2013 year in review

So, I realized that I had not updated this blog in say... 10 months!?! And also, that a TON of stuff has happened since?!
I know that my last blog post was about my friend's death.  It was so sad and still is.  Just this past week a family from our church lost their oldest son in his fight with cancer.  We had been praying continually, weekly for him for YEARS.  He lost his 8 year battle to cancer and died at the age of 23.  The older you get, the more death that touches your life and surrounds you.  I didn't know Kyle, but I know his parents.  At this time of year, I am saddened even more to think that this will be their first Christmas without him.  This will be the first Christmas for Naomi without her mother.  The memorial on Sunday was very emotional hearing his father share stories and sing a song to his son.  Brian Hill (who is Luther Vandross incarnate) sang John Legend's "Everyday People" to the slide show.  I thought about my own boys as I saw Kyle's life in pictures, seeing his little newborn face with his mother, seeing his smiling little boy face.  I see my own boys' faces and think that in a second, they too could be gone...

Anyways, I'd like to record some of the events of the year for our family---

After a long battle with the owner of the tennis club, Christina Broadwin took over as club manager and re-opened the club.  Some members had moved away or joined other clubs, but most re-joined.  Ryuta is back playing tennis about once a week.  I haven't picked up a racquet in a long time, so I haven't joined again. 
Ryuta had a tough year at work with disappointing management and the pressure of a small company.  We had many conversations this year about satisfaction.  How do you find true satisfaction in life?  It became clear that Ryuta could no longer work in the demanding, Japanese work environment of high-tech semiconductors.  There was no motivation, no passion.  The pay and benefits served our family well and I was able to stay home for 4 years with the kids.  But, in the end, it just didn't pay enough to bring home our tired, miserable Ryuta who was always home late and did I mention miserable?!  What did he want to try?  What was he interested in?  You only live life once and as long as we could pay our bills and not burden anyone, what did he want to try while we are still alive?  Ryuta decided he wanted to get a license to be a hair stylist.  He spoke to lots of salon owners and stylists and beauty schools.  So, in August, Ryuta quit his job at Mirapro and is currently a stay-at-home daddy with the boys.  He will start night school in January for an 18-month program.  We are nervous, but excited.

For myself, I needed to and still need to pray a lot about the future of our family.  I have seen God bless our family through these challenges.  I think my being able to let go of the familiar and of the comfort to let Ryuta pursue his dreams has helped us to be the closest we've ever been.  I've been praying that Ryuta and I would have a close, loving marriage where we'd be really happy with each other, really supportive of each other.  I have such a hard time with change and this year has been about change.  I had gotten very comfortable with staying home with our kids and was thinking that I'd go back to work part-time when the boys were in elementary school.  I'd be able to volunteer in their classrooms and drive them to soccer practices.  In the spring, I'd finally made the decision that I'd support Ryuta and that I'd go back to work.  It only made sense since Ryuta hated his job and I've always enjoyed teaching.  I interviewed all summer in Newark and in Fremont.  It was humbling to me to get rejected from job interviews!  Being a teacher had become such a strong part of my identity and I never felt insecure in that part of my life.  I prayed to God that wherever he wanted me to be would be the first place that would call me.  I didn't want to second guess or have to make any hard decisions when there were so many other things to stress about.  In the end, I had 2 great interviews at the end of the summer on the same day.  I felt really excited about my first interview and knew in my heart that if they called me I'd accept with great joy.  However, the 2nd interview called me right away with an offer.  I took it and then got a call right after from the first school.  I know that God has still answered my prayer because my current job has been really great and good fit for me and for my family.  The commute is so short.  My co-workers are super nice and super helpful.  My principal is very supportive, casual, and easy-going.  I have an army of awesome parents who help out lots in my class.  I'm teaching a familiar grade-level and I really do love my students.  I had a hard first week or two.  (I cried myself to sleep after the first day of school from exhaustion and confusion.  Was I rusty?!  Did I forget how to teach?  I'd always been great with classroom management, but the jump from 20 3rd graders to 30 immature 2nd graders was a shock to my system.  Did I make the wrong choice to work again?!)  Well, everything has settled down for now and my chatty, quirky group of 2nd graders are very cute and likeable kids.  I'm nervous though about when Ryuta starts night school on January 7th.  He will go to school Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday nights and all day-Saturdays.  It will be a hard 18 months, but I have to remember that this too shall pass and to view the future with excitement.  I'm just nervous about how our energy levels will get through it.  My mom and dad aren't ones to be tied down to help for too long.  They have too many other things to do such as work, travel, entertainments, etc.  But, I sure do hope they will take some pity on us and pitch in whenever they see us drowning under our own choices...sigh.  Okay, positive thinking, positive thinking. 

