Dan’s sister Hyo came to visit us for the weekend of May 4-5, which also happened to Cinco de Mayo and Kodomo no Hi weekend! She snapped some great photos of Mio while she stayed with us, which I wanted to share on the blog…
Thanks for the awesome pictures, Hyo! Here are some of my own snapshots (mostly taken on the phone) from the weekend…
All smiles at lunch.
Red curry, tamarind shrimp, and pad see ew from Natta Thai. So delicious!
Azaleas in the yard.
Mio holding a koinobori for Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day in Japan)
Picnic at Nottoway on May 5 for Cinco de Mayo
With Auntie Miwa
Designing ice cream sundaes on the iPad… ma petite artiste! â¤
The cherry blossoms at Kenwood may not be as famous as the ones in DC, but they are just as stunning… I know a lot of people who actually prefer the trees in Kenwood! I had heard of Kenwood, but had never taken the chance to go see them until last Thursday, when I went with Mio, my father, and my sister Miwa. The canopy of blossoms that continues for as far as the eye can see makes it feel like you’re walking through a pink cloud… it was truly breathtaking!
I only had my phone camera on me to snap photos, so the pictures don’t quite do the blossoms justice, but I’m glad that I could capture some of the beauty of these gorgeous sakura.
Mio with the Kenwood cherry blossoms behind her.
Mio and I in front of the cherry blossoms that flank the roads.
Mio with Auntie Miwa. There’s a little stream that runs through the neighborhood, between the cherry blossoms.
It seemed like every road you turned onto was enveloped in the cherry blossoms.
The Kenwood community boasts 1,200 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.
With my father and sister.
One of my friends from Japan likened Kenwood to Ueno Park, which is also very beautiful in springtime with its cherry blossoms.
Taking a rest under the sakura.
Making our way back to the car. There was such beautiful, scenic views throughout!
Here’s a video I took on my phone as we were driving out of Kenwood, so you can see just how many cherry blossoms there are turn by turn. I apologize for the shakiness and poor quality. Dan tried to improve it a little by stabilizing it so that the blossoms themselves don’t shake very much (hence why you see the edges of the video shifting).
I feel that Kenwood is not an alternative to the Tidal Basin blossoms, but a primary destination in its own right, and I think I might actually prefer it to the DC blossoms! I loved how we felt surrounded by the cherry blossoms everywhere we turned, and how they formed impressive canopies above us. I also liked the fact that it was not as crowded as the Tidal Basin, and I didn’t have to worry about navigating through the seas of people and making sure I didn’t bump into strangers while admiring the blossoms. This might be our go-to place for hanami from now on!
Since moving back to the DC area, one of the things we’ve looked forward to most is going to see the famous cherry blossoms that bloom around the Tidal Basin every spring. The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees from Japan to the city of Washington, DC back in 1912. 101 years later, the beautiful cherry blossoms and festival celebrate the continued friendship between the two countries. Growing up minutes away from the nation’s capital and this spring spectacle of blossoms, cherry blossoms easily became one of my favorite flowers. I hadn’t seen them in years since I went off to college and then moved to California. Even while on the West Coast, I’d always wish I could visit during cherry blossom season so I could see the Tidal Basin surrounded by sakura, so I was really looking forward to being able to see them for the first time in over a decade! The initial forecast of peak bloom was at the end of March but those dates came and went without any signs of buds nor blooms due to the cold days of this year’s lingering winter. They finally came around, though, almost two weeks later when the weather jumped into the 80s, making it feel like we’d skipped spring and went straight into summer. It made for a gorgeous few days of sunshine that were perfect to walk about and see these magnificent blossoms in full bloom. Our family went on Wednesday afternoon, right after Dan had flown back in from the NAB Show since he didn’t have to go into work the rest of the day. It worked out perfectly because we could go right during the peak bloom period!
Our family of three by the stone lantern, with the cherry blossoms behind us.
Admiring the cherry blossoms hanging over the water.
