An Afternoon at the Movies

Thanks to Crissi (Uncle Chad's fiance), we were able to take Nathan to the movies on Sunday afternoon to see Toy Story 3. This was his first full length feature in the theater.
He was so nervous that we weren't going to make it to the theater in time. But things brightened up when Dad purchased some popcorn.

However, things took a dip when the previews started and Nathan thought it was too loud.
But once the movie started, Nathan pulled his fingers out of his ears and stayed in his chair for the entire show. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, I thought it was very good. But I do think it was a little intense and scary for a preschooler. Yet I do have to admit, the ending did pull a few tears out of my eyes!

Happy 2nd Birthday Laura!

On Saturday afternoon, the humidity eased a little bit which allowed us (and everyone else) to enjoy a really fun birthday party outdoors. It's hard to believe that Laura is already 2 years old!

The kids enjoyed bouncing on the moonbounces and flying through the air....

and the wagon rides around the yard were also a really big hit!

We also realized we needed to teach Andrew a few lessons.... such as chewing with your mouth closed,
sharing.....

(sorry Anna), and not to eat the ring toss!

Father's Day at the Ballpark

Despite the heat, we gathered up both sides of the family and headed to Nationals Park to celebrate Father's Day.

Luckily our seats were in the shade the whole game, so it was bearable.

Despite missing his afternoon nap, Andrew was happy and enjoyed visiting with everybody.

After the game was over, Nathan got to run the bases with his Dad and Granddad. He he comes rounding second......

with Dan and Grandad a few strides behind.

Nathan was excited that he "left them in the dirt".

Happy Father's Day Dan, Granddad and Pop Pop! We hope you enjoyed the afternoon at the ballgame!

A Speedy Father's Day

On Friday, Dan enjoyed his Father's Day gift two days early. He and Eric took a day trip to the Richmond International Raceway. After a class and tour of the track, the guys suited up, walked out to their race cars,

climbed in and strapped on their helmuts, and

then drove a NASCAR 8 times around the track!!!

Needless to say they had a blast! And on the way home, they enjoyed a stop a Bass Prop Shop for some shopping and dinner. Sounds like a perfect Father's Day treat, huh? Well, it was well deserved.

Leading up to the event, Dan was a bit nervous as he has never really driven a car with manual transmission. If you want a good story, be sure to ask Dan how he was able to get a little bit of practice in before his trip to Richmond. I promised I wouldn't post the story on the blog. :)

Party at Discovery Station

This evening we celebrated "graduation day" at Nathan's school. Here's picture of his class. The kids dressed in gowns will be headed to kindergarten in the fall.

In addition to graduation day, the Discovery Station Learning Center was also celebrating its 1st birthday with a huge cake and celebration.

In addition to the moonbounces, Nathan and his friend, Aubrey, enjoyed the snow cones,

a ride on the train,

and checking out the hook & ladder truck from the local fire station.

It was a great party!

Deep Creek Lake

Last weekend, we travelled up to Deep Creek Lake, MD to help Dan's parents begin to move into their new lakehouse. Here's a peek at the family room from the loft above .... and the dining area.

The new house is beautiful and I promise to post more pictures after our trip there in August. After the moving was finished, we managed to squeeze in some fun....

Chad, Crissi and Ryan enjoyed a game of Scrabble played using their I-Phones and and I-Pad.

Although the weather was cool on Sunday, the kids were eager to squeeze in some time in the water.

We also made a quick stop at the State Park so the kids could enjoy some time in the sand and water.

Happy Birthday Grammy!

Grammy's birthday was Tuesday the 8th, so we all gathered at Matt's place on Sunday to celebrate. After a yummy dinner at Harry's Tap Room, we went back to Matt's apartment for dessert.

The Carvel ice cream cake was a hit with everyone and received a standing ovation from Andrew.

Matt's New Pad

My brother, Matt, moved into his new apartment a couple of weeks ago and we finally got to visit it on Sunday night. It is located in Clarendon (Arlington for those of you not from NoVA) and is in walking distance to many shops and restaurants. His building is the tall one in this picture.

It has a cool layout (a two story, one bedroom open loft) and very unique features, such as the railing you see below and polished concrete floors. Nathan had fun playing hide and seek while Andrew enjoyed climbing the stairs and playing peekaboo.
We hope to get invited back soon!

13 Month Update

Earlier this week, Andrew took his first couple of steps. Here he is strutting his stuff!
I will try to get a video up soon, because a still photo just does not capture how adorable, proud and wobbly he is as he takes the steps.

Andrew has also started to communicate with us more. Last week, we realized that he can sign "please" and he sometimes attempts "more", although that quickly just turns into clapping. He's been saying "dada", "mama" and "didi" (which we think is his name for Nathan) for awhile, but he has added a new phrase... "Ah Du". Translation... "all done".

So amazing and so fun to watch him grow!

Celebrate South Riding

One thing we love about South Riding is all of the family-friendly events. One of the biggest events each year is Celebrate South Riding. This year they transformed the open grassy lot by the Dulles South Recreation Center into a huge festival. We've been the last several years and I would say this was the best by far.


It was very hot and a little crowded, but Nathan was still able to enjoy many rides.Andrew, on the other hand, was content to just hang out in the stroller or our arms. However, he really enjoyed his ice cream!

Note to self..... next time order the vanilla cone and not the twist! Bye-bye cute shirt!

We ended the evening with a show called Agri-cadabra. This guy was an awesome entertainer! Check out the awesome balloon sculpture he made.

Nathan met up with his friend Sammy from school and they sat together for the entire show. Both boys were absolutely amazed and intrigued by the show