Our Kai-kai-- Kai had a wonderful finish to his year in Panda-gumi.  He LOVED Naoko-sensei, his friends, and his Nishiyamato school.  He participated in the oyugikai (song performance) and sports festival.  He came home singing songs and pretending to be a teacher with walls and his piano.  We kept him home for summer vacation and it was really relaxing to not have to launder school uniforms or pack school bentos.  We got to move at our own pace and meet up with friends.  Kai went to swim over the summer and started to get more comfortable with the water (as in he GOT IN the water.)  He especially LOVED the water park and everytime we drive by he says, "There's Bucket Bay.  I like Bucket Bay.  When can we go to Buckey Bay?"  I made the connection in the early summer that Kai is Shrek.  Kai was always telling his brother (and me) to "go away."  I told Kai about Shrek and how Shrek is an ogre who likes to stay by himself in his swamp.  We watched the movie and Kai fell inlove.  We had Shrek marathons throughout the summer and watched all the Shrek movies.  Lukas, fittingly, is donkey, the little talkative creature who follows Shrek around, messing up his stuff.  ALSO- we finally finished potty training!!!!!!  As soon as we stopped caring, Kai improved more and the incentives of candy treats and ipad time helped, too.  But, it was a lot of poopy pants to clean up for more than half of the year...At summer's end, I got a job and a lot of changes happened.  I had been with both boys everyday since they were born and now I was going to work.  Kai started in Koala-gumi class.  We thought switching to Tuesday Thursday instead of MWF would be less stressful, but there were different kids in Kai's class.  The school also changed locations and Koala-gumi has a different teacher, Maki-sensei.  Ryuta was now around more.  Kai started to deal with his stress through OCD.  Our home was a series of walls and color-coding.  Any false move and Kai would fall apart.  He also started twitching his mouth, his eyes, his head, his body.  We took him out of school in November and the twitching has stopped.  I was really concerned that something was wrong with Kai.  Did he have tourette's?  How could we help him with his OCD?  (I think FAMILY therapy would be crucial.)  Ryuta took Kai to the neurologist who immediately and ignorantly said that Kai was autistic and gave us a letter of recommendation for Glankler special needs preschool.  We will do evaluations with Glankler and will see a highly recommeded behaviorist in the spring.  I'm trying to stay positive that we can get good help and to just love and accept Kai for who he is. He is very cute, smart, funny, affectionate, imaginative.

Lukas-- Lukas has changed from our bright-eyed, little pudgeball baby into a ROUGH-and-tumble, ROUGH, energetic, passionate little boy.  He is very expressive with his feelings and I joke with Dad that their emotional DNA is very similiar (as in when Lukas gets angry, he cries easily and starts stomping around the place..)  Lukas is very physical.  He likes to wind up and throw things, hit things, wrestle with Kai and treat his big brother like his personal punching bag.  Lukas still has the face of an angel with this round cheeks, big eyes and long eyelashes.  He lights up the room with his smile and he has a very endearing personality.  I love, love, LOVE that kid.  He always wants to be included, has a way of getting someone to pick him up and play with him and give him whatever junky food item that he wants.  He loves his big brother (who is pretty much is main playmate) Lukas is fearless in climbing, jumping, and doing whatever his 4 year-old brother is doing.  Realistically, Lukas is our last baby and his quickness to grow up makes me sentimental and sad. :(     Lukas is similiar to Kai in that he is very delayed with his speech.  I am not as worried this time because Lukas is very expressive and shows signs that he understands.  Kai knew more signing that Lukas and also spoke sooner.  Lukas can sign "more, please, milk, water, apple, cereal, diaper, up, book."  He makes sounds for dada, up, and.... well.. he mostly grunts and makes caveman-like noises.

