Puppy Party on the Potomac!

Saturdays are for friends' parties!  We celebrated with a sweet 2 year old recently at a park down by the river.  Only I didn't get a picture of him.  Sorry Emmitt Speed Limit.  We love ya buddy.

Ruthie by the Potomac

guess who will bust open the pinata?  Mac Vs. Ezra.

sorry, but I had to post these.  I want to eat one right now.  I love chicken salad sandwiches.

"doggie bag" cookie party favors!

puppy cupcakes

Macy's Horse Show

Our neighbor Ms.Susan has a friend named Macy who we see occasionally- she is a bit older than Ruthie but she is so sweet and the girls have lots of fun together.   Macy rides and we recently went to one of her shows at a nearby stable.  We learned a bit about riding and really enjoyed seeing Macy skillfully handle her horse.  More fuel for Ruthie's horse crush, I must say.

Fireman Harry

(I am learning to take pictures off the AUTO settings on my camera- I had to put these on even if they're a little blurry.)  Harry still likes to wear hats, and now he is into being a Fireman.  The cuteness of it is almost too much.

APC Women's Bible Study

Staci, Sara, and Kira

Diane, Amy, and Jeanette

Here are the ladies of the Thursday morning BS at APC (Alexandria Pres Church), minus a few.  These ladies have become dear friends as we have delved into God's word together, sought after a better understanding of the gospel, prayed for each other and eaten meals together.  I left Grace in Mobile not expecting such a wonderful group of ladies on the other side of our move, yet God had them there and I am so so thankful to have been part of this group over the past 2 years.   

Petey

I took these Memorial Day weekend-just wanted to share (trying to catch up)...Peter's personality is ermerging more and more.  He laughed for the first time two days ago- Mac was talking to him while we were eating dinner and he just got tickled and giggled for several minutes, resulting in hiccups, which is a trait all the kids have gotten from Jay.  Pete "talks" alot, in sweet goos and coos and chirps.  I'll post some 3 month pics soon.

Here he is sleeping in his cozy swing that our next door neighbor generously lent us.

Franco's...the legend lives on

While in Williamsburg I tracked down the restaurant we loved when my family lived in Virginia Beach years ago.  My Dad is from the Philadelphia area and everywhere we have lived he's found authentic Philly cheesesteaks and NY style pizza.  Franco's was wonderful and it is still going strong almost 30 years later.  It is just a hole in the wall place located in a nondescript stripmall, but it is the real deal.  It was so fun to take Jay and the kids and eat some of the world's best food.  I'm serious.

Same pink neon from 1986.  You know pink neon means good Italian food.

Oh yeah ( from Ferris Bueller)  chickachicka chickaahhhhh!

Williamsburg- the burg of William for those of you who don't know English

Memorial Day weekend we made the trek down to Williamsburg and spent two days exploring and learning more about all things Colonial. It really is a wonderful place to visit.

Ruthie was living her dream...

(note recalcitrant Harry, with pokey belly too)

a bird bottle

Williamsburg

One of those moments

Peter- 2 months old (May 15)

Here is Peter back in May. He was smiling at this point but I couldn't get one this time. He's such an easygoing baby- and such kissable cheeks!

Mt.Vernon Wreath Laying

Playing catch-up...back in May when family was in town we went to Mt. Vernon and happened to be at Washington's tomb at 2:00 for the wreath laying ceremony. They asked for members of the military and Jay was the only one there so he was the one who led the ceremony and placed the wreath in the sarcophagus. It was an unexpected honor, we were proud of our Coastie!

six degrees of Kevin Bacon or something- it's true!

One of the amazing and super crazy things about moving here to Northern Virginia/DC is meeting people who know people I know or have some sort of connection to people or places that make me go, "holy cow, are you serious?" I'm not sure why it is so exciting to me, maybe just
because it makes me feel not so far away from friends and family, or maybe that it's like a smile from God because he knows that I get a kick out of it- it is sort of this crazy feeling that all is not random really, there is a greater hand at work. Here is my documentation of all the crazy "you know so-and-so's!" and they are moving here or living here? that I can think of from our time here.


-my friend Purvi's friend is one of my roommates in Prague's best friends


-our pastor Tom's daughter lived in Orlando and became friends with our friends from college, Shane and LaJuan.


-my friend Andrea went tocollege with a girl I knew in high school


-a man at church named Christian, fromPensacola, dated a girl I knew in high school

(these high school connections are really funny because it was a tiny Christian school-my
class had 5 graduates, the class before had 4)


-Beau, friend from college, moved here with his family


-another CG family we knew in Mobile lives here now


-my friend Cara, a roommate of mine when I lived in Prague, bridesmaided
and sang in my wedding (and I was a bridesmaid in her wedding), lives here, and
her brother, who was at my wedding, moved here and goes to my church


-one of the first Sundays we were at church, Melissa, a friend I knew in college walked
up to see me. I caught the bouquet at her wedding.


-a new family we met last summer and had just moved from Montgomery, AL, went to
the church in Montgomery where Jay interned right out of college


-one of my post-partum nurses at the Army Hospital graduated from USA, and worked at the Rec center where I worked


-the most recent incident: a new couple came to our group from church Wednesday night. I was getting to know them and discovered they were from Bristol, TN. I immediately thought of the one person I know from there: Jay's best friend Clark, so I said,"Do you know Clark Phillips?" Her mouth dropped open- "He's like my big brother!" There you go. Amazing.



You know what they say...it's all about who you know!

Happy Mother's Day!

Jay's mom and step-dad were visiting Mother's Day weekend. Here is JuJu with all her Virginia kids.

I never am in pictures since I take all pictures, so for this day I made a point to get a pic with all the kids. They are such a blessing!

The Cheese Stands Alone

Ahhh, spring on the farm...

the classic red barn...

a corn crib...

Depression era farmhouse kitchen...

lil' red tractor...

a baby pig peeing in a puddle and then drinking from it....(too hilarious not to document)

more little piggies sacked out in the sun...

and Mama Pig, totally sacked out (note tongue lolling) with babes suckling and tugging. She didn't move a muscle. I guess since I'm also a nursing mama, this struck me as extra funny. Wish I could just lay down and let the babe nurse at will. Well, at least I don't have 10 or so little ones all the same age needing milk. I hope these little piggies buy their mom a great Mothers' Day present and bring her breakfast in bed (no bacon though).

Saturday we went to Frying Pan Farm, a 1930s farm run by our county. It is a working farm, with all forms of livestock, an equestrian center, and beautiful fields from which they stock their farmer's market. They also have many of the original buildings from the 30s, like the dairy, farmhouse and smokehouse. It was fun and interesting, the kids loved it and it was FREE!