Summer Time- Part 1

We started the summer out like rock stars. I was full of energy and full of ideas and plans. Of course this didn't last very long (summer is 10 weeks for crying out loud!), but we sure started out with a bang.

 We joined our neighborhood pool this year and we spent many a mornings there. 

The secret to my summer success were books on tape. After lunch I would put one on and the kids would start like this...

...and inevitably end like this. It is my most brilliant move to date.

We did some berry picking at Butler's.

We explored the butterflies and gardens at Brookeside.

We hit up lots of playgrounds.

 And my efforts were rewarded with things like this:

Not a bad gig I have. Not bad at all. 

Harpers Ferry

The Saturday before Memorial Day was spent in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. This is where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet, as well as where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers converge. There is a lot of Civil War history here, and today it is a national park which the Appalachian Trail goes through.

The plan was to go camping along the river the night before, but it dropped down to near freezing temps, with strong winds and a flash flood warning. We wisely skipped the camping and came to hike the next day.
We arrived early, found the town empty of tourist, but filled with staged old timers who told us the history of the town. Awesome.

We took a 5 mile hike (not on the trail) up the "mountain" shown in the background. The kids all rocked it. 

The view from the top

Below is Jefferson Rock. In 1973 Thomas Jefferson stood on this rock and later wrote that "this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic".  Agreed Mr. President. 

This cemetery is above the town and as you can see, has beautiful views. I would think it a little strange to stop and hang out in a graveyard, but we were not the only ones to do it! 

Luke was so inspired by the beauty that he started to decorate Afton's hair with wildflowers. 

My Non Ode to Baseball

I'm extremely conflicted about baseball. 

The pros: My kids love it. It is a great time of year to be outside. I love the other parents and really enjoy hanging out with them. The team is comprised of neighborhood kids, and I love seeing my kids build bonds with them. They play with their cousins and they have amazing coaches.

The Cons: IT IS SO BLASTED LONG! 

If baseball were only an hour long, I would be a fan. But it is not. The games run about 2 hours, and I have heard that they get increasingly longer as the kids get older. That is not to mention practices and the fact that the games are all over the place. With two boys playing, I felt that our entire Saturdays were devoted to the game. I want Saturdays to be devoted to me, I mean our family. 

BUT, the reality is that my boys do love baseball, so I am going to suck it up and be a team player. At last for the spring... the other seasons are another story.

cute cousins

Smelling The Roses

Last week I took Clara and Afton on a walk through one of our favorite places- Brookside Gardens. The flowers were out in full bloom and I got a kick out of watching them sniff at the roses. I decided that we should come back for Family Home Evening that night and all smell the roses. It suddenly seemed important for me to stress the importance of slowing down in our lives and appreciating the small things. Cheesy? Absolutely! But definitely worth it.

Cherry Blossoms!

Nothing beats the cherry blossoms in D.C. We go year after year, and it never anything less than magical. This year we went a couple of days past "peak" (when the blossoms are in full bloom), but it was enough for me after missing the blossoms for two years. We enjoyed some of the sites, including the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. It is amazing and every American needs to go. 

These are some shots from the FDR memorial. Afton is on a section of disrupted stones that have the words "I HATE WAR" carved in them. It is very powerful.

Until next year cherry blossoms!

Easter in North Carolina

Three of Andrew's brother's live within a 10 mile radius of us. One brother, however, lives 5 hours away in North Carolina, which makes drop in visits impossible. We try to visit once a year, and this year we decided to crash during Easter break. This family is so much fun and in true southern style, extremely hospitable. We took a trip to our favorite Raleigh kids museum, hiked, explored a nearby creek and had a very relaxing Easter Sunday (as evident in the picture of Andrew and his brother Matt sleeping below). We just love this family and can't wait to visit next year!

On the way home we finally managed to stop at a couple of Civil War Battle fields.