Travels and other things--  We went to Monterey in February with mom and dad as a Christmas gift.  Mom and I went on a mother-daughter weekend in September to Napa.  Ryuta and I went to our church's marriage retreat in November.  We had planned on a Kaui trip in September, but cancelled it because it eneded up coinciding with the 2nd week of school.  We are traveling to southern California for the new year and Ryuta and I will visit Seattle next July. 
This year brought many changes, but many blessings.  My resolution for 2013 was to work on being more generous.  I don't know so much that I reached any goal in that area although I do feel like I had to give and change more than ever before.  God was very generous to us in our friendships.  Two dear friends who had to go through IVF had their first children this year.  We grew in many of our friendships with other couples and families. 
For Halloween this year- Ryuta was a sumo, Kai was Shrek, Lukas was Toy Story alien (and Mickey Mouse), and I was a 2nd grade smart pants and a green super hero.  We had fun trick-or-treating and going to Sergio & Nadia's Nacho Libre party (complete with thumb wrestling and a nacho bar.)  We had a super fun Elf party for Christmas and hope to make them annual traditions.  Anyways, that's all for now. 
I don't know yet what 2014 will bring, but I'm hoping that Ryuta and I will make it through is first year of school successfully and together.  I hope for rest and for energy.  I hope that we won't just survive the year, but really love every moment.  Hmmm.  I will have to think about 2014's mantra words to focus on.  2012 was joy and gratitude.  2013 was generosity.  2014... energy?!
Well, merry Christmas and happy new year!!!
Somer & family

Saying Goodbye

I'm hoping that by writing this down it will help to provide more closure.  This has been with me everyday since last week.  I've been thinking about her everyday.  How do you really say goodbye?  This type of goodbye really is goodbye because I'll never see my friend again.  Not in this lifetime and not on this world.  I question God about His plan.  I question God about why some people have mental illnesses and why my friend is gone.  Some things seem unfair, confusing, and don't make sense. 
I had some great talks with a few friends over the past two weeks about this, about mental health, about friendships.  Talks about why we choose to say goodbye and how we reconnect.  I've thought about not assuming anything about anyone, to understand that we are all able to change, to also work on being more "real" myself.  One of the things that hurt me the most was feeling so sad that for the past 10-12 years my friend might have been silently suffering, that her mental illness was too shameful to talk about with anyone.  Did she have anyone to talk to?  Could she tell anyone?  Do we live in a world where everything must always be superficial, happy, and good all the time?  Can we really let down with others when we need to cry or express other emotions?  At the memorial it was interesting how another friend gave a different perspective on the "secret."  She said that she purposely kept it from us to save us from the pain.  But who saved her?  Who could save her?  I ask God, "Why did this happen?  Did she have a chance?  What about her husband? Her daughter?  Is she held accountable for a sickness that was too strong for her?"
One dear friend who also shares the bipolar disorder shed some more light in a talk yesterday.  She told me about 2 scriptures, one about how God gives some lives to save others.
Isaiah 43:4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Perhaps, my friend lost her life in order that there are others who would know God.  I know there are different stories of people who came to know God because someone at some time had lost their life.  A mother died so that later her daughter was able to seek after the Lord.  Perhaps someone today would have the opportunity now to connect with christians?
My friend also shared about how God made her perfect.  She was made to have bipolar, that it is a part of her, that she doesn't always understand why, but God made her just right.
Psalm 139: 13-14 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
We looked at 2 Corinthians 4: 7-18
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
The end of this makes me think about how I can't see my friend anymore.  I can't SEE her.  But the unseen will always be with us.  No one can see what we feel, what we remember.  It goes on in our hearts.  I've always looked at this scripture as the unseen as the intangible, as heaven, as the things of the heart and of the spirit and of God.  But I will always remember this and remember her.  That can be eternal.  What lives on in my heart and in my spirit.

