Cuties Gianna and Mio were born only 20 days apart! They met for the first time the other day for a playdate in Columbia, Maryland. Here are some photos…
Afterwards, we went to eat some delicious authentic Italian-style pizza at Facci Ristorante in Laurel. It was so nice seeing Gamay and Nan Young again, and meeting their sweet kids Gianna and Abram. We’re looking forward to more playdates with them in the future! 🙂
Last Saturday, we attended Xiaoyi and Bochen’s beautiful wedding at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland! We’d never been to the gardens before, but it was a beautiful location full of flowers, perfect for the couple’s very colorful and lovely celebration! Xiaoyi is a dear friend from college, fellow graphic design major and we even worked together at the same media lab. I have so many wonderful memories with her, and was so happy to be able to attend and witness this happy occasion!
It was a beautiful day and we were so happy we could be a part of it! (Special thanks to my parents, who watched Mio for us while we were at the wedding.) We wish the couple a lifetime of happiness together! ♥
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.
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!
My father, sister, and I took a trip out to National Harbor on Wednesday and we had lunch together and strolled around the harbor and stores. The weather was beautiful!
We are loving being near our family and getting to spend so much time together during this holiday season! 🙂
Last Thursday, Mio and I went over to Maryland to meet up with some of my fellow Mama friends in the area and their kids. Together, we went on an outing to Watkins Park there and had a picnic, played on the playground, and then strolled around the farm section. It was great catching up with them, and seeing how much their children have grown… we’ve all known each other since our pre-motherhood days, so it’s really amazing to see each other with our own families now! We were a group of seven parents (including myself) and ten kids, so it was quite rowdy and a whole lot of fun!
Mio was exhausted from all the excitement of playing with so many other kids and seeing all the animals that she napped almost the whole way home! I love that she has so many friends here that she can play with every time we are back in the area. Thank you Lan and Mie for organizing the fun outing! 😀