a vacation that was definitely needed......

you know, when there comes a time in your life, when you know....

you just know...

in your heart of hearts....

that if something really good doesn't happen soon....things might get ugly?

well....for awhile, i was feeling the stirrings of this thought.....i wasn't even sure what it was i needed and.....i wasn't 100% sure that a trip to the States was that something but...you know what?

it was.

the boys and i took a big plane across (as my cousin will say) "the big pond" on march 16.

do you know that from the nagasaki airport....to the denver airport...

it takes almost exactly....24 hours.

that's right.

twenty. four. hours.

but....for once...(and i am knocking on wood as i type...) there were no troubles...no

lost luggage...no missed planes...no nothing!!!

it was great!!!

we get to denver and our incredibly wonderful friend dena meets us there and from then on...

oh yeah.

gooooood.

we had some baseball, where the boys sat and did what every young people who don't really like baseball spectators do....

eat sunflower seeds.
...oh yeah...we do so love our sunflower seeds!!!

we met friends....from home, from university, one (of the very best) that we met in nagasaki...some we hadn't seen in a very long time...and some we were meeting for the very first time.
it was great.

then....with family, we drove south....to meet with more family...
aunts, uncles, cousins and cousins' kids and even a boyfriend.
we had good food....and there was even a cake among all the other goodies....

an uncle:  "so....did you see the cake?"
me:  "why yes i did, but really? i'm going to ignore it for a bit longer."
(^-^)

i guess you could say that this was the unofficial start to the
"oh my freakin Lord....i'm turning 50!" denial-a-rama festivities.
i guess.
(the cake WAS good!!)

the family....

i know i'm a bit partial to this particular group of people, but...
we are a very nice family.
really.
we are.

then....another car ride, even further south and east in this beautiful state.
to home.
to my mom.
and my brother and his wife and their kids.
and....my friends.

and speaking of friends...last night, some of them were kind enough (cough, cough) to invite me to their weekly "poker night"....no, we didn't play poker, but we did have some awesome margarita jello shots and, in case those weren't enough, we also had margaritas.
it was such fun.
the talking.....the laughter....the singing of karaoke.
oh yeah.
turning 50 won't be so bad if the celebrations are anything like this!!!
thank you ladies....my face still hurts from laughing!!!

coming home in the winter/early spring is very different from coming home in the summer.
yes, the time is shorter, but...the things we do are even a bit different.
koji went to school today with his cousin, who is also a 3rd grader.
issei will go on monday with another cousin, who is also an 8th grader.
(isn't that cool?)
i went to the 3rd grade class and took some things in for the students...anyone else familiar with the "flat stanley" story in the 3rd grader reading books?  i figure that i have done this project about 15 times....and just for the record...i'm hoping it was the last! oh, i know, it's fun and the kids like it, but really?
i'm tired.
i need a break.
'nuf said.

tonight....we took a bus to a town just to the north of here and played bingo.
yes. bingo.
though a bit pricey when purchasing cards and daubers and food for three....it was still very fun.
the proceeds to a few of the games went to the high school's 'after prom party' that the parents do for the kids.  they plan a great evening for the kids....great prizes for them and lots of things to do.
i don't mind donating money to something like that.
(and no, only the youngest cousin won something and he had to share the $50 pot with 2 others...he was still pretty damn happy.)

and so....that brings us to thursday night....and time to call it a day.
tomorrow koji is going to some 4-H thing with his cousin...there will be cooking and robot making and...not really sure what else is happening, but...i'm sure it will be fun.
issei will be doing something...still not sure what, but he will be busy, too.
tomorrow night is drinks and friends again...a haircut (before the drinks, thank you, very much) for me...here at mom's house. saturday, mom and i and the boys will go to watch the high-school-nephew run track (while another nephew is playing basketball and yet another one is wrestling...all in the three different places!) and possibly do some shopping!!!

life is good.
i hope that your days are also good
and that you have something that makes you smile....
or even laugh so hard your face hurts.