Farewell Middletons

We had to say goodbye to my first friend I met here in Japan (Melissa Middleton). She is such a sweetheart and has been an amazingly kind friend the entire year we've known each other. She is one of 3 good friends I've had to say good-bye to this year (but such is the military life). We had fun taking the train up to Yokohama and eating at CPK (California Pizza Kitchen). Yes, it was the real deal. No weird squid on pizza, it was the authentic place you would find in any Southern California neighborhood. We had a great time that night with our closest 5 couple friends from our church in Japan. We ended up going shopping afterward and missing out on Cold Stone Creamery (yes, that mall has one of those too)! Oh well, next time we're up there. We will miss you George & Melissa! Please stay in touch via email and your new blog - so cute! Good luck with your move and we hope you enjoy Utah!

Monks, Monkeys & Mountains - Our Trip to Nikko

We drove north to Nikko for the weekend and had a wonderful time there with the girls. Nikko is nestled in the mountains and is best known for its history of the famous Shogun "Tokugawa" and the 17th century Toshogu Shrine built in his honor. We got there late Friday night (took a wrong turn & ended up in the heart of Tokyo but we made it out eventually). That night we stayed at Nikko Park Lodge (thanks to our friends at the hospital for telling us about this family-friendly gem). It's owned by "Zen Ryu" a Buddhist monk who teaches yoga each morning in their beautiful yoga studio (see photos) which I woke up early for and thoroughly enjoyed. That day we drove to Kegan Falls where we saw amazing waterfalls. The girls also found these toy monkeys to wear around their necks that you see them wearing in all the photos (since monkeys are common in Nikko). We did see one by the road on our way home. We also saw a few famous temples & shrines as well as Lake Chuzenji. To get to the lake we had to drive high into the mountains where the Buddhist monks used to live and meditate. We ate lunch then rented a swan shaped paddle boat that fit all 5 of us. This was the highlight of our trip for the girls. They each took turns steering & paddling. That night we came back to the lodge to relax and eat dinner. I had the "Gourmet Vegan Dinner" prepared by "Zen" himself (delicious), the girls had spaghetti and Sean had curry. Afterward we all took a Japanese bath in their private "onsen" which we reserved just for our family. It was a fun "only in Japan" experience. We can't wait to go back in the Fall when the leaves change.

4th of July with Friends in Japan!

Marissa's 6th Birthday!

Marissa's big day finally arrived, the day she's been talking about for the past 7 months, her 6th BIRTHDAY! We started off her day with a little family tradition Sean and I enjoy setting up the night before (while she's sleeping). Which is to decorate her room with tons of streamers above her bed so that in the morning when she wakes up she KNOWS it's her birthday. The smile on her face is priceless. Then she likes to jump like a monkey on her bed to tear through them all. For her party, she wanted to have it at the pool and invited ALL of her friends. We had 16 kids and 11 adults at her pool party and she loved being the center of their attention. :) That entire day she was so cute telling strangers in the elevator and in the store that, "It's my birthday today!" I had fun chatting with my friends while Marissa and her friends splashed in the pool. Then came time for the "Rainbow" cake and opening presents. She got WAY too spoiled with gifts (we usually don't spend too much on toys since we prefer imaginative or outdoor play). But we're set now until Christmas. :) She loves anything artistic so she loved the art kit and glitter pens she got. Also, the dolls and games. I was glad that 2 of her Japanese-American friends from Kindergarten were able to come (Sean and Samantha). I just wish I wouldn't have tried to decorate the tables around the pool since the wind kept blowing the tablecloths and everything on them, it was a bit distracting for me. Next time I'm going to focus on just Marissa. :)