The Jefferson Memorial and cherry blossoms behind us.
Mio with her namesake. Her name means “beautiful cherry blossom,” as she was born during cherry blossom season.
Cherry blossoms encircling the Tidal Basin
Mio with Daddy by the sparkling waters
Mio looking into a hole in one of the cherry blossom trees.
Such a beautiful sight!
Looking at the blossoms overhanging the water.
Taking a break on the grass.
Sharing a giggle with Daddy.
It seemed like all of DC was out to enjoy the blossoms and the gorgeous weather!
Making our way along the Tidal Basin.
Mio and I under a canopy of cherry blossoms.
By the new Martin Luther King Jr memorial that opened just a couple years ago in 2011.
This was our first time seeing the memorial – it was quite impressive!
The Tidal Basin engulfed in blossoms!
With the Washington Monument behind us.
The cherry blossoms were definitely in peak bloom!
perfect weather + perfect blossoms!
DC is so beautiful this time of year. I love this city!
Taking a rest at the Roosevelt Memorial.
A happy Mio! æ¡œã®ã‚ˆã†ã«ã—ã£ã‹ã‚Šæ ¹ã‚’å¼µã£ã¦ã€çš†ã‚’幸ã›ã«ã™ã‚‹å„ªã—ã„åã«è‚²ã£ã¦ã♪ Our hope is that just like these cherry blossoms, you’ll grow up to plant your roots firmly in the ground, and be a gentle and compassionate girl who brings joy to all those around her.
Goodbye gorgeous blossoms! We hope to see you again next spring. 🙂
Mio got dressed up for Easter Sunday so I thought I’d post some pictures. It’s hard to believe that our sweet baby girl is already turning two this week!
Hanging out with Grandpa
Special thanks to Jina for the beautiful dress! Mio is finally big enough to wear it! 🙂
Happy Easter! Mio got to go on her first egg hunt yesterday when her friend Danny and his parents invited us over for an Easter egg hunt in their front yard. Even though it was Mio’s first time, she knew exactly what to do and was a egg hunting pro!
Stephanie made little signs in each area with numbers indicating how many eggs each child could pick up in that respective location, to make sure that they would all get an equal number of eggs.
There were also various themed eggs, from metallic ones to iridiscent ones, to ones shaped like ducks and cars!
Mio’s favorite was definitely the ducks!
Mio is distracted by a pretty pom pom decoration on a tree.
Back to the egg hunt!
Danny also hard at work finding eggs!
Mio showing us her loot! So many eggs!
Adorable Danny counting out his eggs.
Mio randomly came over and gave Daddy a hug. Such a sweetheart.
Looking quite pleased with herself.
Cutiepies with their eggs!
Mio suddenly grabbed one of her car-shaped eggs and held it out towards Danny, as if she wanted to give it to him.
“Danny…?” No response.
He finally turns and notices!
Negotiating a trade. lol
Are you being bashful, Mio? Too cute!
The three cutiepies, quite happy with their eggs!
A family picture. 🙂
The beautiful Lee family! Thanks for organizing the egg hunt, Stephanie!
Mio inches in towards Danny and oustreches her arms for a hug.
…but instead of a hug, they just ended up standing really close to each other and staring down at their toes.
Danny getting a little push from his Daddy.
This looks like a scene from a sappy Asian drama. lol
Back at home, checking out the toys inside the eggs. Instead of the usual chocolates and candies, the eggs were filled with little stickers, toys, and other goodies that are fun for kids to play with.
Cute Easter-themed stamps from inside the eggs!
There was even little bunny dolls with parachutes attached to them. Here Mio is trying to test one out.
Mio had such a great time at the egg hunt, and was playing with the eggs and the little goodies from inside the eggs all day yesterday, even reaching for them right after she awoke from her nap! It must have been just that much fun for her. Special thanks to Danny, Stephanie, and Chwan for planning and preparing the egg hunt and having us over! It was a very fun and memorable occasion for our whole family!
