UNDOKAI

When we told Lucy that we were moving home to Montana, the only thing she cried about was having to leave her friends. She quickly chose a small box full of toys she wanted to bring, and is fervently encouraging everyone who steps in our house now to buy some of the "unwanted" so she can have money to buy new ones in Montana. We talk excitedly about the new adventure awaiting her...riding on one of the big yellow school buses, treading the snow that awaits, having to teach her new friends how to pronounce her last name! We have all had so many wonderful friends here. I hope we will find a community of equally cool and comforting friends in Montana too.

USA へ

I am crazy busy because, WE ARE MOVING BACK TO MONTANA IN NOVEMBER!!!!!! Can't wait to get in touch with everyone back home, but I have to get everything on this side of the Pacific settled and sent off in the next month. Hope to see you soon!

１１月から、アメリカへ引っ越します！！！！楽しみですけど、こちらの友達との別れはちょっと寂しい。アメリカの新しい生活が始まったら、このblogに写真とNEWSをのせるつもりです。こちらにも連絡してね！

Refilling my energy tank.

In a vacuum of my own creative thoughts, I offer some foods for thought from a movie, radio guest, and Vincent:

Its not how much you love a person, but who you are when you are with that person.

If you believe you are lucky, you will be.

If this life is a losing battle, I want to fight the battle worth winning.


The best way to know God is to love many things.

For my part, I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.

One must work and dare if one really wants to live.

Family Trip

Finally, school is out. I still have loads of papers to check and grades to turn in by the end of the month, but we get to sleep in an extra hour and I can spend the day in my shorts and t-shirt! After camping, our next summer venture was a road trip and stay in Miyazaki with Eiji's family. We rented a car, stopped and played along the way, then relaxed in a cool condo by the beach! The three cousin-kids had a blast, and the adults enjoyed getting a break from housework and cooking!

Puppy love

(Sorry about the fuzzy picture, but the puppy is in his doggy-years terrible twos and wouldn't sit still!) Next adventure was to visit cousin Amanda in Fukuoka last weekend. I was impressed with her new, huge apartment, but Lucy was taken by her new puppy, UNME (which means "Fate"). She was afraid of him at first, but after I threw him on her lap enough times, she realized he as just a living, breathing, licking teddy bear, and all she wanted to do was play with him. On the way home, I asked her if she wanted a puppy like Amanda's, and she said, "No, I don't want one like it, I want HERS! I wish I had been fast and got to the pet shop before her to buy it." We also went to the beach and polished up our suntans. Lucy lost her goggles and swim cap somewhere in a wave of water and sand that caught her by surprise. Great fun! We will try to get back to Amanda's place again before the summer is over!

Next, Karaoke!

Its not very often that Ai-chan lets us take her photo, but for Lucy, she is quite vulnerable, or gullible! We fininshed dinner with friends the other night, but it was still early, so we decided to see if the local karaoke had Lucy's favorite High School Musical songs. They had just one, but she sang it twice!

AAAAAAA!

Most of Lucy's photos at karaoke where in-your-face photos of everyone singing. This was everyone's favorite though, the screen showing lyrics AAAAAAAA!