The Nakatsu Family – Page 9

Katie’s 6th Grade Strings Concert

Tonight was a big night for Katie as she performed in her sixth grade strings concert for Mountainside Middle School. She played her viola beautifully and hopefully felt accomplished after five months of diligent practicing. This evening we heard renditions of Bucaneer Country, Star Wars, and Finale.

The sixth graders also played a final song called The Torch Burns Bright with the seventh and eighth graders. Not only was Katie’s talent audible but her grace and charm was visible tonight as well.

The concert ended with a cookie reception in the lobby and we had a chance to congratulate Caroline and Ruby as well.

Hats off to Marisa Edwards, the strings teacher, for training these kids so well. We’re so glad she’ll be there again next year to help our children accelerate even more.

During the school year, Katie invited us to many practice performances in her room, in the living room, at the dinner table, and even in the backyard. Our neighbor Bob is also glad to provide coaching from time to time.

Katie has improved so much since she started strings this year and she shined tonight. We’re calling her our “star performer” for good reason, for her talent, her poise, and the A+ she received in strings class this year. Congratulations Katie! We are proud of you.

Mother’s Day

My prayer today is that all women are blessed with a man as great as my husband. God has surely found favor with me. Kory is the most giving and heartfelt man I’ve ever met. There is no doubt in my mind that he loves me beyond measure. What’s even greater is that he loves the Lord with all that he is. It is the day before Mother’s day and the last few days I’ve experienced fleeting moments of sadness because the reality hits hard that, although I love Katie and Lauren as if they were my very own, I will never be their mom. In my heart and mind I consider them my own children even though I didn’t give birth to them. So, this Mother’s Day weekend finds me with a bit sorrowful because I care so much for my “daughters” and yet I know that they will always reserve this holiday for honoring their mother, and they absolutely should. I will never take the place of their mother, nor do I ever intend or expect to take her place, but my heart still will love them as my own.

Being a step-mother has so many incredible joys, but there is also heartache knowing that I will always be the second mom. So, my dear husband, knowing full well that this day might be a bittersweet one for me, went out of his way to honor me as the mother to his daughters. He went out of his way go share how valuable I am in all of their lives, and he went out of his way to thank me and express his sincere gratitude for my devotion as a wife and mother. He also expressed his confidence and faith in me to fulfill this role. He assured me that he knows God sent me to fulfill this calling because He knew I was worthy, that I would help lead our girls closer to God, and that I would add to the people Katie and Lauren would become. Thank you my precious husband for seeing all this in me and for affirming me as a wife and mother.

Since the girls were going to be with their mom on Mother’s Day, Kory decided to express his gratitude for me while the girls were present. He sat me down on the couch and gave me a sunflower plant (my favorite flower) which I planted in our garden. He also gave me a card which I read out loud. I was so moved by what he wrote that I was struggling to read it and I was choking back tears. I love you my dear husband and I thank God for you. You honor and love me as a husband should and I sincerely pray that women everywhere honor God enough to wait for a man like you. They will be blessed, as have I My prayer today is that all women are blessed with a man as great as my husband. God has surely found favor with me. Kory is the most giving and heartfelt man I’ve ever met. There is no doubt in my mind that he loves me beyond measure. What’s even greater is that he loves the Lord with all that he is. It is the day before Mother’s day and the last few days I’ve experienced fleeting moments of sadness because the reality hits hard that, although I love Katie and Lauren as if they were my very own, I will never be their mom. In my heart and mind I consider them my own children even though I didn’t give birth to them. So, this Mother’s Day weekend finds me with a bit sorrowful because I care so much for my “daughters” and yet I know that they will always reserve this holiday for honoring their mother, and they absolutely should. I will never take the place of their mother, nor do I ever intend or expect to take her place, but my heart still will love them as my own.

Being a step-mother has so many incredible joys, but there is also heartache knowing that I will always be the second mom. So, my dear husband, knowing full well that this day might be a bittersweet one for me, went out of his way to honor me as the mother to his daughters. He went out of his way go share how valuable I am in all of their lives, and he went out of his way to thank me and express his sincere gratitude for my devotion as a wife and mother. He also expressed his confidence and faith in me to fulfill this role. He assured me that he knows God sent me to fulfill this calling because He knew I was worthy, that I would help lead our girls closer to God, and that I would add to the people Katie and Lauren would become. Thank you my precious husband for seeing all this in me and for affirming me as a wife and mother.