I heard the terrible news last Tuesday morning about her passing.  This morning was her memorial service.  This is the first time I've experienced the death of a friend who was my peer.  I've been to funerals of older people.  But never my friend, never someone my age.  She was just a year older with a daughter just a little bit older than Kai.  We were sorority sisters and friends.  I look at her life and think she still had the rest of her life to live.  She had so many more years to live, to be with her husband, to see her daughter grow up.  I get sad thinking about that, thinking about him without her, to think about their daughter without a mom.  The service today was very sad.  It was nice and there were many thoughtful, meaningful, eloquent words.  The ones that touched me the most were from her husband.  He talked about their relationship, how they were, how they lived, how they loved each other, the things he would  miss.  Who would think they'd be telling everyone the story now while life is still in the beginning, while we are still young with young children?  Gosh, you could just tell from what he said and the pictures in the slideshow that they were so inlove.  Why would such a full life end so short?  I cried when he talked about missing her smell of lotion.  That scent will never be there again.  I cried when I saw him carrying their daughter to the burial site to watch the coffin lowered.  These were the last moments as a family with her physical body.  Would her daughter remember?  What did she understand?  How will she feel when she goes to bed again without her mommy there?  I'm still grieving to think about them.  I put myself in their shoes and my heart breaks.  I think if it were Kai, if we lost one another... The few positives that I can hold onto for now-- *I am grateful to be alive.  I'm grateful that my kids have both Ryuta and I in their lives. *I was able to reconnect today with some friends and am hopeful. *I am learning more about trusting God and to dig deeper, to find areas in my past and in my relationships where I can fill in the gaps more.  I think there were things about college and my sorority days that were shameful to me.  I didn't like who I was then and was still exploring who I was.  I've been a little negative about my sorority, but I've been trying to hold onto what WAS good about that part of my life.  I'm learning about why I keep my relationships.  It is no one's fault that some things didn't stay.  They weren't bad people, but I couldn't hold on any longer.  I think about the people I've stuck to, the ones I've always felt I could really be myself with, the ones who brought out the best in me, the ones who have inspired me and changed me for the better.  But I know that I'm called higher now to have a greater character in my relationships.  If our relationship is superficial, I need to work out my own superficiality.  I need to change that part of myself and my character.  We are all works in progress. Today, I've been listening to sappy, sentimental songs like Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day", Sarah Maclaclan's "I Will Remember You," and a new song called "Stars" by Grace Potter.  Sigh. Anyways, good night. 

a little getaway

My heart has felt so heavy lately from very sad, recent news about a friend's death.  This past weekend was such a gift.  It really was a gift, too, because the whole trip was our christmas gift from mom and dad.  I could not have asked for more.  Beautiful sunshine, time together, babysitting (!!!!).. It was a time to refresh and appreciate our many blessings.

for your driving pleasure... DJ Kai!

Where's the baby?!

classic. 

the aquarium

these days

"Baby Godzilla" about to destroy the "city"

I hope that in 20 years this blog site will still work. Sometimes I worry that I should be recording this all down in other places just in case like on a word document or on the original word document, paper & pen. My purpose in recording all of these memories is so that when my kids are grown and gone, I can look back and read these memoirs 20, 30 years later. I can laugh and cry and remember.


So, maybe I should do just that and start recording it in two places for a little backup.

Anyways..
These days..

Kai is almost 3 1/2 and Lukas is almost 9 months. We are really starting to have fun now!!!

Lukas has a new nickname. Baby Godzilla. I taught Kai what that means and he enjoys talking about how his brother is Baby Godzilla and it is his job to eat everything and destroy everything. Kai is the "architect." Seriously. No matter where we are, he will start to build walls and gates and "cities" with whatever "building materials" are available. Lukas is now on the move, rolling and scooting and crawling and pulling himself up. Lukas LOVES his big brother. Whenever Kai comes close or graces his little brother with attention, Lukas is in heaven. He is so expressive about how happy he is, too, which is the cutest. Lukas wants in on the action, too, and can't be left to his own devices. So, now being the mobile Baby Godzilla that he is, Lukas likes to move himself to where Kai is and "play" with all of Kai's walls and cities. I'm hearing a lot more these days of "No, Lukas! Stop touching that, Lukas! No!"

And so it all begins. I made a deal with Kai that if he played in his room, I could guarantee for now that Lukas wouldn't touch his things. However, Kai still insists on playing in "public space." Public space is the family room, kitchen, areas which are for EVERYBODY and I can't stop anyone from touching whatever is in public space. It is interesting to see Kai, too, who is generally Mr. Independent, say, "I need Lukas" or "I want to see Lukas." I think Kai chooses not to play in his room now because (1) he is stubborn and a bit contrary and also (2) I think he wants to be with me and his little brother and doesn't want to play by himself which is kinda nice that he cares to be a little more social now.

A recent conversation I wanted to write down made me laugh for a day or two. Kai knows the difference between boys and girls and I'm teaching him new words about "humans" and people. I think he understands women and men. But it is funny because people, persons, humans, I think he defines as adults and grown-ups. He kept asking me for a few days, "Mommy, are you a person?" One response of his cracked me up. I told him, "Yes, I am, Kai. You are a person, too." "No, mommy. I'm not a person. I'm not human. Because I'm just a boy." Well, there you go.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself..



