Finally able to get to update this blog.  I am finally feeling better as far as pregnancy goes.  Recently visited the clinic and all looks well--baby is 14 cm long!  Tomoki says he has a baby in his tummy too!

Here's Tomoki trying out his training chopsticks.  It didn't go so well.  He prefers his fingers--even over spoon and fork!  It's kinda funny--if he can't do something, he says he is "too big".  Today at the park, he said he was too big to ride on the swing by himself.  He told Charity K. he was too big for her to pick up too!

A picture of those who gathered for fall fellowship meeting.

Christmas was extra special this year as Tomoki could talk about Jesus' birth and play with the little manger set that was my family's.

At the beginning of December we made a trip to China.  We arrived in Beijing one evening and met Li-san and Chi-san and their daughter Jin-Lin for supper (also Li-san's brother).  It was wonderful to see Li-san united with his wife and daughter.  He seems to be doing well in China, though is very busy with business trips.  When asked about what he misses about Japan, he didn't hesitate and said, "the church people".

The next morning we flew to Hong Kong.  We went there because Akihiro's cousin was getting married.  The flights were made more tolerable by some discreet use of the IPad and watching Shimajiro (a Japanese children's learning tiger) and youtube excavator videos!  Really, though, Tomoki was a little trouper with our tight travel schedule.

In addition to the IPad, his trucks got a lot of use.  We weren't able to attend the wedding, but attended a reception dinner the night before.  Tomoki kept our table entertained with his skilled use of his cherry picker, etc.

Here we are with the couple to be married--Masahiro and Eriko Honna.

Back home to Japan the next day.  The next week Tomoki and I took the train out to Yamanshi to meet Akihiro for lunch and visit some friends out there.  I thought Tomoki looked quite dapper in his little hat!

During Christmas break, Koshin (9 years old), from our Shioda church came to spend the week with us.  He is a great kid and we had a nice time with him.  He and Tomoki are best buddies and Tomoki learned so much from him.  His Japanese language skills grew in leaps and bounds.  Some things I wouldn't have cared if he didn't learn....One morning my nose was a little stuffed up and my voice sounded funny.  In Japanese it is called "hana goe" (nose voice, I guess).  Koshin started plugging his nose and saying "hana goe des".  Tomoki followed suit of course.  Well, it was fine for home, but when we joined Marie I. for lunch at a restaurant that day and Tomoki was hollering "hana goe des" in a fairly load nose and plugging his nose, I was a bit embarrassed!  Oh well!  It's interesting to see his language develop.  One day he saw me cutting up some strawberries for our dessert and said to Akihiro, "strawberries".  His pronunciation wasn't the greatest, and Akihiro thought he said cabbage.  He tried again, "no, strawberries!".  Poor Papa still didn't get it, so Tomoki sighed loudly and said, "Papa, ICHIGO!!!"  (That is Japanese for "strawberry".)
     Actually, Koshin ended up coming back one week later for a week because his grandfather in Malaysia passed away and his mother went home for a week.  I put him to work and was able to get some extra things done while he was here.  The below picture was taken at the zoo.  Akihiro took the boys to the zoo one day and I had some blissful hours to myself!

Another day we hiked a nearby mountain.  It was cold, but we had a great view from the top.  Cup of noodle never tastes better than on the top of a mountain on a cold day!