Friends from Japan visit MI!

My good friends from Nagoya came to visit me and my family in Michigan. They love the U.S. and visit often, however, they have never been to Michigan. Even though they have been to the U.S. several times, they usually tour big cities and hit all the tourist spots throughout the country - so visiting Kalamazoo, Michigan was a different experience for them!

I wanted to show them a real "American" experience - so the fist evening they were here, we headed outside to the backyard to cook hotdogs over the fire. I also introduced them to Smores!

They seemed to really enjoy being in the "country" as opposed to always visiting big cities. They really enjoyed sitting outside and viewing all of the wildlife that they aren't used to seeing in Japan - numerous birds, squirrels, and turkeys.

They liked the smores - but thought they were too sweet! Japanese sweets do not have as much sugar as American goodies. We sat by the fire throughout the evening, and as it got dark the lightning bugs started to come out. It was their first experience ever seeing fire flies! They were mesmerized by their glow! It was very fun watching them discover something new. :)

The next day we headed to South Haven. It was a hot day, but we still had a great time. We walked the pier, shopped downtown, and then ate at the famous Clementines.

And of course we had to make a stop at the famous Sherman's Dairy! My favorite ice cream: BLUE MOON! :)

So glad my friends were able to make the trip to Michigan. It was fun to show them my hometown and have them meet my family. On their last day, my dad and Kory made them a huge American style breakfast and then we took a boat ride around Austin Lake. They really enjoyed seeing my American lifestyle and hope to return in the future. I also had a great time showing them my life at home!

Baby Shower

My mom hosted a baby shower on Saturday afternoon. Everything turned out perfect and we had a really great time. The decorations were very cute - pink and purple! And everyone was so thoughtful with gifts. Among the many gifts, we received baby blankets, bottles & accessories, infant toys & books, baby monitor, baby bjorn carrier, tons of baby clothes, and a very cute baby book. Baby Schreurs even received quite a few University of Michigan items to wear on game days to match her Dad - actually she received quite a few different team outfits... including a Michigan State t-shirt... yikes, don't tell Joe! ;)

Danielle made this super cute diaper cake! It's made of 50+ diapers, washcloths, burp cloths, toys, rattles, brush/comb set, pacifiers, mittens, a baby outfit, and then topped with the stuffed monkey and baby cap. It looked amazing, and it's so cute that I don't want to take it apart!

Jenny made a chocolate cake and then decorated it by hand. She did a fantastic job! It looked incredible, and tasted delicious too!

Some of the best friends a girl could ask for. Thank you everyone for coming! :) Baby Schreurs is already so spoiled... she is lucky to have such wonderful family & friends.

Savannah, GA

My mom, Brian, Danielle and I took a road trip down to Savannah to visit Michael and Brittany. It was a long 17 hour drive, but we did it in one day!

The city was filled with colonial architecture and southern charm. The downtown area consists of historic buildings and beautiful parks. The main street runs along the river, with numerous open-air restaurants and bars. My favorites were the candy stores (where you can try free samples!), and the fresh seafood.

You can drink openly on the streets of Savannah, so we visited this popular slurpee/frozen drink bar called Wet Willie's for a drink to go! The bar serves every kind of flavor you can imagine, will mix them up if you prefer, and you can even try free samples. Their non-alcoholic selection was pretty limited, but still delicious! Nice and refreshing for such a hot day.

Brittany was nice enough to get up early to make us a reservation at Paula Deen's restaurant. It was packed, and even though we had a reservation we had to wait a little bit. But it was well worth it! The food was fantastic! Instead of ordering from the menu, we all decided to try the Southern buffet, and we were all happy with our decision.... fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, pork roast, fried fish, mac & cheese, collard greens, and of course the fabulous peach cobbler! It was a meal to remember. :)

It was in the upper 90's the whole time we were there, but we choose a nice breezy day to go to the beach. The water temperature was like bath water, music was playing at the pier, and the shops around the beach were fun!

Overall, I LOVED Savannah. I can see why Michael & Brittany have adapted so well and love living there. I would be happy if Charleston, SC is in our future. :)

25 Weeks!

According to babycenter.com, Baby Schreurs is weighing in around 1.5 pounds. She's growing by the day, and is about 13.5 inches from head to heel!

I feel movement all the time, but especially in the morning and at night before bed. Before I left for Michigan, Joe was able to put his hand on my stomach at the same time every night to feel the baby kick!

I went to the doctor here in Michigan a little over a week ago. It was a time consuming & stressful process, and made me realize how much easier appointments are in Japan! But it was nice to confirm from an American doctor that baby and I are both healthy and right on track for where we should be. The baby's heartbeat was a strong 160 times a minute.

Time is flying! Can't believe we're 25 weeks in... only 15 more to go! :)