Hiro takes Japan

This is it folks, the big trip!!! Well, there have been big trips, but this big trip is Hiroki`s first. We took a smaller trip to Colorado in the summer, and Hiroki did okay on those flights (I`ll have to post pics from that trip later), but this journey would be the big test. The kind folks at United made up for a major screw-up by arranging us a three-seat row to ourselves. Hiroki enjoyed his own seat, and besides a brief, loud, and tired, episode, he made it through with flying colors. I think he slept over half of the 13-hour flight. Michiyo had him dressed in his Halloween colors.

Lots of people at every stop, from the Midwest to the Far East, became instant friends and complimented us on our happy boy. Hiroki is pretty pumped to be in Fantastic Fukuoka before riding the final leg of our 24-hour odyssey to Kumamoto City, in Southern Japan.

Grandpa Minoru Ishizuka could not have been happier to see his first grandson in person for the first time. We rolled up, he took him and did not let go.

Since she last saw him in March, Grandma Chieko could not believe this big boy was the tiny baby she helped us so much with eight months ago.And Aunt Masae, Michiyo`s big sister, was so happy to have a nephew seeing her off to work in the morning.
At this point, Hiroki was a little shell shocked between jet lag, new faces, and a new environment. He got back to his usual expressions pretty quickly.