Sakura Season and Easter

Hi again, it's me!

One thing I really love about Japan is how everyone really embraces the changing of seasons. How could you not, though, with something as beautiful as the sakura, or cherry blossom, trees that welcome in the Springtime. There are many festivals and picnics and other happenings at the end of March and early April here in Japan. I also found it fascinating that the weathermen and women have the date of when the sakura will bloom, down to a science! It is on the news in February as to when we can expect the trees to bloom all across Japan. We need to know so we can plan our picnics and schedule other things, such as family pictures! I like to have family pictures taken once or twice a year just because the boys are growing up so (too) quickly, but I hadn't had any taken since right before we moved here in March 2014. But this year cherry blossom time was the perfect time!

Our first picnic this year. The trees were only about
20% in bloom, but enough to make for a
beautiful day for outdoor sushi-eating

The brothers: Jackson (4) and Jacob (2 1/2)

Everyone was having fun!

We had our photos taken in Shinjuku Gyoen

We had such a wonderful photographer!

Our beloved: our family and the sakura

Me and my honeybear

Jacob and Daddy

This one is actually one of our favorites - they just couldn't smile any more!

Onto Easter! People don't celebrate Easter in Japan because it is a Christian holiday, but we certainly celebrated it and J&J's school hosted an Easter egg hunt (thanks, Mom, for sending over hundreds of plastic Easter eggs!). The Easter bunny hid all of the eggs in a nearby park and we all waited for the children to come find them. It was so much fun seeing the joy on their faces as they found the eggs, them sharing and running around. The sakura trees were still in bloom (you can see petals on the ground already, as they don't last long!) so it was such a beautiful day to celebrate outside.

It was funny, having hid hundreds of eggs for pre-schoolers, some were in practically plain sight. We had many people come ask us, what are you doing? or what are these? My Japanese friend explained about the Christian holiday and the Easter egg hunt. Something we wouldn't think twice about in the U.S. if we saw people doing it!

What is inside the egg?

I found one!

Jackson was sharing his eggs with everyone

There's one in the flowers!

J&J and their classmates and teachers under
a beautiful sakura tree

They had so much fun!

Did we miss any?

My big boy Jacob with all of his eggs

A close up of the cherry blossoms

Starbucks seasonal drink: Sakura Caramel Latte
OMG, to die for

Sakura Spritzer at a nearby restaurant,
complete with a cherry blossom on top

There are so many other Sakura-flavored things, including ice cream and teas. The Springtime in Tokyo, is so beautiful and everyone is so happy to welcome the nicer weather.

Since I'm writing this in July, I should tell you about a Summer festival that took place yesterday on 7/7 called Tanabata. I am not exactly sure of the whole story but according to Japanese tradition a prince and princess are stars who are separated by the milky way. Only on July 7th can they meet again and they are so happy that if you make a wish, they will grant it so it comes true. Both Jackson and Jacob celebrated Tanabata yesterday. They made paper chains, origami and wrote down their wishes and tied them to branches of a tree. Jackson got to bring home his branch and we are supposed to burn it and everything on it so that the wishes float up to the stars and come true. I think I might keep them instead to remember this festival! His wishes are that he grows up to be big and strong and also to sing Japanese songs, so cute. (I actually hear him sing Japanese songs daily at home now - more on his experience with Japanese youchien, later!)

I hope you are having a wonderful summer so far. I can't wait to see some of you very soon.

Thanks so much for reading. I love you.

XOL