Omoide zukuri (making memories) with Jii and Baachan

Jii and Baachan took a week and a half of their time at the end of June to be with us here in Colorado. The last couple of times they have been here, we weren't able to "get out" much, either because of the weather or Wylie being too tiny. But this time, we were able to fit a couple of excursions into the mix of all of the kids' summer activities. Hopefully their visit resulted in some good memories!

When they arrived, Ramona and Mika were eager to demonstrate all the Japanese they had learned on the tablet . . .

 . . .and Paula was pleased to show everyone her puzzle skills.

Wylie put on a pretty good show, also. He has changed so much since Jii and Baachan's last visit!

On their third day here, they helped me surprise Paula with a half birthday party. We got it ready while the girls were at swimming lessons.

P-A-U-L-A

It was priceless to see the surprised look on Paula's face when she got home.

She was thrilled to be honored with a party, and her sisters were pretty excited, too.

We made a deal with Paula at the beginning of the summer that once she quit using sippy cups and switched to panties at night (no more diapers), she could have a Beanie Boo as a reward. She was extremely motivated, and both tasks were almost too easy for her. Her old sippy cups went into the garbage, and she was nighttime potty trained in no time. The Beanie Boo she earned was Slush the husky pup.

Baachan had a special gift for her, too--a Monster High doll!

And there were even dolls for Ramona and Mika! This really was a party.

To finish the party, we had some cupcakes. Happy half-birthday, Paula! You grew up so much these past six months.

In the days that followed, there was plenty of Monster High playtime. The best part was seeing how well all three sisters got along as they slipped into their imaginary monster world.

Another special thing that happened while my parents were here was that Forest and I were able to do some temple work for my Japanese grandparents and great-grandparents. My parents watched the kids for us while we attended the Fort Collins Temple one evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to feel a close connection to my ancestors from Japan.

The next day was cool and overcast--perfect hiking weather for our somewhat sun-wary crew. We chose the trail leading to Horsetooth Falls.

We saw quite a bit of flowering vegetation along the trail . . .

. . . and spotted several deer, too.

The Falls weren't exactly gushing on this visit, but it was still a refreshing sight.

After our hike, we all had lunch at Mount Fuji Restaurant in Fort Collins. Wylie provided entertainment while we waited for our food--making silly faces,

trying various stunts on his high chair,

and turning a pair of chopsticks into drumsticks.

Sunday we of course took a group photo before church:

And for dinner we enjoyed a tempura feast prepared by Baachan.

In the evening, Ramona, Mika, and Paula played in a little piano recital for Jii and Baachan. Not to be outdone, Wylie also climbed up on the piano bench and repeatedly slammed the music rest against the back of the piano to present an extremely loud, percussive (and destructive) number for his performance.

One Monday, we drove down to Westminster to play at the Peter Pan park. 

This was Wylie's first visit there.

 Paula riding the tick-tock Croc:

Then we stopped at the nearby H-Mart for some Asian groceries and treats. Baachan let the girls pick out some animal-shaped coin banks with jelly candy inside. She also bought us mango mochi ice cream . . . mmm.

I think we made lots of sweet memories with Jii and Baachan while they were here--we are so glad they came to visit. Domo arigatou!