Monday, June 23, 2008

... more music

okay so here are some clips of the girls... i didn't know how to rotate erika's...

so much time and so little to post - Strike that - Reverse

Well i feel like so much has happened and i haven't posted any of it. There are so many untaken pictures of jamie i wish i had... like her yellow overalls she found at Value Village and just had to buy, she wore them to exams today and then didn't keep them on long enough for me to catch a picture (i'm sure she'll wear them again). But she did have her GRADE 9 GRAD!!! i heard she looked hot and i was sad that i had to work late and i didnt get to see it in the flesh.. but there are a few pictures. i can't believe JJ is off to highschool next year!

The other night J-bird made some sushi for her Performing Arts class with Mom and Jenelles help. Thanks to Aunty Wilma for the great idea. These sushi are great even for those who don't like it, made from rice krispies, swedish fish and fruit roll-up. Mmm!


For one other Jamie picture i did get.. i gave her a caramilk the other day, and what did she find inside? A GOLDEN TICKET!! and we even sang a little bit of the song from the movie (the old one.. where they can't sing so well) it was a good time.
(the ticket says something like 'WILLY WONKA'S GOLDEN TICKET. CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE FOUND A GOLDEN TICKET. PLEASE COME TO MY FACTORY ON THE 1ST of DECEMBER. LOVE WILLY WONKA')


Sunday and Saturday night i got to go to the girls voice recitals. Those things always are good for a laugh.. with the kids who you would never recommend to try out for American/Canadian Idol, but have actually made progress since last recital and the whle element of musical theatre always hits a soft spot in my heart. i was of course pleasantly surprised with how my talent my sisters do have. i will post some clips of them singing.. GOOD JOB GIRLS!

This guy was one of my favorite things about the recital.. partly because he sat with this same face ( i believe he is truly in awe of the performers) the whole time. Just imagine that he was tip of the iceberg of all the entertainment.

This video is of Jamies friend Zander dressed up as a woman singing "welcome to the 60s" from hairspray. It was really good and funny, but i think i like the girls dancing the best ;)

Sunday, June 22, 2008

hello.

Hello.. Its me again.

This post is dedicated to my sister Angela Rae Takahashi. I love and miss you! This is proof that Erika has taught me how to play some Gee Tar.. i just started learning on Tuesday. its not too great yet. But playing has really helped me to feel close to Ang when she is so far away.. Thanks Angie for always bringing music into my life and always sharing your songs with me. I dont' know if anyone really knows about what it was like when we shared a room... at the time i didn't think i would look back on that time and miss it as much as i do... Angie discovered guitar and would often play most of the night, if not all night.. and sometimes i would sleep and sometimes i would just listen to her. Angie (like all my family) is very talented and has always had a way with writing songs, singing them and accompanying herself on the guitar.

Thanks to Erika for teaching me and singing with me.. i'm not a singer so this is kinda huge. And her patience in teaching me was greatly appreciated. Thanks to Schuyler Fisk for her song.. it is a little sad, but a good first song to learn. Remember i just started playing guitar since tuesday.. i'm not soo good yet and i realize that the video doesn't ACTUALLY show all of the guitar, but it is me playing.

I hope you enjoy Ang. Love you and miss you!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

"this isn't my first fathers day"

For a great tribute to the fatherly figures in my life also see here.
Well Today is fathers day! i have been blessed with the BEST DAD in the world and i am so grateful for him...
i'm so glad for all the laughs we've had (there have been many...) and for the latenight talks and Iron Chef watching, i am grateful for him teaching me all kinds of things, how to cook good chinese food, why shortbread is shortbread and endless things on the computer, he has always been one to get things done and figure out how to do it himself because 'we have the technology', i like the way that he can laugh at himself or pretends to when we are laughing at him, and how humble he is. I cherish the memories of all the family vacations and i am sorry that we weren't always the best at waking up in the mornings and staying to our schedule, i'm glad that he is always at events with a camera in hand. he always has been in the audience for every piano/voice/guitar/violin recital and basketball and volleyball games. Patience should be his middle name. i had the opportunity to work with him last summer and i loved the experience with him. Thanks for everything dad! I LOVE YOU!



Below: my dad and his dad making ice cream. I have been blessed with amazing grandpa's as well. Check out Angies blog for a great tribute to them.



We started out fathers day celebrations last night and gave dad his gift.. Guitar hero. After playing it at a Grad Party for Erika we knew he would enjoy this. If he had had any boys he probably would be a real gamer..


Be sure to check out the video clip of him at the bottom... he's still on easy (the end of the video is the best part)

We had a wonderful breakfast early this morning before his meetings.. we had crepes again.. i made them this time and they weren't as good as erika's.. we also gave him a candy jar for his bishops office...

Then tonight after meetings we had his favorite Teriyaki barbecued salmon and pineapple, a great salad made by mom and roast potatoes. Dad couldn't stop talking about just how good he thought all the food was, with a "mmm" with every bite, and he ended up eating too much (we now know where jamie gets her overeating problem from)

Me and Papahashi today by the bbq.. he looks kinda like he's about to sneeze



Now a little something for those a little further from home (Angie and Mike).. today was beautiful and i thought you might like to see what you are missing.. you should add to your list Ang that there is nothing like the blue blue sky in Calgary...


pictures of jamie...


i have gotten some really good pictures of jamie lately.. and i wanted to share. We may even try to do a 365 days of JJ.


