Kids, teachers, report cards, piano practice......

Here's Masaru playing the star spangled banner.
His Utah Grandmother would be proud, she loves her country and says so in her prayers almost every prayer I've ever heard her say.
I wanted him to play it for her at Christmas time, but he didn't. He doesn't like to play in front of people. He's not a performer. I think he has the same problem with test taking. Which sucks.
Sounds good right?
Here's his report card for his first semester.

 He did great. A's and B's. That's pretty easy for him to get.
I think he could get all A's, but it's not worth the hassle and he's doing just fine.

 He also had this assignment in English that he needed to do. They're doing Romeo and Juliet and got this paper to think about what he'd like in a girl.
Then on the other side, I had to fill it out to see if I knew what Masaru would like in a girl.
I think we did pretty good and maybe could be trusted in choosing out a girl for him.
Thank goodness I don't have to though, that's a little stressful.

 Here's Yuki with her group project. They made bridges and then put stuff on them to see how much they could hold. Part of science.

 Here she is with her teacher Ms Griffin. Ms Griffin is the best.

We finished Takeshi's class art auction project. It turned out great.

Then we had this guy show up and decided he was going to chill at our place for the day. Here he/she is in front of the boys window just chilling.
We totally got a kick outt've it.

 We had a free weekend night and Emiko cashed in her coupon from Christmas and had a one on one date with her mother and father.
We went out for dinner and then did some bowling. It was awesome and we love our sweet kokopops.

Here's some video's of our night together.

We convinced her to go to smash burger. She liked it, so that turned out good.

She did great bowling. I won the first game and Dru won the second game.
It was a great night. I'm glad we went out.

 Yuki decided to bake some sugar cookies and they turned out amazing.

 Dave got me a coupon for this silicone ring and I figured I'd try it out since I don't wear my other rings on a daily basis.
I got it and I love it. I don't know it's on and so it's awesome. I wear it when I'm not wearing my other rings. It's perfect and will be perfect for when I'm mountain biking.

 Yuki and I have been doing our nails every Sunday. Shannon got me a gel nail kit for Christmas, which was super nice of her, and so we've been doing our nails ever since. It's been awesome.

Here's some more nails.
It's been really nice. We're slowly getting better and better.
It's fun.

Then Emiko and I decided to make some lip balm since Kristin gave us the kit over Christmas. We had to purchase a couple of additional things, but it turned out great.

We did two different kinds. A natural one and a shimmer kind. I like both.

Then one Saturday, Dru decided to stay inside instead of be out in the shop. So he got the TV put up in our room and I love it.

Then he also got up our picture, that we had done at Christmas time, of our Japan trip and the tickets of the places we kept. Doesn't it look amazing?

 

Then I also have this picture that's up in our house. I tell the background story in the video.

Dave Trevino took a picture of this guy sitting on his front porch and I saw it at his work.
I went straight up to it and said "This looks like something you'd see in NZ"

He told me that, in fact, it was and he took it while he was there. He said he asked the dude if he could take his picture and he said he didn't care hahahahahaha Typical kiwi.

I was smitten by the picture and Dave was kind enough to give me a copy of it.
We happened to have a frame that fit it and ordered it and hung it up.
I love it.
It's a taste of home in my home.

Playing catch up

 Here's my new shoes. I haven't used them yet since it's been winter. Soon enough though if it'll stop raining and snowing.
My new goal this year is 800 miles on the bike. So I'm excited and nervous to try and do that.

 Basically straight after shogatsu I also got really sick and a different kind of sick. More like the flu but not really with flu symptoms sort of. I slept ALL THE TIME and my body ached and I broke out in sweats and was shivering for about 5 days. It was horrible and Dru picked up the slack really well, which I appreciate.
I don't wanna go through that any time soon.

 Masaru also got his permit to drive.
He has to get 50 hours in and 10 of them at night.
He's doing fantastic and I 90% trust him behind the wheel of the van. Now with a manual it's a different story. He's ok, but needs practice for sure. I 50% trust him in the truck hahahaha
I'm excited to have him driving and am glad that Idaho starts at 14 cause he's totally ready.
This mug shot though hahahahaha crack up right?
I love it.

Gareth called us on Christmas day which was awesome. Here he is sporting a big old beard. Love it.

 Yuki taking selfies.

 Unsure which is my fav out of the two hahahahaha

 Just if you were wondering how the whole star wars movies all match up, our friend sent us this so we could understand better where everything fits.
Interesting right?

 The socks that Ashaan did for us for Christmas and sent us.
Kids love them.

 The stickers that Jess sent us for our bottles etc.

Video of one of them on our water bottle. Love it.

Picture of Masaru being a weirdo in his USA outfit.
This guy man, he loves to wear his USA stuff. I dunno where he gets it from cause Dru and I aren't promoting all of this.
USA has pretty cool colouring though and nice patterns to work with, so I'll give it that.

 Grandpa with all the dogs at Christmas.

 Emiko taking a selfie.
She's pretty cute man.

