The First Bonfire

Reina's flashlight!

Reina and Terry

Cassidy DeVries in front of over 100 Xmas trees

Every year there is an annual bonfire (at least, we found this out last year), from our old friend's the DeVries (well, they are older than us, and their kids have babysat Reina the most at this point...but old since they knew our parents).  They invited us last year to go camping and watch the Xmas trees burn, but Reina was only 1 way back then, and had just gotten several shots, so a cold beach with lots of inebriated people, didn't sound like a good combo.  BUT, this year - it sounded like great fun. I couldn't convice Chris to camp, but I did make a deal with him (I said I'd drive), and off we went.  We packed up the car with all sorts of goodies....blankets, chairs, and my good friend Terry, and off we went.  We went to a beach, on Miyagi-jima (same island chain where Chris and I were not a month ago)and we had a very good time, despite Reina falling asleep on my shoulder for the first time (other babies do this in the store, on walks...I just don't get it...how do they fall asleep - I think the key is getting them tired enough). Reina was definitely tired enough, one of only a handful of times she's been up way past her bedtime.

Finishing off their soba.

In other news, Reina continues to be a silly toddler.  She is increasingly independent, is adding more and more words to her vocabulary, and copies everything everyone else does.  Yesterday, I caught her on camera (as she's been doing this with her cereal milk for months), slurping up soba, just like Dad.