Some Family Fun Time

Well, so far some of our favorite things to do honestly are just normal family stuff. The plum blossoms are starting to bloom, my neighbor's tree has pretty white blossoms all over it now. The cherry blossoms on base haven't bloomed yet but off base you can spot a smattering of trees with delicate pink and yellow blossoms here and there. The yellow blossom trees are really pretty because the trunks are kind of twisty and look as if they've been rubbed with an antique finish. We spent all last weekend working on our box gardens. We have zucchini, peppers, basil, tomatoes and strawberries. Our neighbors came over to help and the kids of course had a lot of fun playing in the dirt. Yesterday we tried out "Costco in Japan." What an odd experience to be someplace so familiar but not anywhere near home. It is literally exactly like Costco in the states. A few extra food items you wouldn't find stateside, but everything else is the same. They even had maple syrup, in large containers! I guess an interesting twist on the norm would be their ready to cook meals. For example, Costco pizza, Japanese style, with shrimp and corn on top. Also, they had really yummy looking options like bulgogi, the Korean style beef that is delicious. And of course, in true Costco efficiency, despite the crowd, the lines moved fast and quick. One thing that always gets me is how cashiers accept and count cash here. Their movements are exactly the same whether you are at a convenient store, a grocery store, a mall, or a crowded place like Costco. They snap the bills you hand them before placing each one in the register drawer. They snap the bills between their fingers as they count each one back to you, and display the money in their hand so it's clear that the amount is exact and correct. Your items, be it food or material items of any nature, are never tossed or slid or thunked down in your bag, but handled with, what feels like extreme care and concern. We are certainly living in the land of manners . . . except when you need a seat on a crowded train, hee hee. We finished off yesterday with our "Slumber Party Saturday." We were trying to find something fun we could do weekly that could become a family tradition, and I think by accident it kind of found us. We fold out our little futon and turn on a movie, make popcorn or some fun dessert, and have a slumber party. Last night the end result was two sleeping kiddos who made it through half the movie. Their picture says it all. So today, the sun is out and , and I think Walter is going to take us to a lake he found yesterday morning on his run. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend too. Love you all!