 I saw this out and about on my errands and had to take a picture. This guy, on this bike, has been to all of these places. I didn't ask him, but I'm assuming that this is what this all means. I mean how cool is that right?
Man the stories this guy must have from all this traveling.
The real reason I snapped a shot though, was because he'd been to NZ. Look..............pretty cool right?

I wish I could've talked to him.

I also made three sets of these for my three friends, Jobecka, Cesha and Natalie for Christmas. I hope they like them.

I don't remember much the next week of the new year.

All my goals went out the window since I was sick and I basically didn't do anything for a solid week even more. Oh well. 

Shogatsu 2020

So I didn't get many pictures, I never do, of Shogatsu. It went great though.

The night before we had a New Years party that only went till 10pm which was perfect. Hilary puts it on and the kids love it. This time Masaru was gone with his mates to a church dance and Yuki was gone with her friends as well, bringing in the new year. So it was just Dru, me and the two littles with us.

We'd started prepping for Shogatsu when we got home from Utah and took a couple of hours off to go to the New Year's party, then came home and kept prepping.

I actually have a picture of Masaru's dance somewhere. Let me try to find it. 

I can't seem to find it. It's on my instagram account and I have no idea how to get it off of there and onto my blog. Sad.

The new year was actually spent with Dru and I at a petrol station filling up both cars and splitting forces to go pick up Masaru and Yuki from their respective places. Happy New Year's to us hahahaha Wouldn't have it any other way. Dru and I aren't really New Year's Eve people I've decided, because our whole marriage we've been prepping for shogatsu or doing whatever my family is doing in NZ, which is awesome. We're pretty low key.

The next day we got up and kept prepping. Some things can't be done until that day. I wasn't feeling too good, but not too bad you know.

I did the wontons out in the garage. Our friend Kaelyb came out and helped with prepping. It was nice to have him helping out. Dru did the sushi and I did the miso soup and sunomono. We prepped the gyoza and wontons the night before and just had to cook them today.

We had people coming at 1pm and a ton of people came and people with children.

It was the craziest it's ever been and there were some children fighting down in the basement. It was all on like donkey kong man. Hahahahaha

But, not my circus, not my monkey's right? It all worked out. 

It was wonderful to see everyone and we always have enough food.

 Masaru invited a couple of his friends over for sushi, which was so great.

Here's some of the prep for the wontons, which got all eaten.
People were so great and after the 1pm crowd there was a little lull in the flow. It was actually pretty nice for a second.
Then our 3pm friends came and we had a blast with them as well.
I love our friends and all the support they give us.
It was so great.

We still had some food left over so invited our mate Quinn over to eat some more sushi. Teresa brought the lanterns again to light up and let go up to the sky. She's always great to do that. Now that's a girl that knows how to party.

It was another successful party and Dru and I are always pooped at the end of the night. But it's a tradition we'll keep doing while we can for our friends and mostly our children. Like anything worth while, it's a big effort but I love that we do it and am happy with it.

I love that the kids and Dru have a Japanese culture to look to and find a little of themselves in. Masaru is even thinking of taking Japanese at highschool. So we'll see if it happens.

Happy New Year and here's to 2020.

Christmas 2019

The winter hadn't really come yet in Boise. I mean don't get me wrong, it was coldish but there hadn't been snow before Christmas and the weather had been ok you know. So the girls went outside and decided to do some drawings on the driveway. Pretty cute.

We also decided to have some friends over one night and did gingerbread houses. I found a set that had four little houses to build and decorate. It was perfect for the kids, so I grabbed it. Masaru basically ate his instantly, but the rest of the kids worked on there's. 

Takeshi was meticulous just like his father with getting things on where they were supposed to go.  All the kids did a great job, even Masaru with eating.

Here the kids are with Caleb, celebrating the Christmas season with some bubbly someone dropped off to us.

So here's the Nakaya family doing their annual, Christmas food boxing for the hungry. Grandma does a great job of getting everything together so the kids can think about others on this season.

 We had everyone here apart from Graham who's on his mission in Japan and Dru's sister's family who were staying in California this year for Christmas.
Travelling every year gets to be a little much, so she's taking year on and year off's.
This year was an off year.
Unfortunately for us, we'll be in NZ for Christmas on her 'on' year and then be back her 'off' year, so we won't see her for Christmas for the next three years!
That's the way it goes.

 So it was the twins, Seth and Tate's, 17th birthdays on Christmas Eve and so I made them these hats. Hopefully they like them. I think they did. I think the patches help.
This grey one is Seth's and the green one underneath is Tate's.
The patches were a little big for my liking but I had to work with what I had so rolled with it.
Dru's brother kept wearing them, so I promised him a hat as long as he picked out the patch. So far I haven't heard from him, so we'll see if he gets me that patch. For now he keeps wearing his son's hats.

 I then knitted this blanket for Leslie. It's beautiful and I love it.
It's a lot of work. I think I'm over it hahahaha

Close up of the pattern.
I might make a baby blanket out of it, but that's about it.
Les liked it, so that's good.
Dru got his brother a book about landcruisers. He liked it. So that's good.
We had Dru's brother's family for Christmas this year. So we also got the twins mtb gloves.
Always need gloves.

