JAPAN trip!

So I thought that I would finally update my blog so I could let my family/friends know how my trip to Japan with my parents and little sister has been. So far, if I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be AWESOME.

So I arrived last week on Monday evening. We were a little jet lagged, but it was cool seeing where my parents and Brittany lived. The next day took easy since we were all still a little jet lagged. My mom and sister biked over to a park near the house where I ran, and that has been where I have done most of my runs since I have been here. It's a really pretty park in the middle of Tokyo. One thing I have noticed about Tokyo is that it is ridiculously crowded, but then all of the sudden there are these large open garden areas around shrines or parks that make you feel like you are in the middle of no where. Its pretty cool.

Since then my trip has been jam packed with all kinds of fun stuff. We have done some shopping in the crowded areas of Tokyo and there are tons of people! Also, I had the chance to hike Mt Fuji with my dad. That was an awesome experience. It was probably one of the hardest hikes I have done because so much of it is uphill and its really rugged. It was cool at the top though to look over the top of the clouds. You don't get to do that very often. When we were near the top, it hailed on us a couple times, but luckily we had ponchos with us to help cover our heads. Right when we reached the bottom, a huge thunderstorm came in and was crashing lightning everywhere as we got into the car, so we made pretty good timing. The following Monday after Fuji, I went with my mom and little sister to this mini-city type place right outside of Tokyo. It was awesome. We got body and foot massages and then put our feet in this water while fishes ate the dead skin off of our feet. It was way nice especially after hiking Mt Fuji. We got to wear japanese robes too, so that was a definate plus. At nightime, we have spent our time playing card games such as nertz, Egyptian Rat Screw, and extreme nertz . Extreme nertz is amazing by the way. Brittany and I also spend some time playing Mario Kart on the Wii. Oh, and I guess I should mention that Brittany beat me twice in a row at Egyptian Rat Screw, ending my undefeated summer streak. She has quite the reflexes. Good job Tirb. I also had a chance to go to church on Sunday and meet a lot of the people in my family's ward. The church is cool because it is right next to the Tokyo Temple.

I am here until Friday. We still have some fun stuff planned for the rest of the week, so I will post pictures and talk about it in another post. I also have to say that I am impressed with my mom and sister and their ability to speak japanese. It's cool to see them ask directions and get around by using another language.

ps. also, just an update on my sister-in-laws status: we talked to them earlier today and found out that after 3 weeks in the hospital, Jacy has returned home! I guess they are monitoring her status now at her house and she has to take a shot every 5 days while there. Its awesome to know she is back home and still healthy. All the prayers and fasting paid off!