10th Wedding Anniversary

Summer Stories, Part 4: Grandpa Steve and Alex Come to Town

Grandpa Steve made the journey from Iowa to Virginia again, but this time with our nephew Alex. We had such a fun time playing games, going to the beach, visiting DC and just simply being together. For Alex, it was his first time out of the Midwest and there were many new things to see and do. His highlight was definitely kayaking and enjoying all the bay has to offer. A special thanks to Jim for taking him running, kayaking to the lighthouse and rustling through the neighbor's weeds to play frisbee golf. 

I got a sack and it is just my size!

Pausing at the Reflecting Pool

One of those moments...

Alex at the Lincoln Memorial

Say cheese!

Cheese!

Can you guess where he is from?

"Swing me!"

A ride on the Carousel 

Grandpa Steve visits Richardson's Cafe*

*My dad likes Richardson's Cafe on Facebook and so before Father's Day, Jim emailed them to ask if they would use his name and/or dog' name in an upcoming specials menu. They were happy to do it and my dad was totally surprised when he read his own name on their posts, which he likes daily. Jim alerted them to his visit and they were ready with a reserved table and a warm welcome. He might have just felt like a celebrity!

Summer Stories, Part 3: Art Camp

A highlight of the summer was going to the Bay School of Arts for a free week of art camp. Each day for a few hours we went together and did art projects around myths and legends. It was great fun and because Bryce was just shy of the cut off, even mommy joined in as a helper. Below are a few photos of their experience. We will definitely be on the look out for this again next year.

Nature Hunters...A Parenting Win!

Last weekend we wanted to go for a hike, but the kids were happy playing and didn't share our enthusiasm. So after a little brainstorming together, we created a scavenger hunt to entice them. Once our "Nature Hunters" list was unveiled, they couldn't wait. I'd say it was a parenting win!

The first "Nature Hunters" list

It's always fun to visit the climbing dome at the start of the trail

Climbing up this steep hill was the highlight. Forget the scavenger hunt, it was fun to be daring and brave! Well, at least until we saw the imprint we were making and then we had to get back on the trail.

We did it!

Look at that view! We are so lucky to be living here!

The great thing was, we used the list a bit and even had a bag to collect some of the items, but after a short time we didn't need it because the kids were just enjoying some time on the trail...just as we knew they would.