Rememberiing Dad

Hello my lovely family! I LOVE YOU!

Well, winter has finally made its mark here in Japan! Living in Yamagata right now feels like living inside one of those little glass snow globes that you shake and then all the little snowflakes swirl around and snow onto the little city inside the snow globe. We got about a foot of snow 2 weeks ago, and then this week in one day we got about another foot and a half of snow, and today its snowing again! I love snow!

This week I had a funny life moment called trudging through the snow with George Shimai and a sister in our ward to visit 2 less active members. The first sister we went to visit, when she saw us, immediately grabbed a towel and started wiping us off, which was nice, but then she got a little carried away, and as we tried to share a message about Heavenly Father, she started putting these gigantic plastic bags on our heads, draping them over us like teepees, to protect us from the snow. It was so funny! Lets just say, she wasn:t too interested in our message :) She was nice though!

Jan, I was reading through one of your letters you sent me back in the MTC and you asked if I:d seen the photo booth pictures of you and Mama and Chels and Bella at Sasha's wedding...and that you could send them to me. I would love to see those if you can email them to me!

Chels, remember how scrunchy Bellamy was when she was just a brand new baby? Is she still scrunchy?

Mama, sometimes I still think I can just pick up the phone and call you and ask you a question. Like this last week for example, I wanted to make some pumpkin that we had in our fridge, but I didn`t know how to, and for a second there I thought, `Oh I need to call my Mama and ask her how to cook pumpkin!`

Mama, Yes, I am getting your letters....pretty regularly. Sometimes they get backed up and I don:t get one for a week or two, but then I will get 2 or 3 letters all in one glorious day! The valentines package is still finding its way to me, I am hoping it comes soon!

This week was Dad:s birthday! I wanted it to be special since I will probably only ever be in Japan on February 14th once in my life. I thought about Dad a lot and felt happy. I have been wanting to write down all of the memories I have of Dad, so that I won:t forget them as I grow up. So on his birthday I started working on my goal and writing memories I have of Dad! I loved it so much and am amazed how many memories are coming back to my mind! Here are a couple in honor of Dads birthday this last week:

- I don:t remember exactly where we were going, but we were going somewhere together as a whole family. We stopped at Dad:s work to let him run in and grab something. He started walking in towards the building. I was sitting in the van eating saltines and decided I wanted to go too. I started running towards Dad to catch up with him with my mouth full of dry saltines. Dad started running away from me, and I remember we were both laughing and I had saltine crumbs flying out of my mouth from laughing which made us laugh even more!

- I remember at our home in Tremonton, being in the kitchen and watching Dad walk through the kitchen in his robe with 2 balloons tucked up in the back of his robe to make his bottom look huge! So funny!

- I remember going on my Daddy Daughter Date to Feldmans in Tremonton to get ice cream. I think I maybe got bubblegum ice cream.

I love Dad so, so much. I pray very often that he can be close to me, while I am here in Japan. But I also prayed that he could be with each of you too on his birthday. My gratitude for our eternal family is so deep, and has become something sacred and so much more to me than ever before. I love you family! I am so excited we get to be together forever!

Today I read a beautiful chapter in one of the prophets books talking about Jesus Christ. My favorite part was when it said how Christ takes captivity captive. Isn:t that beautiful?

I love you! I love you! I LOVE YOU!
Love Kingu Shimai