 We ended up talking to my family for a while. We talked to Haydn, Llew, Bevin and mum. It was great for the kids to talk to their family back home.
They were all at mum's for Christmas Eve and so it was easy to quickly have a chat to everyone.
I'm so excited to be home next Christmas. I love and miss my family.

Before we took off to Utah I went in and did this art project with Yuki's class. Turned out pretty cute. There was paint, oil pastel and coloured pencils and chalk pastels involved. Very mixed media project. This is Yuki's one she did and it's just beautiful.
They displayed it for a second and now it's home on her door.

Later on that night Dru's mother did a program for everyone about the birth of Christ. It was good.
Dru and I then stayed up and got all the presents wrapped and the stockings stuffed and put them out for the kids to find in the morning.
I love Christmas so much.

 Here's Masaru with his stuff. He got mtb things mostly and a bag and socks etc. I can't remember every detail, but he did great and was grateful.

 Yuki did well as well. Santa brought her a bball hoop that was set up in the shop back in Boise, as well as a couple of bballs since she loved bball so much this winter with her team. She also got a few other goodies that she wanted and was happy with.

Takeshi has bball season for the school coming up as well. So you'll often find Yuki and Takeshi out there shooting some hoops. There's one thing the shop is good for.............winter bball practice.

 Takeshi got some mtb things that he needed and loved. He did really well and was happy with all he got. He got a crystal growing kit and some slippers and a robe. He likes to be cozy.
Each of the kids also got a bogus pass for the season.

Emiko was excited to open her gifts. She got a coupon for a date with us and other cute things that she wanted as well. Some art supplies and Totoro things and more. She did well and was happy about Christmas.

I got Dru Jerry Seinfeld tickets. He was coming to Boise, so that worked out. I also got him a new helmet to look after that head of his. It matches his bike, so that's fun. I also got him a t-shirt and hoodie with landcruiser stuff on it as well as a stocking full of beard and bath things and chocolates etc. He did very well from me this year and I'm proud of myself for surprising him. Masaru helped me with some things and most of the things just fell in my lap while on the computer. You know how your computer listens then puts ads up? I think that's basically what happened to me with Dru and it totally worked out for both of us hahahaha

Kids playing cards with Grandma

We also got money from my mum so they could get what they wanted, as well as gifts from Ashaan and Llew (these socks) and some NZ bowls for cereal.
Jessie and Haydn had us this year and hooked us up with awesome NZ things as well as chocolate and cool vinyl stickers that we put on our drink bottles which say #cantstopwontstop which we all love. Very thoughtful.

 Dru got me new mtb shoes. These are my old ones, so I can prove that I needed new ones.
I loved my old ones.

 But as you can see, the old ones soles were just plain worn out and almost through to my foot. That's when you know you've had a good time.
I was grateful for the new shoes.
He also got me a new iphone 7 phone. I like it. He also got a custom built phone case which is the NZ flag with Milz on it and the saying 'I didn't choose the Skux life...The Skux life chose me' written on it. It's pretty funny.
So I'm grateful for those things.
Dru's mother also gave us some money and I got myself some new bras and a gel nail set thing as well as ingredients to make my own lip balm. Pretty happy about it all and grateful to Dru's mother for being kind and giving us money so we have options.

For the rest of the day we chilled, went up to Ryan's and hung out there as well. I got my nails done.
We came back and had dinner together and hung out.
It was  a nice day.
I talked to Gareth as well which was nice. They were doing a north island trip and were with some of their family in Auckland for Christmas. It was good to hear from him.

 That next few days we went to a couple of movies.
One was this one with the kids Jumanji 3.
We loved it.

 The other one we saw was 'Ford vs Ferrari' which was excellent. I didn't think I'd like it too much because it's just a movie about cars, but it turns out the storyline was wonderful and I came out of the theater happy that I saw it.
Great acting.

We visited friends.
We had dinner with Dave and Laura while the kids hung out at their place and chilled. It was nice to see them.
We went to our old church ward in Bountiful on the Sunday and met up with friends there and had a nice talk to those we love most.
It was so great to be there and see everyone.
We also caught up with our friends the Registers for a family get together.
What a wonderful thing that was. It was good to see everyone and hear how it's all going and how everyone is etc. Wonderful time.

We went of Puggs and Stacey's house and hung out in the hot tub with the Maxwell's as well and talked the night away.
It was and always is, great to see them.

 We also took some photo's on the new phone to see how good they were. Plus we don't have many family pic's now, which is need to be more conscious about. And I had makeup on, which is always a good time to take some snapshots.

 Me and Yuki.

 Me and kokopops

Then Takeshi rolled in.

 Then we found Masaru and needed a shot of that hair.

 Then we found Dru and made it a family affair. I liked to point out how awesome Masaru's hair is.

Then I snuck one in of Dru and I.
We went home Monday morning I think and it was a great week with the family.
We had a wonderful time and were really happy.
Great Christmas 2019