We flew in late Tuesday night and Jen had convinced Mom & Dad to stay up late and wait for her (she lives in Ohio and was driving out after work, but she had to go pick us up first!) So they were up and watching Firefly at 12:30 when we just walked in the door and this was their reaction:

I'm still recovering from the time change, all the excitement, and have pregnancy-brain, so I'm not sure I'm going to be able to touch on all of what we did for two weeks. It was tons of fun, of course! We didn't make any big plans to go anywhere or do anything, just hang out around the house and play, visit with relatives (mostly everyone lives very close) and have a relaxing visit.

We went over to Aunt Ginny's and visited with her and Grandpa and Aunt Connie for Mom's birthday. Jen and I made snowman cake pops since Mom loves snowmen! Jason and Kay came over too and we had pizza and wings, cake and cake pops, and just visited with everyone. The boys loved playing in Aunt Ginny's living room, which is full of all sorts of treasures!

We also went over and visited at Mom-mom and Pop-pop's a few times. The boys loved playing with the coasters and getting spoiled by Mom-mom with Hershey Kisses and Oreos! Uncle Brian and Aunt Barb stopped by, too. We hadn't been out to New York to visit any family since Heron was born, so it was great to be able to be out there he could meet all the family!

Aunt Ginny and Grandpa and Aunt Connie came over one day to have grilled cheese sandwiches and soup and pretty much just watch the boys play! They are wild and loved all the attention! Aunt Ginny's cane was Heron's favorite toy and Rhino kept demanding doctor check-ups from Dad.

For two weeks we watched some movies, read books, played a lot of games, went out to eat, did a whole lot of playing, worked out, played with the iPad, cooked a little bit … while the boys ran circles around us! They loved the dogs, Mugsy and Jasmine, who seemed to like their company too (usually!) They were so sweet and didn't mind that they used them as chairs or tried to ride them!

Jen and I try to do regular crafting together, even while we're so far away. It was awesome to get to do some knitting together in person this time! Mom decided to join our duo and make it a Knitting Trio! We freshened her up on the basic stitches, signed her up on Ravelry, and started picking out projects. The first thing we made was some coasters, then we moved on to dish cloths.

Matt and I got to go on two dates without the boys, which was fantastic! We went out to dinner twice and to two movies (Black Swan & True Grit.) We also did some window shopping, actual shopping, and just hanging out together. We definitely need to do that more often. Our last date night was when Mom & Dad babysat the boys when they came to visit over the summer! I love just spending time with my sweetie — and actually getting to eat a whole meal without feeding/cleaning/scolding boys!

Rhino's 3rd birthday was pretty close, so Mom suggested we throw a little party for him. That sounded great to me, then I wouldn't worry about throwing a birthday party when we got back! Jason and Kay came over and celebrated with us. Jen and I made an amazing train cake with some mini loaf pans and lots of candy! It was a little sloppy (I'm so terrible at frosting cakes!) and super sugary, but awesomely fun and Rhino loved it! We sang happy birthday in the dark (he sang along) and when we turned on the lights he seemed really impressed haha. He is still crazy about Thomas & Friends, so we found some Thomas party hats and blower-thingies that he really liked. He got some great presents – a train whistle and slide whistle, some Thomas wall decals, a Toy Story memory game, a Toy Story puzzle, some cute new clothes, and we picked up an otter hand puppet (which he named Scarf for some reason!)

We left a week and a half later, on Saturday evening, to return home. The trip went really quickly and it's sad to leave knowing we won't get to visit again for a while. Even with the almost-free flight from Japan to Seattle, it's still really difficult and expensive to travel home often (especially considering between the two of us, "home" is in three different states!) We have just a little over a year left in Japan and then who knows where the Air Force will put us! Maybe closer to at least one of those states!

Thanks to Mom & Dad for letting us stay with you without any notice for almost two weeks! We loved every minute!! And a big super thanks to Jen for taking care of the surprise and coordinating everything for us! We couldn't have kept it secret without you! Love you all!!

My submission is about saying goodbye, from my in-laws' visit out to us last month. They came out here to Japan for a couple of weeks to see us and the boys (to meet Heron for the first time!) We had the best time together and I wish we weren't so far away and could do it more often.

The time went too quickly and before we knew it we were saying goodbye at the train station. These are two of my favorite photos from that morning. Matt hugging his dad goodbye and Mom not wanting to let go of Heron. I can't stand goodbyes!