Since the girls were going to be with their mom on Mother’s Day, Kory decided to express his gratitude for me while the girls were present. He sat me down on the couch and gave me a sunflower plant (my favorite flower) which I planted in our garden. He also gave me a card which I read out loud. I was so moved by what he wrote that I was struggling to read it and I was choking back tears. I love you my dear husband and I thank God for you. You honor and love me as a husband should and I sincerely pray that women everywhere honor God enough to wait for a man like you. They will be blessed, as have I.

Our Young Author

On April 24th, Lauren won the first grade Young Author’s award and will have her story “A Lesson to Learn” published in this year’s Young Author’s book. We are so proud of her! Her story is about a young girl named Julia who was being bullied. She stood up for herself in front of all the bullies as told them she would not let them bother her. This girl had been a bully earlier in her life, so she got a taste of her own medicine. She forgave the bullies and learned a lesson on how harmful bullying is to kids.

Lauren also lost a tooth that day after biting into an apple. This is the seventh tooth she has lost so far. We celebrated Lauren’s big day with a night of games and pizza at Peter Piper Pizza. She beat us at air hockey and took home candy for her prizes.

Today was the Young Author’s award presentation in the school library. Lauren was so surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see me. She gave me a big hug and I told her how proud of her I was. She was presented with a blue “1st Place” ribbon that was affixed to her shirt. She got to stand up in front of everyone as her award and the title of her story was announced. She was also featured on a slide presentation and singled out as the first grade fiction award winner. Afterwards, I helped Lauren and two other kids write a poem. Lauren did hers on Guinea Pigs. I hope she felt special and honored today and I pray she feels this way every day.

Mayaguana Dive Trip

Kerry and I just returned from a week of diving in Mayaguana, a small island in the Bahama chain and home to just 200 residents. We spent the week aboard the Nekton Rorqual which is a live-aboard dive boat and were among the first to dive these sites as this is a brand new itinerary for Nekton.
Aside from a passing cold front and water temperatures that were a little cooler than we prefer, the diving was excellent and the reefs appeared very healthy. This being Kerry’s first ever dive trip, I was amazed at how quickly she acclimated to diving, identifying sea life, and being at sea for a week. We sat the day out on Wednesday as the storm made for choppy seas and colder diving. It occurred to me as we neared the end of the day Wednesday, that I did absolutely nothing all day!
On Friday, we were shuttled to the island for a tour and early seafood dinner. Apparently, this island was used by NASA in the 60’s as a base for tracking the re-entry of space capsules. The US also established an air base there, complete with a 12,000′ runway, which was used during the Cuban missile crisis. I was surprised to learn that the residents have only had electricity (diesel generated) for the last 3 years.
It was nice to meet so many good and interesting people on this trip.

A Happy New Year…

On the heels of a wonderful Christmas season, we decided to spend the remainder of our holiday in the northern Arizona mountains playing in the snow.

Our friends Rob and Hester offered to let us stay at their cabin, so we headed off to Flagstaff. Upon our arrival, we found a plethora of fresh snow to play in. The girls quickly discovered a path leading to the national forest and not long after, built a little snowman.

Finding a piece of cardboard, we made a make-shift sled and the girls took turns sledding down a small hill. I tried and it didn’t seem to work as well for me…

That evening, New Years Eve, we spent time in the cabin watching the Iron Chef competition on the Food Network, playing board games, and enjoying our Dura Flame fire. I don’t think any of us made it past 10:00.

We awoke to 2010 with a plan to spend the day skiing at nearby Snow Bowl. The idea was to leave the cabin by 7:30, get our rental gear, and be the first on the mountain at 8:30. It didn’t quite work out that way as it seemed everyone else had the same plan.

After an hour in line to get our gear, we finally made it to the Heart Prairie lifts. This being Katie and Lauren’s first time skiing, I was sure that after a couple of assisted trips down the bunny hill, they would be at least proficient enough snow plowers to make it through the day… I was wrong. Everything went fine until we got to the bottom on the path and were faced with the mountain down. Lauren was first to fall and as I was attending to her, Katie seemed to loose her brakes and plowed right in to her – it wasn’t good.

In any case, Kerry and I spent the next hour coaxing them down. By this time, everyone was hungry for lunch so we decided to head in to the lodge. We never made it back out as the girls were more interested in getting back to Rob’s cabin and their snowman.

