For the fourth year in a row, Kevin Keefe did an outstanding job hosting our work picnic. This was the biggest picnic yet, with nearly 20 people there at different times throughout the day. The food was terrific, check out the A-Team cake! I can’t wait until next year’s picnic!

Andre is giving his thumbs down while Bruce hangs out in his cubicle.

Alvin and Andre check out Bill’s new iPhone and I celebrate code well typed.

Sunny’s company knows how to put on a picnic! We walked onto the Mukilteo/Clinton ferry and were whisked away to Bruce’s house on the beach. The beach houses were beautiful – Bruce’s son gave us a tour – and the view was awesome. The weather was warm and the catered lunch was great.

We decorated seashells, which was fun, I am always amazed at how creative Sunny is. I am looking forward to October when Sunny will create a pumpkin masterpiece for Halloween. We were also able to spend a lot of time together walking along the beach, and it was fun getting to know the people Sunny works with.

I’m planning the party of a lifetime. I was never the little girl with the pre-planned binder of ideas that followed me throughout adolescence. However, now I’m finding that I’m getting into the entire wedding game of planning one of the most important days of my life…so far! Kevin and I are fans of Parisian influence. As most of you know that’s where we were engaged. Therefore we will be incorporating the French theme into as many of the wedding details as we can. We can’t wait to share our special day with you. xoxoxo

I went on vacation for three days to Lake Chelan with Sunny’s family. We stayed at a condo right on the beach. Sunny’s family has been vacationing at Lake Chelan for nearly 30 years, so Sunny really knew the lake! The weather was perfect, not too hot, and the water was cold. We laid on the beach, swam, and took the boat out for inter-tubing and waterskiing. My favorite was when we took the boat to Safety Harbor. We followed the river to a small pool where we swam in the cool water. The first night we barbecued thinly sliced flank steak marinated in teriyaki sauce – it was beautiful! I posted a few of the photos below. You can see many more photos on my Web Gallery.

I had so many great photos I added another page…

Khai’s sister, Yuen, got us tickets to Teatro Zin Zanni! Khai’s Mom, Thuy, Mom, Dad, Khai, and Idamae joined Sunny and I at the theater. The five course dinner was fantastic, but the performers really stole the show.

My favorite act was two Germans who played a love struck duo. They climbed all over each other, perilously high above the floor on a rope swing. But the funniest act must have been when three French brothers rolled objects in the air using only their legs. At one time one of the brothers spun another performer through the air!

Throughout the evening the performers pulled members of the audience out to join the performance. Overall Teatro Zin Zanni was a really fun event, but very expensive. At that price, it’ll be a long while before I come back.

I had so many great photos, I had to add another page…

My family and I spent three days preparing to show my condo. Mom scrubbed cabinets while Dad washed the walls. Idamae emptied out the pantry, literally – Idamae threw away so much expired food that there is almost nothing left! We boxed everything I wouldn’t need in the next few months and I hauled it down three flights to my garage. Earlier in the week I had installed shelves to hold everything. The hard work payed off, the condo looks beautiful, and with Sunny’s help, it is perfectly staged to sell. I know it will sell quickly, which means I’ll be soon staying at my parents house…

Sunny and I spent the evening together on July 4th. After dinner we walked along a park on Magnolia Boulevard where we asked tourists who had been bussed to the park by their cruise lines to take our photo. The park is directly across from Alki Point and overlooks the Sound. Sunny took me to one of her favorite places to sit and enjoy the view.

Later we drove to Sunny’s Grandma Minty’s apartment to watch the fireworks. The view from the 10th floor of the building was awesome, the show must have lasted an hour! We are definetely coming back next year!

Sunny and I hiked to Monte Cristo, with our nephews Alex and Erik, on a washed out road. Along the way we traversed hills of snow, washed out bridges, and fallen logs. For lunch we tried to light a campfire, but Sunny and I were distracted when Erik lost both his shows in thick mud, which he referred to as quicksand. We had a great time. Since Erik had never hiked true wilderness trails before I made sure we took it easy. At the end of the hike Erik said he loved it and would come back. Our next planned hike is an overnighter to an alpine lake or river. Alex was enthralled by the scenery and took a lot of great photos. At the end of the trip we visited Alex’s Mom Tiffany and their very large rabbits. See more photos from our hike on my Web Gallery…

There were so many great photos that I had to add another page…

The Summer Solstice Parade in Fremont, Seattle, was an unforgetable experience. Sunny and I jostled for a good viewing position among thousands of others. We found a spot right at the bend in Fremont street, at almost the center of the parade route. There must have been over a hundred floats, this was the largest parade I had ever seen! The famous bicycle riders led the parade. I had to be very selective of the photos I posted to make sure this site remains family friendly…

Sunny and I enjoyed the parade, but it was crowded…

Afterwards we stopped by lake for root beer and shade. We found a quiet spot and escaped…