Hey everyone!

I hope everything is going good in America! Last week was a wonderful week with Hiroko and the kids! On Saturday, I left work early and then took the train down Hiroko's mom's house. When I got there I got to see the best 2 kids on earth! I loved it! It was so nice seeing the niece and nephew. Shaun took about 10 minutes to warm up to me, but then he was himself!

On Sunday, we went to Ikebukuro. That was a great time. Jason, Hiroko, and I all agreed that portion sizes in Japan are much better than in America. They usually give you the best sized portions, just full enough but not too full. Anyway, Sunday was spent in Ikebukuro and mostly just shopping. I loved spending time with all of them. It was so nice to be with my family again. I can't tell you how wonderful it was!

Monday and Tuesday were spent at Disneyland and Disneysea. We had a great time on Monday at Disneyland. We had a little bit of rain during the afternoon. We rode lots of rides, and had lunch at our hotel. Which by the way, is one of the nicest, if not the nicest, hotels I have ever stayed in. Anyway, after we checked in at the hotel, we went back to Disneyland. We rode Splash Mountain twice, because both of the kids were tall enough to ride it, and they loved that ride. Unfortunately, Space Mountain was closed. But we had a great time without it.

Tuesday we went to Disneysea. This theme park is more geared for adults. Alyssa rode the Tower of Terror and she loved it! Most of our waits were only 5-10 minutes, which was perfect for us. I found out the it isn't as busy during the week because mostly adults go to Disneysea, while families usually go to Disneyland. Anyways, we had another fabulous day there.

I can't believe how big those kids have gotten. Shaun is like a miniature adult. It was so funny! I am so happy to have seen Hiroko, Jason, Alyssa, and Shaun. They really re-energized me. But at the same time, it was kinda sad for me. I really wanted to be with them, but it also made me sad. I realized I won't see them again for quite a while, maybe another year or two....I don't know if I can make it! Hate to cut this now, but I need to get to bed. It is late here.

PS-Thank you Michael! I love the DVDs! I got them yesterday!