Happy Father’s Day to my husband, the best Daddy ever! Thank you for your continued unconditional love and dedication to our family. Can’t wait to share more adventures in this wonderful journey together. ♥
Dan loved his Father’s Day gift – Pilsner mustache glasses!
Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my own father on this special day. Happy Father’s Day Papa! Thank you for everything. 今ã¾ã§ã‚ã‚ŠãŒã¨ã†â¤ ã“ã‚Œã‹ã‚‰ã¯å´ã§ã‚‚ã£ã¨è¦ªåè¡Œã§ãã‚‹ã¨ã„ã„ã§ã™ã€‚
My Papa and I, circa December 1985.
Hope everyone had a great weekend celebrating all the wonderful fathers out there! We had a delicious dinner celebration with sashimi, lobster and crab. 😀
Every year on Memorial Day weekend, the community of Vienna celebrates with Viva Vienna!, a 3-day festival of amusement rides, entertainment, food, crafts, and vendors. 100% of proceeds go to charitable, community and humanitarian organizations. Growing up in this community, I have so many fun memories of attending as a child with my family, and then with my friends as a high school teenager! It’s yet another fond memory that I’m really happy I can share with Mio and Dan now that we’re back in my old ‘hood! Mio and I went two days in a row, and she had so much fun!
On Saturday, Dan was teaching a video workshop all day to the local community youth (such a great gesture on his part — so proud of him!), and our friends SunJae, Mie, and their son Kosei were visiting from Maryland so that SunJae (who is also a video editor) could assist Dan with the workshop. So Mie and I decided to take the kids to Viva Vienna! for a few hours of festival fun!
Kosei and Mio riding the merry-go-round together! Mie is pregnant with baby #2 (a girl!), due in September.
Mio going on the merry-go-round a second time. So many ponies, but this time Mio picked the freaky monkey to ride on. They had free face-painting at the festival. The kids are happy with their painted faces! Kosei got a spider (“Spiderman!”) and Mio got to be a kitty cat.
Mio and I really enjoyed going to the festival with Mie and Kosei on Saturday, but because Mio had so much fun there and we still wanted to go with Dan as a family (especially since it’s so close!), the three of us went again the following day on Sunday. 🙂 It was actually much more crowded on the second day, probably because the vendors (who weren’t there on Saturday) had set up all their tents down Church Street on Sunday and Monday.
Mio grabbing a hold of Dan’s chicken on a stick! Mio nomming on the chicken skewer. You have some chicken in your teeth! She was SO HAPPY. She enjoyed the chicken skewer so much that even when Dan and I requested to take bites in between, she wouldn’t let go of the stick and would just guide it into our mouths, before putting it back into hers. I think she ended up eating most of it! Mio was fascinated by this “pet cool-down zone” pool they had set up. She loved watching the dogs go in and out of the water, and wouldn’t budge from the spot for about 15 minutes! We ran into the Lee family by the carousel! Here’s Mio riding with Danny and his mommy Stephanie! I’ve always wanted to go on the ferris wheel with Mio, but she was never allowed to go on them in California, even with her parents. We were really excited to ride it together! The view of Viva Vienna! from the ferris wheel. Mio bravely looking over the edge. She really enjoyed the ride! The rides she could go on were limited due to her height, but maybe next year she’ll get to go on more! We met up with newlywed friends Mimi and Sujay, and Xiaolu and her new adorable dog! Mio was of course very interested in the dog. She kept pointing at its curly tail and eventually was brave enough to pet it. It got really hot as the day progressed! Cooling down with a frozen drink on the sidewalk. Waiting for pizza afterwards at Luciano’s! Love this smile. “Enough pictures! Bring out the food!”
Mio staring at the huge pizza in front of her.
We had a truly memorable couple days at Viva Vienna! Festivals, carnivals, and county fairs are probably one of my favorite things about summer, and I love that now I can experience it with our little family. We’re looking forward to making more fun summer memories in the coming months and years ahead!
Mio loves to read and play with Daddy every evening after dinner, before bedtime. Here are some cute pictures and video of her playing trains with Dan.
Perhaps her favorite part of the day.
All smiles while playing with Daddy.
Sweetheart.
Mio is lucky to have such a warm and playful father who spends so much time with her! 🙂
Sending love to all the wonderful mamas out there, including my own wonderful mother and mother-in-law. ♥ I still have a lot to learn as I’ve only been a mom for just over two years, but I have such amazing women to look to as examples. Happy Mother’s Day!
I received a Mother’s Day corsage in the morning! 🙂
The weather was beautiful, so Mio and I took some pictures outdoors.
Sweet Mio handing me a buttercup she plucked.
Thank you for showing me all the joys (and challenges!) of motherhood, Mio! You make it all worth it. Our little family on Mother’s Day.
My mom came by just then, so we got a picture of us together, 3 generations! Happy Mother’s Day mama!
Afterwards, Dan and Mio surprised me with an adorable card and gift — Cupcake Diaries, which features many of the delicious recipes from Georgetown Cupcakes of DC Cupcakes fame. I can’t wait to try making them!
With that, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes about motherhood…
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. 🙂
