A White Belt for Nathan

This spring, Nathan spent several weeks trying out Tae Kwon Do at Top Kicks.  He was so proud to earn his white belt by the end of the trial session.  Nathan will be heading back to Top Kicks in the fall.  We hope that this experience will be a positive way to shape some of his competitive spirit.

 

Class Chicks

This spring, Nathan's class monitored some eggs until they hatched for a science unit.  Before the chicks headed back to the farm, parents were invited to meet the Class Chicks.  This is Nathan with "Football Fluffy".   So cute. 

 

A Weekend Away

Over the last few years, Dan has been getting into country music (as for me, I don't mind it but you won't find me listening to it on my own).  But we both have been enjoying the TV show Nashville.  So, I planned a trip for just the two of us for a long weekend in Nashville in late April which I justified as an early 40th birthday gift.  Thanks to my parents, we were able to enjoy 4 days and 3 nights on our own.  What a treat!!

 

Our time in Nashville went by so quick, but we were able to check out a lot of the highlights.  We were hoping to get into the show at The Bluebird Cafe, but unfortunately were about 8 people too late. If you watch the show, you'll understand the significance of this place and let's just say everyone who did not get into the show all took photos before heading back to their car.  :)

 

We also went through the Country Music Hall of Fame, took a tour of the Grand Ole Opry (really cool), walked by the Ryman Auditorium and enjoyed some music in the bars on Broadway.  We planned to go back to the bars for more music on Saturday, but the weather just did not cooperate.

Then on Saturday morning, we awoke bright and early (and I mean early, like 4 am) to head to downtown Nashville for the Country Music Marathon and 1/2 (we did the half).  This race had a lot a superlatives...it was the biggest race we've participated in and by far the wettest (it rained the WHOLE time) and we both ran our fastest times (I think getting out of the rain provided extra motivation). 

After drying off and taking a long nap, we ended our weekend with a wonderful dinner catching up with old friends.  We met Brian and Emily years ago at church, but then they moved to Franklin, TN about 6 years ago or so. 

It was a truly a great weekend away!

Puppy Party

Near the end of April, we made a day trip to Charlottesville to celebrate our nephew's birthday.  It's so hard to believe that Ethan is already 3!!!  As always, the boys had a blast with lots of fun party games and we all enjoyed the cute and delicious puppy cake.

 

 

Little League Opening Day

On April 13th, Loudoun South Little League hosted its opening day festivities.  This year Nathan is playing in the Rookie Division on the Timber Rattlers and Dan is one of the assistant coaches.  It was a beautiful morning for the parade and fun activities.

Andrew had fun with some batting practice, courtesy of the Loudoun Hounds booth.  Perhaps Andrew will be participating in the parade next spring in the T-Ball league?!?!

Awana Grand Prix

Over spring break, Nathan and Pop Pop worked hard on Nathan's Awana Grand Prix car.  Dan and I were extremely thankful for Pop Pop's help and tools!

 

Then on Friday night, the 12th of April, it was time for the big race. 

Nathan's car, the black one with flames (2nd from the right), is lined up and ready to go!

Nathan's car won all of its races, but unfortunately, did not place in the top 3 overall.  He was very disappointed, but it was a fun event and a good life lesson.

Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

On April 7th, Dan and I ran our second Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. It is a nice flat course and we both were able to post a personal record! It was a beautiful crisp spring morning, but given how cool the spring has been, there were not many Cherry Blossoms to be seen, just buds.  But it was still a beautiful run through the city.

Meeting our Cousin



On March 4th, Dan's brother, Chad, and his wife, Crissi, were blessed with a beautiful little boy.  His name is JP, short for Joseph Patrick.  Nathan and Andrew were eager to meet their new cousin and were finally able to do so a few weeks later. They were so excited!