Photos: Mount Baker Landscape Pictures

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Picture Lake

Special thanks goes out to Pa Chin, who awoke early this morning at 4:30 AM to accompany Lydia's dad for these sunrise pictures

August 9, 2008

(Sunrise time: about 6:00 AM)

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Clouds shroud most of Mount Shuksan this morning.

August 9, 2008

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The clouds have completely hidden Mount Shuksan.

August 9, 2008

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Picture Lake and Mount Shuksan

Special thanks again to Pa Chin, who accompanied Lydia's dad for sunset photos tonight after dinner.

(Sunset time: around 8:30 PM)

August 8, 2008

Note: All of these pictures were taken at Picture Lake with Mount Shuksan in the background in the Mount Baker Wilderness Area.

Photos: Mount Baker with Grandparents

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Pa Chin, Ma Chin, Ma Wee, and Lydia are resting on a bench at Picture Lake.

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Lydia is taking a picture of herself and her grandparents by pressing the button on the Pocket Wizard Plus II radio remote trigger (in its transmitter mode). Her actions activated another Pocket Wizard Plus II radio remote trigger (in its receiver mode) that was connected to the camera.

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Lydia, with her beloved Tigger the Tiger in her arms, and her grandparents are walking back to the car.

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Wildflowers in bloom

Note: All of these pictures were taken in the Mount Baker Wilderness Area at Picture Lake on August 8, 2008.

Photos: Mount Baker Family Photos

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When we arrived here after lunch, we were surprised by the amount of snow that was still remaining in the area even though it was already early August. There was so much snow that we could not hike on the trails because they were still covered with the white stuff. Some children were sledding on the snow.

(left to right): Dad, Pa Chin, Ma Chin, Ma Wee, mom, and Lydia

Artist Point

Around 1:00 PM

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Dad, Tigger the Tiger, Pa Chin, Lydia, Ma Chin, Ma Wee, and mom

(Notice that Lydia is holding the Pocket Wizard Plus II remote that was used to take this picture.)

Picture Lake with Mount Shuksan in the background

3:29 PM

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on August 8, 2008 in the Mount Baker Wilderness Area.

Photo notes: Two Pocket Wizard Plus II radio remote triggers (one in my hand and one connected to the camera) were used to take these pictures. These are invaluable accessories for making group portraits involving young children because their attention spans and patience with picture taking are generally very brief.

In the group portrait in which everyone is standing, fill flash was used since the sun, the main light source, was breaking through the clouds behind us. In the group portait in which everyone is sitting, no fill flash was used as the overcast skies blocked out the sun's rays. (Notice how much better and more even the light is in the second picture compared to the harsher, contrastier light in the first picture.)

Photos: Mount Baker

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Everybody is exiting the rented sports utility vehicle at Picture Lake

Because of not wanting to drive two cars on this trip, we rented a sports utility vehicle. Mom and dad occupied the front seats; Lydia and Ma Wee were in the middle section; and Pa and Ma Chin sat in the back row.

August 8, 2008

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Lunch at Milano's, an Italian restaurant that is located at 9990 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier, WA

The New York Times review of this restaurant describes it as follows:

"This casual deli and Italian eatery has long been a favorite of snowboarders and skiers coming down off the mountain after a day on the slopes. Fresh pasta dishes are the specialty here, and the menu usually includes four different types of ravioli (smoked salmon, mushroom, cheese, and meat). The desserts, including tiramisu, cappuccino chocolate torte, and polenta cake, are all big hits with the hungry downhill crowd."

August 8, 2008

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(left to right): Ma Chin, Lydia, Pa Chin, Ma Wee (who is sitting on the bench), and dad

Picture Lake

August 8, 2008

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Ma Wee and Lydia in the rental sports utility vehicle

August 9, 2008

Note: All of these pictures were taken around the Mount Baker Wilderness Area in Washington.

Photos: Bubbles Time

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Pa Chin, Ma Chin, and Ma Wee (who is sitting) observe Lydia as she makes a bubble. Although Lydia has only had a few opportunities to play with bubbles, she relishes those experiences, and tonight was no exception.

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Surrounded by her grandparents, Lydia is getting ready to blow some more bubbles using the bubble solution.

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Pa Chin is getting some bubble solution onto the wand so that Lydia can make more bubbles.

Note: SiowFong took all of these pictures on August 5, 2008 in the street in front of our home.

Photos: Paramount Park

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Wearing her sunglasses, Lydia is looking for her next activity.

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Lydia is getting ready to descend the slide while Ma Chin, her paternal grandmother, stands nearby.

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on August 4, 2008 at Paramount Park in Shoreline, WA.

Photos: Grandma Chin

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Lydia and Ma Chin are clapping as Ma Chin is teaching Lydia a Cantonese nursery rhyme.

Living room of our home

August 5, 2008

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Lydia is holding her grandma's hand as they stroll at Paramount Park.

August 4, 2008

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Ma Chin and Lydia are using crayons to color a piece of typing paper.

Living room of our home

August 5, 2008

Photos: Grandparent Chins, Paramount Cycling

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Mom is guiding Lydia as she rides her tricycle while Ma and Pa Chin follow them.

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Ma Chin and Pa Chin, Lydia's paternal grandparents, are helping her as she rides her tricycle. Lydia has thoroughly enjoyed her outings with the tricycle, a generous gift from Julie Song, John Li, and May Li (their six-year old daughter).

