Moving is EXHAUSTING!

What did WE do this summer?

Well...

11 days in Japan.

2  Baseball tournaments.

4th of July at the Lake.

Celebrated a nephew's HS graduation.

Celebrated an aunt's 70th birthday with a weekend bash.

Enjoyed a week of VBS.

Michael and Jack's first time to Six Flags.

Trip to Boston and Cooperstown for Jack, Grandma and Grandpa.

Great Escape (1 week camp) for Michael and Jack.

6 weeks of swim team for Ty.

Celebrated Grandma's bday over delicious Chinese food.

A beach trip to Destin, FL.

A celebration of 3 YEARS of forever with Junie Mei and family (make your own dumplings party=great fun!).

A bday celebration for me...

Oh yes, decided to try to sell our house around July 1st. 

Got a PODS on July 5th.

Filled it up.

Hauled it away.

Put our house on market.

Sold it in two days.

Freaked out (that was mostly just me).

House hunted.  For weeks. 

Talked about what we we're gonna do if we don't find a house.

Freaked out some more (still just me).

Tried and tried to buy what I was sure was my dream house.

Got crushed.

Found alternate dream house.

Made offer.

Got accepted.

Got contract.

Enrolled 3 kids in 3 new schools.  3 days before school starts.

Drove back and forth from Johns Creek to Milton 1,249 times.  At least.

Shopped for school supplies. 

Drove 3 boys to new schools.  Gulp.

Hope your summer was as exciting, but a little more relaxing, than mine!  :)

Landed!

And soooooo excited to see my family!

Mt Fuji

We got to our beautiful hotel and had a great Chinese complimented with a magic show from Mai and Kaho. Had a ok to bad night sleep with the doll and  all. But after a Japanese style breakfast we were off to Fuji. Another three hour car ride. We were nervous as we were getting near Fujisan but then out of the corners of our eyes, we saw it. Amazing. It was huge!!!! We drove for a long time up the mountain until we got half way and found a village place! Who knew there was a village on Mt. Fugi?? We ate lunch and got many pictures of Fuji. There were lots of shops on Mt. Fuji. We bought everything from Mt. Fuji beer to keychains. We loved Mt. Fuji, but after a 5 hour drive back to home. But any five hour car ride isn't complete until you have eaten soft cream!

Man vs wild

I'm getting a little sick of blogging for my mom, but you know how it works. The more cooperative and nice you are to your mom, the more willing she is to buy you soft creams. 

On the way to our hotel we took a short detour (about 3 and a half hours) to a big park called Sumatakyou (Kyou means valley) with a cool rope bridge called Yumeno- Tsuribashi high over a river called Sumata river. Of course when we got there, no body had any idea of where a rope bridge is. So the workers did some research, and after  about thirty minutes we figured out where to go. We got out of the car and left Akemi waiting for us to come back. We started our treacherous hike to the bridge. A man later picked us up and drove us half way and we had to walk again. We got to the bridge and the first thing that caught our eye was not the huge rope bridge but the BEAUTIFUL river. It was solid turquoise. BEAUTIFUL. The river was completely surrounded in huge mountains.  Me, Nana, and Mai breezed through it twice and the second time we went the whole way with no hands. My mom was white knuckled the whole time. She was three yards into the bridge when she decided to go back. I pulled a funny trick on her and bounced the bridge. Hahaha she was so mad. We walked back and got some soft cream and Akemi told us we still have three hours to our hotel. Oh boy. 

-michael

While you were sleeping

THE DOLL (read at your own risk and/or if you want to laugh)

Lately I have been waking my mom up in the middle of the night going MOMMY MOMMY and then falling right back to sleep. I think it's revenge for her waking me up every morning like MICHAEL MICHAEL GET UP ITS SO LATE. But last night we stayed in the hotel "Grand XIV." Setsuko calls it what it a actually looks like the "Exiv hotel," but I think it's Roman numerals making it Grand Fourteen hotel, but I don't know. She lives here and I don't. But anyway, yesterday we went to my mom's friends house. She's a doll maker. Here house is filled with dolls. We stayed for an hour and a half. Of course I fell asleep on the tatami floor. Later that day we went to the hotel. It was the nicest, most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed in. The hotel room itself had 6 rooms (including bathrooms) and the biggest shower and bath room ever. We had a good Chinese dinner and fell asleep after that. I have no recollection of this but my mom told me. At 5 in the morning I woke up going MOMMY, MOMMY, That doll just moved I SWEAR TO GOD. My mom goes WHAT DOLL? WHERE? And I go, on that table over there? And she says that's not a doll. And I say what is it then? And she says a cellophane bag of American cherries. I go right back to sleep. Lol. 

-michael (again)

This is THE DOLL