| Happy Birthday Lael 
 May 3, 2023 - We began this month with a very 
special birthday and family party for Lael who turned seven years old today. His 
presents included a few Ninjago toys but the main present was a standard size 
bass guitar.
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		| Mountain Camping 
 May 8-11, 2023 - This was overnight camping trip 
number 41 and was for four days and three nights. This trip was all about 
picking the garlic and putting in a lot of seeds.
 
 Picture - Mountain - Us about to return home 
picture-1.
 Picture - Mountain - Us about to return home 
picture-2.
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		| Beach Trip 
 May 12, 2023 - The first trip to Hamada beach with the new 
Toyota Pixis bus. We went to see if it could handle driving on the beach and we 
ended up getting stuck in soft sand. Kinda sucked but was a good lesson to walk 
the section of beach before driving on it. Then we drove to Nagahama beach and 
took a picture of the trash and caught some small shrimp in the river. The kids 
brought them home.
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		| Yak Practice 
 May 16, 2023 - This was the first time 
to try out the new kayaks. Made sense do this at one of favorite beaches, 
Hamada. The view is incredible here. Anyway it was a bit wavy but was fun 
nonetheless. Actually Lael tipped over because of the waves. Then Akiko went 
out and flipped the kayak on the way back to the coast. The kayaks were 
transported by being stuffed in the back and on one side of the bus. Akiko drove 
and all of us were jammed into the little space available. After we all played 
on the beach before returning home.
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		| Yak Fishing 
 May 24, 2023 - This was actually the first 
attempt at Yak fishing. The location was an unused beach adjacent to Kumano 
beach which eventually would become our main yak and camping beach. Using only a single pole and kinda old bait, nothing was caught. Still 
was fun though. These yaks were transported on top of the bus this time on the 
rack I built.
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		| Tooth Comes Out 
 May 26, 2023 - Today Lael had a lower front tooth 
come out after being loose for awhile.
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		| Tooth Fairy Visits 
 May 27, 2023 - Today Lael got a visit from the 
tooth fairy and he received some Japanese money as did his brother Ethan.
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		| Mountain Camping 
 May 29-30, 2023 - This was overnight trip 
number 42 and was for two days and one night. This trip was all about putting in 
our new fruit trees and vines. The night of the first day, me and Lael and Shai 
spent some time at night messing around with candles.
 
 Picture - Mountain - Us about to return home 
picture-1.
 Picture - Mountain - Us about to return home 
picture-2.
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