On the Road Again

We took an MWR trip through base to:

A bird park to see and feed birds

A limestone cave (in the "belly of the dragon")

Kakagawa Castle (former Shogun palace)

Yokohama (in the rain)

Waiting for the train

Hey there Ronald

Chinatown

I would like some Chinese food, please.

Auntie Laura has Arrived!

Welcome to Japan!

I think I've grown a little in the 7 months since you've seen me!

9 Month Check-Up

Little A is holding steady at the 10th percentile, weighing in at 16.5 pounds, and 25.7 inches. Teeth are on the horizon soon, and all else looks great! Praise God for a healthy girl!

9 months

We went for a froggy theme this month, since there are so many of them around these days (they "sing" to us at night from the fields - a chorus of croaking).

Fair Winds and Following Seas

We had to say goodbye to Hunter today as flew out to meet the ship and start his deployment. Fortunately, he will return shortly for a brief "port visit" at home before heading out again for the remainder of the summer. We miss him already!

At the River

We didn't realize how close we are to the river - only a 10 minute drive! So we spent the afternoon walking along the river, enjoying the breeze.

Day Trip to Nikko

Our friends invited to go along with them to Nikko, a little town in the mountains north of Tokyo. It was a beautiful day exploring temples and shrines and walking along the river.

Happy Birthday Grandma Johnson

The Big 6-0!!

Anchors Away . . .

We went back to the boat yesterday to bring more of Hunter's things on board. Couldn't resist putting Ashlyn in her sailor dress (thanks Grammy Joy) and taking pictures on Hunter's patriotic bed.

Waterlogged

This is what happens when you leave a baby in the tub too long:

Daddy Time

Hunter was supposed to be watching Ashlyn, and this is what I found when I came downstairs:

After his little siesta, they spent some quality time together

The Many Faces of Ashlyn

Experimenting with Sleeping Positions

Because it's getting hotter, the zip-up blanket is no longer required while sleeping. With this lack of "bounding" Ashlyn has relished in her new-found freedom of being able to roam around the crib, grabbing for toys within the 4 walls. As I went and checked on her yesterday, I was surprised to find her finally settled, on her side! Today, I found her on her tummy. Funny, because mommy's a side sleeper and daddy's a tummy sleeper. Guess she really is a perfect mix of us both!

Happy Mother's Day

My first official Mother's Day! Hunter flew to the boat early this morning, will be back around midnight, and has unfortunately missed celebrating the day with me. He did give me a gift before he left - the beautiful black pearls from Korea that are adorning my neck! 

A few of the ladies from the squadron got together for a brunch, then Ashlyn and I set out for a walk around the fields. It is a GORGEOUS day here, sunny, hot, humid, a little breezy, over 80 degrees I'd say! Only thing that could have made it better was for Hunter to actually be here.

We all fell down

This is How I Play

A typical day of play in the life of an 8 month old.

On Daddy's Ship

We went down to Yokosuka yesterday to bring Hunter's things to the ship (USS George Washington). Nice to actually see where he "lives" when he's away from us, but sad too, to think about him being away from us again.

Peek-A-Boo

During our bus ride to the flower parks the other weekend, Ashlyn learned how to play peek-a-boo, much to her own amusement and ours.

Rice Cracker

The Japanese ladies at the nursery started giving these rice crackers to Ashlyn, so I decided to buy some and let her enjoy them more often. They have zero taste, but she likes sucking on them until they dissolve, and biting them too (without teeth, so more like gumming them).