Hi-tech Blue Apple

For the last month or so Lilia's vocabulary has grown tremendously! She has started to make sounds that I have never heard from her before! She has been practicing and experimenting up a storm! The other day I swear she said "blue apple." Now, don't get me wrong... I know that these are just indiscriminate babblings, but she has repeated this phrase at least 3 times in my presence and a couple of times around Cliff too! The other day she added in a "hi-tech" in front of the "blue apple." So what is a "hi-tech blue apple?" You tell me! The only thing I can think of is that maybe she has her eye on her aunt Loradona's blue i-pod? Silly girl.

Other sounds from Lilia include:

- Mamam
- Dada
- Bababa
- bleh bleh bleh
- bloob
- Duh duh duh
- Fffffffff (She loves the "f" sound)
- la la la
- "Hi"
- "apoo" as well as something close to "apple"
- "rawr"

She is quite the little chatter box and now that HER FIRST TOOTH is halfway through she is a lickin' lizard too. We think it is so funny to watch that little tongue dart all over the place exploring this anomaly that has suddenly made an appearance in her mouth. If only the blasted tooth didn't cause her pain in the middle of the night.....

A Couple of Christmas Videos

The above video was actually at dinner Christmas night. Lilia was "sitting" on Chrissy's lap and having quite a time...
This video was taken right after I got Lilia out of her crib! We went to see what Santa brought her! (She is a little dazed and confused in the beginning and don't mind me and the commentary....)

At 7 months I almost have Lilia's room how I want it.....

This is the "big girl" side of her room mostly. Her crib has a matching bed skirt and bumper pads (all of which my mother made,) but those were removed recently when I found Lilia with her head between the bumper pads and the crib bars. Scary! I have no idea how it happened, only that it wasn't going to happen again. She turns too much now in her sleep. Obviously the room's theme is fairies. Such a good thing that I had a girl! The last picture is just funny. I went to put Lilia down for a much needed nap after church the other day and she never made it to her crib. I decided not to wake her by taking her coat off so she just slept face up and spreadeagled on the bed.

The Hagoita Festival at Senso-ji Temple

I have been looking forward to this festival for ... as long as I have known about it! Japanese Hagoita are wooden paddles that used to be used in a traditional New Years game with Japanese girls. The game was similar to badminton and used a shuttlecock as well. The game is no longer played, but Hagoita are still created and collected as a symbol of good luck for the New Year. They have also evolved into a form of art that has expanded and adapted to our modern culture. Hagoita now come in all shapes, sizes, colors, themes, and of course price ranges. The "Battledore Festival" takes place every year in December and dates back to the Edo period. I didn't buy a paddle at this particular festival as they were WAY EXPENSIVE! But I do love the antique paddle I got at a bazaar a month ago. Lilia came along and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Tokyo that day. We got to see a lot! I am eternally grateful to Mari for coming with us. She was a trooper when it came to traveling with a baby. Lilia had a near blow out at the end of the day and I had to change her in the middle of a train station PLATFORM (complete with Japanese spectators.) It was quite the adventure, but I am really glad we went!!!!

Bazaar (Not to be Confused with Bizarre) Finds

Vase
Kokeshi-ish Doll (This was a gift for Lilia)
I may have inherited this from my mother, but I love dolls. Always have. My mom started me out with a doll collection at a very young age and I have always admired her collection. I know some people think dolls are creepy. I think those people are weird.
My favorite thing about the Japanese dolls that I have encountered in my time here is the beautiful fabric used to clothe the dolls. Kimono and Obi silks in incredibly ornate patterns and designs cover the dolls in many layers. This was my most recent find and the Atsugi Bazaar. The bazaar itself was actually rather disappointing, but this doll made up for it! It was marked down when we were leaving because of a small crack in the glass. I ended up getting it for $10.00!
It is a warrior or samurai doll for "Boy's Day" or now "Children's Day" in Japan.
This is another doll for "Children's day" of a young prince. Poor Cliff thought this doll was a girl because of the long hair. It's not! It's a little boy. (My English students read me the kanji.)
This is a Hagoita or battledore paddle. The decorative paddles have a painting on the back as well and were once used by girls for a game played on New Years with a shuttlecock. I think they are BEAUTIFUL!
I bartered with the guys and got this one for around $15.00!! (That is a good price.)
I have acquired a few Obi and Kimono since we have been here too. I seem to gravitate towards the ones with gold or silver....
This was an antique picture that no one seemed to want. I wanted it! It was only $5.00!!!

My friends and I have wondered why the Japanese people are always getting rid of their beautiful things. Why aren't they passed down through families? One of the reasons is because the Japanese people can be extremely superstitious and perceive it to be bad luck or just a bad idea in general to hold onto things that belong to the dead. It is not entirely uncommon to see entire households auctioned off after someone passes away. Not of all of the Japanese people feel this way, of course, but a few still do.

Interesting, don't you think?

Thanksgiving 2009

This Thanksgiving was our second in Japan. Last year we celebrated the holiday with about 20 other people at a friend's house. This year was a lot more low key. We were invited over to Mari and Chris's house along with Nancy and Maxwell and Greg, Kristin, and baby Madelyn. Greg and Kristin brought the Turkey, Nancy brought a few pies, I brought corn casserole and green bean casserole and an apple cobbler spice cake, and Mari had potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and beer bread, (which I had never tried before.) It was quite a feast. Lilia and Madelyn were both very good babies and Lilia even lasted in her outfit almost the entire time! We all sat together and talked about what we were thankful for this year and then we divided into teams and played games until it was time to get Lilia home. It was a really wonderful time and we are super grateful for friends that become family out here in Japan.

Along with good friends, Cliff and I have a tremendous amount to be grateful for this year. At the very top of our lists, of course, is our Lily bear. We are so grateful to have her in our lives. We are even more grateful that she is still here. After our scare this summer, each and every day is such a blessing. There are some nights when I am alone with her when she is nursing that I just feel overwhelmed by how big she is getting and how beautiful she is. I feel humbled that our Heavenly Father has entrusted her to our care and allowed us to watch over her. Following that line of thought, this year I have had a lot of time to really ponder the blessings of the Priesthood and especially in the context of healing and comfort. There first few nights that Lilia stayed in the hospital this summer we weren't sure that she would be there the next day. Priesthood blessings and my testimony of our Heavenly Father's plan for each of us were what sustained our family. I'm so grateful for my knowledge of the plan of salvation and for my Temple marriage. I'm grateful that families can be together forever. I'm grateful for a loving husband who is also my best friend. I'm so grateful for our beautiful little girl and for her health. Actually... I'm grateful that we are all healthy. It isn't something I take for granted anymore.

Cliff and I have also had an opportunity to make some very close friends here in Japan and I am extremely grateful for that. I am also grateful for the friends that I have back in the states that have made efforts to keep in touch. Their friendships are treasured and appreciated.

I am also grateful for a wonderful, loving, selfless mother. We added it all up and it turns out that she was here in Japan 120 days this past year. That is almost more than Cliff!! She gave up a lot to be with me and Lilia this summer. I am grateful to my Dad and my brother for going without her for so long. I'm grateful for my sister and how she makes an effort to stay in touch with us despite her ridiculous schedule.

I am grateful for Cliff's family too. His mother, especially, raised a wonderful son who has become an even better man.

I'll stop there. Needless to say, it has been a big year for us. We have an enormous amount to be grateful for. I've also found recently that focusing on the blessings in our lives really does help the negatives seem not soooo bad. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!