Shopping - Dinner at Sumiko and Kenji's

After Jill dropped the boys off at school and took some boxes to the storage unit, we headed out for a little fun shopping.  First stop was the "dirty dish store".  This is basically a huge Goodwill type of store but specializes in dishware...some old, some new.  It's great fun to just wander through it and you can find some real deals.  No luck today but a fun hunt.  Lots of "what do they use this for?" items.  Jill is getting quite knowledgeable of the Japanese culture from Sumiko and her Japanese students.  Then off to the 100 yen store.  It was a new one to her and very large and we just wandered the aisles.  You can find about everything here so you have to look closely to find some of the amazing products they use, especially for storage since their homes are very small.  Very ingenious items!  Got back from shopping and had a bite to eat and then John walked down to school to pick up the boys.

They got right on their homework and had time to work on some Christmas crafts before we headed to Sumiko and Kenji's for dinner.  Dave got home just as we were leaving so we all were able to drive in one car.  Parking is at a premium in neighborhoods so that worked out well!

Sumiko was putting the last items onto a tray when we arrived and Kenji was still at the nursing home where he volunteers every week.

As always, it was an elegant table with wonderful food.  This was vegetables with a chicken loaf wrapped in bacon and marinated tomatoes, lettuce, sprouts, smoked salmon and hard boiled eggs...delicious!

 I never did quite get what was in these 

but they were very tasty!

 Homemade sesame tofu with

rice wine sauce...yum! 

 Sumiko bakes bread every day.  These were

a cheese bread and walnut bread.

 This platter held prawns, assorted steamed vegetables

and the Sesame tofu.

 And for dessert lucious pears, frozen 

persimmon and baked sweet potato.

The red and green are gelatin shots.

 And a golden kiwi tart as well as a coffee

flavored flan.  What a marvelous meal!

 Then on to the games.  Kenji picked out different items around the house..fruit, small dishes, cookies etc and put them on a piece of paper.  He had made a ring with cardboard wrapped in red and green for the holiday and showed the boys how to play Quoits.  It's a modified version of the old traditional English game.

Go Ryan...you win the candy bar!  We all had our turn and they insisted we take home our prizes, including the small coffee cups and chopstick holders.  It was very fun and the boys had a ball playing it.

And they had one more surprise for Jill.  She opened a bag and discovered this beautiful Japanese doll.  We were all quite touched by their lovely gift to her.  They are very generous and loving ambassadors of the Japanese culture and people.  What a blessing they have been for Jill and others here in the Navy.  Time to head home and get the boys to bed.  Right before we left they let us choose between three New Year's Door decorations for our homes.  The surprises never end.  A wonderful evening!