Big News from the Richmonds

Sorry I have not been updating been enjoying the holidays and having Tony home with us. Merry Christmas to all. Some BIG news from our family is Tony and I are expecting another little one. I am due in early September and am only 4 weeks today. ( Yes Tony has only been home 2 but they go from your last period which for me as the 1st so technically I'm not even late yet, but knew three days ago I was probably pregnant when acne set in.) My 8 week appt is on the 25th of January and I went in for my blood work yesterday. We are so excited and are already talking names. Having took 2 years to conceive our little Kayleigh I am so shocked we got it on the first try. Please continue to pray for me and the baby and am so looking forward to getting back to the states to baby shop as I got rid of everything we had for Kayleigh when she was a newborn. Love you all and God Bless



Our Christmas dinner using my blue boys :)

Daddy is Home!!

Kayleigh super excited about seeing Daddy's ship getting closer.

Tony's Ship the Essex coming in to port, this took forever now I know why he waits till he is walking off ship to call me :) Kayleigh enjoyed watching the ship come in but did not like the wait. Making her sign while we waited.

Can you spot him it is actually pretty easy here just look for Marine Cammies.

And she is off :) As soon as Tony waves she is comfortable running but she won't leave my side till he waves. She actually ran a good ways today, she was super excited.

Tony is home for 6 weeks then back out for another 3 months, then hopefully we start packing out in May and leave early June for the states.

UFC 124

Went over to Teena and Charlie's to watch the UFC Fight, I've been watching the Ultimate Fighter all season and am a huge GSP Fan and congrats to Brookins for winning the Ultimate Fighter. Teena and I wearing our Red for Team GSP. I wasn't cooking but got in for the picture, I brought my food already cooked so I could enjoy the fight. Teena taught Amber how to make Lumpia though.

Amber and Kayleigh

Awesome!!!!!

Picture says it all :)

Nakaojo Park

This park is pretty awesome for 100 yen you get to go down the slide as much as you want, they give you this pad to put on your butt and away you go. You must be over 6 years old to go down though. It goes pretty fast and is a blast. For another 100 yen you can ride the trolley car up and back twice then you must walk back up to the top of the slide. There is also to grass sledding courses one for the little ones which is free and one for the older kids and adults which is 210 yen. There is also a little park beside the grass sledding which has a mini obstacle course swings a rock climbing wall and a maze you can walk in and around. There is also an observatory you can look out at the surrounding area and inside this building they were having a piano recital. We had a great time at the park. I saw a picture of this park from a local blog but got all the information and directions from ITT.






Did I say how great this slide is :)

Autum trying not to fall off the slide lol

Crash this was a fast grass sledding area as well.

Kayleigh's own little section and completely free

The grass sledding for the older ones. This was a cute little maze at the playground.

Rock wall climbing.

So Happy to have Tony home.

My Blog

Good Morning Everyone I 'd love to take this time and say thanks for looking at my blog and exploring Japan with me.My blog was mainly set up for family members back home but when I saw all the great places we could visit it also became a guide for local families here in the Sasebo area. Everyplace we visit I try and post mainly so the people here in Sasebo can see it and if they want to go there they can ask and I will gladly give them directions. I know of 3 families that have looked at my blog who live here in Sasebo and have used my blog as a tool to their adventures, this is exactly what I want from my blog is to show families living here all the adventures they can have.They don't need to give me credit on their blog for anything I love sharing my adventures and am as excited to see their blogs and how they photographed the area they went too. Just a reminder that I'm full of information for interesting places here in Sasebo and I love sharing the info.

Leigh

Food you could eat at the Balloon Festival

There were tons of vendors at the Balloon Festival yesterday here are a few pictures of the variety of food they had for you to eat.

squid dipped in some sauce



They call this "pancake"

These are sweet potato fries

Chocolate covered Bananas

Octopus on a stick they will grill it for you.

The guy was calling this "hamburger"

2010 Saga International Balloon Festival

The fiesta started in 1978 in Amagi City, Fukuoka Prefecture, as a smaller ballooning event, the Balloon Fiesta in Kyushu. In 1980 the Fiesta was moved to the outskirts of Saga City, where there is more room. In 1984 it became an international competition and was given its present name; in the same year the first Japanese National Hot Air Balloon Championship was held, and balloonists from all over Japan came to the grounds.

Since 1984 there have been approximately 640 balloons from overseas participants (nearly 3000 crew and pilots). In 1990 the first Pacific Championship was held in Saga. Between 1990 and 1996 women from around the world gathered to participate in the Ladies World Cup. Saga was the first place to have a competition of this kind.

Beginning in 1992 a category for special shaped balloons, called Balloon Fantasia was created. Also started at this time was the La Montgolfier Nocturne (The Night of Hot Air Balloons); tethered inflated balloons light their burners in a choreographed manner, illuminating their unique shapes. This is a highlight of the fiesta.

In November 1997 the 13th Hot Air Balloon World Championships were again held in Saga. With numbers rarely seen outside of the United States, this event was attended by over 38 countries and territories. There were 112 balloons present for the World Championship and together with the balloons that were competing in the Honda Grand Prix Final Battle, Balloon Fantasia, and official balloons there were 170 balloons flying through the skies of Saga.

The girls and I had a great time taking part in this festival. Enjoy the pictures, I took along my extra lens so I was able to get some really close up shots of the balloons in the air.

Fireworks show to end the evening, Kayleigh really enjoyed the fireworks and the coutdowns to light the balloons up.

Shirin Park in Saga

On Friday we went to Shirin Park in Saga this park has 2 sides to it and the 2nd part of the park is the most fun. The girls had a blast here and we will def go back out and make a full day of parks. Below Amber is demonstrating how to do a sit up the Japanese have exercise sights throughout all their parks, this park had a big variety of exercises you could do.

This is the 2nd part of the park.