Pimentel Family Journal

Kyoto Day 3.

Max and I walked to a nearby playground while Hazel took her morning nap (at 7:30…) and Ben got some quiet.  Then we took the subway to the Kyoto City Zoo.  Max was starting to get tired of all the walking at this point so I don’t have many pictures of the cranky zoo visit.  It was a nice zoo, though.  We explored some more temples and shrines, including the Shoren-in Temple which was just beautiful.  It was an expansive indoor/outdoor space and so quiet and peaceful.  The landscaped gardens and bamboo groves were absolutely lovely.  Max enjoyed ringing the bell in the garden.  I think this was Max’s favorite site, other than the deer.  

Then we took the subway down to the Fushimi Inari shrine, which has 10,000 torii gates (the red doorways) in a row up Inari mountain.  I would have loved to hike to the top, but it was already nearing dusk and it takes a couple hours.  Our crew was pretty tired and hungry, so we just did the first few hundred meters and headed back toward home.  We took the subway back to a tasty pizza joint, then Ben and Max (literally) ran home.  

Kyoto Day 2.

We took the train to Nara on our first full day and we loved it!  Nara was gorgeous and the weather was perfect.  We walked from the station to Nara park where all the wild deer live.  There were vendors selling cookies to feed the deer, and the deer walked around looking for the cookies.  Ben fulfilled his lifelong dream of petting a deer, and then the deer tried to eat his shorts looking for more cookies.  Max thought it was hilarious but they made him a little nervous when one tried to eat his shirt.  It was great fun to watch deer chase other people through the park!  

After lunch, we rented bicycles and checked out some more sites, including the Todaiji Temple where the world’s largest bronze buddha sits.  It was a pretty big buddha.  The grounds were beautiful!  

We were worn out when finally got back to our place in Kyoto.  Max crashed hard that night!

Kyoto Day 1.

We took a little trip to the mainland to see Kyoto this week.  The first day was all about planes and trains.  Max and Hazel traveled like a champ.  After a plane ride to Osaka and a train ride to Kyoto, we walked 1.7km to our Airbnb.  We could have taken a bus, but it felt good to move after sitting so long.  I was really glad I packed light.  We had a backpack each, and a diaper bag for Hazel.  Turns out we can manage just fine with no baby gear!  I think Max is becoming very familiar with the metric system.  Every five minutes we heard, “how many more meters?”  Ha.

The top pic is a friend Max made in the airport.  The bottom pic is the view from our apartment.  Max had a great time exploring the apartment.  It was probably his favorite part of the trip!

More to come as I sort through our pictures!

More running adventures. The second photo is “our spot”.  We like to get a treat at our favorite bakery and take it to eat here (”on the rocks” as Max calls it).  

The first photo is Sunset Beach, closest to our house.  The sunsets here really are stunning.  

P.S. – I just now figured out how to get slightly better quality out of these posts. If you click on the pictures, it should show in full resolution.  

Our little sunshine.  She sleeps through the night about half the time, naps like a champ, and loves/hates the swaddle.  She does crunches whenever we lay her on the floor, trying to get up.  She can sit up on her own but falls over often.  She prefers to stand and does a full body wave when she’s happy, which is most of the time.  If we do her little dance, she smiles and does it back.  This girl is such a joy!

We finally made it to the Peace Memorial Museum earlier this month.  The museum is dedicated to world peace and is surrounded by a beautiful park.  We had to rush past a few exhibits that were just too intense for Max, but we will definitely be back.  There are so many important lessons to learn, especially in the current climate.  

Hazel’s 5 month photo shoot behind the scenes.  It’s tough to separate them for pictures!  

What a precious 5 months we’ve had with this sweet baby girl.  Hazel loves jumping on the bed with her brother, kisses on her tummy, mornings, and anyone who gives her a smile.  She likes to have a front row seat to the action and is always happy as long as someone is nearby.  

I think she’s started teething because of the drooling and the constant urge to shove her fist in her mouth, but she’s not fussy about it.  

She is still the opposite of Max on the snuggle scale.  He had to be pried away from my shoulder, but I still haven’t been able to get her to lay her head down on my shoulder.  She won’t let me rock her to sleep for naps, but fusses for about five minutes then sleeps anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.  She’s not the clockwork baby Max was, but we’re both more flexible which suits our family well at this stage.  

We are so grateful for the joy you’ve brought us, Hazel Elizabeth.  We are still over the moon in love with you!

Last week Max’s Great-Grandpa, Ben’s Grandpa, went to be with Jesus.  He loved his God, his family, and his country fiercely and well.  You will be missed, Grandpa.  Thank you for your example of hard work, generosity, honesty, commitment, and integrity.  

It was so hard give Max such sad news, but somehow, explaining this to a three-year-old was helpful to remember the hope we have in Jesus.  Max clung to the hopeful part of the story – that we will see Grandpa again in heaven, and that there are no tears in heaven.  We serve a God of hope and joy, and we will take comfort there.

Isaiah prophesies: “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces…” Is 25:8

And John gives us a glimpse of the new Jerusalem: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  Rev 21:4