Mmmmm, cereal

Here is Conor trying rice cereal for the first time. March 4, 2009

Appu Ghar in Kamakura, Japan

If you are ever in Japan in the Kanto Plain/Kanagawa Prefecture you MUST visit Kamakura.

Things to do in Kamakura:
eat at Appu Ghar www.appughar.co.jp
visit Enoshima Island
go see the bamboo temple www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qm9t-kndu/hokokuji.htm
see the Kamakura Great Buddha - located in the grounds of Kotokuin Temple

Conor wearing a bib from Mommy's alma mater -USL Ragin Cajuns-now known as University of Louisiana at Lafayette (U of L-Lafayette).

Happy New Year!

We rang in the new year with good friends and had a fantastic meal. Ronan actually stayed up past midnight (thanks to a late afternoon nap). My new years resolution is to NEVER let my hair go 3 years without a good cut and color ever again.

We are headed back to the states. Most likey May. I will miss the friends we have made here, but I am ready to be closer to family and old friends. Japan is a wonderful country and I encourage anyone and everyone to try to see this side of the world. We will cherish our memories. --Cheers, Kristin

New Year Approaching

Wow, it is already December 30th here in Japan. 2008 has been a great year for the Perrys due to the fact that Conor Michael joined us in September. I am awestruck. I was worried because I felt such a connection to Ronan after he was born and he is such a Momma's boy that I wondered if I could love my second child just as much. My mom told me I could and I would and she was right. I am so in love with this beautiful baby boy. He looks just like Ronan did as a baby. He looks just like his daddy. He looks like my sister did when she was a baby.

Our time here in Japan is speeding by quickly. We are waiting for confirmation as to where Josh will get stationed next. Ronan is moving into his spring semester of preschool. He absolutely loves it. Josh and I are looking forward to going back up to Gotemba, Japan for Josh's birthday, attending the NAVFAC FE Seabee Ball in March and hopefully taking a family vacation to Okinawa before we leave here.

We have so much to be thankful for this past year and in the coming new year. We look forward to visiting all of our family and close friends once we are stateside again.

Everyone have a Happy and Safe New Year celebration!
Cheers--Kristin

Rockin the Roller Park

The day after Christmas (and Rebecca's last full day here) we went to Kanazawa Park next to the Kanazawa Zoo. The roller slides are awesome. The weather was nippy, but we could not have asked for a sunnier day. Rebecca had a blast. She is flying back to snowy Portland, OR tomorrow. We will miss her, but are so happy that she made the trek back to the Far East before we leave Japan next year.

Later Christmas Day

Rebecca, me, Yukiko, Kazue, Josh (holding Conor), Ronan & Addison arter eating Christmas Lunch at the O'Club [Yokosuka, Japan]

















The Perrys

Ronan and Josh break open Hungry Hungry Hippo

Christmas Morning Clutter

Here is Ronan opening presents while I sit with Conor in what was a clean room earlier.

Christmas Eve 2008

Here are Ronan and Conor on Christmas Eve. Josh's sister arrived on the 21st to spend the holidays with us in Japan.

The Holidays

Happy Holidays from the Perrys. Thanksgiving just flew by and now we are 3 weeks away from Christmas. For the Turkey Day holiday, Josh's brother Michael from Spokane, WA came to visit. We took this opportunity to Baptize Conor since we had wanted Michael to be his Godfather. Our priest from Port Hueneme, CA is now stationed here. He baptized Ronan in 2004. I find it very special that both my boys were baptized by the same priest, but in two different countries.

We had a great time with Michael here. He was great with both the boys. We look forward to spending more time with him once we are back in the states. That should be sometime between January and June of 2009. Josh does not have any orders yet, so we do not know where we are going next.

We are looking forward to Josh's sister from Portland, OR coming for Christmas. Rebecca was here in the summer of 2007 so the fact that she is coming back is awesome.

Dress Blues

Here is a picture of Josh holding Conor (2 months, 3 weeks). You can view the picture I have posted in 2005 of Josh, in his dress blues, holding Ronan at 4 months. Conor is so much bigger than Ronan at this age. I don't think Conor is as big as this picture seems to show him being, but I guess I see him everyday and don't notice his size as much. He is our chunk-o-monk or chunky monkey.