2 weeks (almost) to go!

So it's been awhile since I've posted, but we've been so busy! Mike graduated from Carlson three weeks ago, and then left on a trip to Europe for one of his classes.  He's been to Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, and Prague (and probably a few other places), and seems to be having a blast.  He comes home, much to me and Norman's relief, on Saturday!  That will mark two weeks before we leave for Japan. 
I'm currently at my parent's house, working on invitations with my mom.  After being alone in Albertville for almost two weeks, I decided I needed more human interaction, and headed to Lindstrom!  There's so much that needs to be done still, but I keep telling people it's a good kind of stress!  I'm hoping to have the invitations and programs done and printed and ready to go by Sunday night.  Hopefully this is doable!
Norman and I have both been sick the past couple of weeks, but we're on the mend.  I had to go to the hospital with what turned out to be my first migraine, then I had food poisoning or a stomach bug for a week, and then I caught a cold.  Norman was having some tummy troubles too, but we figured out a feeding schedule that seems to have cured it.  It's probably just stress catching up with both of us, but I'm happy to get it out of my system before we head to Japan!
We found out that our hotel/apartment doesn't have a huge kitchen area, and doesn't have many supplies.  So, I'm working on a box to ship over that will have a few essentials, such as a pot/pan, silverware, and dish soap and towels.  It appears as though we have one burner and a small refrigerator...yikes!  We can make it work though, especially for 3 months.
Norman is getting excited to stay with his Aunties Lindsey and Gina in Hopkins/Minnetonka, but we're sure going to miss him!
In my downtime, I've been (unsuccessfully) trying to learn Japanese.  It's a hard language! I'm hoping I'll pick some up when I get there, but I'm bringing my learner's dictionary just in case.
I have also been planning out some day trips that I want to take, so I should have tons of posts regarding those trips.  Mike will be working during the day, and everyone keeps asking me what I'm going to do during the day while he's gone...clearly I'll be exploring! I love checking out new places, so this will be no exception. 
Well, this might be the last post until Japan, but the posts will get more interesting then, I promise!

We have a home in Japan!

Hello all! We're just about a month away from leaving for Japan, and boy do we have a lot going on! Mike graduates from Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota on Monday, and, of course, we're having a big party here tomorrow.  Mike's family from North Dakota is coming down for the whole weekend, and we're even working in a Twins game on Sunday for Mother's Day.  Speaking of mothers, my lovely mother Joyce is coming down tonight to help us get ready for the party.  We're expecting about 40 people, so we can use all the help we can get! 
The main reason for my post is that we finally have news about Japan. After months of going back and forth with various people, we have confirmed that we'll be staying in an extended stay hotel in Hatagaya, which is in the Shibuya prefecture, which is a 30 minute walk from Shinjuku, or 10 minutes on the train.  Seems like a great location, and perfect for my many day trips I have planned!  It's about a half an hour by train to the factory for Mike, so he's happy with that since he's had to do a 2 hour train trip each way before. 
Here's the layout of the apartment:

As you can see, it's pretty small! But, it should be sufficient for us for the summer.  We're definitely not going to have any visitors staying with us though, which is a bummer, but we've found out that the same place we're staying will rent a room to visitors, so at least when my parents come in July, they can stay in the same building as us!
They also offer a breakfast every morning, and we're close to a lot of shopping and local restaurants.  According to my research, we're also very close to an up and coming "headbanger" metal music district...not sure how I feel about that, but it will certainly be interesting.

Norman's getting ready to spend the summer with aunties Lindsey and Gina, and I think they should have a good time together. We're certainly going to miss him though! We have tons of neighbors who are willing to watch the house, which is another good feeling!  The wedding plans are coming along smoothly, and it seems like I shouldn't have to worry too much about it during the summer, which is great.  I finally stopped having my recurring nightmare about waking up on the day of my wedding and realizing that I hadn't done anything, so that seems like a good sign!

Well that's all for now, I'll have many more updates when I'm in Japan, so until then, have a great month!