Flashback Friday

 On March 31, 2004, the cherry blossoms were in bloom in Motomachi Park in Yokohama, which is where we lived. It's such a pretty time of year in Japan.

Flashback Friday

On December 12, 2004, Mary and her friend Caitlyn posed with a washi project in our kitchen in Yokohama. All these years later they're both working moms but back then they were just seventh graders living in Japan.

Flashback Friday

In January of 2003 - a whopping 22 years ago - Mary and Brad cut the rug at their first Daddy Daughter Dance at the YCAC in Yokohama. This dress was bought at the Nordstrom's Last Chance in Phoenix a couple of years prior. I loved it and was so glad Mary got to wear it.

Flashback Friday

In 2004 we had Christmas at home in Yokohama before we headed to Arizona for the kids' holiday break. If you look closely you can see that Mary's holding everyone's favorite gift that year: a 20gb iPod. Each of them got one with their name engraved on it. I guess in the early years of Apple handheld devices, we thought it was important to differentiate them. I don't remember iPod cases being a thing that early, or if they were we weren't in on it.

Flashback Friday

Lloyd's become fascinated by trains. So today's Flashback is for you, Lloyd. Exactly 21 years ago today, on November 8, 2003, your dad was 13 years old and standing in front of the Shinkansen (bullet train) on a trip we took while we were living in Japan. You can see that your dad John is wearing a Cubs hat. This is because he loved the Cubs when he was a boy. Also notice his headphones. They don't look too out-of-date. But what you can't see is that those headphones were attached to a Walkman, and inside the Walkman was a CD. If you don't know what any of that means, ask your dad and he'll fill you in.

Flashback Friday

Almost exactly 20 years ago - on September 15, 2004 - I went with Mary and her friends Jordon and Ranmi to an aquarium in Yokohama called Sea Paradise. I'm looking at Mary's 7 Eleven bag and wondering what ever happened to it cuz I really like it. Sadly though, it's long gone.

Flashback Friday

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a Flashback for the ages because it was 20 years ago today — May 24, 2004 — that Mary Harrison debuted in an unforgettable performance in a forgettable production* at St. Maur International School in Yokohama. She did her best to steal the show with her character's epic death scene. As I recall the death was by stabbing and not, as you might have thought, by tripping over her costume. 

* I forget the name. 

Flashback Friday

 

I thought I'd like to look at some fall leaves. In the fall of 2003 we took a trip to the area of Japan in and around Hiroshima. This picture is from November 9, 2003. We were on Miyajima Island, which is off the coast a bit south of Hiroshima. 

Flashback Friday

At the end of the kids' first school year in Yokohama we had two graduations. Peter graduated from middle school and Mary graduated from elementary school. This was 20 years ago, in 2003. I know the kids love it when I post pictures from their middle school years, so here is one to please everyone in the group.
 

Flashback Friday

Happy Chinese New Year from 2004, when Peter, his friends Scott and Peter, and a teacher from his school manned a fundraising booth at the Chinese New Year parade in Yokohama.

Flashback Friday

 It was December 6, 2003 in Yokohama. This is the look of three kids who were thrilled to get to play in a small piano recital.

Flashback Friday

John was channeling his inner Blues Brothers after the winter concert at St. Maur on November 27, 2004.

Flashback Friday

This was Sports Day on November 3, 2004, at the kids' school in Yokohama. The kids went to a school called St. Maur International School, which had kids from many countries. In my mind I tend to forget just how many of the kids were Asian, but when I saw this picture it reminds me of just how many kids were Asian—and just how many were not. 

Flashback Friday

Brad will be spending Father's Day with his dad in Sun City, a huge treat at any age. Here's Chuck making the kids laugh at a restaurant in Tokyo in 2004.

Flashback Friday

Today's Flashback is an ode to the cherry blossoms in Japan, called sakura. A friend of mine from Japan has been posting sakura pictures on facebook this week and it's nostalgic. Cherry blossom season there is truly a season and the trees seems to be everywhere. People have picnics and just hang out among the trees in the public spaces. It's magical. These trees are in the Motomachi Park, adjacent to where we lived. 

Flashback Friday

In February of 2005 we took a trip to get close to Mount Fuji. Here's Brad and the kids kicking back in our ryokan. 

 

Flashback Friday

When we moved to Japan and enrolled the kids at St. Maur International School, the first person we had contact with, and the person who guided us through our transition, was the middle and high school principal, an American educator named Mr. Rucci. His office was by the front door to the school and he was a constant presence. I would often stop by his office to say hello and end up having a long chat with him. He liked our kids a lot and was a cheerleader for all of them. He was the unofficial school photographer and he would often give me prints of photos he had taken of our kids. I had actually forgotten about that until just now when I was writing this post and come to think of it, I have a lot of photos from our time in Yokohama that I wouldn't have if it weren't for him. Today I learned that Mr. Rucci died last week. He had retired from St. Maur but was still living in Yokohama. I will always remember him fondly. Here he is with Mary at her elementary school graduation in June of 2003.

Flashback Friday

I don't think I'm the only one who's not in the mood for Christmas this year. (Which is part of the reason we don't mind doing a kitchen remodel over the holidays.) But back in 2004, we were in definitely in the spirit after a December dinner at home in Yokohama with our dog Kia. 

Flashback Friday

This picture, taken on a visit to Kyoto in 2004, fits my mood for the time we're living in. Even though I already used it on facebook once this week, here it is again.

Flashback Friday

This was from the Sunday we spent in Harajuku, on February 13, 2005. I don't remember where John was, but he didn't come with us. I have lots of pictures of Harajuku girls from that day, but my favorites are of the four of us.