Maybe its an Asian thing... but we always take family pictures - both Ann's family and mine - on the family couch, in front of a painting. Every occasion, every year, every time.

:)

Edmonton's a good place to visit these days - I've grown to enjoy the city and all that's unique to this sprawling metropolis of just over a million people. Contrary to popular belief, there's plenty to do that has nothing to do with "The Mall"... I just haven't done much of it :) Ann is definitely a Mall girl, so I end up spending a lot of time there too.

This time, we were there to celebrate Victor and Van's official engagement, and unofficially, to break in the new house and check out "the digs". Its a gorgeous home, bright and spacious, with lots of little features that make it seem that Vic and Van have been there for years, instead of just having moved in.

This was also the first time I was in Edmonton for the Fringe Festival. It was pretty cool, we strolled around it a couple of days and checked out a few things.

I'm pretty sure I still have a big bag of popcorn from there, still waiting to be finished...

Ann's brother (whom Kiera will call Sum-Chun - Korean for 'uncle) is one of those hard-to-label people. He's an athlete, but not a jock. He loves the latest electronics and gadgets, yet he's far from being a geek. He's a sharp dresser, and Ann only hopes that some of his sense of style will eventually rub off on me :)

He's intensely competitive, explosive and has a fiery temper, yet he is generous to a fault, kind to his friends and dotes on his family. I admire how he enjoys life to the fullest, and still take incredible responsibility for making sure his parents have all that they want and need.

Both Ann and I feel incredibly lucky that he is Kiera's uncle. Thanks Victor... for everything and all that you do for us!

Ann spent a week in Edmonton before I joined her; we had gone to attend Victor's engagement party, but it was just as much a trip to give Ann's parents some quality time with Kiki.

Its not hard to tell they adore her just as much as my parents do :) In these pictures, Ann's mom is wearing a traditional Korean dress - she had worn it to the engagement party, and they are beautifully-made affairs.

I can't wait till Kiera's old enough to dress her up in one...

I'm told there're some babies who never learn to crawl, or they do but decide not to use it. Its true - Kiki's one of those non-crawlers, but only because she prefers The Swim. Its particularly effective on linoleum, and when she kicks her legs at the same time - well, its off to the races with that one.

We worried a bit if she might get scrapy knees and elbows, but so far so good. You can see from these pictures that she's not very far from standing. Any day now!

July's been one of those months that's off to a flying start. We sit around and do nothing for weeks on end, and then suddenly - just when summer is at its best - we line up a pair of weddings, a stag and a date with Cirque du Soleil!

Cirque du Soleil was amazing. Mom took Kiki for most of the day, which let us leave early to have dinner, coffee and dessert, and take in the show afterwards. The music, the costumes, the show itself... it draws you in like no other experience I've had. Negatives: the seats! I'm no gorilla but my bum could've used a couple more inches on either side.