Tokyo - why are you so far from me?

We are absolutely missing Japan. Jackson has a little buddy at school who has lived in Japan much of her life. The best part is her mom - she is fabulous and real and a travelled grown-up. So refreshing.

There is a hole in my heart, that changes over time. This night it is larger than others.

Yowza - it has been a long time.

But she just doesn't know. Should she stay? Should she go? But YES, the Hippopotamus.

(Thank you Boynton!) -

bbl lol

"Reunited and it feels so good..."

Go ahead, try to get the tune out of your head!
At any rate, you are so nice to come home, my fun baby blog.
Change is definitely resistible, and I just can't bring myself to update the content on the side of this blog - the photos, our address!, remarks, etc. Every time I log in and see my sweet baby in his kimono and our tiny Mouse House my heart squeezes into a knot and bursts through my chest in a fit of loneliness. The days were sometimes long and the journey sometimes difficult, but Eric and I miss living in Japan tremendously and mention it nearly every day. Our friends, the food and culture, the amazing ease of living with less - tough to leave behind. That is not to say that we are not overwhelmingly happy and in a great place at home here in Austin, literally and figuratively; but the longing for Japan-living will likely tug at us for a long long time.
So let's compromise, a little change at a time. After all, we can't have OUR blog and not add Harper to the sidebar! Oh the virtual-humanity!
(See! I told you I would post again, and look, I have!)

"Just where the hell have you been, Young Lady?!"

Where have I been? Well add a second child to the mix and bye-bye blog! However, the blood is slowly returning to my brain and the sleep is ever-so-slightly increasing, not to mention the overwhelming cuteness quotient that is exponentially expanding with these two curtain-climbers - so I will answer the call of ye olde blogge yet again and try to update more often. Prepare yourselves, this could get messy (much like the process of feeding baby food to the ever-enthusiastic Harper-kun!).

test

Wow - I know, I know, where the hell have we been? Life took over. More updates to come, more frequently.

Bummer.

Asian Tigers came this morning and packed our mouse house. It is amazing how enormous 485 square feet feels once all your personal touches and baby toys are removed. I remember when we first checked in and saw our room, I mean apartment. I started crying, "I can't live like this! We made a mistake!" As it usually works, by morning our perspectives had softened a little. Seven months later it is time to say Sayonara, and the tears again come in an instant.

It was my dream to come to Japan, to visit Tokyo, and to absorb all the fascinating culture, old and new. I have loved nearly every moment of it, with the exception of certain allowable frustrations and times of loneliness. The customer service reps at our apartment have become friends, the engineer a playmate for Jackson-kun, and the housekeepers an inspiration. I have no regrets as we prepare to leave, only a twinge in my heart and throat as I see the conclusion of this chapter. We are so fortunate for the opportunities we have had, and for Jackson to share them with us.

Life is a wonderful journey.

Wa Wa at the Westin, Langkwai, Malaysia

Pool on the left, the child pool. Pool on the right, the infinity pool with the pool bar. Guess where we spent our time...


Some pool pics...

Beach Monkeys

Eric and Jackson in the Andaman Sea in Langkawi, Malaysia. Jackson thought he was pretty funny trying to swipe Daddy's sunnies!


Jackson's First time on the beach, and he had it all to himself!


He found a gogeous little shell, and inside - a hermit crab. D'oh!


We left our picnic near the water, but those damn monkeys were too fast. Here is one with Eric's Coke. "MINE!"


Oh wait, that IS Eric hahaha

Shhhpeed boat...

We hired a private boat to take us island hopping on our last day in Malaysia. Below is Jackson cruisin', even with strawberry jam on his chin.


Clearly, we were having a helluva good time!

Beach Babies

I'm in the room while Jackson is napping in his "Westin Heavenly Crib" - Eric is at the spa. In a few minutes he will return while I go for a treatment. Yep, we're all pretty damn spoiled! Here are a few pics from this week at the pool, etc. to tide you over (no pun intended).

Jackson walking in the lobby on Halloween, chasing the lights that spun around on the floor.


Jackson kickin' it, relaxing on the lobby sofa... No idea where he picked this up!


Cutest Beach Baby Ever!


He LOVES watermelon - don't go near his watermelon...


More later - time for massage... :]

Bring It!!

I know, I know - Where are the updates?! Well, I'm busy. I'm in Langkawi, Malaysia (it's "Truly Asia"), and I'm having a helluva big time. Jackson is a little fish in the pools here, and a major hit with all the staff. He is duly spoiled with a special hat, backpack, and even a rubber duckie which were all gifts from various employees. The swim-up pool bar team make him banana smoothies in pina colada glasses to sip in his crab shaped floatie, and he has made fast friends with some MUCH older German ladies! He especially likes their beach towels, which have a cat, a horse, a tiger, and some sea life on them. He toddles from towel to towel pointing and trying to make animal sounds etc. They of course are falling all over themselves trying to interact with him! He is a ham for sure. One guest said he is like a little Pop Star! Ha ha.

I am totally impressed with this resort (Westin Langkawi), and can't tell you how fabulous the food is, and the service. Amazing vacation and I would very highly recommend this site to anyone looking to relax and get lost in the harmony of the island. So, since I can't locate my damn camera cable, pics will have to wait. But suffice it to say that this place is gorgeous, and we are having a dream of a time. It's been "broughten"!

...

I haven't posted in a while. We've been traveling to Hakone, Nara, Kyoto... I have heaps of pics and updates to share, but I am also currently swamped preparing for our trip to Malaysia and then our repatriation to Texas - oh, and taking care of a 16 month old in this tiny space!!! So I will do what I can when I can, no promises, no pressure. Hugs.