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on August 4, 2008 at Paramount Park in Shoreline, WA.

Photos: Grandparent Chins, Paramount Park

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Grandma Chin is helping Lydia on the monkey bar rings while grandpa Chin watches. One of the benefits of summer is that the warmer weather brings people to the local parks, and one of the experiences that we wanted Ah Ma (grandma Chin) and Yeh Yeh (grandpa Chin) to have was going with Lydia to various parks in the community.

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Lydia attempts to hang on the rings herself while Grandma Chin observes.

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Grandma and Grandpa Chin observe Lydia as she prepares to descend the slide.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on August 4, 2008 at Paramount Park in Shoreline, WA.

Photos: Grandparent Chins, Bonding Time

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Pa Chin is reading the ABC Bible book to Lydia.

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Ma Chin is feeding Lydia her bedtime snack, a bottle of whole milk.

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Lydia and Pa Chin are playing with stuffed animals on the sofa.

Note: All of these photos were taken on August 3, 2008 in the living room of our home.

Photos: Grandparent Chins Arrive !

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Lydia and her mom are waiting near the escalators for Yeh Yeh (Lydia's paternal grandfather in Chinese) and Ah Ma (Lydia's paternal grandmother in Chinese). Lydia had not seen her paternal grandparents for eight months, and she was looking forward to their two-week visit with us. (Since her arrival to the US in late May 2008, Ma Wee had also been looking forward to their company.)

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Lydia, Yeh Yeh, and Ah Mah

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Ah Mah gives Lydia a hug while Yeh Yeh observes.

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Yeh Yeh, Ah Ma, and Lydia are waiting for the elevator.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on August 3, 2008 at Sea-Tac International Airport in SeaTac, WA.

Photos: Airport Bulletin Board

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Adjacent to the baggage claim area is a large advertising board with local hotels, motels, and restaurants that is backlit by fluorescent lighting, and Lydia is pointing to one of those establishments on this board. SiowFong, Lydia, and I visited the airport today to pick up my parents (Lydia's paternal grandfather ["Ah Yeh" in Chinese] and paternal grandmother ["Ah Mah" in Chinese]), and while we were awaiting the arrival of their flight, we spent some time here.

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Lydia is looking at another section of the advertising board.

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on August 3, 2008 at Sea-Tac International Airport in SeaTac, WA.

Photos: Feeding Baby Kayla

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Lydia is feeding Kayla, auntie Mayfanna's and uncle Matt's one month old infant girl, a bottle of milk while auntie Mayfanna is holding Kayla and supervising Lydia.

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Lydia was very interested in feeding Kayla her bottle of milk, and this proved to be one of Lydia's two favorite activities of the day (the other was harvesting the beans in the garden).

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Lydia is gently wiping Kayla's mouth after feeding her the milk.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on July 3, 2008 during a play date at the Kaing home (Mayfanna, Matt, Kyvin, and Kayla) in Kirkland, WA.

Photos: Harvesting Vegetables

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Auntie Mayfanna is helping Lydia to harvest the beans by pulling on the bean while Lydia uses a scissor to cut the bean from the stalk.

Uncle Matt loves tending a vegetable garden, and we have seen how much Kyvin, Matt's and Mayfanna's son, enjoys picking vegetables from this garden. Auntie Mayfanna graciously gave Lydia her first opportunity to harvest some beans from the garden, and this experience delighted Lydia.

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A close up view of Lydia's concentration as she prepares to cut another bean off the stalk

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Lydia is placing a bean into the basket that Auntie Mayfanna provided to collect the harvest.

Note: All of these pictures took place on July 30, 2008 during a play date at the home of the Kaings (Mayfanna, Matt, Kyvin, and Kayla) in Kirkland, WA.

Photos: Tigger Kite at Magnuson Park 3

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Lydia's dad is flying the large Tigger the Tiger kite as sunset approaches.

Notice the difference in the natural lighting between this picture and the one below, which was taken just 30 minutes prior.

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Lydia's mom is flying the large Tigger the Tiger kite.

Lydia's uncle Bernard (her mother's brother who is four years older than her mom) enjoyed flying kites when he was a child, and he would let Lydia's mom fly the kites also.

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Lydia is trying to get her small Tigger the Tiger kite airborne.

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Lydia is running with her tiny Tigger the Tiger kite.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on July 28, 2008 at Magnuson Park in Seattle, WA.

Photos: Tigger Kite at Magnuson Park 2

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Lydia is pointing at the Tigger kite as her dad reels in the kite.

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Lydia is following the tail of the kite as it descends.

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Lydia is trying to catch the kite.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on July 28, 2008 at Magnuson Park in Seattle, WA.

Photos: Tigger Kite at Magnuson Park 1

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Lydia and her mom are holding onto the kite string as they gaze towards the sky to see the kite floating in the air.

We returned to Magnuson Park after dinner tonight. We initially brought Lydia here two days ago also because the park has a hill that is appropriately called Kite Hill because the frequent swirling winds in this area are ideal for flying kites.

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"Look at how high the kite is" was probably coursing through the minds of Lydia and her mom.

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Lydia and her dad are flying the kite now.

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A close up view of the Winnie the Pooh - Tigger the Tiger kite in the air

Note: All of these photos were taken on July 28, 2008 at Magnuson Park in Seattle, WA.