土用の丑の日

土用の丑の日(doyo-no ushi no hi) is a Japanese cultural day and usually falls into a hot summer day. (It changes every year.) On that day, we eat unagi (eel) to "energy up" in order to survive the super humid summer there. Eel is rich in vitamin A and B which prevents a decrease of appetite from the heat. This year, I missed this, my favorite event, and before I know it, it already snowed in Utah! So for my farewell to summer, I add the picture of eel from last year.



David liked eel but he got ebi(shrimp) fry for the night.




He did eat the whole eel entree when we visited 川安, the restaurant specialized and only sells eel dish, in Toyota.


It was just a regular weekday, right after they opened for lunch, and in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mountains, but we waited outside for about 30 minuets. I heard they closed as soon as they sold out of eels for the day, which usually happens around 2 p.m..

Week 24

I think Yuna started to notice that she frequently becomes a model, and she actually likes to have her picture taken. So, this is her pose of the day with her friend.

Week 23

David's prayer was answered yesterday. He had one of the engineer class tests yesterday. He was nervous. He got up at 5 a.m. to study, calculating that he won't be able to study and watch Yuna while I was at work. Well, God and Yuna knew what David needed. So she woke up at 4:45 p.m. for the first time since 7:45 p.m. the night before. Yes, she slept for 21 hours straight. David said she made a few noises twice but she was already back to sleep by the time he warmed up milk and got to her room.
I was not sure what time I should put her bed after such a long sleep she had, but did the night routine and put her bed around 10 p.m., thinking I might need to wake up a few times at night. Nope. She slept till 9:20 a.m. for another 11 hours. Yuna baby... what a oyakoukou* baby you are! Thanks to Yuna, David happily finished the test in time.

Here is a picture of weekly Yuna.

Do you see it as I do?




Yuna skipping on the cloud with the bunny.

oyakoukou = to be filial to one's parents.

5 months

She is getting SO BIG!!!!

Each day, she does new things.

Yesterday, she slept 15 hours straight and gave this smile at 10:45 a.m. when she woke up.

Then, she reached the flog and pulled the handle to hear the music for the first time.

Today, she rolled from the tummy to her back for the first time. She has not mastered it yet but we are so excited. Later today while I was at work, David tried to give her WATER with a CUP. (David's report: "she coughed.") Then, he also gave a taste of LIME. Why lime?! "Because she kept playing with it and trying to pick it up. So I gave a little taste to her." David, she never tasted anything rather than breast milk or formula (and a little bit of banana). Why does it have to be lime?! So Yuna had adventurous day with daddy.

幼児の祝福

Let me put some of the pictures Margaret had posted so my parents can also see them...

David の家族と親戚が集まりました。

よだれ。

大好きなボスのマージーも来てくれました。

大きいおじいちゃんとおばあちゃんと１日違いのいとこのアッシャー。

ママD。

Davidのパパとママ。

歯が生え出してきているのかも。。。

David のお姉ちゃんたち。

由奈のいとこ集合。

その他の写真はここへ。

Week 21

I love how this picture shows what they were doing at the time. Outing with Daddy who is reading the Tale of Genji, the first novel ever written in Japan. Yuna is wearing a dress from sister Tronto bought in Italy, and a stocking with fake shoes drawn. I love those.


Have you read Margaret telling about her brothers having "a thing for drinks[/food]"? Well, this is David's newest discovery. He said "it was cheap."

A camel moment.

"Oh, how I miss you Baba and mama D."

Random Sunday shots

I love Sundays.
First of all, we can all dress up nicely and go to church.
My day off.
My husband cooks.



One of the clothes from cousin Amara.




Sunday chicken and cuscus, prepared by my husband.