Psalm 33:3

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

 In the past 2 weeks, I have had many things to feel scared of, many things to worry about, to cry about.  Yesterday in the morning, I realized, "Stop feeling so sorry for yourself! Snap out of it!"
Recent events put my woes into better perspective.  As another friend described snapping out of her own woes, it is "humbling." It is humbling to remember how precious this gift of life is.  It is humbling to know that our life is held in a delicate balance and that truly God is the only one in control of it all.
I've read a few other blogs and articles that helped me this morning to reframe my own thinking more. 

Here were some of my reads--

This reminded me of realizing how awesome God's creation is (including me, too!): http://lysaterkeurst.com/2012/04/when-your-husband-has-given-up/
Despite sad events, God will always be there to hear me out: http://houseoftong.blogspot.com/2013/02/just-me-and-rock.html
And one more... I love the example of the bucket!!! Christ's atonement helps us to really overflow..: http://www.daringyoungmom.com/2012/12/19/drops-of-awesome/

Adventures in Paradise (Oahu trip 2013)

Job 8:21


He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

So, I’m not totally crazy. When my husband suggested taking a family trip to Oahu for 12 days, my initial reaction was to cringe. I asked my friends. Am I weird? Am I super ungrateful to not want to go to Hawaii? Who doesn’t want to take a Hawaiian vacation?! But, now that we are gratefully back home, I realize that I wasn’t crazy to feel a bit of dread and anxiety at the thought of attempting our adventure.

Other than just wishful thinking, I agreed to go to Hawaii because I didn’t think my husband would have taken 12 days off from work to stay home and chill out with us. So, ultimately, the best part of our trip was that we were together. It was all in all, an "experience." The trip could not really be described as relaxing or even that much fun. It was stressful and tiring, but it was completely hilarious (in retrospect) and a learning experience. I see in retrospect that I’m not crazy. I was able to laugh a lot and learn a lot and I’m 1,000x more grateful for my home and family, but I realize that I wasn’t weird to cringe.

It all started when my parents decided to spend their first Christmas in Houston with my brother’s family. When Ryuta found out, he said,” Well, if they aren’t here, we should go somewhere!” We looked at possibly going to Japan for the New Year, but it was too expensive. A trip to Oahu was slightly more affordable and what a great way to rack up our miles!

The flight over was filled with Kai insisting on sitting on his daddy’s lap (and he was glued there for the 12 days following), Kai kicking the back of his neighbor’s chair, Kai telling us how he wanted to go back home, not having enough food to eat on our flight. Lukas slept for part of it. Kai did not. Gratefully, we got there safely.

The good, the bad, & the ugly. Such is life.

Here are some good, bad, & ugly moments from Oahu:

The GOOD:

*We got to eat lots of yummy food such as Kua’aina burgers, Teddy’s teriyaki burgers, shaved ice @ Aoki’s & Waiola, Gyukaku, Korean bbq (twice!), ahi poki, sushi (twice!)



@ Gyukaku: Kai surprisingly kept running away..


*I had 20 minutes of peace walking in the sunshine on the beach in Ka’a’awa while the kids hung with Ryuta @ the playground.

Sign reads: "School property.  No loitering.  No trespassing."  I thought this looked funny to me as my husband was sleeping on the slide holding the baby looking like some bums. hehe

*We got lots of great souvenirs such as shirts from Aloha Stadium, 14 boxes of mac nut chocolates (!!!), Hawaiian decals.  Ryuta got a funny hat and license plate holder that say,"I not late. I stay on hawaiian time."

*Kai & I built 2 sand castles (this was a huge deal since Kai is scared of the ocean and freaked out anytime we’d even suggest going on the SAND!)

"For Tutu" (Mom asked Kai to build her a castle.)

*Kai touched the ocean ONCE.

*I had LOTS of opportunities to tickle Kai (the agreement was that if he whined, said anything negative, or acted like Oscar the Grouch, he’d get tickles.)

*I sat in the back of the car with my kids A LOT. And didn’t get car sick.

*Ryuta’s old boss, Azuma, was very generous & kind to us with dinner & a stay @ her beautiful condo.

*I got to attend church services at UH. I REALLY like our Oahu church!

* Other than long car rides, Lukas was the perfect traveler!

