Happy Hinamatsuri

Today was Hinamatsuri in Japan...which translates to "Festival of the Dolls" and is more commonly referred to as Girls' Day.

Typically it is celebrated in the home, as families put out an elaborate display of dolls, like this one:



It is something that is usually passed down from generation to generation...and they start at several hundred dollars and go up from there, depending on how large and elaborate. Parties with friends are typically held, where tea and little rice cakes and candies are offered. A special meal involving sushi might also be prepared.

Since we didn't really want to drop several hundred dollars on a large doll display we're only allowed to display a few days a year (lest our daughter be cursed with a late marriage)...we decided to focus on the food.

Firstly, I offered to take Coree anywhere on the whole island to eat lunch. I was keeping my fingers crossed for someplace good. She thought about it for a long time. Finally, she made her announcement. Subway. Yes, Subway. The place we go to catch a quick lunch at least once a week. The only food she's wanted served her past two birthdays in a row. Why didn't I see this one coming and work a non-Subway clause into the proposal?

So, I stifled my (sushi-go-round) disappointment and we headed to the food court.

On our way home, we stopped by the patisserie to pick up one of these:










At least there was cake. And good, Japanese sponge cake with strawberry filling, no less.




Happy Girls' Day, Coree...



Next year, I pick the restaurant, K?

American Girls in Asia

OK...that sounds like it could be a little racy...maybe a spin off on "Girls Gone Wild"? We have nothing but the most wholesome and pure intentions here!

If you care to check out the joint venture Coree and I have undertaken, you can follow this link here:

ouramericangirladventuresinjapan

Samantha is still en route via cruise ship (sshhh...don't tell her it's a shipping crate...she might not understand) so for now this will be from Nellie's perspective.

We'll just see where this takes us! We hope to make this something fun for you to share with your daughters and grand-daughters, and we'll try to update as often as possible.

Happy New Year!

The Circus Keeps Coming Back...But Childhood Doesn't

Yes, I unabashedly ripped off that title from President Monson's latest conference talk...but it so accurately describes my motivation for the events of this post. I'm certain I don't need to rehash here, all the details surrounding our overseas move (since I've already done so ad nauseam in previous postings). Adding in an 8 hour round-trip drive to LA in the midst of all of that when it wasn't absolutely necessary might seem like insanity. Maybe it was.

When we met up with the Hinmans at Disneyland this past November, Gretchen suggested (implored, really) that I take Coree to American Girl Place in LA...and we HAD to do the lunch. It would be a life-altering experience...when would we get another chance? It seemed crazy, but I determined that I would do it. Coree knew nothing of this plan (I couldn't stand the pressure, for one, and what if I couldn't pull it off?)


(Trivia: For those of you who don't know Gretchen...she's Cliff's childhood-best-friend Sterling's mom. Cliff was very close with Sterling's family. They even took him on vacations. Bob (Sterling's dad) was a teacher and coach and Gretchen was a librarian. They exposed him to many wonderful things and were just an overall great influence on him. Gretchen has impeccable taste and style, and Bob has a very unique sense of humor.)

Anyhoo, we got down to the wire, and ended up squeezing this in 3 days before our departure. I couldn't believe I actually got a reservation only 1 week out. I knew it would be no small feat. For one, we had no heater (remember?) so we'd really have to bundle up through the mountains. We'd also have to leave by 5:30 AM to make it to the OC to meet up with Gretchen and grand-daughter Kalee, before making the drive into the city for our 11 AM reservation. We would have to make sure the boys were all set for the day, too.



I didn't tell Coree she was coming with me until I woke her up at 5 AM. I helped her do her hair and told her to dress herself and Nellie in cute outfits. She already knew I was going to LA for something undisclosed, so she figured out where we were going pretty quickly. We dropped the boys at Seminary, picked up our favorite salted carmel cocoa at Starbucks and were on our way!

Gretchen did not lie! It was a magical experience.


The lunch room was darling,






the food was art,






and the shopping was sweet!




I didn't know that it was actually part of an outdoor mall, so mom and Gretchen got to do some bonus shopping, too. I was SO excited that I was the one that got to introduce Gretchen to Anthropologie...she had never been to one. I knew she would love it. We have very similar taste (impeccable!). For some reason, she didn't seem quite sincere in her appreciation at the introduction...better for her wallet not to know it exists, I guess? She'll thank me later!



(I found this there for Minetta...can you believe it? I'll have it off in the mail to you in a jiffy!) {hehe...only she and I know what a funny statement that is!}

So, here is one of the highlights of the trip. We were leaving Anthropologie, and who do we see? Adam Sandler! Can you believe it?


