Sakura in the Spring

The Sakura trees are in bloom! Sakura is the revered cherry tree of Japan. People come to sit under the Sakura trees all day long, just to take in their beauty. Sakura season for Japanese is like 4th of July for Americans, it is a celebration of pride for Japan. We took these pictures at Ayoyama cemetery. I do my run in this area and decided it was the perfect picture place.

We went with the Cook family so that we could take each other's picture.

The Sakura are truly breathtaking. And, while I love this picture, I have to laugh at Glenn carrying Jonas out of the cemetery... Jonas was busted for throwing rocks.... a very un-Japanese thing to do... oops.

Some Bunny Loves Me

You know you are loved when you find a package with FIVE boxes of PEEPS in your mailbox!Anyone who loves me, knows how much I love Peeps. I know they are sickly sweet and nothing but a big marshmallow... but they are so yummy... you are what you eat??? Hmmmm food for thought.The best way to eat them? poke holes in their package and let them sit on top of your refrigerator for at least a week until they get hard and somewhat "stale" (plus, keeping them on top of your refrigerator keeps them out of sight from people that may want to eat them before they are ready!)
How lucky am I to have a true friend who would take the time and hassle to mail these treats all the way to Japan. I laughed out loud when I opened up the package. Beth, you are awesome!

Hoppy Easter!

We went to Kodomonokuni farm and spent a lot of time in the bunny pen. This bunny was adorable... she looked just like "mother cottontail" from Country Bunny and the Golden Shoes (my favorite children's book).What do Japanese bunnies eat? Well, they gave us little bags of BROKEN ICE CREAM CONES to feed them.... does this make them sweeter?

I love the Japanese signs showing you how to handle the bunnies the "right" way. Handling them the wrong way, makes them cry. Can you spot the blue teardrop?

Jonas was so concerned about the wrong way to handle them, he chose not to handle them at all... just gave them little "pets" while others held them.

Love some-bunny!

Dye Hard

Living in Japan I want our family to soak up all of the many cultural differences. However, when it comes to our American holidays, I am a die hard and can't help but do everything within my power to make our own traditions happen. My grandma always told me "where there's a will, there's a way" and I always replied "well, I got a lot of will!!!"First, I needed Easter baskets. The Japanese do not celebrate Easter; not the religions Christian Easter, nor the commercial Easter Bunny Easter. I used my creativity and bought buckets at the dollar store (hyaku-en) and then just decorated the handles with ribbons.Next, April Cook and I made plans for a hunt to take place on the Friday before Easter. I created an "e-vite" invitation and sent it to all our local friends. The funniest thing was that after people got the invitation requesting each person to bring filled plastic eggs, many asked, "what are plastic eggs???" I did not know this tradition was so foreign...ha! I had to send another email with more details, including where to find the plastic eggs (at the international market).Everything went really well including the weather... the rain held off until we were finished. My friend Hiromi helped to hide the eggs. I always rope her into my crazy ideas and she always ends up saving me from a mess. She is truly a lifesaver to me. I love this photo of her!


All in all it was a huge success that many requested we do again next year, including my own kids! Happy Easter everyone.

Going to the Chapel with Michelle & Dallin

Hip hip hooray, Michelle is engaged! She will marry Rei Dallin Thomas on the 24th of June, 2008 in a California LDS temple. Wedding plans are now underway and we are so excited.
Michelle met Dallin in Atlanta, Georgia. When they were first dating in spring 2007, they came to our house in Indiana for Easter. We quickly fell in love with Dallin. He has a great sense of humor, is easy to talk with, and is very comfortable with kids... probably because he is a BIG kid himself. These two love the outdoors and any kind of sport. Right now they are both playing in a city softball league, where Michelle is the coach (GO Michelle!). Dallin ran a tri-athalon last year and placed. I can't remember the details...other than he wore a pink speedo... still looking for those pictures...


Dallin is Mr. Energy Bugs because he is constantly moving... reminds me of someone I know.... Jonas? While he was visiting, Jonas was making me nuts and so I suggested a walk. Dallin was the first one on board because he also needed to get out his "energy bugs". As we casually walked down the road, from no where, Dallin came sprinting from behind and in one smooth swoop, he picked up Jonas in a football hold and kept on sprinting down the road as if he was not holding a 30 pound toddler. Dallin doesn't run like any ordinary guy... he is light on his feet like a graceful gazelle and makes whatever athletic task he is doing, look easy. I told Michelle this and she said "that is funny because his nickname is the gazelle". Ha!

