家族 ＧＷは超多忙 My family's busy schedule during GW

At the time when 'Bond'(絆)has been the Kanji of the year, it has been more meaningufl even for our family and it will be more strengthen in the future to come.

Just one day before the start of this year's GW, a very sad news came in to our family. Our second daughter, Yasuko, her mother-in law passed away after such a long struggle with her cerebral infarction for three years in hospital. She was a great mother with her persistent nature in everything with such a deep love to everybody. She used to work as hard as possible to make her family more happy. Her grandson, Kosui, 5 years old now, was only 2 years old when she was hospitalized. He, however, seems to remember his grandmother, especially her kind care and good food she made. He wrote a thank you letter to her and placed it by her at the last momet, which moved our hearts a lot. Her funeral-eve and a funeral service were conducted on April 30 and May 1.
  

With Shota's family with the view
of Mt.Shirane far back behind

Our GW started with the visit of Tomoko's family on the 28th of April. They also had a busy schedule in order to make their long holidays useful with their son, Shota(5 years old). Although we already received a sad news from Yasuko, we spent the first few days at our place with Shota and his parents. We went to the deep Nikko, Sangetsu Yama, to see the fresh green and a marveouls view of mountains which turned to be wonderful thanks to such a gorgeous weather.





Then on the last day of April, we all went to Motoyawata by our son-in law's car to visit Yasuko's family. We shared the deep sorrow and encouraged each other. We attended the funeral-eve and joined a dinner prepared for the guests. All our family gathered at one table, Tomoko and Michio, Yasuko(Makoto was busy with his friends at another table and Masanari whose wife just delivered their first baby a month ago, therefore she wasn't available today. The little boys,our grandsons, were not in this photo. They were playing around at that time.
  The next day was followed by a funeral service. Masao was with Yasuko's family until the body was cremated while I went back to Nikko for a preparation work for one day bus trip to Ishinomaki to support "Guruguru Ohendan" and to see the disastrous seashore site hit by the Great earthquake last year.

We had rain all day long the next day. But we needed excersise and we played golf in the rain. Actually we were through to No.18 hole.

Then, the next day on the May 3rd was for another congratulatory event. It was Masanari's first baby girl's pray in front of the Gods in the local shrine. We had another big rain all day long, therefore we had to hop by taxi. We prayed to the gods so that she would be protected to grow in good health and in many happiness.After the shrine, we moved to a Japanese style restaurant to share a pretty big lunch to congratulate Yoka, their first baby girl and our first grandgirl. All were happy about her birth. In spite of the bad weather it turned to be successful and meaningful congraturatory event. Yoka, thank you for your birth.

 Finally on May 5th, we made one day bus trip to Ishinomaki, one of the heavily attacked by the Great Earthquake last year, to support 'Guruguru Oendan' and to see the site, the disastrous area by the seashore. More derailed description is found in another title in this blog but in Japanese version.