The next morning, we spent some time cleaning up and getting ready to head to Williams, AZ, the home of the Polar Express. Kerry and I had kept this portion of our trip a secret as we wanted to surprise them. In the afternoon, we checked in to the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. I think the girls caught on to our plan as they saw all the kids in the lobby wearing their pajamas. That evening, we had dinner at the hotel then prepared to catch the train. The anticipation, especially in Lauren, made the whole trip worth it. She was so excited to actually be able to ride on the train, get a golden ticket, and of course, see Santa Clause. It was a great trip and the hot chocolate was the best! We will surely do this trip again.

Christmas 2009

This was a very special Christmas for our family. In the weeks preceding, we had a lot of fun and many laughs. We decorated our home with two trees, and the girls had a great time discovering ornaments that had been packed away in boxes all year. Katie and Lauren’s friends helped us and we all enjoyed fresh baked cookies and hot chocolate.

In the spirit of tradition, we constructed and frosted a gingerbread train which, in the end, looked more like a train wreck. Christmas eve, Kerry and I visited Grandma Evelyn and then enjoyed dinner and coffee with the rest of the weirdo’s at Village Inn. Christmas Day began with the girls opening WAY too many presents as we prepared for our annual family dinner.

The following day, we once again gathered to make moche in keeping with our family tradition. Marty had purchased an automatic moche maker and, in spite of my hesitancy to depart from the past, it was a huge success.

Lauren’s 7th Birthday!

Today was a very special day as we celebrated Lauren’s 7th birthday. For the past six months, she has been clamoring for a pet of her own. After months of walking through the neighborhood cooing over the wild bunnies on our “bunny route”, Lauren thought a bunny would be the perfect pet. However, several trips to PetSmart and up-close cuddling with hamsters and guinea pigs changed her mind.

On her birthday, Lauren was wide-eyed and leaping for joy as she discovered her new pet, a three-month old white and brown Guinea Pig with the most unique red eyes. Since he is such a nibbler of carrots, lettuce and fingers, Lauren named him Nibbles, and he’s fondly called Nibbly Noo. In keeping with tradition, a song was soon born to capture the essence of all that is Nibbles. It goes like this:

“Nibbly Nibbly Noo, Nibbles is after you. He bites your fingers and chews on your toes. He poops on the couch and wiggles his nose. Nibbly Nibbly Noo. Yeah, Nibbles!”

It was a very special day for Lauren and the rest of our family. Happy Birthday sweetheart!

Monument Valley

Kerry and I just returned from a 4 day road trip. We left Thursday morning and headed towards the northeastern part of the state. Our plan was to visit Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley, then head up through Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.

The canyon was absolutely beautiful and we were able to capture some late day photographs that really made the colors stand out. Having lived in Arizona all my life, I was surprised to discover that Canyon de Chelly has been inhabited by various tribes since 3000 BC!
After staying the night, we departed for Monument Valley in the morning and were able to make it by lunch. We made the 18 mile loop through the park and got a few good pictures although it was mid-day so the light wasn’t right. The next 2 days were spent galavanting through Utah and New Mexico. We spent the last night in Springerville before making our way home. It was a great trip but Kerry and I agreed that we drove too much and saw too little.

Our Honeymoon

When Kory and I discussed where to honeymoon, neither of us could imagine being without the girls, so our plans joyfully included Katie and Lauren every step of the way. What a blessing it turned out to be to have this time to bond and make new memories as a family.

We ventured to San Diego in the “happy yellow” FJ Cruiser and started our fun at the beach across the street from our hotel on Shelter Island. The girls made sandcastles, collected shells, and even opened up a beach-side diner called Rhoda’s. They served seaweed soup and kelp sushi. Yum! This got our hunger going, so we went to dinner at the Island Palms restaurant and gobbled up the best sourdough bread any of us had eaten. We went back a second night just for the carb reload. In the evenings, we enjoyed games of Apples-to-Apples and charades. Late night sand-elimination showers brought even more laughter as the girls made fish faces on the steamy shower glass and sang silly songs. Both girls savored chocolate muffins in bed each morning and Kory and I enjoyed crumb remnants.

We spent a day at the San Diego Zoo and voted the meerkats, koalas, lions, and elephants as our favorite animals. We rode the sky tram across the park to the petting zoo where the girls got to pet goats and miniature horses. One of the grey minis was named Katey, but there was no question which Katey smelled and looked better. She was the one who went home with us.

