One thing we have loved about being back in Oregon, is being surrounded by so much green! And, since we were away for most of the year, we get to enjoy the green without enduring all the rain that brought it. It works out quite nicely for us. These pictures were taken over Memorial Day. We took advantage of the one day of nice weather and went hiking (or leisurely strolling) through the West Hills.
















In other news...

Jake is once again teaching Jill how to drive the Honda. For anyone keeping track, this is summer number three of lessons. We seem to have a problem practicing after Jill has figured out how to start the car without killing it. Hopefully, Jill will soon be able to drive without supervision.

We went to Eugene today in search of the perfect place to live. By perfect, we of course, mean cheap and not in a trashy neighborhood. The first three places definitely did not fit the bill, but a quiet little duplex gave us hope. We're keeping our fingers crossed that our charming personalities were enough to win the landlords over. If not, we may have to reconsider the small apartment in the dark alley way where crime thrives, or the concrete trailer-esque apartment that is about to fall apart. :)

Mr.Basketball

Lately, Jake has been desperate for basketball. The Spokane Hoopfest is quickly approaching and fears of inadequacy grow by the day. Will this be the year when his legs, knees, back, or shoulder choose to fail? Will he still be able to hoop it up like he did back in his glory days?

With June 27th just around the corner, Jake set out to sharpen his skills at the nearby Lafky Park. Here, he dazzled the crowd (one seven year old boy, one high school kid, and one overweight and graying father) with dunk after dunk of raw talent. At times it appeared as if his feet never even left the ground.

Tomorrow he hopes to have the same success at the local elementary school.

Somethings Never Change...

Well, we have been home for just over two weeks now. It soon became apparent that life for Jill and Jake in America would not be so different than life for Jill and Jake in Japan. While Jill rises early to bring home money for the family, Jake snoozes the morning away. America has brought Jake a new sleeping companion- Chloe, and a slightly bigger bed...