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We hadn't visited a Buddhist temple while they were here, so we stopped by the one on the hill by the train station. We went inside and it was dark and quiet and I felt like we shouldn't be there. It was peaceful and very pretty.

They had to take a train to Hachinohe, then get on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo, then take the Narita express to the airport. Then a 14 hour flight back. It's a lot, but they made it there just fine!

I love the Matt & Dad hug. And Heron's squishy cheeks!

It was so great to have them visit! I'm really thankful that they could make it all the way out here to spend some time with us.

Rhino had a hard time with their leaving. He sat on Matt's shoulders yelling "Grandpa, waaiitt!" (Both Mom & Dad are named "Grandpa" apparently. He just didn't get "Grandma.") Then in the car he cried for Grandpa to "si-down" and kept trying to hand the seat belt up to nobody. It makes my heart ache to see him so upset to see his grandparents leave! We'll miss them, too.

We ate at Noodle House Marumiya (a.k.a. Cheese Roll). We had ramen, yakisoba, beef dunburi, and (of course) cheese rolls! Yummy! Matt and Rhino (coincidentally, dressed alike) waited for their cheese rolls.

We tried a lot of different restaurants. We had Pepper Lunch at the mall, Cheese Roll, yakiniku at Viking, this place (I can't remember the name!) for delicious yakitori … Rhino loved this place because he could crawl under the floor between the table.

I seem to get sick every time we visit with Matt's parents. I think it's them!! This time wasn't so bad, but I did get some bug for a few days.

We were planning on going to the Tanabata festival right out the main gate, but I really, really wasn't up for it. So Matt took Rhino and Mom and they had a good time! Rhino ran through the streamers, rode Thomas the Tank Engine and a mini-carousel, and they took in the sights and got some cute pictures. I've never been, but hope to go next year!

This is an illegal picture. You can't take pictures in the Universe (Japanese grocery store!) That's okay, though. Matt's parents are rebels! Rhino likes to drive the Hello Kitty car all over the Universe.

We went to the awesome cake house, Shiroi Mori. Delicious! Here we are hanging out on the couch at the table. I had a delicious chocolately, nutty, crunchy cake slice. Rhino had some awesome chocolate cake. Heron wolfed down some custard … and I don't remember everyone else's. It was all delicious, though! One of our new favorite places in Misawa!

Heron had a good time, especially playing with sound waves. So cool! I can't believe with as much as we've gone here, we never went upstairs with all the awesome electricity and weather displays.

Everyone loves to watch the slow-motion multi-camera videos of themselves jumping. I think Rhino mostly likes the countdown to the jumping!

The playground there (Sky Park, I think they call it) is really cute, too. Rhino almost liked riding these rails, but just for a second. I'm glad that Mom & Dad could join us on a trip to one of our favorite local spots. It's just too much fun (and educational!)

Looking for driving directions to the Aviation and Science Museum in Misawa, Japan? Check them out here!

We all enjoyed some ice cream and pocky! Heron is such a piggy!

The boys seemed to like the boat ride. It's almost an hour and makes a loop (round trips from Yasumiya only. The Nenokuchi ferry is only one-way.)

It was peaceful and beautiful and not nearly as sickening as our last boat tour!

All throughout the trip a lady was telling us about things over the loud speaker, but unfortunately we couldn't understand any of it. Some days I wish I was fluent in Japanese! I'm sure the lake is interesting and she had a lot of neat things to say, but we just tuned her out and took in the sights.

We drove back through the gorge on our way home and stopped for some waterfall photos. I love all the beautiful falls throughout the gorge!

We showed up and there were a ton of cars and people everywhere! We got out of the van and someone tried to hand us trashbags and gloves. Apparently there was a big beach cleanup! Usually I'm all for volunteering for these sorts of things and felt bad turning down the bags, but we just came to run and play with the boys and look for sea glass (technically, that's trash and we were picking it up!)

Rhino would wade in the surf and run from the waves. Heron took his first little dip in the ocean (well, I guess this wasn't actually the ocean — Mutsu Bay is on the Japan Sea.)

We found quite a bit of sea glass — even Rhino helped! He would walk along the water with me and then point — "pretty!" — and pick up a little piece for me.

We were worried about the weather because shortly after we left it started sprinkling. Then when we got to Nojehi it was really coming down. As soon as we stepped foot on the beach, it cleared up and became a beautiful day! I loved our day at the beach!

