2019 Shogatsu

So we attended church the next day and the kids had a talent show at church. Yuki had practiced with a couple of her mates and they performed that as well as Yuki playing her Christmas song for everyone as well. She did amazing, as always.
Takeshi also played his Christmas song on the piano and was wonderful. Emiko has a great voice but she's very shy so didn't want to do anything, which was just fine.
It was really nice being in primary and listening to all the kids perform their talents. We had one kid whistle which was awesome. I enjoy the kids and miss it.

Monday was the day we did the majority of the prep for our shogatsu party the next day, which was also New Years Eve.
We went shopping and got all we needed. We'd already done a bunch in SLC at the asian stores there. But we still needed a couple of little things to make all the food we wanted to make. We also needed to prep the house for all our guests. We borrowed a table and some cloths from the church and prepped out dining room for people and the food. It worked out better this year due to the tile on the floor giving us more room to fit things in you know. It was nice.


Yuki helping prep. the mushrooms hahaha

Wontons done.

Inari sushi rice made.



We'd decided to make Gyoza, Wontons, Inari sushi, Sunomono, Miso soup and got some rolls as our cousin was bringing lots of ham.
It was a lot of prep and so we got the kids in on it and they helped with a bunch of stuff this time around, which was really nice.

Our friends had invited us to a New Year's Eve party from 7-10 which we decided to go to to do something fun you know.
It was at one of our local churches and it was a lot of fun. They had food and music and the kids played and danced and sang. Dru sat and did a puzzle while I talked to a mates mother who'd been to NZ and wanted to know all about it and talk NZ with me. I can't say  no to that.
The kids had a good time.
Masaru stayed home and did his own things though. He's a little old now and wanted to be with his mates which is fine.

Once we got home the kids did a timtam slam as Kristin had gotten me some timtams which was super nice of her.
So we brought in the new year doing a timtam slam. It was perfect.
On a side note, someone was telling me they did a timtam slam and didn't see the big deal and didn't think it was that amazing. I've chosen to keep that kind've negativity out of my life hahahah I can't even remember who it was, that's how much I've purged it from my  mind. Blasphemy.





I'm actually a little ashamed this is the first time my kids have done it.

It's seriously a chocolate coma and I love it.
Takeshi did some signs for shogatsu as well. Check them out.

Aren't they cute?

This one is gyoza.
He did an amazing job and we stuck them where the food was so everyone could see them.

The next day was semi crazy, as always. For as much as we prepped, there was still a bunch to do.
Dru quickly got started on sushi.

While I prepped other things that needed doing. We worked hard until our guests started arriving.
Our guests came at 1 and 3pm and it was awesome.
It's a little hard because some of the food needs to be made for people while they're there. So it's hard to socialize as well as prep food. So Robby came and made gyoza so I could go out and talk to people, which was a huge help.
It was nice having everyone around and celebrating the New Years with us with some Japanese food.
People came then left and I think all had a great time.
Masaru brought some friends over after he'd gone biking with them that morning.
They all loved the food and his one friend keeps talking about it till this day.

Our friend Teresa had brought some new year lanterns to light off to start the new years off fresh and clean. Apparently you light the lanterns and then let go of all your worries of last year to start new this year. The kids loved it.







When all was said and done it was 9pm when we said by to our last guests.
Dru and I sat and ate sushi and relaxed on the couch.
I had had a wonderful day and Dru had as well. We were just tired, like you are after a big celebratory day that you host.
Totally worth it though.
I love this tradition and hope we keep doing it forever.

Pugg's house

So we arrived at Pugg's house and Ryan, Ethan and the twins were there fixing up Ethan's car. We hung around there for a while watching them work and then me and the younger ones got restless so headed over the the house.
Stacey was still out with the kids so we let ourselves in and made ourselves at home hahahaha


This is how Emiko looked going from Grandma's to Puggs. We just shoved stuff on her hahaha
It was just as well that we didn't head all the way home, as we'd left a bunch of stuff at Grandma's still. So between Dru, his father and brother, we picked it all up which was great.
We decided to have a japanese night.
Dru made sushi and Puggs made ramen.
It was some of the most amazing food. I loved it.

Dru found me this drink at their local supermarket. It was wonderful.

Here's the ramen we ate. SOOOOO GOOOOOOD.

Then I took this pretty picture of Dru's sushi, which I love.
Dru's brother and Ethan came over and ate with us when it was all done as well, which was great.

Later on that night, after we'd put all the kids in bed, we watched a movie called 'Ramen Heads'
It was really interesting and I highly recommend it to all.

