It took some begging and bribing, but eventually Alec agreed to visit us in Japan. We're very grateful for the three weeks of Uncle Alec time that we got.
While Alec was here we did all the touristy things around Nagoya and a few day trips too. The kids took full advantage of having their uncle here to pester and tackle.
We visited Kyoto with Alec because it's just one of those must-see-in-Japan cities--really, I think everyone should see Kyoto before they die. It's incredible; there's nowhere else quite like it. An added bonus: my birthday was spent seeing beautiful sights in Kyoto and eating at two of their incredible vegan restaurants! Even Brad and Alec were impressed with the vegan eats.
Lately Brad has been taking more pictures of me with the kids, and I'm so grateful for it! I firmly believe that if mamas get in front of the camera every once in a while when their kids are little, they and their kids will appreciate those images forever. I want my kids to remember the love and the joyful moments between us... You know, as opposed to all those moments when the you-know-what was hitting the fan and I lost my you-know-what.
Alec took this one^^
Having a visitor traveling with us is extra handy for those impromptu family pictures when you find some beautiful light at the end of the day.
Traveling all day with three littles is exhausting so we do this a lot ^^^.
Feeding the monkeys in Kyoto was definitely a highlight. The hike up to Monkey Mountain was really easy for the kids and the views were beautiful.
Brad and I switched off touring my favorite Kyoto temple, Ninna-ji. While he and Alec relaxed in the beautiful Japanese garden, I sat outside watching these crazies burn off energy (while Skye snoozed).
We met the most incredible nomad family while I waited for Brad and Alec at Ninna-ji. Our kids played together and we chatted about their travels around the world. Seriously, you should go check out their awesome crazy life.
"Skye loves plucking leafs off bushes and trees." << Amelia insisted on creating and typing up the caption for this image. It seemed a better option than listening to her shout at her brother behind me.
We love Alec and we love Kyoto and we love visitors. Who's coming to see us next???