Christmas Eve and Day '11

The reason we celebrate! This picture of Christ was given to us at the Mission Presidents' Seminar. We love it. Christmas Eve at the Millers with all the senior missionaries and the Grames family.

Elder Donahoe playing for McKenzie and Spenser as they entertained us with Christmas carols.

The Grames were lucky enough to have 4 of their family members come to Japan for Christmas!

Christmas morning! Here are our gifts and our little tree with its origami ornaments.

New jinbei (p.j.'s) that I gave Rulon!

Me on Christmas morning!

Here are some of our gifts!

This frame holds three puppet/masks.

My little Japanese doll that I fell in love with when we went shopping the other day.

Kokeshi dolls are delightful and I got three this Christmas. The one of Mary with the baby was from Sister Stevenson as a visiting teaching gift. I bought the Grandma and Grandpa and gave them to Rulon - couldn't resist!

Don't know if you can see this but these are temple envelopes with the Tokyo Temple embroidered on them! They are from our friends, Don and Joy Rich. We will treasure these forever!

Two dragonfly pillow covers from the Grames! I saw them when we were shopping one day and she bought them for me. I love the dragonfly symbol!

Christmas breakfast with strawberries and fruit topping from the Wadas.

Here is the one thing I was able to surprise Rulon with - I bought these in November and a friend hid them under her bed until today. These are decorative Japanese swords that Rulon has admired every since we got here.

I think he was pleased!

We know that the grandsons are going to love looking at these. They are not sharp but still look wicked.

Zoe and Aimee Havard in their new Christmas dresses from their grandma in France. We went to their home for Christmas dinner today.

Zoe is a precocious 5 year old who speaks French, English and Japanese. We had a delightful time with her and her sister.

The Richs were also invited. Aimee is two weeks older than Eden. She will be 3 in January.

Intently opening some gifts.

We had a 7 course French meal including duck and duck liver which is very expensive. It was actually good on her homemade French bread. This was the 13 desserts at the end. The Yule log was filled with chocolate custard.

Joy and Don Rich - they were the speakers at sacrament meeting today and did a wonderful job. We also had several beautiful musical numbers which brought tears. Elder Stevenson also gave a short talk at the end of the meeting which really brought the spirit. Then there was a baptism right after of a man the Grames have been working with - Oliver from Cameroon. What a great day!

So despite missing our family, we were able have a very enjoyable last Christmas in Japan. Thanks to all who made it so wonderful!

Almost Christmas! Dec. '11

Last night we finally celebrated Thanksgiving with the Donahoes. We were in Kobe on Thanksgiving and never got our turkey dinner.
I bought a turkey breast at Costco and made a nice meal for us.

I even made cranberry sauce from Crasins! It is amazing how inventive you can be here.

Here we are packed in a van coming home from Costco. We all had things on our laps and under our feet (so what is new about that?).

Sister Donahoe is holding pizzas on her lap - I think we bought 11 between all of us.

Sign on the door of the church library. Wonder who defaced it? A teenager? Just guessing! Sister Sonomuro with her apron that we all signed for her. She is finishing her mission on Jan. 5th and will return to Hawaii!

Rulon's new vest that we bought him to wear under his suit to keep him warmer. It is what all the well dressed missionaries wear!

Here's a little preschool group led by Santa. They all wished me Merry Christmas as I snapped their picture.

December 23rd is the emperor's birthday so it is a national holiday. We thought it was great that they honored this day since it is the birthday of Joseph Smith also.

These next pictures are from the Tokyo Mission party that we attended. ALL of the missionaries were brought together for this party. Not many missions can do this as the missionaries are usually spread out too far.

There was lots of great American food! Sloppy joes, chips, dips, salads, ice cream sundaes plus other things. They loved it.

Each zone put on a skit with various props that were provided. This one included this dragon!

The gym was filled with missionaries. They sat everywhere. Luckily they saved seats for us so we didn't have to be on the floor!

Two more blurry photos but I wanted to show Pres. and Sister Albrecht opening the gift that they gave them. It was wrapped in a huge box that then had another box to unwrap until they finally got to the present.

The Sisters got seats also - well most of them. Some preferred the floor!

Yum!

We celebrated Faith Watabe's birthday at the New Sanno Hotel with all the ladies. She turned 70 but acts like she is 20 years younger.

Joy Rich and Cindy Grames (with her new haircut).

This little Santa's workshop was in the entrance of the hotel.

And there was a gift shop there - I bought myself a couple of things (Rulon can give them to me for Christmas)!

President and Sister Stevenson asked me to take their picture with their guests.

Some of favorites - Risa (Lisa), Mieko, and Naoko and their Christmas bags that I made for them.

This nativity scene is at the entrace to the temple. Lisa took this of me and then I took one of her.

There have been so many activities this month and it still isn't over! Tonight we are invited to a family's home for dinner with all the other senior missionaries (21 including the Temple missionaries). What a wonderful gift. Then TOMORROW is Christmas Day! I'm sure I will have more pictures before December ends.