Dan’s parents flew over from California last week  to visit us from Tuesday night to Saturday morning. Mio’s face broke into a huge smile as soon as she saw her grandparents on Wednesday morning, and they were nearly inseparable for much of their visit! It was so sweet to see Mio interacting with her loving grandparents, and they got to meet their new granddaughter Mirei for the first time, too! Here are some photos and video from their visit.

Mio & Mirei with grandparents
Mio & Mirei with their grandparents

 

Grandma with granddaughters
Mio has been doing this funny thing lately where after she touches or comes in contact with Mirei, she smells her hands and often goes to wash them afterwards. Kind of mean, but I guess Mio doesn’t like the baby smell! lol

 

Grandma meeting Mirei
Grandma meeting Mirei

 

Mio's scrunchy face
Mio’s scrunchy face of joy!

 

Mirei curiously looking on.
Mirei curiously looking on.

 

Grandma with Mirei
Grandma with Mirei

 

They got a big smile out of her!
They got a big smile out of her!

 

Mirei with Grandpa
Grandpa with his newest granddaughter

 

Such sweet moments!
Such sweet moments ♥

 

I captured this video of Grandpa and Grandma singing to the girls on my phone camera. Unfortunately the lighting is a little dark, but it’s still a very sweet video nonetheless!


 

Sisters in Grandpa's arms.
Sisters in Grandpa’s arms.

 

On Friday, Dan took the day off so that we could spend the day together with his parents. Even though they used to live in Maryland and are familiar with the sites, there were some new memorials that were built since they moved away 19 years ago, and they wanted to visit the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in particular.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
By a statue of Eleanor Roosevelt. Mio kept pointing and asking, “Who’s that?”

 

Mio and I at the fountains by the FDR Memorial.
Mio and I at the fountains by the FDR Memorial.

 

Mio and grandparents by the FDR statue.
Mio and grandparents by the FDR statue.

 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
With Dan and I this time.

 

Mirei is asleep while at the FDR Memorial
Mirei was asleep for most of the time we were sightseeing the memorials in DC.

 

Mio with Grandpa
Mio was all smiles with Grandpa

 

Sharing a laugh.
Sharing a laugh!

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, always impressive! It’s definitely one of my favorite memorials.

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
One of my favorite quotes by Dr. King. I love reading all his quotes along the wall at the memorial — he was such an eloquent man and his words are often very poetic and beautiful.

 

"Out of the Mountain of Despair, A Stone of Hope."
“Out of the Mountain of Despair, A Stone of Hope.”

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Mio and grandparents by the MLK memorial.

 

Washington Monument
Washington Monument across the Tidal Basin.

 

Mio was in such a great mood while she was being pushed by Grandma in the stroller as we were walking around the memorials that she started singing! I’d sang this Japanese song to her a few times, but this was the first time I’d heard her sing so much of it on her own so I went a little overboard with recording it on video:


 

Take 2:


 

Take 3:


 

Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Dan’s parents wanted to see the Jefferson Memorial again, so we stopped there before leaving DC.

 

This was one of my favorite pictures from the day.
This was one of my favorite pictures from that day.

 

Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Posing with TJ inside the Jefferson Memorial.

 

Lunch at Niwa no Hana
Enjoying a Japanese lunch before heading home.

 

We’re so thankful that Dan’s parents could make the trip out here to visit us and the girls! Though their visit was short, Mio and Mirei both got so much love from them and were able to make priceless memories with them. We look forward to the next time we’ll get to see them!