WELCOME to the fam!

About a Boy

My friend April recently found out she is expecting baby number 3. She currently has 2 daughters and is hoping for a third daughter. She has a lot of apprehension about how her life would change if a boy joined their family. I remember feeling the exact same way. In fact when I found out I was having a boy, these were my first thoughts:

1) Oh my gosh, I am doing all of this work and he is just going to grow up and leave me to serve a church mission for 2 years. That is what boys do... they leave their family!

2) Oh yuck, I am going to have to do the "boy scout" thing... pine wood derby... I think I'm going to be sick.

3) Oh great now I am going to be the "real" mother-in-law... mother-in-law to a son-in-law is way different than a mother-in-law to a daughter-in-law.... worlds tend to collide no matter how "cool" you imagine being.

Now, 4 years later, I am reflecting on how I thought having a boy would be and how it actually is. I have to laugh at my original anxiety because I LOVE having a boy. And, for as hard as he can be, I adore Jonas and can't imagine life without him.


Without a boy, I would miss moments where a lightsaber, a Spiderman backpack, an Indiana Jones rope, and a pair of cowboy boots work together in perfect creative harmony.

I would miss having one less emotionally intense child... the change in chemistry around here is nice. Boys may be "active" but they sure know how to relax and CHILL... anytime, anywhere... just ask my Dad, well and Stew too.

I would miss the world of Buzz Lightyear... to infinity and beyond at every turn.

I would definitely miss the COOL Spiderman underwear... when I see them in the wash among pale pink floral panties, I kind of smile.

I would miss cowboy sheets and cowboy dolls (sorry Barbie, you have nothing on Woody.... there's no comparison, even though you make a great tourguide).

I would miss sweet moves like this... okay, the constant kicking, jumping, and climbing from boys gets tiring, but when you see it paired with red boots, Power Ranger gloves, Indiana Jones hat, and a samurai sword.... well it kind of melts your heart.

I would miss riding Disneyland rides with a hip pirate in lieu of the over-the-top-pink-minnie-mouse-princess-bride-hats that are a bit much... don't you think?
Lookin' good Kristine...

(prego with her first boy...ha!)

Did I mention the climbing thing??? So maybe I would not miss the constant movement but I would miss watching the boy who went from calmly sitting to instantaneously flipping onto his head (you should see him do this on a church pew).

I would definitely miss fixing a boy's hair... because you DON'T fix it... you really never even brush it. You just kind of let it go. There's no fuss with lost hairclips, or frayed hairbows, or broken headbands, or hours of rolling up hair into curlers. Nope. Just wash and go... nice.

I would miss saying "I know your brother has a shovel, but its okay, he's a B O Y, leave him alone."

I would miss how red tights, with a hole in the center, turn into an instant superhero costume... "watch me Mom!"
Ready, Set, GO!

I would miss boys strutting their "stuff"... I used to think this was a disgusting display of manhood, but now it is kind of funny even though I don't get it. Why the pride?

I would miss pairing up two netted princesses with their curls and lace to a boy wearing jeans and carrying a stick... priceless.

I would miss having a Calvin... Jonas really should have been named Calvin because he IS Calvin. Plus, look at boy clothes... easy breezy... jeans and red t-shirts... nothing gets stained and disgusting after one wear. Boys clothes are EASY to care for.

I would miss taking a picture of the boy climbing out of the window instead of scolding my girls with, "get down from there right now!" You know you can't really stop boys from doing this kind of thing, so you just have to relax, sit back, and enjoy the show.

I would miss some fabulous party themes... pirates, bugs, superheros... these are so much fun to plan.

I would miss the fun boy toys. When Shailey found out we were having a boy the first thing she said was, "Yeah, we get all of those cool boy toys, like Hulk gloves!" She has a point.

I would miss how carefree boys are. They don't care about being messy... give them a dirty mud puddle in the middle of the street and they are there. Bye bye diaper and hello fun (now that I think of it, my girls would have done this too).

I would miss the thrill of discovering a neighborhood bulldozer. Jonas was 1 year old the day I took this photo. I remember feeling for the first time, "I am officially the mother of a son."

So April, to you I say I hope you are lucky enough to bare a son. Boys are truly a gift from God and I thank heaven for little boys.