The Miyagase Dam on the Nakatsu River commands the landscape as the river cascades down into the valley below.

中津川の宮ケ瀬ダムは 渓谷に連なります

This pristine, cold water is perfect for these hot summer days, providing an ideal place to fish, swim or enjoy a barbecue.

この冷たい川は 真夏の避暑にピッタリです

Today we've come up here to enjoy a day off with our friends along the Nakatsu River at TashiroUndo Park.

田代運動公園で休日を過ごします

Here come the girls! Coming down the stream like a lazy river!

娘達が来ました

Did it make you thirsty, playing in the water? And hungry?

喉乾いた？

OK, we're going to have some good food here.

お昼にしよう

We're going to have meat, we're going to have chicken and sausage.

肉とチキンとソーセージ！

Meat and chicken and sausage — that sounds awesome to me.

どれも美味しそうだ！

(In Portuguese) What's your preferred meat?

お勧めは？

It's everything. Everything?!

全部だよ

It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter

どれもいいね

It just has to be meat! Yes, it just has to be meat.

最高の肉だね

There's the meat! That's it right there.

今日の肉だよ！

Are you hungry? Good!

お腹すいた？

You too Becster?

ベッカも？

Mommy too. Mommy too!

私もよ

(In Portuguese) And how about you guys? Are you hungry? Not so much?

皆も腹ペコ？

I am! Ah, OK.

そうだね！

Sarah's already eating, huh?!

もう食べてるの？

Just the day before, a small group of friends and family got together at Paz Coffee Shop

数日前にパズコーヒーショップで

as Side and Jaquie celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary and renewed their wedding vows.

シデとジャッキーの 結婚30周年をお祝いしました

It was so good to have something positive to celebrate again that our celebration spilled over into the next day along the Nakatsu River.

今日も改めてお祝いします

(In Portuguese) And the celebration continues!

まだまだ続くね！

Yes it does — and with Churrasco!

シュラスコもね

It's really good.

最高だわ

Hey guys, how's it going?! Ah, Daddy's back!

- 調子どう？ - パパだ！

Whoa, hey dude!

やあ！

Daddy, we went in the boat. We went all the way over there and came back.

ボートまで行ってきたよ！

Really?! Without hardly getting wet!

- 本当に？ - 岩にぶつかったの

But we crashed into a rock and it went (imitates sound)

戻りました

So we're getting done here.

まだあるの？！

Wow- there doesn't seem to be an end!

シュラスコだからさ

That's Churrasco — there's no end!

お祝い事は終わりません 次はルースのお祝いです

But our celebrations didn't end there — it was time to celebrate one of our own family — our very own momma chan!

ルースの誕生日です！

Today is a big day — Ruth's birthday!

41歳よ！

The big 41!

お祝いしないとね！

Whew! 41! We're going to go celebrate!

パパからのプレゼントは？

But before that Daddy's going to give Mommy a present.

カメラ代わるね

Now let me take a little video.

ワーオ！

Wow

素敵だわ

Those are pretty, huh? Those are beautiful.

- ジョシュアから？ - 僕からだよ

Did he do it for you? No, I picked them.

ジョシュアも選んだんだ

But then he put them together. It was two different ones.

水捨ててくれる？

Are you going to dump the water for Daddy?

うん

Yeah.

出たよ

They're coming out! They're coming out.

準備出来たわ

Mommy's coming out! Mommy's coming

エアコンつけて

I need the car turned on please. Alright.

暑いわ

I hot.

泡だ！

Oh look soap!

洗剤だね

Ah, yep, there's the soap!

- まだ？ - 5分か10分かかるよ

Oh, it's not done? Oh no, it's going to take like 5 or 10 minutes.

すごいね

It's pretty cool, huh guys?

ドライヤーだ！

Oh! Here comes the dryer!

コーティングだね

See, the water sprays on to rinse it off.

空気で水を弾くんだ

And then the air's blowing it down and away.

- すごかったね！ - おしまい？

Pretty freakin' cool! Are we done?

信号が青になったら 完了だよ

See that light over there — it's red right now. But when it turns green, we're all done.

