Happy Anniversary from Yukiko and Eric

For your anniversary I made a Poppy monkey and a Mommy tiger because that's what you are on the Chinese zodiac! The Chinese zodiac placemat from Shangrila says that monkeys and tigers do not get along, but you prove that wrong! You both have very different personalities, but together it has turned into THIRTY years of marriage!

I am so lucky to have such amazing parents! I am starting to understand now how much you sacrificed for your family-- music lessons, gakushusho, dance and art classes at the rec center, moving to a foreign country, encouraging us in art, reading to us in Japanese, culturally enriching us with all types of ethnic food, broadway musicals, ballet, theatre, old movies at the Ohio Theatre, working to support a big family, learning to deal with cultural differences, having family scripture study, eating dinner together as a family every night, making packed lunches instead of buying us junk food, helping us to love nature by taking us to national parks, encouraging us to further our education, etc. etc. Poppy, it probably hasn't been easy having 5 daughters--especially when we were teenagers and you had to do things like take us shopping and wait in the bookstore while we look at clothes. Mommy, I am so impressed that you are so involved with everything--church, Little Star, Japanese choir, crafts--and you still have time to take care of the family. Thank you for all of that and so many more things you have done so that we can live happy lives and be good people. And I am so glad that both of you were pioneers for our family and joined the Church!

I hope you have a great 30th year of being married! I love you!

And here's another picture of monkey Poppy and mommy Tiger:

P.S. Chanto nihongo de kakkenakute gomen ne!