Fun with Grandparents

Lottie cuddles with Gram.

Adam enjoys his Green City that Gram made for him.

Bapa is a good bed.

Fourth of July

There was a big, FREE Fourth of July celebration at Camp Zama. We dragged the Grandparents Callicott (fresh off the plane) to Zama and enjoyed some free hot dogs and hamburgers, live music, bouce houses, and fireworks. Adam loved the fireworks (after briefly deciding they were "scare"), but the 30 minute show was too much for Lottie. We had to head inside for most of it.

As always, Adam made friends. As usual, it was a girl! They had a great time dancing to the Japanese country band, complete with cowboy hats and boots.

Neck

Lottie's neck is getting very strong. Sometimes she even likes tummy time!

Daddy and Lottie. Her favorite time - naked.

Heat Miser

I think Lottie could star in the remake of Year Without a Santa Claus as the Heat Miser. What do you think?

Cooing

This is from early in the month. She's since refined her cooing technique. She's becoming quite the loudmouth, just like Adam.

Cute Picture

More pictures to come - we've been super busy! All our visitors have left, and we're trying to get back on our regular schedule. Most importantly, Lottie's hair is starting to lay down (a little)!

Nara

We spent our Saturday visiting Nara, one of Japan's old capitals. It is home to historic temples, shrines, nice parks, and lots of sacred (to the Japanese) deer. This sign features some particularly angry deer!

Adam checking to see if he is enlightened. This is a small hole in a beam at the Todaji, the biggest wooden structure in Japan. If you make it through the hole, you are enlightened.

Going through...

Made it!

Jenna was interested, but wouldn't go through, even with Adam's example. Both kids were of interest to all the Japanese - check out the guy taking pictures of Jenna on his camera phone. The Japanese also let both kids cut the line. Benefits of being little and cute!

Here are Heather and Jenna with some of those sacred and nosy deer. You can buy deer cookies to feed them.

We thought Adam would be scared of the deer (just like the pigs!), but he was interested, then excited to feed them deer cookies. It probably helped that he was above their level.

Overcoming his fear and touching a deer nose.

Chris was approached several times by schoolgirls who interviewed him for their school assignments. I think it's because he's the tallest and blondest of all of us.

The family in front of the Todaji.

Kyoto

We spent one rainy day in Kyoto. We took Andy, Heather, and Jenna to our favorite spot in Kyoto - Kiyomizo Temple. Here we are at the entrance.

Andy and Heather with the kids. We love this temple because it is set into the mountains. So beautiful, but you can see the rain in the background!

Part of the temple, along with all the people taking pictures.

The other big part of the temple.

Adam inspecting the important cultural relics.

Yunessun

Here are more pictures from Yunessun, the hot spring/spa/water park in Hakone (near Mount Fuji). Lottie and Jenna getting ready for the water.

The coffee spa (hot spring water with coffee). They also give out coffee at specified times if you are in the spa.

Andy and Heather get a massage from the hot waterfall. You can see it falling above their heads.

The wine spa. They also gave out wine (you cup your hands and they pour it right in) here.

The green tea spa.

The whole family in the main area.

Everyone!

Tokyo

After DisneySea, we spent the night in Tokyo, then hung out in Harajuku. Here are Adam and Jenna at Meiji Shrine.

Here's Jenna playing in the traditional Japanese hotel room.

Adam, Jenna, Aunty Heather, and Uncle Andy in front of the giant tori gate on the way to Meiji Shrine.

We found a few soccer stores in Harajuku, and Uncle Andy just had to visit all of them. Here are Chris and Andy with our potential soccer players.