It was fascinating and so interesting the lengths these guys go to to make the best ramen.

We then watched another documentary on one of, if not, the top sushi chef in Japan and the world.
His life story was a little sad and so it had a kind of dark cloud over it.
But to have sushi with him cost $300. I dunno if I could do it. He gives you 20 pieces and you sit there and eat it infront of them.
What if I don't like one? What if I throw it up? I'd be scared man. I wanna eat my sushi in peace thanks.
We then fell into bed exhausted.

The next day we collected all our stuff from Dru's parents and hung out and chilled. It was a nice day.
We eventually headed back to Idaho after a wonderful time.
Thanks to Puggs and Stacey, who always show us kindness and a great time.

Rest of time at Grandmas

So we spent Wednesday, Thursday at Dru's parents then left Friday.
On Wednesday Kristin and I went to yoga, which was really nice, while the others did what they did.
Dru had some errands to run and things to do and I forget what that was but later on they went skiing. So Masaru, the twins and Dru as Ryan was sick. They had a blast apparently.
The rest of us went to the 'Wizzard of Oz' at the Hale theater, Grandma's shout.

Takeshi opted to sit with me, which was great. He talked and pointed and was excited the whole time. He loved it and said as such. He said "This is the best 2.5 hours I've spent all week" I said "Including Christmas?" He looked at me for a second and was like "Well no, but maybe the same?" So he loved it, which was awesome, as we don't take our kids to things like this. So it was a real treat.


Here's some of the others. Yuki and Emiko sat together way down the end. Brooke and Kristin and Grandma were there too by more closer to me.
IT WAS AMAZING.
The kids loved it and I did too.
The stage is round and everyone looks down into it and it moves and breaks apart like a puzzle. There's things that drop down from the top as well as come in on the sides and from underneath the stage. Apparently it's only 1.5 years old so it's new and pretty fancy.
The actors sang wonderfully and I was so impressed.
It was a great time.
We then came home and got the kids set up for dinner and went out ourselves to a japanese restaurant in Bountiful. Dru was the only one not there due to him skiing.
It was good food and it was nice to be out as adults.
Brooke spied this knitting store close to the restaurant and pointed this top out to me.

She loved it.
So the next day I went in and visited the store and got the pattern. Eventually I'll make it for Brooke. But that's down the list of things I need to knit. I also got some leather bottoms so I can make Dru some slippers.
After dinner that night we came home and Masaru said he loved the skiing and had a great time. Dru did as well, so that's great.
Thursday Dru and Ryan spent this whole day putting the gears into the Land Cruiser. It turned out amazing in the end and the cruiser feels wonderful, but it was an entire days worth of work. AND Ryan was sick. So I'm sure that felt good.
What a great brother. Dru was thrilled and couldn't be happier. I'm glad he has his brother for things like this. I hope Masaru and Takeshi can be the same for each other. Time will tell.
I talked to Luke this day and had the kids start packing up and tidying up downstairs.

I decided to take a picture of these awesome earrings I got from Dru. They're old NZ 2c coins made into earrings. I love them.

Masaru also stubbed his toe and had to go up to Leslie and get it all fixed up. Thanks to Auntie Leslie being a nurse practitioner.



I also knew I needed to take a picture of this letter that Yuki wrote to Dru and I for Christmas.
It's cute and funny.
She did a great job on her gifts to us and was the only child that even considered getting her parents anything. This sums up Yuki. She's simply the best. She's so great in so many ways. Life would suck without her. I'm glad she's a part of our family.



In Between cleaning up the kids were having some fun as well.
It was a relaxing time at Grandma's and we'd had a great week but it was time to go.
Grandma asked us why we weren't visiting any friends and Grandpa asked us when we were leaving. This was all on the Thursday hahahah
So we got the hint and made sure we left pretty quick on Friday.
We packed up, at least we thought we had, and headed over to Pugg's house to stay the night with them.

I was a great time with some of the people of love the most.
We said our goodbyes and gave out hugs and I'm really glad it worked out for all of us to be together. I love Dru's family and am glad to have the time with them and the kids love their cuzzies and had a blast.
Great Christmas week.

Christmas Day 2018

This morning the kids woke us up at about 6:15 I think. It was pretty early. They haven't gotten up that early in a couple of years. So Dru and I had to suck it up and get up with them.
I love Christmas morning. It's my most favourite time. The excitement and the happiness and the gifts and togetherness. It makes me really happy.
We like to see what each other got, so this year we did it one person at a time, starting with Emikoko.

