Tokyo, JAPAN

My mom and I on Christmas Day at Asakusa (my glasses are fake-I have always wanted bad eyes cause I love wearing glasses....I have 3 fake pairs!)

My 5 year old niece, Maddie (Madeleine), and I trying on fake glasses at one of the many, many shops that lead up to the temple in Asakusa-kinda reminds us of the moneychangers at the temple in Christ's day.

Here I am posing at Tokyo Disneyland-it was a magical day and I think just about all of my dreams did come true! :) It was cold and windy, but nothing compared to what I am experiencing being back in Boston!!!

Here is supercute Izzie playing hide and seek through the tunnel at Disneyland.

Here we all are-Mom, Dad, Izzie in the stroller, Me holding Maddie, Luke, and Ally-outside of it's a small world-man! that song really can get stuck in your head.

My 1 year old niece, Izzie (Isabelle) is such a doll!

My Dad and I went with my sister and my brother-in-law to Kamakura on New Year's Eve Day.

We saw the Great Buddha, a huge one outside sitting/meditating on the hill-My Dad was so proud of this picture-it looks like Buddha is a part of our little group.

Let's just say that Ally struggles with chopsticks...so my Dad started feeding her-cute, or not?!

I always like my chocolate-covered bananas. Yes, I am healthy...but it is fun to get something fruity covered in something yummy and not so good for you like chocolate...this one tasted a lot better than my chocolate-dipped banana in Japan the time before.

I LOVE Tokyo, it is so different, but I always find a special place in my heart for the different places that I travel to, and especially for the places that my parents live that become home to me, even if they are not in America. I love so many things about Tokyo, and it is always an enjoyable, eye-opening experience. These photos just recap some of the fun and adventures that I had there this time (my 3rd time to visit!)

Overdue

James, Ruth and I went out for yummy Mexican food without the kids, watched Disney's Camp Rock without the kids-yes, we are nerds, and hung out. I love my big brother and sister in law!

One of my really good friends from BYU, Kristen, now lives in Houston with her husband and their 2 darling kids. She drove to Kingwood and spent part of the day with me and my brother's family. It had been about 4 years since we had seen each other-way too long! It was so good to see you, Kristen! We will have to do it again-when I come to Houston, or when you come to Boston, maybe?!?!

Ruth and I enjoyed a beautiful day outside playing with the kids. I said if the weather was like that year round in Texas, then maybe I would stay-60s and 70s, not 100% humidity. I know I am a Texas girl...but the heat and humidity kill me as an adult!

I know this post is overdue and I have no excuses other than I have been putting off blogging. Well, that and I have been spending a lot of time with my wonderful family. So after my semester ended, I spent over 2 weeks in Tokyo with my parents and my sister, Allyson, her husband, Luke, and my 2 adorable nieces. We had a blast, enjoying the holidays, homecooked meals, lots of yummy Japanese food, movies, walks, trips to various playgrounds, seeing the major sites, shrines and temples in Tokyo, and a few side trips out of the city. I always enjoy running with my Dad, he takes me all over Tokyo and its a great way to cover a lot of ground and see different neighborhoods quickly. After that, I spent a week in Kingwood, Texas, my hometown and the residence of my oldest brother, James, his wife, Ruth, and their 5 beautiful children. We hung out, colored, played outside, jumped on the trampoline, I went to lots of gymnastics classes, and we ate yummy food. I think all I did was eat over the break...hmmm...

My 2 year old nephew, David, put on his helmet to ride his little scooter-safety first!

Lainey and Havana enjoyed their blue jello as well as the accompanying blue tongues...Havana and I made the jello-aren't you proud...I really can be more domestic than that...sometimes!

Aimee is darling...

Caitlyn is the oldest, and still beautiful in her brand new glasses...she pulls them off well!