Entering the Provo MTC

Justine wanted left a little early to spend a couple of days with our family the Browns!

Aunt Aude was the lucky one to drop her off at the Provo MTC!

We are grateful to them for taking care of her before her Missionary Journey! 

There goes my Girl!

Daddy Daughter Date

While the Browns were visiting us, 

Mike, Amelie, Danny & Clara went to a Daddy/Daughter date at church.

The dads got the whole treatment!

Manicures, full facials, and a personal custom decorated cake!

The Girls LOVED it!

F U N * F U N * F U N

Cousins

Justine left us to return to Hawaii early.

She got to spent a few days with family and friends in Salt Lake City before heading back to college.

She had the joy of meeting the youngest addition to the Nakata Family Kaelyn!

What a Cutie Pie!

Celine & Kaelyn                                                          Justine & Kaelyn

Dive Camp and Extended Family Time in Utah

Emric got to go to Utah for a BYU diving camp for a week.

He also hang out with the Browns and my big Brother Jean-Claude and his wife Nat.

He had a lot of fun going to Saint George with them for a few days

 and visit the beautiful southern UtahNational and state parks! 

Oh... how I wish I could have been there too...

The only pictures I have of his trip are these ones Nephi emailed me.

This is the night the guys went out to eat burgers and guy food, 

with Nephi and the one precious little girl Kaelyn.

Nephi Nakata           Kaelyn Nakata         Jean-Claude Vanaquer       Emric Nakata            Danny Brown

Splash Town with Cousin Clara!

Clara came to hang out with us for a week. 

This year, since we are having a few visitors that can use some fun cooler stuff to do 

during the very hot Texas summer, 

Amelie and I got season passes for our local water park: Splash Town.

The girls had a lot of fun! 

Clara slept for 2 hours in the shade, because Amelie and her stayed up 

till like 2 am to wait for uncle Mike to come home from work. 

He has been working very long hours...

Amelie on the other hand was like the energiser bunny! 

She kept on going and going.

I went with her in the lazy river where I would try to buck her off my back 

as I was swimming like a dolphin. 

She would hold on to my swimsuit as long as she could...

I did that for what seemed like an hour! 

I definitely got my workout for the day!

Good memories!

Aunt Aude Visits

This past week my sister came for a couple of days to visit.

We went through clothes we no longueur need or want. 

She took some of my winter stuff I haven't been using here in Texas.
The winters have been so mild.

We have had such beautiful spring weather too!

Still cool and awesome!

I'm bracing myself for the return of the very hot Summer months!

We went and picked more blackberries and I froze another full gallon size bag!

I also got her hooked on quinoa!
We love the stuff!

Tis

Mission Puzzle accomplished

It took tons of late night hours, 

my slightly OCD sister Audie, Chris and a few teens, 

to finish this hard Coca Cola Puzzle!

They sure are cute though!

Here it is, all modgepoged...

Christmas Morning

Sarah Invited the Browns to stay a few days for Christmas.
It was so nice of her.
I'ts not easy putting that many people up for that long.
Sarah is so AWESOME!
She is a giant of a friend! So caring and unselfish...
I wish I was more like her!
:)

The Waiting for everyone to get out of bed...

some are more eager than others!
We had waffles following the opening of presents.
A Nakata tradition.

Camille

I always love to have my little niece Camille come visit!

She usually cleans or organizes something.

This time she cleaned up the back yard,

helped in kitchen and made us a very yummy Apple-Almond cake!
Reciepie here, just substitute cherries with apples.

The batter wasn't bad either... It's my favorite!
Right, hand-caught-in-the-bowl-Audie?

I told her she is someday going to be an awesome wife and mom!

Don't you love my Yellow & White Polka dot apron?
I do!

Saturday - Beach Day

We spent a couple of hours walking on the beach.

Only Clara and Amelie went for a swim, the water was still at a good temperature.

Today there was no black see-weed on the beach!!!
Nice!

Shopping & Red Mango & Trader's Joe

Audie, Clara, Amelie and I went to the mall for a little shopping.
Aude wanted to bye a Grace hat like mine.

Audie took me to the Red Mango!

Oh Boy! 

I think I am going to visit that place from now on!
Yes, a perfect Date Night!!!!

The White Peach frozen yogurt is to die for!

We went back the next day to the grand opening of a new restaurant in the Woodlands.

They had free cups all day!!!

They are right next to Traders Joe.

We discovered that place too!!!

Tons of good stuff in there at reasonable prices!

I got some cute flowers...

.

Week-End with The Cousins

The cousins had a long week-end off from school.

We had an early release today.

This is what they did!

Time Out For Women

This is the first time I attend Time out for Women here in Houston.
It waas held 15 mn from home.
At the Marriott downtown The Woodlands.
Sarah came and stayed for a week so we could go together.
Aude also came for 3 days.
That was the first one she ever attended.
We had a great time!

Polynesian Show 'RA'

We had a fun evening after the Humanitarian Center watching 'RA'

Gave us all a taste of what Justine is going to experience in Hawaii...

What a lucky girl!

LDS Humanitarian Center

On of our Favorite activities in Salt Lake was going to the church Humanitarian Center.

There, we worked for a little over an hour, assembling school kits

 for children around the world less fortunate than us.

We had our own little assembly line.

The boxes in the photo below are all the ones we were able to assemble in that short time! 

(6 kits by in each box)

Everyone wanted to keep going, especially Amelie and Clara.

But we had a schedule to keep, and so did the workers and volunteers there.

Next we were taken for a tour of the premises...

 Bathroom brake with Amelie.

Loved the Mirror!!!! Made us look real skinny!

Humanitarian Service

We were shown and told of how the Church helps people who come form distressed circumstances around the world and how they are given a job here, trained and educated to function in America and help them get a better job. 

I didn't know that this program existed. 

I knew that we help a lot around the world and at home,

 both from our faith and not of our faith alike.

But it really touched me to know and see that donations to our church 

are used in such a way as to bless so many individual lives too...

Crystal Hot Springs

 It's official!!!

When in Utah, some hot spring dipping and soaking is a must!

We went last year here

And will go back every time we go to Utah...

We all love it!

It feels so so good!

This time the slide was open...

It is so fun, relaxing, and good for our spritis, well being and our skin!

This time I read a little bit of what is in the water.

This spring has some of the most minerals and good stuff in the world...

It even has Silver mineral!

Don't ask me what benefit it has to soak in it? 

It just sounds good, I love silver jewelry! :)