おしまい？

All finally done?

歯を見てごらん

Look at those teeth!

前歯が生えてきたね

Sarah lost a tooth and is getting another one back in, right?

可愛いね

Oh nice, I like it. I like it.

3本前歯があるみたい

It looks like I have three front teeth.

緑！終わったね！

Green! Oh there it is! It's all green!

ベルト締めて

We're done, yeah! OK everybody, sit down. Buckle in.

ママだよ

Here comes Momma chan!

- どこ行ってたの？ - 仕事よ

Mommy's here! Where were (was) you?

誕生日も仕事です

I was working!

コーヒーショップの パン作りです

She had to work on her birthday!

シナモンロールよ

Get some bread ready for the Coffee Shop.

ママの誕生日を祝うよ！

That's right. Cinnamon roll dough. It's all good.

イェーイ！

Alright, now we're going to go celebrate Momma's birthday!

- 洗車は？ - 楽しかった！

Yeah!

ジョシュア どこ行くの？

How was the car wash? Gooooooood.

ママと買い物です

Hey Dude! Where are you going? Right here.

- 下行く？ - うん！

Shopping with Momma on her birthday!

絵文字のにしましょう

Should we go down? Yeah!

僕らも好きなチョコを 選びます

OK, I'll get you each an emoji one.

サングラスのはどう？

Mommy's choosing chocolates but it means that we all get to choose some chocolates too.

皆でママ待ってるの？

Ok - which ones would you like? Joshua I think you should get the sunglasses.

誕生日ケーキです！ 皆楽しんでいます

You all squeezing in, waiting for Mommy?

- 美味しい？ - うん

It's some birthday cake — everyone's enjoying! You look like you're loving it, huh?

歌おうか 準備いい？

Is it so yummy? Yea!

♪ ハッピーバースデー トゥ ユー ♪

Let's sing — hello! OK, ready?

36度ですが 体感温度は46度です

(Singing Happy Birthday)

華氏だと115度位です！

It's 36 degrees out right now, but it feels like 46 degrees!

子供は外で遊びたい様です 暑いので水のある所にします

That's like 114, 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

日本の夏に水は欠かせません

So the kids want to go out and play outside, I don't blame them,

ブランコだよ

But it's so hot, so we're going to go to a park with water.

どうかな

Water is an essential part of the summer experience in Japan.

あの木に登るの！

We are setting up our swing!

いいね アナ！

OK, let's see.

止めてよ

Thanks to Anna! I needed to climb up that tree!

水に一緒に来てくれない？

Good job, Anna!

すぐ行くからね

Anna, stop it! I'm having fun!

どうかな？ いい感じだね

Hey Daddy — is it OK if you go to the deep water with me?

上だとスイングできないよ 下じゃないと

OK, hang on just a second. I'm going to watch them swing and then I'll go with you.

ベッカです

Let's see. That's pretty good, huh?

いいね！

It's not going to swing too much up there, you know? It will swing more at the bottom.

人形も一緒に泳ぐ？

It's Becca the explorer!

いいね

Yes!

ジョンが休憩中です

Is your new doll going for a swim? Yeah.

休みに携帯いじってる！

Very nice.

- 見つけたぞ！ - 仕事終わらなくて

Here's John. John's on break right now. What's up?

俺と親父も いつも働いてた

He's got the phone out, no!

夏といえば ぶどうです

I caught you! I caught you! The work never ends.

皆で食べます

Me and my Father are always working.

- ブランコ買ったの？ - そう

This is the summertime snack right now — some grapes!

コストコで買ったの？

Everybody's chowing in.

オンラインだよ

Hey, did you guys bring this? We did.

すごいな

Wow- did you buy this at Costco or what?

信じられない

Believe it or not, we didn't. Found it online.

コストコ以外にも あるものだよ

Ha! I don't believe it. Yeah.

ベンの重さには耐えられないよ

I don't believe it.

いとこと お泊り会です

We bought something cool that wasn't bought at Costco.

ベンおじさんと デビーおばさんの家です

Weeeee! Oh Ben, I don't think that branch can hold you!

- そうだね？ - うん！

That branch looks like it's about to come down!

どう？

This girls are having a sleepover here tonight at their cousins

プレミア公開です

Yeah! At Uncle Ben and Aunt Debbie's.

チャットを始めます！

Right? YEAH!

水は自然の源です 我が家の近所には多摩川があります

Yes?!

都市の中ですが 美しい緑があります

We're going to watch the new Life in Japan.

毎週でも楽しめます！

I'm ready to do my interactions.

新しい楽しみ方を見つけました

Water brings life and refreshment wherever it's found, and there's no river quite as near and dear to us as the Tama River.

大人は日陰でのんびり…

This river flows right in front of our home, and provides us with a beautiful green view in the middle of the city

ポールと子供は泳いでます

a view you get to enjoy every week!

138㎞の多摩川は 日本では長い河川です

Recently we've discovered a whole new way to enjoy it.

奥多摩から東京湾へ流れます

Adults hang out in the shade... And Uncle Paul swims with the kids.

高度成長期には 川も汚染されていました

And Uncle Paul swims with the kids!

工場排水や下水が原因です

At 138 km long and a basin of 1240 km2, the Tama River is a large river by Japanese standards.

悪い時期でした

It flows from the mountains West of Tokyo and comes down to divide the cities of Tokyo and Kawasaki.

近年の改善により

The cities' high growth period from 1965-1975 severely affected the river

水質もAレベルに回復しています

as it became polluted with run-off, sewage and processing plants along the river.

プールよりも 良い水質です

Therefore the Tama River got a bad name.

この夏は多摩川の良さを 再発見しました

But the efforts in recent decades to reclaim the health of the river have paid off,

沢山の人が楽しんでいます

as the water quality of the river has returned to high “A” grade, just below the highest level of AA or drinkable.

夏休みの宿題完了！

That's higher than a lot of pools you swim in!

消さないと！

We have relished living along the Tama River, and even more this summer as we have discovered the joy of swimming in the Tama!

何してるの？

And it's not just us — many others are diving in up and down the river.

夏の思い出描いてるの

Getting our Natsu Yasumi (summer vacation) homework done!

- アナは？ - 邪魔しないで！

Ah, I need to erase so bad!

ノー！

What are you having to do, Sarah?

ベッカは終わって リラックスです

I'm drawing what's so fun vacation.

ジョシュアも

How about you, Anna cakes? Don't mess me up!

手伝ったよ

No!!!! Oh sorry, I messed you up?

ジョシュアはまだ夏休み？

Becca got all her homework done so now she can chillax.

まだ1週間休みだね

With Joshua. With Joshua.

キャンプの絵？

Yeah, I'm helping Becca

パパ達のテントだね

And Joshua, you still have your Natsu Yasumi, don't you?

大きな太陽も

You still have break a whole 'nother week, huh? Awww!

- アナも終わりました - チーズサンド食べたい

So, is this a picture of our camping trip?

もうすぐだよ

There's the huge orange tent that we have

今夜は僕が当番です

And a big, happy sun, huh?

いい感じ

Now Anna has finished her work, so... I'm waiting for the grilled cheese.

川は命の源です

Yes, OK, it's almost ready.

生活に欠かせません

There it is. I'm on grilled cheese duty tonight.

神様とイエス様の愛も 私達の間を流れる川の様です

Flip! Umm, that looks good.

希望と喜び 平和の川です

Rivers are a huge part of our lives.

流れる所に繁栄があります

There would be no life without them.

我が家の幸せの源です

In fact, the most important river in our lives is the river of the love of God in Jesus Christ that flows through the lives of everyone who believes in Him.

愛川町の命名も 素敵ですね

It's a river of hope and joy, peace and nourishment.

愛の川です

Wherever it flows, things flourish.

美しい神様です

It's the secret to our family's happiness.

I like to think that the Japanese city of Aikawa where we enjoyed our barbecue is named after this river,

because it translates as “The River of Love.”

What a beautiful picture of God's great love!