On our last full day visiting California, Dan’s parents took us to the San Francisco Zoo because we all know of Mio’s love for animals! It was the first time visiting the SF Zoo for both Mio and myself, and Dan hadn’t been since he was a child, so it was a fun experience for everyone!
The San Francisco Zoo was definitely a nice zoo, with lots of animals to see! I can’t wait until the weather gets warmer so that we can take Mio to see the National Zoo in Washington, DC as well. 🙂
After our weekend in LA, we flew up to San Jose to stay with Dan’s parents for the rest of the week! It was a short five days that flew by, but it was so nice for Mio to see her grandparents again and spend some quality time with them. When she got off of the plane at SFO, she was really cranky and crying, but as soon as she saw her grandparents who came to pick us up, her face broke into a huge smile and she reached her arms out to them! She remembers them from all the times we spent together while we lived in California, as well as all the video chats they’ve been doing via Google Hangout since we’ve moved out here.
Here are some snapshots from when we had a family outing and lunch at Edenvale Garden Park in San Jose…
On Tuesday, Mio and I drove over to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna with our parents for an early afternoon stroll. My parents used to take my siblings and I here all the time as kids, and we always called it “duck pond” because of all the ducks and geese we’d see there every time we went. It was really nostalgic to revisit the park for the first time in almost twenty years, and share one of my childhood memories with Mio and make it hers, too. 🙂
Yesterday was Mio’s first Thanksgiving, and also our first Thanksgiving as a family of three! We drove over to Dan’s parents’ house in San Lorenzo in the late morning, and helped out in cooking what would become a delicious feast.
We brought the Pack n’ Play with us so that Mio could play in it while we were busy cooking. Dan’s parents’ dog Choco was very curious and kept sticking his nose against the playpen. Mio was almost equally as curious about Choco, but she’d cringe and grimace every time he’d try to lick her on the face.
After everyone’s collaborative hard work, it was time to dig in… everything was amazing. I ate so much that at the meal’s end, I felt as stuffed as the turkey I ate.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Mio tried turkey and gravy baby food for the first time. Unfortunately, she was not a fan.
She did, however, love her sweet potato. No surprise there!
Here’s Mio, getting entertained by Grandma.
We were letting Mio play with a bottle of vitamins, and she started making funny sounds with it. She’s quite the musician!
After all the excitement, Mio was quite tired and fell asleep in Grandpa’s arms…
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for family and friends both near and far, for good health, for the freedom and opportunities to do what I love, and for the ability to give, and enrich my life and those of others. I am especially thankful this year for our darling little Mio, whom I have grown to love more unconditionally, selflessly, and boundlessly than I ever have before.
We hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was also full of love, good cheer, delicious food, and lots to be thankful for.
Last Sunday, we took Mio to Moore’s Pumpkin Patch in Castro Valley — it was of course Mio’s first time at a pumpkin patch, and the grandparents (Dan’s parents) came along for the occasion. (This was the primary reason I had dressed Mio up as a pumpkin — so she could match the pumpkins there!) Mio was a bit cranky because she’d just awoken from a nap and was already tired from being out since early that day, but we got some cute pictures out of it!
The pumpkin patch was more fun that I’d expected, and I’m looking forward to going back in future years. Maybe Mio will be able to go on more rides next year! 🙂 Excited about all the memories we’ll make together in the years to come… ♥