Spring Hike

My family and I enjoy going on a hike together to the nearby trails.  Pacific Northwest is blessed with beautiful mountains, ocean, lakes, rainforests, deserts etc...  There are abundance of trails near our house and we try take advantage of it whenever we can.  Our city is situated near three mountains, Tiger, Couger and Squak.  I would love to climb one of those mountains with the kids someday, maybe in a couple of years.  Saya seems to think she is still light as a toddler and asks me to carry her when she is tired.  The baby of the family likes to act like a baby whenever it's convenient for her to do so.  She slows down when she is tired and even a short walk can take a long time with her.

On Mother's Day, we went on a hike to a loop in the base of Tiger Mountain.  I like to hike in the area because there are varying landscapes and relatively flat.  It is so close to our place, about 10 minutes drive, yet very quiet and peaceful.  We exchanged "Happy Mother's Day" to all the Moms hiking and that put all of us in good smiley mood.  Mr. Noah was walking quite nicely and didn't try to run away.  The narrow pathway through the forest let him stay on track and he was keeping himself busy by jumping onto logs and climbing rocks.  That boy enjoys climbing and he was able to swiftly climb onto high rocks which my other children hesitated.  He was showing off his talent to his siblings and I think they were impressed!

I took some beautiful pictures of the trees and plants.  Nature is marvelous.  The lively greens, rustic browns, bright yellows and shadowy black were all so breathtaking.  I was not initially into nature photography, but I enjoy capturing uniqueness of the shapes and colors now, finding the special art in the abundance of natural beauty.  Saya was starting to whine and the last stretch of the walk took forever.  We somehow made it back to the car though and headed out to Redmond to try the new Molly Moon ice cream shop that came to the Eastside.  Molly Moon is a local and organic ice cream chain with some unique flavors such as strawberry and balsamic vinegar ice cream.  My favorite is maple walnut and that is what I had.  Kids all had melted chocolate ice cream and they loved it.  It's not probably best for dieters, but I am so happy they came to Redmond.  In fact, Mike has been taking kids there every weekend now because he wants to eat it.  I am willing to eat light all day and have Molly Moon for dinner. 

So, we had a great hiking Mother's day!

April is Gone!

Oh boy, April was a terrible month to be blogging.  I have to work my butt off to get this blog back on track! 

I hope you are having a great spring or fall if you live in the southern hemisphere.  Mike and I lived in Australia for three years, so I am used to thinking about our friends in the opposite season countries :-).  We have been having a great weather this year or had been I must say, as the rainy weather returned with cool temperature since last Saturday.  It has something to do with El Nino (I want to put the wavy line over the "n" but I am too lazy to do it) or his sister La Nina, that this summer is going to be a very hot one and the winter harsh with lower temperature.  I do like the hot summer since I hardly get to wear my T-shirt when Seattle has a cool summer.  The girls get to wear their cute sun dresses and what not to love about cute little girls in sunny dresses ?!

Where do I begin?  I had my birthday in the early April and that passed quietly with my family, a few presents and a chocolate ice cream cake.   I didn't eat the cake because I am gluten free now.  I am not sure if I wrote this before, but I've decided to go gluten free since February.  I don't have severe allergy to wheat or anything but it makes me feel very bloated after consuming pasta or bread.  I've decided to test to see if the bloating goes away and it went away in about a week after I stopped consuming wheat.  I've made many mistakes thinking certain food does not contain gluten but my tummy always let me know afterwards.  I am now better at choosing what to eat and I feel a lot better!  I also lost about 12 pounds since going gluten free.  I eat healthier consuming more vegetables than rice.  I was surprised how easily I could give up the carbs.   I was a typical Japanese who could eat lots of rice, definitely too much rice.  I still eat rice but not as much as I used to.  It's as if I was released from the spell of carbs and I am able to make food choices with clearer head than before. 

On one sunny day in April, it was in fact the last Saturday of the kids' spring break, Mike and I took the kids to a native animal zoo near the glorious Mount Rainer.  It was a beautiful day and we were determined to enjoy it outside in a place we have never been to before.  Mike and I argue sometimes about visiting new places.  I love to explore visiting places I have never been before whereas Mike is just as happy going to the same old place.  Note that I inserted the word "old" in there :-).  On the night before, we got in an argument about where to go since Mike didn't want to go anywhere far for the sake of visiting a "new place".  I exclaimed to him as he walked to the bedroom that I will find a place within an hour and half of driving that is new and fun.  And I did.  I was so proud of myself that I wanted to wake him up to tell him, but knew it certainly would not go well so I stopped.  He has so much to be thankful without even knowing it, right?

