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.

Conor--8 weeks

Conor in his Stitch outfit given to him by Josh's co-workers. I took him by the office and Nagami-san was so pleased that it finally fit him.
Here are a couple of pictures taken today. Josh can get Conor to smile by lifting and lowering his eyebrows while smiling and laughing.




Conor exercising his vocal cords.





Daddy trying to bring out the smile we know is in there....












...there's the smile

Halloween 2008

Ronan dressed as Boba Fett (the Bounty Hunter who takes the frozen Han Solo to Jabba in Star Wars Episode V-The Empire Strikes Back). Ronan is a huge Star Wars fan ever since we bought Lego Star Wars for our PS3. Now we have watched all 6 movies. Only true SW fans were able to identify his costume.

Conor went as a WeeBee. Ronan was also a Bee his first Halloween. This costume of choice stems from the fact that their dad is a Seabee.

I can't believe we are already 3 days into November. Turkey Day will be here before we know it. The Navy Exchange here in Yokosuka, Japan has had their Christmas decorations up for the last two weeks. Crazy. I remember back in the 70's when the Albertson's grocery store near my home would put Thanksgiving decorations up on Nov. 1st and Christmas Decorations went up the Friday after Turkey Day.

But all the stores around the States can decorate till the cows come home, but I believe this shopping season is going to be significantly impacted (negatively) by the current decrepit economic situation stateside. We'll have to wait and see.

For those of you who read this blog site, be sure to get out and vote on Tuesday November 4th.

Cheers
Kristin

Made in Japan

Here is Conor with his new shirt from our friend Mary.

Mayuko, Kazue and me enjoying an evening out in Yokosuka. We had dinner at Bangkok Spicey. The food was good. If you are out and about in Yokosuka, and are in the mood for Thai food- check it out.

A Hiking He Will Go

Here is Josh at 6:15 a.m. on Sunday October 12th. He is all geared up and headed out to meet our friend Mike Gabiga. They participated in the Hasetsune Cup, a 24 hour/72 km hike or race. Very extreme. I am sure Josh will blog about it and post pictures of the event on his blogsite. You can check out his blog at jperry13.blogspot.com or see the link on my blog page. Not sure when he will get to it as he is very busy with work. The only reason he was able to do this event was that it fell on the three day weekend for Columbus Day. In Japan, Monday October 13th is Sports Day.

Lashes

Look at those lashes. He got his daddy's and brother's long lashes. Right now they are pretty light, but so were Ronan's when he was this little. I suspect his lashes and his hair will get darker as he gets older. What a cutie! I can look at him all day.

Big Brother

Ronan is an awesome big brother. Except for the occassional reminders that he must be gentle or that he needs to wash his hands before touching the baby, Ronan does really well around Conor. From this picture, can you tell Ronan has had some professional experience in front of the camera? He has done a bit of modeling here in Japan. We got into it for grins and giggles and to make a little extra money to put into his college fund. There are some people here who are able to supplement their military income with their children's modeling careers. I think the blonde haired/blue eyed kids get more work. Ronan has been a trooper when needing to travel all over Tokyo for some of the auditions. Not sure if we will keep it up now that Conor is here and Ronan is in school three days a week since we are not as flexible as we once were.

And Conor Makes Four

Here are the Perrys, in their first picture all together, in Yokosuka, Japan--October 3rd, 2008.

Precious, Precious, Precious

Here is Conor. What a cutie huh? And yes, his eyes are that big. I finally got a picture of him looking bright-eyed and bushy tailed versus sleeping. He is now a month old. We are enjoying watching Ronan be a big brother.
Cheers-Kristin

Our newest Angel

Conor Michael Perry