Cramming all these holiday events plus birthday events into the two weeks that the cousins were here was a bit of a stretch.  It made Ane’s birthday a very long day.  We started with her annual portraits being taken at JC Penney’s (where they were running behind), and then we headed off to our lunch […]

The first official Christmas get-together that involved presents was on Saturday, at Uncle Buddy’s house.  Dinner and presents, aunts, uncles, cousins…. and Obachan. The kids were beyond excited to finally get to open presents. We played our annual game of white elephant Christmas bingo, and the kids were really getting into it.  It was the […]

Yesterday was my birthday, and I got a year older.  And I got a few gifts.  The older I get, the more I just want a meal I don’t have to cook and kids that behave as a gift for the day. I got that (good effort by the kids on their end of that […]

My Obachan turned 90 on Saturday.  It was a big deal to me, but she didn’t want a big fuss.  My uncles took her out to dinner on Saturday, then my parents and Auntie and myself and the kids had a big roll-your-own sushi dinner together on Sunday. It took a little convincing to wake […]