The zoo was a lot of fun.  There were a lot of people since it was a spring break for many in the area, but the park was big enough with plenty of space for kids to run around.  Then animals were all native animals and many of them were hiding somewhere in their enclosures.  They blended into their area so well, it was like playing find the animal game every time.  The bears were sleeping near the viewing area though and being cute rolling around in the hay.  The zoo has a large kids' play area with water fall, man-made creeks, and a giant tree house in the middle.  The four children went nuts over it.  It was hard to keep track of Noah as he moved fast amongst the crowd of children, but he was having so much fun.  Mike and I teamed up and he took charge of upper area and I watched him in the lower area.  The kids were sweating and getting red-cheeked.  They would have played all day in there though if we let them. 

As much as we like the place, the bus tour we took at the end of the visit tarnished the enthusiasm of the day.  The tour took us to the large property they converted to a nature reserve with free roaming native animals such as deer and mountain goats.  The first 20 minutes was fun, but then realized that the tour was an hour and half long!  It was educational, but being stuck in the hot bus for 90 minutes was a little too much for an easily excited person like me.  Even the kids were asking when it is going to be over.  A baby on the bus was crying and we had enough of listing to this habitat and that habitat.  All the passengers looked so happy when we finally got off the bus.  I realized then why the passengers coming off the bus were smiling big when we were waiting to board.   I gave a good luck glance at the people waiting in line.   They have no idea, I thought...

Our April story will continue to the next post.  I will post it within 3 days I promise so stay tuned!

Spring Happenings 2

Good evening everyone.  We had a gorgeous Saturday here and we went on a family hike to a nearby mountain this afternoon.  It's one of those days which I felt content being a Mommy to four children, despite all the quarrels and noisiness that are permanently stuck in my ear at all time.  It's a miracle how a beautiful weather turns the crankiest to a cheerful butterfly.  I even took a bunch of pictures which I will share later in this post.

Falling behind in my post on this blog become a source of stress, so I am doing something about it today not to fall father behind.  I enjoy writing and it gives me a challenge and stimulate my otherwise autopilot neuron pathways in my brain.  The Psychologist I saw in the past told me that I am a type of person who needs lots stimulation for my brain to function properly.  I believe it's true.  This blog and my photography are very important part of my well being.  I may slow down in frequency in some months, but I will keep writing as long as I am well and alive.  It would be amazing if I could write say, for 40 years.  Maybe it will have some historic value plus a great gift for my family in the future.

To continue with the last post, I will post the pictures from the recent happenings and write a caption for what we did.  It will cover about my Mom's visit, my birthday and kids' spring break.

Sean, Aly and Noah and I took Grandma to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival on the opening weekend.  The traffic was horrible but the kids were pretty good in the car and the spectacular display of tulips made the trip worthwhile.  Just look at those large globes.  The tulip field lit up the land and sky like neon signs and it made me think of the power of plurality and unity. 

These red bulbs were very pretty.  Look at their leaves!  They match the shape of the petals.  How pretty!

The blushing color of pink is so pretty!

Kids were impressed with the beautiful display.  Noah was very good at the farm and when we went to lunch at a nearby town.  He was in fact the best kid!  He followed directions and didn't cry. 

The yellow outline on the petals made this tulip pop. 

One of the many attractive things about tulips is the curves.  The leaves, stems and the petals have beautiful curves like they are in dancing motion.  They seem quiet but has lots of line movements. 

I am not sure how many varieties they had but it seems like there were at least 30.  Every one of them had their own unique elegance.

I do like purple.  My wedding bouquet was purple tulips!

My Mom.  She is 77 this year.  I hope I age like her. 

I will post about my birthday and spring break tomorrow.  Time to sleep for me now! 

Spring Happenings PartI

Hello there, yes I am still alive!  We have been having a gorgeous spring over here in the Pacific Northwest with abundance of sunshine.  The kids had spring break last week, but things are back to normal now.  A lot had happened since the last post and instead of writing about it in details, I will let the pictures speak.

Shasha and Grandpa visited us in mid March along with their dog Archie.  We took Shasha to the Bellevue Botanical Garden and explored the beautiful display of fresh spring greens and flowers together.

There is always one that is looking away, but this one sort of worked.  I always forget to take pictures of kids and Archie together.  Archie is still young and acts like a puppy.  He swipes kids toys and our slippers when they are left to fend themselves and thinks he is a little human.  He eats food dropped on the floor and I didn't have to sweep under the table.  He is very sweet and it's like having a furry kid cousin visit us when he comes!

This plant was very pretty.  Someday, I want to transform my yard into a paradise, but I guess that is what everyone says and it never happens.  I need a professional help!  We are currently looking to hire a landscaper to design and make our yard look prettier.  It needs a make over.  Grandpa and Shasha would agree.

This is my youngest, a stubborn and very opinionated little girl.  She has been tough to handle lately.  She is starting to talk back more and yells and screams when she doesn't get her way.  Playing a game with her is impossible!  She has to win or otherwise throws a tantrum.  She was just the sweetest and easiest kid to handle but things change.  We are hoping it's just a stage and she will change her way soon. 