*Despite eating LOTS of white rice, I didn’t gain any weight from our trip! Yay!

*We met Mickey & Minnie @ the Aulani Disney Resort (that place is AMAZING.)

*We did NOT lose our rental car keys.

*We got to stay at a nice, clean hotel in a great location.

*The parking lot guy liked Ryuta because we used to be locals and so hooked us up with free parking!

*We got to take pictures with our kids in the place where we met and where we got married.


@ the Kahala hotel.  Good job doing your shaka, Kai kai!


* We have lots of hilarious memories.

*Kai got to spend lots of time with his daddy.

*Kai & Lukas had a number of nights that they played and giggled together. I cherish these moments.

* We were together.

THE BAD & THE UGLY:

*Kai reminded us daily that he did not like Hawaii & wanted to go home. “I don’t like Hawaii.. I want to go home.. I don’t like it.” (Oscar the Grouch got a million tickles.) “Oh wow, Kai. Look out the window. Isn’t it beautiful?!” “No.”

*Kai built his walls wherever we went. @ GG’s place, @ the restaurant, @ the hotel. He got obsessive about building a wall out of a straw beach mat. On the morning we were packing up in our hotel, he screamed for a couple of hours because his “wall” kept falling down.

*We had our hands very full during meals. Lukas sat on my lap while Ryuta fed him baby food. Kai, for some reason, refused to sit by himself and sat on daddy’s lap for almost every meal.

*It rained about 80% of the time. We spent a lot of time in the car trying to find somewhere pleasant and dry. Lukas HATES being in the car and screams, so I spent much of my energy trying to appease to him and calm him down.

*On New Year’s Eve, the neighbors directly behind my grandma’s cottage had a BIG fireworks party. It felt like World War 3. They shot off large fireworks most of the evening and did a grand finale at 12. They got really excited again around 2am. This would have been fine if our boys were bigger and liked fireworks. However, I submitted myself to not getting sleep, blasted a musical concert on PBS TV, and tried to keep the boys calm. In that sense, I miss the calm. peaceful New Year in Japan.

*We lost our rental car keys (thankfully, Ryuta found them.)

*Ryuta slammed Kai’s hand in the car door.

*All of the guys got congested. Runny noses and boogers for 2 weeks. 

*Kai wet the bed twice.

*Lots of laundry plus no dryer plus rain.

*Kai fell out of the hotel bed at 2:30 am and screamed for an hour that he needed to leave. (Ryuta later found him at 4 am dead asleep upside down on a chair. I WISH he got a photo!)

*After a long walk around Waikiki, with kids asleep in ergo and stroller, standing at a red light just across the street from our hotel, getting hit by a downpour of rain. We could only scream and laugh.


This is us before the rain hit.  We're taking a picture in front of the place where we first met.


*When we finally landed at SFO (Kai fell asleep just 5 minutes before landing. Typical!) we were so relieved and happy. We had never been so glad to leave Hawaii and be back home to my parents, lots of clean carpet space for the baby, the kids’ books and toys, the baby’s high chair and jumper. However, right when we thought we had it all.. we had all of our luggage and my dad was ready to pick us up, the airlines misplaced Kai’s car seat. They told us that the car seats were gate-checked (although we checked them in with our luggage) and Ryuta had to go back through security to our gate to get them. We spent 90 minutes waiting and trying to figure out where the car seat was or trying to locate a loaner seat. They finally found it and we finally made it home.



We learned and realized a few things.

1. If and when we make a big trip again with small children, travel with grandparents. Also, do a shorter stay at a resort.

2. Getting a dog might be better than having a 3rd baby.

3. Weekend getaways may be better than big trips.

4. You can’t force a kid to be a good traveler.

The end. 

Holidays 2012

Merry Christmas.


Many happy, joyful wishes to you and your family this holiday season.

At the start of 2012, I (Somer) resolved to work on being more joyful and grateful and as I look back on the year, I truly am thankful for all of the people and experiences that made up our year. As I reflect back, I think, “What exactly did I do this year?” I spent half the year making a baby in my tummy while pigging out on McDonald’s burgers and ice cream cones, enjoying the benefits of insurance and the chiropractor, cherishing the last moments of times with “just Kai” going on play dates, and trips to the park. I dedicated my time to creating a community of moms, trying to discover new recipes, and thinking about how to build our home and family.



