So far so good...

Everyone keeps asking what we think of Japan.... Well, the truth is that it still feels like we're on an extended vacation! I think reality will set in more once we actually move into our new place. Here are a few things that we're still getting used to:

1. The food. Most of the food that we've had in town is great, but I would give anything for a California burrito or a super beef from Gordo's. Oh, and I miss Yelp. Walking into a restaurant and ordering blindly  is soooo 1990s...

2. The cost. It is so insanely expensive here. We've found that maybe the best thing to do is to stop converting everything to dollars. It's just too painful.

3. The roads. I once thought that the hardest thing about driving here would be staying on the left side of the road, but that was easy to adjust to. The hardest thing is navigating through the unbelievably narrow streets.

4. Earthquakes. Yes, we're from California, but that doesn't make earthquakes any less traumatizing. We just experienced our first one here and someone who has been here much longer than we have said that we'll get used to it. Eeek! They happen THAT often?!

5. Oh, and the foreign language factor! Cooper has already picked up a few words, I continually stretch my Japanese to the limit, and Justin has been studying a lot... but it's going to be quite a while before any of us get comfortable trying to communicate in town. Thank God the people here are super patient and friendly!

More pics to come...

"Halloweening"

Yes, that's a real word. Trick or treating here is called halloweening, and the base opens up to the public so the local kids can participate in "halloweening". I don't believe it's tradition out in town, but we did see a lot of halloween stuff at the Home store (Home Depot)...

Coop couldn't believe that all he had to do was say "Trick or treat" the

Kamakura/Hachimangu Shrine

This was our first time taking the train and it was sooo easy! We went to Kamakura which was the capitol of Japan in the 12th century. We lost the group during lunch and ended up wandering into a very tiny, very Japanese restaurant with a limited menu. The hostess was very nice and while we somehow managed to order food, I could not tell you what it was! Cooper was very adventurous and sampled a little of everything before settling on the soup, a radish (?) dish and rice. I think we could get used to taking off our shoes and maybe even sitting on pillows, but the smoking allowed inside the restaurant was intense. I guess that's one CA law that I will miss...
After lunch we were able to reunite with one of the small groups and their English-speaking guide. The actual location of the shrine was very busy! There seemed to be quite a few school groups there looking for English speakers to interview. Justin was a popular choice and received paper cranes (origami) for his time!
I've become an expert at "holding it", but my mom and some of the other ladies with us couldn't so they got to experience the joy of a traditional japanese toilet! Haha! My mom'll probably be annoyed that I included that since it's basically just a hole in the ground... :P

Allen 3.0

Our little guy is measuring big so, although the official due date is still 2/2/12, we can reasonably expect a stork visit in January! (=

"He fills my life with good things..." Psalm 103:5

SFO to Narita to Yokosuka!

What could have been a tough trip turned out to be easy schmeazy! I think it has helped that Cooper has flown so much because going thru security and getting on the plane was no big deal for him! He even sat still for take off! The flight was long (10hr 50 Mins), but it really didn't feel too bad. Cooper was well entertained by his new "plane toys" that we picked up, and the movies on his ipad. He was even able to take a 2 hour nap during the flight!

We left our hearts in SF

After leaving San Diego behind, we had just about a week to spend with our families in the Bay Area before our big move. It was the first time that all of the little cousins were together at once so the house was a zoo!! Gina and her lola made the trek up from SoCal to see us off, too. She's used to the Phillips madness so I think a great time was definitely had by all!

The Giant Race

The Allen boys were reunited to run a 5k in San Francisco. The run started at the Embarcadero and ended at AT&T Park. They ran together and finished in 26 minutes!

Our Little Drummer Boy

The Phillips Family Picnic & Going Away Party

We had such a great time seeing most of the family together in one place! Cooper immediately felt at home even though we don't get to see everyone enough. My Aunt Renata's slideshow showcased so many good memories and how much all of us have changed over the years. We were so blessed to surrounded by our amazing and loving family. I haven't laughed so much in ages! It was also pretty fun to hear how all of the older guys (Justino, Chris, Soundi...) tried to keep up with the younger cousins in a game of softball! Haha! Good times!

Good Old Hot & Humid Texas

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Palm Springs

We snuck off to Palm Springs to crash our friend Gina's end-of-the-quarter-decompression vacation! It was sooooo nice there! We spent the days hanging out by the pool, swimming and just relaxing. Oh, and there's a Roy's there that is by far the most kid-friendly Roy's that I've ever been to! Not only did they let Coop pick a treasure from their treasure chest (He grabbed tools, of course!), but the children's menu actually has yummy food options! He picked chicken strips with rice and since his "1st course" comes right away, he was too distracted by fruit, veges and cheese to get bored!

Thanks, GiGi, for letting us join you! :)

Ashley's Graduation

Ashley's summer has officially started!

The day of her graduation started off with quite a busy morning. Ash insisted that her hair be curly so she and Hannah were up before the sun to start the prepping. 45 minutes later and after a quick dab of lip gloss and mascara, the no-longer-a-6th-grader was ready! The ceremony was really nice, and our little Ashley got lots of awards. Our favorite of the day was her Scripture Scholar award that she received for memorizing 36 Bible verses! Go Ash!!!

Check out Justino's facebook for more pictures of her during/after the ceremony, with her teacher and with her friends. If the album isn't up yet, it will be!! :)

For dinner, we went to Corvette Diner and continued celebrating with Team Fletcher!

DisneyAllen fun

Dear Team Allen North,

TAS wants to thank you for letting us crash your AMAZING vacation! Even though we were only there overnight, it was enough fun to last us a lifetime! Maybe we can do it again soon...in Hong Kong or Tokyo Disneyland!! We'll be crossing our fingers and toes....

Love ya!

Team Allen South

Cooper the (not so terrible) Two Year Old

Our little monkey is already two! He still loves to sing and dance, but now he's interested in musical instruments, too! For his birthday he got a new drum set and a baby piano. He likes to sit at one instrument while Ashley sits at the other and together they play & sing. He's gonna miss his big sissy!
His birthday party was a lot of fun! Thank you to all of his friends that came and of course to Grammie, Granny and Team Allen North for coming such a long way to celebrate with us!

Virginia

Our trip to Virginia was soooooo much fun!! While Justino was at his nursing conference, me, Coop, and Momster relaxed in the hotel...but once Lati arrived, it was non-stop sightseeing time! Cooper's highlights would have to be running around Jamestown & Fort Mason and visiting the Air and Space Museum. Justin really loved exploring Colonial Williamsberg. My favorite part was enjoying The Cheese Shop with my mom and BSQ near the College of William and Mary. So fun!!

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