Jamie seems to have problems with eating too much.. one too many chocolates, a little too much hot chocolate.. etc and this is the result above.


the other day we heard 'HELP' and went upstairs to investigate only to find that the shower curtian had fallen on top of jamie.
Today after she had just woken up..
i know there are only 3 so far.. but there will be more to come i'm sure.


Last night i stayed in and painted with erika.. i wanted to copy a painting i had seen on etsy.. and so this is what i ended up with. ( i spelt indestructible wrong..) Erika was working on something too and once its done i will try to get a picture of it up on here... there is nothing like creating and doing projects.. i love it. I am happy with my painting, and i left the imperfections on purpose.. but i think that they may bother me ..

Saturday, June 14, 2008

carrying the banner

welll.. i had this brilliant idea that i would deliver the paper to earn some extra money over the summer... mom said she would help me out.. today was my first day.. and my last. haha i guess i'm just not cut out to be a newsie, i am a little sad because it looks so good on the movie ( i must admit that all the newsies are boys..) okay i'm not that sad. I didn't enjoy doing it today at all.. it brought me back to my younger year when once a month i would deliver a community newsletter for a measly 15 bucks i think and i hated that, why did i forget how much i hated that until after i tried this today? Thanks mom for trying, and dad for helping us out today!

but there is good from this.. i got up early this morning.. how early? 3:45 - it was beautiful out and the birds were chirping.. i do love the early morningg.. but early as in 6 , not 4.

Mike and Ang how did you manage to do papers for so long? I have a new found respect for you guys!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

i hope you had the time of your life

So my posts are a little bit backwards.. read the post below this one first to see everything in order... 

Soo here it is.. Erika all cleaned up for Grad. She looked gorgeous and i think she had a good time. Even Jamie joined us and tried to help her with her dress and did help with her shoes.






What more can i say? she looked stunning.. she had a great time and now its on to Hawaii for her, after exams and work for a couple of months. But Erika has always been a hard worker and very smart and i have no doubts that she can and will do amazing things in her life! WOOT WOOOT FOR BEING A HIGHSCHOOL GRADUATE!!!

and of course it wouldn't be a real event if dad didn't create something he was proud of with food.. here is his vegetable platter..

its something unpredictable and in the end its right


As some of my blog readers might know.. Erika had her graduation celebration on friday. But we started staying up late the night before at our house. Thursday night i had to remember what i had learned in cosmetology as i did some quick highlights in erika's hair for the next day. They turned out just how we wanted them too.. its always a little bit nervewracking to do any color and to do it the night before a big event til one in the morning so i'm glad my memory didn't fail me.


Jenelle did Erika's nails while i did her hair.. looks like she got the royal treatment.


Mom was still up too.. but working on a temporary hem for Erika's dress that she finally decided on a week before her grad. Thanks to Nicole and Aunty Wilma for the great find and for their generosity in letting Erika borrow it for her grad.


We all still managed to wake up and get to the ceremony in time (okay so i went there with wet hair and not any make up....) and Erika walked the stage. I wish i had the pictures on my computer of that.. but dad has them on his camera. I wish i had a camera with me to take pictures of all the funny things you could only see at a graduation... the ceremony was pretty long and so Jenelle and i took a nice little breather and went to the food court.. where we ran into some teachers that were supposed to be at the ceremony. And there was also this row that could only be some grads boyfriends all with roses... haha. Just like any other year at Churchill half of the class was asian and so there were many chow's, wang's, wong's etc in her graduating class.. haha that always makes me chuckle a litttle bit. Jamie had some school priorities and so she didn't get to join us and we missed her there. But CONGRATULATIONS ERIKA! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!






It was also my favorite brother-in-laws birthday.. and we couldn't forget to celebrate that either even if he is in Hawaii... so we had this ice cream cake in honor of him.. it was a perfect fit with the palm trees and everything.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!! I miss you, and i hope it was a good one and all your birthday wishes came true!


It was Erika's grad day too soo we had to congratulate her as well with cake..


Luckily there is this really amazing guy at Dairy Queen (or so i've been told) and he is really good at writing on the cakes RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES.. so we were able to say all we needed to on one cake.

We had a fun little bbq after the ceremony and then it was time for me to get to work again on erika's hair and make up.. Thanks to Jenelle for being our unofficial pony and getting everything we needed.


its times like these when i really wish i was in hair school or going to go to hair school.. i seriously love doing it... i guess maybe one day. (and then maybe i will learn how to do my own hair. it isn't particularly good looking in any of these pictures.. i was too involved in erika's hair to do my own)


Stage one: Curling.. erika looked like one of the old ladies who's hair i used to do with it all in curls like this..

Stage 2: Pageant Hair - She reminded me of someone who should be from Texas competing in a beauty pageant. or an older darker-haired version of shirly temple BAHAHAThe finished result: i think it turned out okay.. its literally been a couple years since i've done a real up-d0 or half an up-do..



Scroll up to the next post to see the whole thing... she looked amazing! luckily she gave me a lot to work with so helping to make her look beautiful was easy for me