Happy New Year 2012

Kuida-Osumi's at Christmas 2011

Our 2011 holiday card - 2 CicLAvia's, cucumber from our garden, Manzanar & soccer 

Happy New Year 2012 - Osechi plate from Ayako H.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve this year was at Letty & Paul's new house.

 The gift exchange was pretty fun this year.   

 Maiya stole Nick's Fart Book.  She has memorized the book.

Maiya with Mrs. Ayala and the PEACE blanket she made for Maiya.

Holidays @ Work

I always say that there are like 7 or 8 potluck events and parties at my work during the holidays.  

This year, I think there were actually more than 10 events.  Here are a few of them.

Navidad en el Barrio - we packed and distributed 125 baskets of food. 

I went in on a Saturday after being out sick 3 days from work.

Santa Claus came and gave out toys to the children.

He was like a rock star.

Santa's Angelina Groupies

Our preschool Children's Holiday Performance

 Run, Run, Rudolph!

Singing "Feliz Navidad"

Tree trimming with Tula

Our friends Scott and Tula from Detroit came over a few days before Christmas.  Tula and Maiya put up our tree.  It was a 3 foot tree, actually maybe 2 feet tall with a foot long stick at the top.  Since it was pouring rain when we got the tree over the weekend, we just grabbed it and ran it to the car.  It was so small it fit in the backseat.  We had it drying out in the garage for a few days and finally put up the tree 3 days before Christmas with Tula's help.  We put it on a cooler... it only needed one strand of lights and about 1/4 of my ornaments.  

 

 Tony made me this Peace Sign out of lights and rope and wire.  He had bought the wire last year.  This year I bought some solar lights that go on the bushes.  I was pretty excited about the peace lights.  So are the girls in the window, can you see them?

*P * E * A * C * E *

Not our Christmas photo

No, it's not our Christmas photo... but I am working on a Year of the Tiger card, which at this point is still a month early. I am not going to stress about such things this year. I did just distribute family Christmas presents earlier today. Granny Franny, if you're reading, a Hanukkah present is (almost) in the mail.

Posts on New Years, our Oshogatsu party and my mom's bday party are in the works as well, as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. Patience in 2010, sounds pretty good to me.

Christmas 09

Christmas Morn at the Kuida-Osumi's house

Kuida's

11 of the 23 Okazaki Great Grandchildren

We had a nice Christmas. I made broccoli salad 6 times over the holidays. This year we bought a big tree - it was really beautiful. Maiya and I made cookies for Santa, who came through the chimney, saw Maiya's drawing for Santa, and at our cookies. On Christmas Day we went to my mom's. I was a bit wiped out from the usual pre-holiday stress and ended up sleeping the next 2 days. Again, I managed to do Christmas only going to Target twice (mostly for gifts for work)... although I must admit that I have yet to do holiday cards (we'll have a new year card this year at least) and the Christmas gift I made for the family has yet to be completed. But that's life. Best for the holidays.

Pre-X-Mas Festivities

I thought I already blogged these, but I must be confusing it with FB. Anyways, here's some random holiday events and photos from 12.09. Notice Maiya's dress in most of these photos, purchased last year on eBay.

Magician Maiya's little purple tree with purple lights

Tenrikyo SP Church's 80th Anniversary Celebration

started by my Grandma and Great Grandma

Putting up tree for Grandma's Kiddies Annual Photo

Maiya with Grandma Machi & Grandpa Walt

Me & my girl

Santa Claus came to our house on a sleigh with a police escort!

All the excitement on our block from Santa's visit

There's a Santa to measure up to (Angelina Preschool sighting)

7 Layer Jello for the Ayala's on Christmas Eve

Holiday Crazies

Happy New Year 2009. We managed to light Hanukkah candles on the 1st, 3rd and 8th night, and made do with only 12 candles. Christmas came and went without me ever stepping foot in a mall, but going to J-town twice and Target once. We've been consumed with escrow, trying to get our house rented, figuring out renovations for old and new houses, taking care of Tony's dad, and waiting to close escrow so we can start moving. Mike came over yesterday and put in new bathroom medicine cabinet for New Year's Eve, and tomorrow we're painting Maiya's room, and the den, which is miraculously, completely emptied out.

My parents took Maiya to our family Oshogatsu today, and Tony and I spent our New Year's Day at Ikea, Home Depot and Lowe's, all of which were terrific shopping days in terms of no crowds. Here are a few pictures to share.

First night of Hanukkah with DaddyMaiya's Oseibo (End of Year) performance for preschool
(she's in the back in royal blue)Maiya with friends (Ba-Narnia the lion is her new favorite)

First shoes with shoelaces from mommy & daddy

Mommy & Maiya on Christmas morning.

Ok, got to get back to the business of clearing out Maiya's room. Happy New Year.

XMas 07 - Photo Blog

Trimming the Tree (Or Playing with Ornaments)

DJ Maiya Giving Daddy a MassageOpening Gifts at the Ayala's on Xmas Eve
XMas Morning at homeXmas Day at Auntie Gayle's House

Uncle Darin, Auntie Sao, Cousins Kyle & Kevin

Posing with Grandma & Grandpa

Not interested in taking a family photoOk, so don't be in the picture, little girl!

Tony & Grandpa Larry on Xmas Night at Uncle Bill's

Aunt Janice & Uncle Meg watching Pirate movie