 There's Akela in the corner watching out for her.

 Masaru got her this fox hat and mitten set. So perfect for her.

 I made her this pillow and this book was inside it.

 She got this cute horse that talks when you read. So we hit all the animals she loves.......wolves, foxes and horses.
 Go team. She was happy.

She got a date with mum and dad riding horses as well, which she's over the moon about.

 Then we got to Takeshi.

 He got a seat dropper post for his mtb. He was way pumped about that and we need to get it on his bike.
On a side note, Masaru saw us cleaning it up in the kitchen the day before, this was Takeshi's santa gift. Now Masaru has never approached us about Santa being real you know, so once he saw Takeshi open this, he'll know. I feel a little sad about that but he's almost 14 and did he really believe in Santa still? I dunno. But he still hasn't said anything to us, so I guess we'll keep playing the game.

Takeshi also got this Gryffindor hat which he's worn daily since. He loves it.

 I made him that pillow as well and we put a couple of books in there. One was a joke book and the other was a question and answer book with lots of facts. I think it'll keep him busy in the car for hours.

 I always love his faces.

Yuki had Takeshi this year and she made him this Harry Potter string art. Isn't it wonderful? Takeshi had Yuki as well and got her henna art clay stuff. But we forgot to bring it down. So she had to wait till we got back to the house the next week before she could play with it. Oh well. It was the perfect gift for Yuki and she loved it as well. Good thinking by Takeshi.

 Here's some stuff she drew on her siblings once she came back and opened the gift.

 Hedgehog for Emiko.

 I drew this on Yuki for her.

She drew this on Takeshi for him as well. It's a great gift for her.

 Yuki got this t-shirt which she loves.

Then santa framed and matted this picture for her which is up in her room. It's just beautiful and she loves it. I took a video so you can see it better.

She received plenty of other things as well such as the pillow I made with a cool journal book to keep her busy in the car, a paint by numbers canvas stretched so she can finally start working on her Totoro picture and some other things that for the life of me, I can't remember. Oh vans shoes that she loves. She did well.

 Masaru also got a pillow from me and a cool journal.

 He got this sweet t-shirt that will only make sense after you watch this video.

Pretty funny right? Masaru loves it.

 Then he also got new handlebars for his bike that are carbon so when he crashes it doesn't bend them. He was pretty happy about that. He loved this little reminder about how to enjoy the new present. hahahaha

 He also got these glasses from Emiko since she had Masaru this year for Christmas. Thank you China.

Dad was next.

 Dad got this reflective jacket and a strap for the car that doesn't break.

 Pretty reflective right?

Then he got these gears for the landcruiser which he loves and his brother worked all day the next day to help him put in. Now the landcruiser drives like it's stock and feels great.
Ryan basically came up with the idea and I just paid him. But Ryan knows what Dru needs and likes in this area and I totally don't. So it works out well for all right!!!

 Yuki made me this bike out of string art for Christmas. I love it and my friend is going to print out some vinyl to put on the bottom that says '
It's just perfect and well thought out by Yuki and let's face it, by her father as well who helped her out with all the string art she did. He's a nice guy cause I told Yuki I wouldn't help her. I was super busy doing all the things for Christmas the last thing I needed was one more thing to do. So I'm glad Dru was able to help her execute it cause I don't know if she could've on her own.

 Dru got me these beautiful earrings which I love.

And he got me this hat which I totally need and love since I like wearing my hair in a top knot.


It was a great morning.
It was nice to share it with Brooke as well and see what their families did for each other and share that together. Kristin and her family did it upstairs in their room.
It was a nice morning.
We then had some breakfast, which I love, that Dru's mother spends time making. It's always yummy and nice to have a nice breakfast.
We then hung out together until we went to the movies.

We all decided to see Mary Poppins Returns and it was a great choice.
We all loved it.
I thought it did a great job of respecting the old movie and then a great job of making it it's own and Emily Blunt did a wonderful job as Mary Poppins.
I was super emotional throughout the whole thing and I have no idea why. So that was nice.

It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas day together. Ryan and Leslie and their kids went to Aquaman, which I'm sure we'll see eventually. They said it was good.

We came home and hung out and had a nice Christmas dinner together.

It was good just to be together. I talked to some of my family as well which is always nice.
It was a wonderful day and I couldn't have asked for more.
I enjoy Dru's family so much and love being with them and my own family.
I'm grateful for all the love and fun we have together.