Jen and I went to Portland one weekend to take a break from being a Mommy and wife.  We had a good time!  The pictured is the Grotto monastery in Northeast Portland.  The nature and holiness were blending together in peaceful harmony.  We thought if we lived closer, we would come here to just chill and meditate often.  The upper garden was so beautiful with seasonal flowers and tall trees. 

Saint statues were placed in a beautiful setting and the light, the greens and gentle expressions of the statues were breathtaking. 

I could sit there for hours.

We went to watch "Deadpool" in a quirky eccentric theater.  We had alcohol and watched a boy movie like a boss.

Portland is smaller than Seattle but it's dense when it comes to good food, shops and entertainment.  It's a walking and biking friendly town.  We love visiting there.

Old western shop sign. 

A Movie Premier

I was asked to photograph a movie premier event in Seattle last week.  The movie was called "The Joy of Man's Desiring" and it was a story about two young siblings' emotional struggle after their parents' died from the big tsunami they had in northern Japan five years ago.  The director, Sugita, and his filming staff came from Japan and we held a Q & A session and VIP reception after the movie.  It was a great honor to be able to be a part of the team to promote the movie because it was such a profound and well thought out piece.  No wonder it had won a Berlin International Film Festival's Generation Kplus Best Film Award in 2014.  I have never met a director of an award winning film before and it was great to meet the person who orchestrated this masterpiece with his incredible vision. 

He and his crew thought of everything.  It was packed with a message, even the scene being the protagonist walking silently in the school hallway, that recovering from such a big tragic event takes time and all we can do is to let the survivors grieve without being rushed.  Without stating the message verbally, the director and actors were able to show us the emotional gap between the survivors and the rest of the people who did not experience the tragedy.  The rest of the society moved on and the affected cities are cleaned up, but the emotional scar of the survivors are still buried in the mud. 

The Director Sugita was a survivor of Great Hanshin Earthquake which took lives of over 6000 people in western Japan in 1995.  He lost a classmate in the disaster and it has become his mission to help people who were affected by Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 from his personal experience.  It was an eye opening experience and felt refreshed and cleansed watching a visual poetry and speaking with amazing people.  Being a photographer does rock! 

Point Defiance Zoo

March happened so fast.  It always does.   Now we are going into the spring season.  Spring is my favorite season, but it is stating again at the odd pace.  Some flowers in the neighborhoods are blooming already and the rain is beating them down.  I hope the they will stay blooming through out the season because it makes the walk around the neighborhood more fun.  "Wow, Mommy this flower is pretty!" girls would comment and I snap their pictures.  It is also the season the furry neighbors, squirrels and bunnies, mate and we can see them chasing one another like nothing else matters.  The animals are busy, too. 

When we visited Tacoma, we decided to stop by at the Point Defiance Zoo there.  It was nearly 3:00 pm when we arrived and the zoo closes at 4:00 (they allowed us to stay until 4:30), so we decided it will be a quick one.  Since we are reading the "One and Only Ivan", we toured the zoo discussing what a good animal enclosure is.  In the book it talks about a "good zoo" and a "bad zoo".  A good zoo it says is a zoo that provides an ample space for the animals and make their enclosures look more like a natural habitat.  They would also be well maintained and has a lot of appropriate setting to provide stimulations and physical activity.  The bad zoo is opposite of that.  It has small, dirty and bare cages with nothing to give stimulations for the animal.  As we looked at each animal, we asked ourselves if it is a good enclosure.  We all agreed that most of them were at Point Defiance Zoo!

It was a cloudy day and at late hour, there weren't too many visitors at the zoo.  It was great because we felt like we had the zoo to ourselves!  The animals looked at us and reacted to our movements, so it was very interesting for children to interact with them.  We saw, elephants, tigers, walruses, otters, polar bear, arctic foxes, reindeer, some kind of buffalo, and some farm animals.  The kids liked watching walruses since they were swimming dynamically back and forth with their massive bodies.  Their faces looks like mustached old men and their expressions were very funny.  The girls could have taken home the arctic foxes if they had a choice to do so.  They were awing as one of them ran around the enclosure like they are doing laps.  They were fluffy snow ball but I am sure their beautiful white fur will be stained bright red when they make a kill.  I wondered if the girls would still want to take them home after their "feeding". 

I was impressed with how well Noah did.  He did not scream nor tried to run away.  He enjoyed looking at the animal just like the other children.  He pronounced each animals correctly and was a happy little guy smiling as the animals walked past us.  There was a kid's play area near the entrance so we played until the closing time.  They all had fun climbing and running around.  It's a great zoo.  I was quite impressed with it.  It's not as big as Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, so it's perfect for a family like us.  We should go to Woodland Park Zoo soon to compare and also visit the gorillas.  There weren't any gorillas at Point Defiance. 

The day in Tacoma was successful and very educational.  It was worth it risking encountering gangs:-).