Our San Diego vacation would not have been complete without a trip to SeaWorld, so one full day was spent there. I accidentally forgot to bring the tickets, so getting into the park took some patience. Thankfully, we entered the gates before sunset. Kory and I had planned a very special dolphin excursion for Katie and Lauren, but Lauren was very apprehensive to swim with such large mammals. After dressing in her wetsuit, she tearfully decided it had to come off. She wasn’t ready to face the dolphin infested waters (until later that afternoon, that is). Katie braved her way into the water and was all smiles as she fed sardines to the dolphins, touch their fins, danced with them, and got splashed in amusement. Lauren saw how fun it looked and lost most of her fear, so later that afternoon she asked dad if she could try again with him as her security blanket. She and Kory got suited up and experienced the dolphin interaction program together. Lauren was so excited for the experience and is proud that she overcame her fears. A pair of my blue sandals has an insole that feels like the dolphin’s skin, according to Lauren’s new association.

We weren’t able to see any of the Shamu shows because the whales were not cooperating with the trainers. We heard it was mating season and occasionally the whales don’t want to perform. We saw several other shows, however, including Pets Rule and a super soaker dolphin performance that left us drenched and playful. The girls enjoyed eating pure flavored sugar out of a foot long tube. It was delectable until Lauren started feeling sick to her stomach. We decided to call it a day when the nausea set in. Although there were a few snafus throughout the day, we all had a great time and can reminisce with fondness and laughter.

Our honeymoon/family vacation ended with a tour through the USS Midway. The girls got to experience life at sea aboard one of America’s longest-serving Naval aircraft carriers. Our admission included headphones to aid in our self-guided audio tour, but all our headphones were programmed in Spanish so we didn’t comprehend much at first. Once we were dialed into English channels, we were guided through the entire ship and provided with information on the life and times of the crews that set sail on this vessel. We saw the sleeping quarters, galley, engine room, flight decks, machine shops, and more. The girls found the ship’s jail to be a highlight and proudly got their pictures taken behind bars. The fake food in the mess hall (chipped beef, stroganoff, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and creamed spinach) was another fun site and we all imagined dining with the crew. After the tour of the ship, we looked at restored aircraft and took more photos on deck. Kory and I could have stayed and gone through the ship inch-by-inch, but I think the girls were ready for one last afternoon at the beach before heading home.

This is the day the Lord has made…

Today, August 1, 2009, was a day of praise and thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father as we, Kory and Kerry, were joined together in marriage. Eighty of our closest friends and family celebrated this blessed day with us.

We were engaged on June 3, 2009 and both desired a short engagement period as we both felt led of The Lord to marry. The two months following our engagement were filled with anticipation and a lot of planning and organization. We chose the Chapel at Scottsdale Bible Church as the location for our ceremony and reception. The Chapel was beautiful and the adjoining reception room was the perfect size to fit all of our guests comfortably. Our colors were ivory, canary yellow, and silver and the dresses and decorations were simple yet elegant.

Cousin Marty created the most incredible wedding cake either of us have ever seen. Not only did it look amazing with intricate details and fine craftsmanship, but it tasted absolutely delicious. It truly could have been presented at a royal wedding. The flowers were arranged by Carmen Thomas, Mark’s wife, and they too were a perfect combination of rustic beauty and elegance. Thank you both for your time, talent, and giving hearts to help make our wedding special.

Scottsdale Bible Church provided us with a wedding coordinator who helped plan the details. Marge provided tables, linens, flatware, candles, and pew bows, and she also found us a great caterer. She decorated the rooms and coordinated the rehearsal and the daily order of events. She was quite headstrong and there was a little bickering that went on between us, but we let her take the reins on many things. When it came to the reverence of our ceremony, however, we drew the line. No colored sand ceremonies for us. Marge really was a big help and we don’t know how we would have done it all without her.

The music was harmonious, sweet-sounding and uplifting. We were referred to a string quartet that played at both our ceremony and reception. We couldn’t have dreamed of more beautiful music. Songs included “Eidelweiss”, “Pachelbel’s Canon”, the “Bridal Chorus”, Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March, and ‘our song’ “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. I cried outside the sanctuary doors while listening to this song before walking down the aisle. My tears were ones of joy and absolute praise and gratitude.

We were amazed not only at how quickly our wedding went by, but also how well it all came together. It could not have gone better! Our wedding was truly sacred and we have been highly favored to have been given to one another as husband and wife.

We would like to thank all of you for helping us make this day so special. We will never forget it.

“I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.”

Psalm 34:4-7

I’ve combined the photographers photos with ones that were taken by others.