Let it Go! (Frozen 2026)

 

On Saturday night, we went to Arkley to see Main Stage's production of Frozen, featuring some professional actors and some local ones, including kids.  

Our friend Tito and his daughter Clara who is very into musical theater, were both featured in the play.

The Count of Weselton

... and as Pabbie

The lead actors' voices were amazing, and the costumes (including puppet Olaf and Sven the reindeer) were awesome. We, familiar with the story, characters, and musical numbers, thoroughly enjoyed the show.  None of our kids is particularly interested in theater performance, but we appreciate the arts-- from our balcony seats :) 

Noble X

 On Sunday, we visited Noble Blueberry farm, a Johnson-Vu tradition since 2016 (previous trips documented in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, only missing the pandemic year in 2020!).  With upcoming travel, we're glad Kellie mentioned it and June was earlier than we've gone in previous summers, but there were plenty of ripe berries to pick and sun to be had in Fieldbrook! 

Every year, the kids stand on the scale!

Also every year when we check out/pay for our berries, the owner (who we now know as Dave) asks Kelvin if Kellie (the other full Asian in our group) is his wife, and Kelvin has to explain that we are two different families with part-white kids, although our kids are the same ages :).  

Trying to keep the tradition alive/streak going until next year!  

Hosting

We don't do a ton of hosting but we enjoyed some last week! 

Kelvin and Ann-Chi went to college at UCLA together and she and her family (husband Anthony and daughter Abby, the same age as Iver) were in town from Chico RV-camping just north of us, last week.  We had them over for dinner on Wednesday and it was great to reconnect!  Anthony and Kelvin "talked shop" with health care business (they're both optometrists) and the ladies talked about more fun life stuff.

This board was made by Ann-Chi and her bestie, Stacy, for Kelvin over twenty years ago! 

We also had the pleasure of hosting Tibor, a Croatian soccer coach who ran the kids' local Challenger camp, during the week.  He came over to the U.S. to play college soccer in Nebraska, and then graduate school in sports psychology in Kentucky. He was respectful and mostly kept to himself, but delighted the boys (and was happy to tune into some FIFA World Cup matches, featuring Croatia, during his stay). 

Hosting: somewhat stressful if you worry about poisoning people, but worthwhile!

Father's Day 2026

This past Sunday was a pretty low-key day for us! 

We let Kelvin sleep in a bit and then gave him this (Pickleball = Retirement Plan tee shirt).

With Pepper, his fur-child's, plaque in our garden.

I tried to FaceTime my Dad in VA but alas, he seemed busy!

Kelvin got to take his usual weekend nap and we enjoyed dinner (pho) out and Ultimate Yogurt for the evening meal.

Kelvin is a very involved parent-- always trying to attend kids' school and sporting events despite a very demanding schedule. He is more the "out of the house" parent while I hold down parenting duties at home but a great partner and the "preferred" parent in many ways, because he's fun- and excitement-loving.

My own Dad has had almost 45 years of parenting expertise, and has done a great job! We look forward to celebrating and seeing him this summer for a cruise. We'll also get to see Ong Noi (K's dad) in a couple of weeks in Orange County. 

We're hosting a Croatian soccer coach (Tibor) as part of the Challenger Camps system this week and the kids are enjoying summer and lots of celebrating.

Happy (belated) Father's Day to all the fathers, grandfathers, father figures in the world!

Celebrating a Golden Anniversary!

 

I can't believe my parents have been married for FIFTY YEARS! As the card I sent them says, "The first 50 years of marriage are the hardest." Marriage IS hard (Kelvin and I are coming up on fifteen years), but they truly have made it look easy! 

My parents have both (at my "gift" /slash request) written memoirs via the company Storyworth, which helped me get to know their stories a bit better, and to have to re-read for many more years to come. The short version is that my dad grew up on a tiny farm outside of Fisher, in rural northwestern MN, and my mother grew up in South India, coming to the U.S. for college but returning home to Madras (Chennai). They were introduced by mutual friends while my dad was working abroad in India, and their union was unlikely and unusual, but still absolutely right (and the rest is history!).

Here are some clippings from the MN archives (note: misspelling of my mom's name!)

Wedding invitations- found in an ancestry project from Vanessa in 1997!

They've both had demanding and rewarding careers with the U.S. government, raised us two "third-culture" girls, and have traveled the entire world.  They are enjoying exercise, reading, traveling with the company OAT, dog-parenting in their retirement years, and are soon to downsize into a smaller space in this next chapter of their lives.  They are very different people-- by background, temperament, and in many other ways, but they've made a very long marriage work which is truly remarkable and inspirational! 

I shamelessly stole almost all of these archived pictures from my mom, who curated them from their past albums (many of which she's been sorting through as they prepare to move), as I don't have many old photos in digital form.

1976 in India

1980

1985 MN

Arness Family, 1987

~1993 Taj Mahal 

1994 Fox Glacier, New Zealand

1996, Snowpocalypse, at our soon-to-be-sold home in McLean, VA

1997 Glacier NP

2001 Istanbul (25th anniversary cruise to Greece and Turkey) 

2005 Egypt

2006 Vanessa's College Graduation

2006 Mexico

2007 Mayo Medical School Graduation

2011, Kelvin and my wedding  

2014

Dogs they've owned and loved

Toccata (1991- 2001? )

Duncan and Freya (rest in peace)

Remy, who is currently ailing from a mouth tumor

2016 Hawaii

2022 Jamaica

Combined 145 years old (2023)

2025 Mt Vernon

2026 Morocco

We will be seeing them next/ celebrating in person with them on a Baltic family cruise this summer but for now: CONGRATULATIONS on such a remarkable milestone and enduring love.

 CHEERS TO FIFTY YEARS (and, with hope, many more!)!