Our first Ruiter vs. Himple baseball game was a hit! Brian cooked up some great BBQ. The teams were not balanced so we mixed the two families. That experience made the baseball game even more fun. I can’t wait until next year’s game!

Lake Annette is the most brutal trail to the most beautiful lake. The hike gained a nasty 1,700 feet in about 1.5 miles of the 3.5 mile hike. The steep incline sapped our strength, but the work was worth every ounce of energy. The lake was gorgeous. We swam in the lake right next to our campsite and we had the shore to ourselves. Night fell quickly and we snuggled in the tent for a cool night.

Click here to see more photos from beautiful Lake Annette…

Sunny and I traveled to Washington DC for a class Sunny attended through work. I am lucky to have been able to tag along! As Sunny sat through her class, I scoured the city. Together we visited the Spy Museum, ate lunch on the Lincoln Memorial, dinner at exciting restaurants, and wandered from the White House to the Capitol.

Click here to see more photos from our vacation to Washington DC…

Father’s Day was a lot of fun. The afternoon was spent at my parent’s house where Sunny learned how to chop kindling and make a fire (no kidding). For the evening we went to Sunny’s parents where we made funny faces with our nephew and niece. We had a really nice day.

Colin, Adam, Idamae, Khai, Sunny and I went bowling with Brian and a friend Kate. I didn’t bowl very well, it has been a while, but Brian and Adam bowled well. We had a fun time. I hope we get together again soon, and more often.

Dria’s birthday party was at Laurie and Scott’s house with Grandma Minty and the kids.

Click here to see more photos from Dria’s birthday…

Steve’s wife Erin invited us to the Red Hook brewery in Woodinville for a surprise birthday party for Steve. Dinner was great and there was an open bar! Erin made a terrific slide show for Steve – very nostalgic. After dinner we danced and closed the place down with our cousins.

Andre, Alvin and I joined Carrie, Chris and Angela at Hunan Palace for lunch. I was able to meet Chris and Angela’s son Dylan, who was born on April 14, 2009. Lunch was very good.

Pineapple pie at work today. Brook may eat it before I get a chance to have a slice. I love this department, we always have food available!

Sunny and I ate at Julia’s on Queen Anne. The food was terrific, and the ambiance was perfect. In the future we are going to try to explore more of the unique restaurants Seattle has to offer.