After 6 years at Anelva/Canon, Ryuta started a new job in early August at Mirapro. He still keeps in touch with old clients and co-workers at frequent lunches and dinner outings. On the weekends, he keeps up his tennis. Saturday mornings are bonding times with Kai—swim and bike rides. I am hoping we can try out e-soccer in 2013! Ryuta still enjoys reading manga, watching movies, and shopping for sneakers and jeans and funny t-shirts.



Kai had a big year with lots of changes. He became a big brother. During the summer, he started preschool 2 mornings a week and swim lessons on the weekends. He turned 3 in September. We have been dabbling into the world of potty training and it has been a slow process. In October, he became a student at a new Japanese preschool in San Jose and he is slowly becoming more bilingual. We love the structure of the school and the gentle, caring teachers. Kai is a shy, smart, imaginative, careful boy who loves his teachers, singing songs, reading books, doing art, building and organizing, going for bike rides with his dad, trips to Happy Hallow, eating rice with furikake, eating fruit, cookies, watching Anpanman, and Disney Cars.



On June 2nd, we were blessed to meet the newest addition, Lukas Kei Sanui. Lukas loves to be around people and is a very social, happy creature. He brings so much joy, many smiles, and much laughter into our home. I always think of the Elton John song “Your Song” when I think about him. “I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is now that you’re in the world.” Papa-san calls him “Lizard Boy” because Lukas is exploring his world with his tongue! I think of him as my little owl because of his adorable, round eyes. This Christmas, he will be almost 7 months and will likely be rolling and scooting all over the house.



Travels & Visits—

My mom, Kai, and I visited my brother’s family in Houston in January and they paid us a visit in August. It was great to see the cousins all together. Ryuta’s mom/”Grandma” flew in from Japan in February and in July. In March, Ryuta and I did a “babymoon” weekend away in San Francisco, enjoying some rare moments away just the 2 of us. In October, we were lucky to have a family mini-trip to Monterey. At the end of this year, we are headed to Oahu for a couple of weeks to ring in the new year.





Other important events—

This year both grandparents turned 80. We missed Grandpa’s birthday because I was in my last month of pregnancy and couldn’t fly out to Vegas. I’m sorry I missed seeing him dressed up as Elvis! Grandma’s birthday was a wonderful family reunion with family flying in from Colorado, Oregon, and San Diego. Our cousin, Justin, graduated from San Jose State and is now working in Arkansas doing great things with his education. For Halloween, Kai was Super Boy (but DON’T tell him that his “t-shirt” was a “costume!”), Lukas was a monster, and I was “Fear the Beard” Wilson. (Go Giants! World Series champs!!!!) We went trick-or-treating with the Pons family. Papa-san and Lukas passed out candy. We said goodbye to my father’s longtime tennis friend, Haruki-san, in May. We also felt a great loss as a community as our tennis club was closed. For the past 20 years (of my life at least), the club was a gathering place to meet friends, exercise, and play tennis. We also said goodbye to cousin Ashley and family as they moved out into “wild”  territory in Colorado.



New beginnings==

This was a year of new lives, new babies! Lukas will have lots of playmates as he grows up. Welcome the Year of the Dragon babies—Kobe, Samuel, Eowyn, Sage, Alyre, Cope, Arya, Judah, and Olivia.

Sometime during the spring, our backyard project was completed. We said goodbye to the old pool and hello to our new backyard space. I learned a lot about dealing with contractors for sure! But, we definitely are enjoying the new entertaining space and not having to worry about little ones falling into the pool.

I called this Halloween my “Mardi Gras” as I chowed down on chocolate before my season of “lent,” a season of exercise, healthy eating, and more discipline and self-control. In November, I joined a gym with my parents. They had started a morning exercise program and it really made big differences in their health and energy. I decided to give it a shot, too. I’ve had my fair share of aches, but my parents have really inspired me to be a healthier person. I know that I could not have tried this out without them! This healthy living is a new beginning for me (and surprisingly it is the END of the year!)

Tutu & Papa (my parents) will be headed to Houston to spend Christmas with my brother’s family. This will be our first Christmas as a family. I look forward to creating some special memories of “just us,” our little Sanui clan. Please stop by and say hello if you are in the hood. 



Well, we want to wish you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!



Love,

The Sanui Family

Ryuta, Somer, Kai, & Lukas





Luke 2

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Lots to be Thankful for (November 2012)

Ecclesiastes 5:19

Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.