happy thanksgiving!

We went to a restaulant for thanksgiving dinner in the afternoon.

WARNING!!
DON'T EAT the BABY!
Even if you are pregnant and starving.


Here comes the meal!

It was a nice, traditional thanksgiving dinner.
I basically don't like apple pie but this was so good!

Hey, don't do that face on your date even though we are married, Huz!

By the way, this is a Family picture that is the most recent.

I'm 24 weeks pregnant now.

I'm back

I came back from Japan.
Jeff gave me some flowers at the airport.
I love these!

Atlanta is Autumn already.
There are woods in front of our room that lost leaves.
Fortunately, our room is bright and warm because of this happening.
It's good for us!

By the way, we were out of country for a while, so we have a tons of laundry.
But, look at this.

This is the way to our room to laundry room.
I can't get through with our hamper!
I hope this construction will be done soon.

Matsuri

My sister Chiemi and I went to "Matsuri".

It's a Japanese festival.

This is my local, small town's small festival.

This is "Mikoshi".

Usually, kids gather and carry this Mikoshi but there are adults doing it this year.

It's because of H1N1 flu.

My favorite part, "Yatai" means temporary food stores.


But we have to go to the Japanse temple first.
We are christian but I think this is part of Japanese culture.


Look at this!
There is a temple after we climbed up these stairs.

I thought I couldn't climb up because I'm 21 weeks pregnant.
But I tried!!


Almost there.......

Finally, here is a temple.

We climbed up but there is nothing to do.

Ok, let's go back.

Stairs........

After this, our feet felt strange.

We are not young.....

Anyway, it's time to eat!

These are baked squid with teriyaki sause and corn.

I know, American people don't like squid.

BUT.

Matsuri without squid!?

COME ON!!

We shared spuid and "Hashimaki" a kind of Okonomiyaki.

I like Matsuri♪

grandma and jumbo sushi

My father and I visited my Grandma who live in Yamaguchi, Japan.

This is my father's mother, Shizuko.

Oops, we missed chance to take her picture.

She doesn't like take a picture so she is hiding.

Such a shy girl, Grandma!

On the way to home, we ate sushi.

It's not normal sushi.

Can you see?

It's very very huge!!

Named "Jumbo sushi".

You have to cut sushi like a steak.

Okonomiyaki

We invited missionaries.
I cooked Okonomiyaki.
They said they loved it.

Chopstick champion

Look at my hero.

driver's license

I got a Georgia driver's license.

Yeah!!


But it's a learner's permit.
I need a companion when I drive.


Do you wanna sit down next to me?

Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ)

Dad is visiting us.

I found a nice Asian grocery store and we decided to have Japanese BBQ(Yakiniku) dinner at our little patio with 3 of us.

We carried the dining table to our small patio.

Look at this!
It looks so yummy, doesn't it?

Dad ate this type of BBQ(Yakiniku) first time, but he loves it!
Yakiniku is busy work (cook and eat, cook and eat!) but fun!
If it was only Jeff and me, we wouldn't do this.
Thank you for your visiting, Dad!





If you want to eat Yakiniku, you are welcome to my home, anytime!

New used car

We moved to Atlanta, GA.
We got a "new" used-car.

Toyota, corolla
Yup, Japanese car is the best!!

I hate red cars, but the car's condition is the most important thing when we get a used car.
So, it's all right and I'm going to like this color.





Note from Jeff: we managed to find this car from the mission home. Once cars hit about 55,000 miles, the missionaries get new cars. They sell it at a much better price than used car dealerships and they have strict rules for getting the car serviced, so I was so happy to find this.

Except now we have a nicer car than I was expecting to get, we have to pay more for insurance and be very careful with driving...

PS2

We got a lot of PS2 games from Ryan.
Including my favorite game "Katamari".

We got a PS2 the next day.

I almost cut the cable when I opened the box with a box-cutter.

Don't worry, it works!!
See?

