On a Sunday afternoon

Our weekend was moved up a bit, since I had the Sports Festival at the Junior High on Saturday. The photo above was taken at home where I played with Lilica all day as torrential rains fell. We had a good time playing all sorts of games and singing different songs in both English and Japanese. She really enjoys watching the sing-a-long Sesame Street DVD I got her a while back, especially Elmo and Snuffy's number with the song "Row, row, row your boat." There's a part where Elmo climbs up on Snuffy's back and, during this viewing, Lilica climbed on my back as we sang the song. She can't say all of the words yet, but she keeps the tunes and melody perfectly. She's a natural when it comes to music.

Today, I got my multiple re-entry permit stamped on my passport in preparation for our trip to the States this August. It was so easy to acquire at the Okayama branch of the Hiroshima Regional Immigration Bureau. I think that I've been in Japan long enough and with my Japanese spousal status that I don't get any kind of hassle from the Immigration officials. They acknowledge that I'm here to stay, indefinitely. Our plans for the future aren't clear as far as what work and where we will finally make our home, that is, buy our own house, but, for now, Japan is still the place we live. Wherever we do settle down permanently, home is always the heart is.