Seriously, though...he was just chillin' on a bench, with a stroller, waiting for his mom. We asked if he would pose for a picture with Coree, he was very kind and agreed:


And then Gretchen proceeded to tell him all about Cliff and I, where we've been, where we're going:


He kept looking back and forth between us saying, "Take care! Oh...Stay safe! Best of Luck to your husband...tell him to stay safe!" etc. I remembered to tell him Happy Hanukkah. (Was that too dorky?) Then we went into Barnes and Noble for a bit, and ran into him again when we came out and he waved at me again and said, "Take Care." Then I got this picture of him helping his mom with her pinched finger. Isn't he a nice son?


Then, it occurred to me that I could have been shooting video, so I got this little clip here:

Coree and I disagree on who he waved to (we were standing right next to each other, but he was clearly waving to me).



So we are driving through Beverly Hills traffic, soaking in the atmosphere...


When a gorgeous Jaguar coming toward us wants to make a left turn in front of us. We stop to oblige, and traffic in the lane next to us keeps going. I said to Gretchen, "Don't you just love that, when you try to be courteous and people don't cooperate?" I don't notice much about the passengers, other than the driver is a beautiful blonde, and the passenger is male. (I was too busy reviewing my photos of Adam Sandler.)

Finally, traffic stops and as the Jaguar turns, the passenger leans out to give us a "thank you" wave, and it's Jim Carrey!!! Can you believe it? Was I ready to snap a photo? NO! I was still star struck by Adam Sandler's pics in my camera.

It was a day to remember in SO many ways! Not even mostly for the dolls or the celebrities, but because it felt like a small victory over all the "have to's" and the "maybe tomorrows" that fill my days. I don't want to look back with regrets. As wonderful as it was to reconnect with Gretchen for such a special day, I couldn't help but mourn the loss of all the time which has passed by, time we could have spent building relationships. I didn't dwell on it, but instead lived in the moment.

My goal...to have more days like this one and less days full of "maybe tomorrows"...

Our American Girl

Coree is one lucky girl! My multi-talented friend Amy (who designed this blog) was the lead in a production of The Secret Garden in her youth...AND she got to keep the costumes (and they are SO darling).

Amy is SO fun AND generous, that she decided to invite Coree and her friends Kayla and Olivia to do an American Girl photo shoot at our local Pioneers museum.

The pictures turned out SO beautiful! She even put together a DVD slideshow that is rated 5 tissues! What a treasure Coree has to remember her friends by...and what a treasure I have to remember this FUN time in Coree's life...I want to freeze her in time right now!

Here's a sampling of the pictures:















Thank you, Amy!

A Magical Day

Saturday, Coree and I had the pleasure of attending an event straight out of a story book. Some wonderful and generous friends of ours invited us to a Doll Fair. Eight American Girl dolls, five girls, four moms and one fabulous grandma all gathered in one beautiful backyard for a day full of refinement, homemaking skills, creativity and doll-sized fun!

Aside from the poetry recitations, etiquette tips, cooking and canning lessons, there were several shops full of fine goods. The currency, you might ask? Buttons. That's right, buttons. Each girl was sent a small organza bag in her invitation to fill with buttons for spending.

We were instructed to start at the Post Office, where we found a package addressed to each of us.
(Postage due: 5 buttons)
Inside each of our packages we found:

Matching mother/daughter aprons!

We made our own cinnamon rolls and canned our own plums to take home with us.


We ate an elegant lunch using our best table manners.


The girls shopped till they dropped. There were exactly FIVE party dresses for FIVE American Girl dolls belonging to each of the girls. If you can believe it, each girl had her eye on a different dress...there were NO arguments! Same went for the hats at the millinery, the baskets at the general store...NO drama! I think that was the most exquisite part...


There were even matching DOLL aprons to go with each mom and daughter's!


We rounded out the afternoon by reciting the poems we had prepared. Some girls even wrote their own! Coree chose "I Eat My Peas With Honey" and I chose "The Girl in the Glass". They are both special to us because they come from my great grandma and her great grandma. (They both would have LOVED this day!)


There was even an art lesson:



Believe it or not, I actually kept it together the whole time! Although I was so overwhelmed with gratitude, at times it was not easy. This was the most magical day. You might wonder why someone would go to so much time, effort, expense, etc. to put on a show like this. I can tell you why, because I know the hostess, and she is one of the kindest women I know, and one of the most generous with her talents. She did this because she has a desire for all young girls to use their creative gifts, and to grow up with a desire to mother and nurture.


I think I probably learned more than Coree did. I am so grateful to have been given this reminder of how wonderful it is to be a mother, and that each of us is given creative gifts...not the same gifts...but each of us is given special talents that will feed our souls if we express them and share them with others.



"Pleased to meet you."


Just a sampling of the almost 200 pictures I took: