While we were in the Bay Area, we wanted to make sure that we stopped by our old neighborhood in El Cerrito/Albany area. It was our first home as a family, where we brought Mio home from the hospital and where she spent her first year and a half. There are so many fond memories we have there, and we really missed it!
Our good friends Sonya and Sofia were still in the area, but packing up their house for their move to Portland. I’m so glad we could meet up with them and see them in Albany, before they moved! It was so sweet to see how both Sofia and Mio have grown so much, and reunite in the place they had so many playdates together as babies!
Shyly exchanging gifts:
Mirei kicking a ball around
Playing with bubbles!
Mio playing with Sofia’s toys
Can’t believe how much they both have grown up!
The girls playing in the backyard:
M&M and S&S reunited!
Best of luck with your new chapter in Portland, Pou family! 🙂
Hugging each other goodbye:
My heart could burst seeing these cuties reunited! Mio and Sofia hugging each other goodbye.
After our playdate, we drove over to nearby Memorial Park, where I used to take Mio often when we lived in El Cerrito. It’s still one of my favorite parks, and it was kind of surreal to see Mio running around on the larger playground, which I had to constantly steer her away from when she used to run into it as a toddler for fear that one of the older kids would crash into her. Now she’s one of the big kids! Mirei is around the age that Mio was when I would bring her to Memorial Park, too, so watching her there conjured up some sweet nostalgia for me.
Mirei on the swing with Daddy at Memorial Park in Albany
Mio climbing to the top! (of course).
Mio climbing the rockwall at Memorial Park
Mirei and I on the playground
Mio making her way along the monkey bars
Going down the big spiral slide
So grown up now!
It seemed like Mio subconsciously remembered the playground. As soon as she saw it when we parked by it, she broke into a run towards with a huge smile on her face. She happily refamiliarized herself with the playground, and played to her heart’s content.
It was such a beautiful afternoon, and we’re so glad we could spend it with our close friends and at one of favorite parks! There are just so many places in the Bay Area that we always wish we could stop by, and there’s never enough time…
We recently returned from our trip to California! It had been a little over two years since we last visited the West Coast, so it was long overdue and we have really missed the Bay Area, including all of our friends and family there. We were so glad we could spend a week in Northern California, catching up with loved ones and seeing familiar sights and eating all the good food we’ve missed from the area.
We woke up early the morning of Friday, May 15th to go to Dulles to catch our flight to San Francisco.
Riding the shuttle to the terminal:
Despite how early it was, Mio was hyper and running around the airport. She got especially excited about this rainbow wall at Dulles.
Collapsed on the floor.
…only to jump back on her feet to run around again! Waiting at the gate to board our flight
This was Mirei’s first flight ever! We were all a little anxious about how she’d do, but she did surprisingly well and was well-behaved for most of it. We had told Mio we were going to be visiting California in the days and weeks before the trip, so she was really excited!
We arrived in the afternoon and spent the first couple days of our trip around our favorite city!
Arriving in San Francisco! Dan’s parents came to pick us up!
 We were pretty hungry when we landed, so our first order of business was of course…
In-N-Out Burger! Thirsty Mio Mirei dipping her fries She’s so independent now and loves to eat food on her own, whether it be using her fingers, a spoon, or a fork!
On Saturday, we spent the morning in Japantown — probably the part of San Francisco I spent the most time in when we lived in California. So many good memories of shopping around, browsing Kinokuniya bookstore, eating delicious Japanese food, attending the annual, Cherry Blossom Festival there, volunteering with Japanese American organizations like Nakayoshi… it’s really a place that is close to our heart, so I’m so glad we could stop by and visit this time, since we weren’t able to our last trip.
At Japantown’s Peace Plaza in San Francisco
We also wanted to stop to see the Golden Gate Bridge, so we drove through the Presidio, hopping that the fog would clear…
Missed this view!
We left our hearts in San Francisco… We missed our favorite city!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there, including my own amazing mama! I never fully appreciated all her love, patience, and sacrifice until I became a mother myself. Thankful for our precious daughters who bring me more joy, challenges, and laughter than I ever imagined.
My mom with M&M. They are lucky to have two loving grandmothers in their lives. We’re grateful that they can spend so much time with my mother, and we’re excited to go see Grandma in California soon, too!
Ted & Elisa treated the whole family to a delicious Mother’s Day lunch at Kob Kun in Oakton. Everything was amazing… and the restaurant gave us this complimentary dessert! With my sweet girls! For me, Mirei? 🙂 Lunch was a little hectic with Mirei wreaking havoc, but it was overall a lovely Mother’s Day spent with the fam!
Hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Mother’s Day weekend as well!
We were invited to celebrate Anna’s fourth birthday at Mobu Kids playgym in Falls Church! The girls had a blast and we loved seeing and catching up with Anna, Cara, Pat and Theo. 🙂 Thanks so much for inviting us to be a part of sweet Anna’s birthday celebration — can’t believe she is four already!
When we arrived, Mio ran right in and started climbing everything. No hesitation!
Mirei needed a little more coaxing but she eventually warmed up to the play area when I went in with her.
Circle time with the instructors
Mirei with the egg shakers
Mirei was having such a great time!
Mio playing with the egg shakers
Parachute time!
Anna and Mio with the parachute
Anna and Cara in the middle of the parachute
The girls all got to go in the middle of the parachute, while everyone else pulled the parachute around.
Lots of girls!
Mirei refused to get off so she stuck around for the boys’ turn… lol
Mirei didn’t get to wave the parachute up and down, but she definitely enjoyed the breeze from it and seeing the balls bouncing!
At one point, Mirei went under the parachute and got lost under there, which made us panic for a moment:
Dan also captured the funny moment:
Mirei running around in excitement!
Chasing after bubbles with Cara
Such cutiepies!
Mio in her element, scaling the rockwall
The kids enjoying pizza and cupcakes
M&M with their cheeks full of food
Singing “Happy Birthday” to Anna!
Mio loved the cupcake cone!
Pure bliss!
Mirei playing with the water fountain… we were surprised she climbed up on the stool herself and started pushing the button
With lovely mama Pat, one of my dearest friends. ⤠Thanks for inviting us to be a part of Anna’s birthday party! Can’t believe our girls are four… it’s been such a joy to experience motherhood at the same time with you!
It’s DC’s most beautiful time of the year… sakura season! †On Saturday, we went out to DC with my parents, my brother and my sister-in-law to go see the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in DC. I’ve gone every year since returning to DC, but last year we went a little late and missed the peak bloom. We had better luck this year, though, and were able to catch the blossoms in full bloom, just in time for the main Sakura Matsuri weekend event during the National Cherry Blossom Festival! Mio was so excited to go from the moment we told her we were going the night before, and she kept exclaiming, “We’re going to see the cherry blossoms! My name means ‘beautiful cherry blossom!’ We’re going to go see them!!!'” I love that she loves the meaning of her name, and can get so excited about the flower that is her namesake.
Mio on the Metro to DC Saturday morning on the Metro with the girls Mio eating some onigiri that my mom made for the outing Family outing to see the cherry blossoms!
Blossoms surrounding the Washington Monument Our family with the Washington Monument Mirei and Mio riding in the stroller
Ted & Elisa under the blossoms My parents under the sakura Love our girls ♥ Mio playing with Mirei in the stroller Mirei loves when Mio plays with her! M&M being silly Mio was in such a great mood to be with everyone… especially when Uncle Ted pushed them in the stroller!
Mio giggling her way through the cherry blossoms:
Arriving at the MLK Memorial Yet another family photo ruined by a photobombing by Ted Ted & Elisa at the Tidal Basin photo by my Dad
Some of the pinkest blossoms we found Catching the end of the cherry blossom parade
After seeing the cherry blossoms, we had lunch in DC together (we wanted to eat at Daikaya, but we ended up going to Full Kee instead because the wait was two hours!), and then took the Metro back home in the afternoon. DC was so crowded and we got a lot of walking in, so we were exhausted! All of us took a nap when we got home. We’re so glad we could see the cherry blossoms together with almost the whole family this year!
