Third Wedding this Year

"Ceremony" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/210 sec, ISO200
“Ceremony” San Antonio, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Do you know that period of time when you are about 30 and many of your friends around you are getting married? Well, that was 20 years for us, and since then we haven’t gone to many weddings. However, just within the past half year, we’ve gone to three! And the ages of the couples has varied quite a bit. First, my brother (six years my elder) got married, then some friends (10 years younger than me) got married, and lastly, my nephew (23 years younger) got married.

And the types of weddings were also quite different. California beachside with Mexican food, Hill Country with Texas barbecue, and historic San Antonio with chicken, steak, etc. None of these were at a church and thinking about it, I guess church weddings aren’t as popular as the used to be. But one thing is always the same: weddings are perhaps the most emotional occasion for the newlyweds, so it is an honor to be part of them. And they are always fun!

This latest wedding for my nephew was great. The food was excellent, with a nice bar (Suntory Toki whiskey!). There were oysters on the half-shell, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, Beef Wellington, and jalapeño poppers. And those were just the appetizers! It was also really nice to see my extended family, some of whom I only see at family reunions. I have to say that family weddings are the best since we get to welcome new members into our crazy Leesang/Fujimoto clans.

"First Dance" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/90 sec, ISO6400
“First Dance” San Antonio, 2019

I hope you had a great day!

またね~

This Year’s Valentines Gifts

"Valentine's Snoopy" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/90 sec, ISO6400
“Valentine’s Snoopy” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s photos are of the gifts that Mariko bought for the boys today for Valentine’s Day. Bay received the sloth, and Koa received the Snoopy. I’m not sure the origin, but Bay’s favorite animal, or at least the one associated with him, is the sloth. But it suits him because he tends to sleep a lot. And Koa has had a few Snoopys over the years, including t-shirts and other stuffed animals. I think they both liked their gifts since after dinner, they took them up to their rooms. 😄

"Valentine's Sloth" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO6400
“Valentine’s Sloth” Cedar Park, 2019

This year, I bought Mariko a box of Godiva chocolates, which is pretty much what I do every year. Godiva is the one brand readily available here in the States that I know she likes. Although she said we have too much chocolate in the house (we do have a lot!), her and Bay spent some time choosing which candy from the box to eat tonight.

As for myself, well… no gifts, but that’s okay. I think I have everything I need. ☺

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

My Mom Visited Us for the Weekend

"Cozy Together" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/20 sec, ISO6400
“Cozy Together” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

This weekend, my Mom stayed with us and we all enjoyed having her for the visit. Especially Lani (our dog), Yuzu, and Anko (our cats). After only a couple barks, Lani was good friends with my Mom, and of course, the cats loved her.

Tomorrow she returns back to California, and it will be back to work/school for us. But it was great to see her and have a special weekend together.

I hope you had a nice Sunday!

またね〜

Snapshots from Our Lunar New Year Celebration

"Chinese New Years Toys" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/125 sec, ISO5000
“Chinese New Years Toys” San Antonio, 2019

We visited my cousin’s house for their annual Lunar New Years celebration. Here are a few snapshots from the celebration. Gung Hay Fat Choy! 新年快乐!

"Wonton Plate" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/125 sec, ISO2000
“Wonton Plate” Cedar Park, 2019
"Red Envelopes" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/125 sec, ISO2000
“Red Envelopes” Cedar Park, 2019
"Chinese Costume" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/80 sec, ISO6400
“Chinese Costume” San Antonio, 2019
"Money Time" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: OLYMPUS E-PL9, 14mm, f/3.5, 1/60 sec, ISO6400
“Money Time” San Antonio, 2019
"Mahjong Time" San Antonio, 2019
Photo info: OLYMPUS E-PL9, 14mm, f/3.5, 1/160 sec, ISO6400
“Mahjong Time” San Antonio, 2019

Just Realizing that Lots of Changes are Coming

"Cluttered Corner" Cedar Park, 2019
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/125 sec, ISO3200
“Cluttered Corner” Cedar Park, 2019

こんばんは。How’s it going?

As my oldest son gets closer to graduation, it’s finally dawning on me that he’ll be leaving the house in just five or six months. So that means a lot of things that I’ve done each day for many years will come to an end. For instance, I won’t be making tamago-gohan for him for breakfast anymore. I also won’t be picking him up from school. And the dinner table will have an empty chair. All of these make me a little sad. 😢

But of course I am also excited to see what the future has in store for all of us so I will keep looking ahead with a positive attitude. がんばれ❗️

I hope you had a nice day!

またね〜

Driving Soon

"Driving Soon" Cedar Park, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/100 sec, ISO640
“Driving Soon” Cedar Park, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today is the last day of summer vacation for the kiddos, and this year both of the boys will be in high school – one will be a senior and the other will be a freshman. It’s crazy how fast they grow up.

Bay will be getting his driver’s license soon and we’ve been practicing a bunch lately. Today’s photo is one that I took from the passenger seat and you can see Bay in the reflection of the gear selector. He’s a pretty good driver, so I’m not too worried about him on the road. He’ll be fine. (I keep reminding myself of that) 😀

In other news, I’ve been playing both my ukuleles every day, but I have to say that I love the newer Kala pineapple ukulele a lot more than my old Hilo. It’s just a lot more fun to play, and the soprano sound is very cool. But, I still play the concert ukulele because it has the low-G on it and there are a couple songs that I practice that require it.

Someday, I’d like to get another soprano ukulele (I prefer that size now) and put a low-G on it. But for now, I’ll stick with the Hilo concert ukulele.

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

University Info

"Rice University Presentation" Round Rock, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO2500
“Rice University Presentation” Round Rock, 2018

こなばんは。How’s it going?

This evening we attended a presentation about Rice University. It was a general information session which universities often give to prospective students and their parents, describing what the university has to offer, the academic highlights, campus life, and financial information.

Bay is interested in Architecture and Rice is the #6 ranked school for Architecture, so it’s on the list of potential schools. I think it would be a great choice, but the Architecture program is 6 years instead of 4, so not sure if that is an advantage or not. Rice is only a few hours away by car, so he’ll still be close by, but I don’t think Bay has any interest in living in Houston (or Texas for that matter).

Anyway, we’re starting to prepare for applications. It’s hard to imagine that a year from now, Bay will be in college and most likely staying in the dorms far away from home! 😮 They grow up so fast…

I hope you had a nice weekend!

またね~