sarah is live-streaming Joshua eating McDonalds...

Joshua's going to eat his last french fry and he chomps it!

He ate it!

He ate it! Oh my!

Joshua, show him the fry now — that one...

This is the fry that he will eat

And then he will eat it... he eats it!

He ate almost 4 of the chicken nuggets,

And lots of the fries,

Lots of the drink,

And, yea...

Now he will drink more drink.

Yes, this is a livestream about Joshua eating lots of McDonalds,

So we'll do more livestreams, so please watch it on YouTube.

Thank you.

Whatever our goals are, they should help point us towards success, and keep us away from pitfalls.

[Reading in Japanese]

Well, you just got a message?

I did, they left the service station, wherever that is, and should be arriving at 3:30

And they should be arriving here about 3:30.

Oh boy!

Yea! I'm interested to see how it went.

Me too. I'm sure they had fun.

[Reading Japanese]

We wouldn't have to wait long to see how the trip went.

Girls, you're back from your trip! I'm so excited!

So, how did it go? Fine, good.

Good? Did you fall majorly?

Uh, ha... Not majorly

Not majorly?

I fell like 5 times

Like 5 times?

Did you just get on the bunny hill, did you like go up the mountain?

Yea, we did.

We went on the ski lift like ten times.

So are you excited to go with Daddy now? Um hum.

Yeah? Definitely

Oh, I'm excited too. We won't have to wait for people anymore.

It went down to minus seven degrees! Whew!

And we were out there to go eat we need to go outside and walk to the place.

Like this—with just a light coat on.

I spilled misoshiro [soup] on my jacket

So I told all my roommates "If it smells like misoshiro, I'm sorry."

Joshua, what's going on here, huh?

What do we see here?

Oh my goodness! What is that sad, sad face for there, Joshua?!

That my butt was hurting.

Your butt was hurting?!

Joshua's been busy making a vision board of his own — the sword and shield of his dreams.

Are you making the Hylian sword?

Or the Master Sword? Yea.

You are?!

Oh sure enough! Look at that!

When we first start visualizing our dreams, they can seem weak and ineffective, like using a paper sword or play shield.

Joshua, coming in full force with the tornado attack.

Oh wow, the throwing dagger! Whoa!

Whoa, wow! Intense!

But the more we can focus on a desired future, the more we can see our dreams become reality,

like what happened for Joshua when we celebrated his birthday together with Ruth's family.

[Singing Happy Birthday]

In a small way, we could see what is possible when we dare to envision the future.

3, 2, 1 Present time from Vovó and Vovô

Oh my!

Oh my goodness!

Wow!

Becca thanks!

What do you envision for your life?

Can you imagine your desired future and come up with a visual representation, a picture of it?

Make your own vision board and tack it up where you'll see it.

A vision is most effective when it's right in front of you, challenging you on each day.

2023 doesn't have to be another year of going along with the flow.

You can make it the best year yet, no matter what is happening in the world.

What are we doing tonight, Dude?

We're having a special time.

We're having a special time because the girls have their sleepover tonight, huh?

Yea.

So the boys are having some boy time. What are we going to do?

Kirby- look! Kirby and the Forgotten Land

So we're playing Kirby and the Forgotten Land and I'm Kirby and you are?

Waddle Dee, for the Waddle Dee town.

The popcorn looks done and glorious, Dude!

Are you ready for some popcorn?

Probably our drinks are ready.

I think our drinks are nice and cold!

Oh yea! Oh yea!