4th of July "Wow" at Lake Anna

WOW! Let me just say that "wow" is the word to describe our boys at Lake Anna over the 4th of July weekend. Both Nathan and Andrew have reached new levels of comfort with the water. Nathan started off the weekend running and jumping off the dock over and over again.

Then he discovered the fun of cannon balls.Then he was up for something more daring, so he started jumping off the diving board on the neighbor's dock.

But even that was not enough for one weekend. After much whining and negotiating, Dan agreed to accompany Nathan up to the platform on the neighbor's dock. So here they are checking out the drop.......

And, here they go...........

Nathan also had fun being pulled in the tube and riding Big Mabel with Uncle Matt.

And the weekend would not be complete without about a half dozen or so rides on the jet ski.

So enough about Nathan's adventures. What about Andrew, you ask? Well, our timid little Andrew really started to come out of his shell this weekend as well. It started with the pony ride a few weeks ago. And this weekend, Andrew finally relaxed and enjoyed a ride on the big boat. He even explored riding in the bow.

Pop Pop took Andrew out for a ride in the Kayak. At first, he was not a big fan....But in less than 2 minutes, he was loving it and waving to the camera!

He even went out for a long ride with Dan the next morning.

Later in the day, Andrew asked to go for a ride on the jet ski. At first we weren't sure if we understood him correctly, but it became pretty clear that was exactly what he was asking to do. So..... we figured, why not. So Dan took Andrew out for his first spin on the jet ski. He absolutely LOVED it and did not want to get off.

Look out Nathan - you now have competition for time on the jet ski!

Deep Creek Lake Weekend

The last weekend of June, we travelled to Deep Creek Lake to spend time with Dan's parents. The weather turned out to be a bit cooler than we expected, so we did not spend much time in the water. But we did enjoy the peacefulness of the lake while lounging on the dock.... in between squirts from the waterguns.

We also took some walks and the boys loved climbing on the rocks.

On Saturday, we went to Wisp Resort to check out some of their newest additions. Nathan absolutely loved the new Chipmunk Challenge Course, which is a mini canopy tour complete with two zip lines.

Although we had no doubt that Nathan was up to the physical challenges, we expected a little bit of fear and a couple of cries for help. But not once did he stop and ask for help. He was focused and determined and went quickly through the course 3 times! While Nathan was busy on the course, Andrew enjoyed climbing and playing on the new playground.

Thanks to Gramma and Grandad, we were able to take Nathan to the movies on Saturday afternoon to see Cars 2, while Andrew napped. Although it was fun to go to the movies together, the original Cars movie is without a doubt a better movie.

On Sunday, we also tried something new... we played a round of mini-golf with the boys. It was the most beautiful weather of the weekend, so it was great to be outdoors. But I would say that playing mini-golf with a 5 and 2 year old is not ideal.

We've been up to Deep Creek Lake quite a few times over the last 10+ years, and it is amazing to me just how many different things they are to do up there!! It's pretty hard to not have a good time.

Lucy's Birthday

Our little girl celebrated her birthday on June 22nd. She turned 9, or it is really 63??? In either case, she's not that young anymore, but the Vet said she is quite healthy. After swim lessons, we celebrated with some yummy cupcakes.

Father's Day Fun

We had some fun plans to spend Father's Day with both my parents and Dan's parents. I bought tickets for all of us to see the Potomac Nationals game on Sunday afternoon and included with our package were a few fun surprises for all the Dads. Unfortunately, the days prior to Father's Day were quite stormy and rainy, so we were very disappointed to receive the call that the game was cancelled due to poor field conditions and the threat of thunderstorms throughout the day. After enjoying lunch with the Vaughans and a nap for the boys, we went to my parent's house in Haymarket. Dan and his boys played their own baseball game.


Then after dinner, we all stuffed ourselves with some delicious ice cream from Pickle Bobs!

Not quite the day we had in mind to celebrate our dads, but what can you do. Thanks Dads for all that you do! We love you!

Summer Kick-Off Party

After graduation, the boys had TONS of fun at the Summer Kick-off Party at Discovery Station. There were moonbounces, games, pony rides and tons of food.

Here's a before and after shot with the cotton candy:

At the party, we were totally shocked when Andrew said he wanted to ride the pony. What you may not know is that he will not ride a carousel. We've tried on numerous occasions and he just will not stay on the horse and clings to you for dear life. But apparently.... he feels much more secure riding a real pony.... go figure. He even went for a 2nd ride!

Graduation Day

It's so hard to believe, but Nathan (and Dan and I too) are preparing for a big change this fall. As part of this process, Nathan and his friends celebrated a big milestone.... graduation from Junior Kindergarten.


After a short procession, the kids showed off some of their singing and counting skills.We have greatly appreciated the impact that his teachers, Ms. Ida and Ms. Laura, have had on him this year.

Nathan has grown up quite a bit this year and is as inquisitive as ever. We think he is more than ready to start Kindergarten at Liberty Elementary School at the end August.