Hey Jeff, you have an exam next week!
He played it for 30 minutes.
It's a big temptation for him. :)
But he said he won't play it again until the test is over...



Of course, I will play when I am at home and lonely.


Thanks, Ryan.
You are the best!!

Day at the zoo

Jeff has the day off this Memorial Day.
We went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. (Entrance is free!)

Swimming Polar Bear.　He was doing laps. He would go round and round and push off with his legs on the wall, just like in the Olympics. We learned he can swim 6 miles/hr.

Gorillas were taking a nap. They like to cuddle when they nap, most were paired off in 2's.

Look!
Leopard on my hand!!

These are really rare HUMANS!!

We got to touch a snake at a reptile building.
She is holding the snake! Always rub head to tail, just like a dog. And never touch the head.

It was so fun!

Jeff was wearing a HIROSHIMA CARP (baseball team) uniform.
He looks Japanese more than me, ha?

Addendum: I've discovered Keiko really likes tigers, they seem to be her favorite animal. All they did was sleep, but we caught feeding time at the primate house which is always the most fun in my opinion.

(written by Jeff and Keiko)

don't eat us!

Happy Easter, everyone!

(These are Japanese easter eggs, my creation of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic)

Jeff is on the left, I'm on the right.

oops!

sewing machine

I received my birthday present from my family in-law.
I use to have one in Japan, but I couldn't carry it.
I love sewing. What a nice present!
Whoo, hoo!!!

☆smack☆


I tried to use it immediately.
It's going good.
Jeff wants to see a fancy stitch. I showed him.

Unfortunatery, manual has only English and Spanish.
I want Japanese!：）

JJ gets into mischief

JJ is studying how to sew the human body.

One day, I wanted to go for walk.
I put on my sneaker but I felt strange.

There were many laces, I thought.
(I never tie or untie my shoe laces.)


Check it out!

Oh, JJ!
He uses my shoes for his sewing/suturing practice!

lights

I've been here for 9months but I didn't know YOU were here.

Mr. and Mrs. Light!!!!

I couldn't imagine that there were lights on the bottom of the microwave. haha.

new?

I got a new Ensign in Japanese today!

Whoo, hoo!!

????

Mary?
Baby Jesus?
Why are you there?

!!!!!

It's December 2008's!!!!!!
It's too late!

haha.........

SSH birthday

【March 13th, 10：30pm】
JJ should come back home soon but he didn't. It happens often, it happens.


【March 13th, 11:30pm】
JJ has not been here yet. I started to worry. Unfortunatery, JJ forgot his cell phone today.


【March 14th, 12:00am】
It's my birthday. But he wasn't here yet. I started to cry because I worry about him.


【March 14th, 12:30am】
I heard the door knock. I knew it must be JJ. I was angry with him and opened the door. JJ said "Close your eyes for a while."
OK, OK. I hid my crying face. JJ prepared something and he allowed me to open my eyes, and there were ...........

A cake with an outlined "30"in candles.

and

flowers.

(By the way, the blue flowers were given to me earlier in the day by one of my friends. Thx Peggy and Terri)

I didn't know what I should say. I was crying but he prepared a birthday surprise. Maybe I am the happiest person in the world but JJ, you have to hold your cell phone next time.

It's been 2 1/2 years since our relationship started but I've never stayed with JJ on my birthday. It was so nice to stay with my favorite person on my own birthday.



【March 14th, 4:00pm】
We went to a river which is colored green because of St. Patrick's day. There are a lot of drunk people on the way to river. It's just a holiday that's an excuse for partying, I think.



【March 14th, 5:15pm】
We went to a restaurant, Roy's. Ryan JP and Soba gave me a Roy's gift card. We ate sushi rolls and fish. It was very nice. Roy's gave me a little dessert for my birthday. It was on the restaurant.


It was a Sad, Surprise, and HAPPY-filled birthday.
(SSH birthday)