We went out to Magnums, a nice restaurant here on base. It seems to really be the only place to get steak (other than the commissary!) I don't really eat steak often, especially since moving out here. I don't know if Magnums is a truly amazing restaurant or if it's just been so long since I've had a steak, but it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. Yum! We shared an appetizer, enjoyed our dinner, didn't pick food up off the floor, wipe faces, scold, go for eight potty trips, or order off the kids menu. I love going out with the boys too of course, but this was a great break! Matt is so sweet, too. He got me flowers and was all nervous!

We went out to the Shimoda mall after. We were planning on seeing Toy Story 3 at the theater, but when we got there we found that they were only showing it in Japanese.  Often they will play some American movies and just subtitle them with Japanese. Well, that wouldn't work. We saw a poster for Inception, another movie they were playing at the time, but hadn't ever heard of it. Really, I feel like we live under a rock a little bit. Well, we gambled and bought Inception tickets — and I'm glad we did! We both really enjoyed it!! We got another surprise as well. We were expecting to pay 1,800 yen per ticket (right now, about $21 — This is why we never go to the movies!) Because we were watching the last showing of the night, tickets are only 1,000 yen. Hooray!

So we used our extra yen downstairs at the arcade. Usually we go for the photo booths, to let Rhino bop the crocodiles, and to play giant Tetris. Matt decided to try his hand at one of the stuffed animal gambling games (with the big claws!) with no luck at all. They're trickier than they look! So we found other rip-off games that you try for prizes. They have the ones that rotate and you scoop up little gems or chocolate coins or something, then drop them onto a moving shelf. The shelf should push little prizes into the hole, hopefully knocking over a stack or pulling a weight with a jackpot attached to it. We didn't have much luck there, either. It was fun, though! We're not really gamblers and that's essentially what these silly games are, but it was silly and exciting.

We got home late and everyone was asleep. The boys behaved for Mom & Dad (Heron was a little sneaky with the stairs and would look back and giggle and beeline for the steps.) We're thinking now that we should get a sitter once a month and have a regular date night!

Thanks, Mom & Dad !!

I was hoping that he would like the hands-on tank where you can pick up little crabs, starfish, and sea urchins. He held a starfish on his palm for about half a second and squealed "oww!" and threw the poor thing! He didn't want to have anything to do with the tank and just wanted to draw on the giant dry-erase board. We watched the feedings for the otters, seals, and dolphins. Heron really loved the dolphins!! Unfortunately, Matt's favorite attractions seemed to be removed. He loved the tiny fish that eat the dead skin off your fingers when you dip them in the tank (you're supposed to!) He also really liked the bat fish but we couldn't find it.

Recently a Tony Roma's rib restaurant opened up in Aomori. There isn't really any "American food" out our way except for the occasional fast food joint (I am so sick of fast food!!) I do miss eating in a familiar restaurant. Even though I got my steak at TGI Friday's in Tokyo, stopping by the Tony Roma's was a must. Plus, Matt's parents have never had ribs! Never!! So we had to experience that.

I'm so glad that Mom & Dad were able to be here for Heron's first birthday! We had a great time!

I sewed up a special birthday crown for him (like I did for Rhino, but I'll be redoing Rhino's for future birthdays.) [Idea from Amanda Soule's book, The Creative Family.] I also sewed up a birthday banner for his party on Monday (idea from the same book.)

He received some wonderful gifts! He was given some cute outfits from Great-Granddaddy and GG and Pop. Matt's parents got him some adorable clothes too, as well as a Punch and Drop and some stacking wooden rings. I finally got to give him the knitted rainbow snake that I finished a while ago! Matt and Rhino and I also gave him a Walk N Roll for when he starts walking (soon!)

And, of course, there was cake!! I baked him his own little chocolate cake with my yummy chocolate frosting. Lucky boy! We tried to hold off on giving him any sugar until his first birthday, like we did for Rhino, but it hasn't really worked out. Rhino likes to share his treats! So this is the second time Heron's had chocolate cake.

He did pick the whole thing up and try to eat it like a cupcake! When it first came out, he didn't want to try the cake, actually. I took a finger full of frosting and chased his mouth around for a while until I could finally sneak it in. Then he knew what to do!  I cringe a little at this baby-chocolate-cake tradition because it's just so much sugar and we try to limit sweets. It is just too adorable though (I love this messy, chocolate baby!) and it is a one-time thing. It won't be every birthday that he gets to dive into his own cake!

The mess was so worth it. He had a blast! And cleanup was pretty easy. Once I got him in the bath, crumbs fell off him and he turned the water brown. At one time, a small piece of cake floated by him and he grabbed it and attempted to have seconds! Such a pig!