12.27.08
Holiday Traditions
Every year, just before the New Year, our families get together to make mochi. Today is our Mukai family (Lance’s family) mochi making. We used to make mochi at Lance’s grandparents house in Kailua, but after they passed away, we started hosting the mochi making at our house. Lance has taken over Grandpa Mukai’s role as “mochi man”! 
Lance’s mom is in charge of steaming the mochi rice on the stove & Lance operates the mochi machine (a small, electric powered machine that spins the mochi rice into a smooth ball of mochi). Everyone else helps out by making the mochi & packaging them into boxes.
Tomorrow, we’ll be having the Uesugi (Kim’s family) mochi making at Uncle Stan’s house. Uncle Stan & Aunty Al have hosted mochi making at their house for as long as I can remember. The Uesugi family’s mochi process is very different from the Mukai family. Lance’s family makes mochi inside the house, while we make our mochi outside. Uncle Bobby, Darin, Steve, and a bunch of other guys steam the rice over a gas fire – although it used to be a wood fire. Darin or Steve carries the wooden box with the steamed mochi rice over to the mochi machine (a big funnel like machine, similar to a sausage maker). The young boys/men/kiddies, led by Uncle Stan, help to push/pound the mochi rice into the funnel, while the machine grinds the rice into a smooth pile of mochi. My dad cuts the mochi into small pieces, while the rest of us (usually the ladies) stand around a big table & make the mochi balls.
Like many families, the holidays are full of traditions for us. Christmas Eve is always at Aunty Linda/Darin & Lisa’s house . . . Christmas morning is always at my parents house, eating my dad’s omelets . . . mochi making at our house & Uncle Stan’s . . . New Year’s Eve & Aunty Al’s mandoo soup is always at Uncle Stan & Aunty Al’s house followed by ozoni soup at my parent’s house. . . New Year’s Day is always at my parent’s house. It’s so nice to be around family during the holidays, especially when we’re missing Logan so much. Although we’re so sad that he’ll never get to actually experience these traditions with us, we know that he’ll always be with us in spirit. We miss you baby!