A whole lot of Allens in Rome

Rome was as enchanting as people told us it would be. The cobblestone streets are equally charming in the rain as they are dry. We were so lucky to spend Christmas in beautiful Roma with the other Team Allen. Besides the fact that our kids are close in age, everyone always has such a great time together. 

We left our hearts in San Francisco...

Cooper's best friend made a video of their last few weeks together and it made this move harder than ever. 3 years have slipped by in a blink and it's just crazy to think that we will be settling into our new home in just a few weeks. 

grandma's birthday

Fujiya Hotel

An overnight trip to Fujiya Hotel turned out to be a lot of fun! http://www.fujiyahotel.jp/en/
It was a beautiful hotel with plenty of exploring on the grounds for the kids.

Entrance

map of the area in the lobby

The slideshow below shows the paths and gardens around the hotel. 

The kids kept busy when not exploring outside.

Team Fletch in Japan

So our BFFs came to visit us in Japan!!!!!! See how excited we were?! Ok, well, they were only able to come for a week, but we squeezed in a lot of memories in that short period. First of all, they handled the jet lag like rock stars! I'm the biggest baby when i'm tired, but they hardly seemed fazed! G is probably a pickier eater than her kids but she found a lot of new foods that she liked. Japan is amazing and we couldn't have been happier to share it with anyone else. Also, it was I's birthday so happy birthday to him! 

Asobono at Tokyodome

We had to cancel C's birthday celebration at Tokyo Disney Sea because of the rain, so Team Allen + Papa changed it up and drove over to Tokyaqo Dome.  We spent the day at Asobono which is a massive indoor playhouse.  The boys were off and running right when we got in the door. They have many different play sections for the kids.

C was def ready! 

Papa and the Hanster were getting settled in

S really enjoys giving Papa surprise hugs

Old school game was a hit with the boys

S really loved the train section.  

S wasn't really feeling the bounce house. You can gauge the size of the place in this picture 

Papa loved the Cookie time. She's always a hit!

Teaching in Tokyo

J was offered an opportunity to teach in Tokyo at Japan's Self Defense Force school.  He taught nursing students who were the equivalent of military academy students in the states.  The lessons were a mix of medical and conversational English. The students were a little shy at first, but it didn't last long.  His favorite part was their answers to, "why they wanted to become nurses". It was truly a memorable experience!

They were very funny...class clown in the back

Great group!

On the right is the Deputy School Commandant

Girls trip to Osaka and Kyoto

Okonomiyaki in Osaka

Kyoto Station

Bamboo Forest (Kyoto)

We popped into this coffee shop to take a break from walking and to warm up a little bit. 

Yuzu Restaurant

Train station food

3 adults and a baby :)