Sapporo Snow Festival

In early February, we went to an annual snow festival in Sapporo (Northern Japan).  The ice sculptures and carvings were amazing.  But, boy was it cold!!

Skiing at Muikamachi - Jan 2010

In January we went skiing at Muikamachi.  Danny picked up right where he left off last year.  The first day it was snowing and visibility was awful.  The second day was beautiful and the slopes were nearly empty!

Bali - Nov/Dec 2009

We went to Bali for 2 weeks at the end of Nov. and early December.  It was a beautiful trip.  We began our stay in Kuta (which we cannot recommend -- too many hawkers EVERYWHERE).  We then worked our way up to Ubud, the spiritual center of Bali.  Eventually we worked our way back to a tiny town in the Nusa Dua area.  We loved every minute - whether helping to harvest rice, doing an in-the-trees obstacle course, or playing on the beach.  We even made friends with a local bat, who we named Matt the Bat.

Recent fun stuff....

Danny on TV!

Danny won the "Golden Book" award for week of Sept. 28.  This is an award based upon citizenship.  Each of the teachers from a particular grade choose one child from their respective classrooms to receive the award.  This week was the third grade and Danny was the recipient in his class.  Each of the award winners appears on the school television where they say their name, their teacher's name, etc.  Then, they all lead the school in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.  Once the media portion is over, the recipients go to the school office where they are handed their awards and they get to sign the "Golden Book," which is then on display for all to see!  It's quite an honor!

A couple of weeks ago we rode our bikes to the 100Yen sushi-go-round (yes, sushi on a conveyor belt - it's fun and tasty).  On the way home, we stopped to catch a crab!  We named him "Larry."  He lived for about one week....

Sea Paradise - Oct. 5, 2009

A few days before "super typhoon Melor" is scheduled to hit us, the sun came out and the day was beautiful (otherwise, we've had nothing but rain)!  So, we went off to Sea Paradise to go on some rides....

The seals were so cute! They reside right next to the water-rafting ride.

Ric, Danny, and Danny's friend, Kyle, hoped to get soaked on this water-rafting ride (but they didn't). Other people got soaked. I guess we were lucky (although that might depend upon your point of view).

The "Blue Fall" goes up over 107 metres then, suddenly, drops down! Here are Ric and Danny at the start of the ride...

at the top then............... whoooosh....... all the way down!

Kyle and Danny on the Viking Ship! Looks like they had fun (they rode it three times)!

The boys found crabs at the waterfront....

Ric found other creatures in the bushes!

These are NOT bumper boats! We found out afterwards that you're not supposed to bump each other in these boats. Ric and Danny didn't mean to break the rules but we only understand a little bit of Japanese (sukosi Ninhongoga wakarimasu).

Part of the view from a revolving tower. It was a gorgeous day!

This is the roller coaster that Ric and Danny rode. Yes, they sat in the front row, with arms upheld! They did it twice -- at 1000Yen per ticket (about $11), going twice almost paid for admission to the park.

Lake Yamanaka

We went to Lake Yamanaka with some friends for the Labor Day weekend. We stayed in a cabin at the Yamanaka Chalets. The site was quiet and the people friendly. And, we were right across the street from the lake. The Chalet had a one-person kayak, a rowboat, and a canoe that we were allowed to use on the lake. They also had a range of bicycles (something for every size, whether child or adult), basketballs, volleyballs, a rope swing (which the children loved to use), a ping pong table, and other fun stuff. We had a fantastic time and, as you can see from the photos, our weather was perfect!



Watch for the police -- I heard there's speed traps all over! Seriously, I don't know if this pedal cart was available to rent from the local vendors or if it really was used by the police....