Amelia Turns 2!

Amelia is TWO! She had a great time opening her presents and cleaning the house the rest of the day. Then we celebrated the big day with Aunt Nancy, Sam, Uncle Steve and our awesome neighbors Tommy, Max and George.

 The image of self control.
   

For the Record Books:
I don't recall a year that has gone by faster! At 2 Amelia ("Millie") is spunky, talkative, observant, careful, curious, opinionated, independent, and dainty. She loves people and her interest in being included in everything is noticeably increasing of late, though she also makes it clear she wants to be the one in charge. She loves to dance, she likes to sleep but she hates to miss a chance to be social and somehow manages to hide her exhaustion if there's a possibility of fun to be had. She is nurturing, taking good care of her myriad baby dolls/stuffed animals (you should see how many she sleeps with in her crib) and asking "what happened" when she sees someone crying, hurt or upset (most often one of her brothers...). She absolutely loves her big brothers and I continue to be amazed at how patient and kind they are and have always been with her. Millie seems to be having the most fun and we feel so fortunate for that.

Thanksgiving 2016

Off we went to NY for Thanksgiving. LOTS to eat, LOTS of cousin time, LOTS of fun.

COUSINS!

Hard to believe they're all finally old enough for a real kids' table.

 Football on the lawn, just like the Kennedys.

Jaime, Mike and cousin Joel. Jen and Joel came to visit with their three kids, Henry, Adah and Oliver.

 Uncle Harris, Henry & Amelia

 Oliver and Amelia.

NY, MA, MD cousins. Front (L to R): Adah, Oliver, Henry, Second: Laila, Amelia, Owen, Olivia; Back: Jacob the Great.

This is often how you might find me watching TV as I was growing up.

Not many pics from our annual trip to Manhattan, but Owen is obviously happy on the train. We took the boys in to look at the holiday window displays, we managed to get to three stores (quite a hike actually!). If you go we all agreed the big winner, according to us, was Macy's letters to Santa window.

 I call this "Empire State Building"

I'm very thankful for family. Happy Thanksgiving!

Been a While

It's been awhile since I last put up pictures and we've been keeping busy since then with things like starting school (Jacob, 3rd; Owen, 1st), playing lots of soccer and baseball, learning to talk, weekend trips with girlfriends, Nats baseball postseason games (sigh), visits from Memaw, high school friends, and friends who are moving away. Here's us living life in no particular order:

 Memaw!

  The Nats lost.

Gretchen, my friend since elementary school came to town with her kids. Becky and I met up with her for a day at the zoo, Millie's first visit! Gigi, Amelia, Ollie, & Drake.

I can't believe it but Jean (my great friend and one of my bosses at my first real job) is leaving DC. I'm excited for all that is happening for her and her exciting future, but I'm sad for me.

 Great pic from our visit with Jean to Union Market in DC.

Amelia LOVES talking on the phone now that she's really started to talk. If anyone's feeling lonely give Amelia a call, but plan for a good 30 minute talk.

She also loves to pretend she could take an actual nap in this thing.

Charlottesville weekend! In my 20s all of these people (and a few more who are missing from this pic) lived in DC. Over the years we've spread out a bit, so the opportunity to catch up for a rare weekend together was amazing! How I miss those days sometimes. From left: Jenni, Me, Sanchia, Danielle, Jean, Stacey, Kandy, Shannon, & Amy.

 Lunch with Cooper.

 Saturday morning cartoons. (I love how Jacob & little Millie are arm in arm)

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! 2016-17
Jacob 3rd grade, Mr. Rodriguez and Owen 1st grade, Ms. Mack.

Bethany Beach 2016

Cousins everywhere this summer! We met up with the NY cousins (8 kids ranging from 8 years to 20 months!) at Bethany Beach, lots of changes since the last time we all made this trip in 2013. 

2016

2013

It was nice for all the kids to get to spend so much time together. Jacob and Owen couldn't wait to see their cousins for more than just a weekend! 

 Drew and Jacob

Mike's cousin Greg and his family just moved nearby to Lewes and we got together with them, adding two more kids under 8!

 Annual beach photo shoot

Had fun really getting to spend time with Laila (on the left) and Olivia. They were so helpful with Amelia and she LOVED it.  

 

Lois & Mark with their 8 grandkids. 

Top Left: Heath (7), Jacob (8), Drew (3), Owen (6), Amelia (20 mos); 

Bottom: Laila (4), Avery (5), Olivia (4)

Jacob's 8th birthday fell on the Friday of our trip so he was happy to get to celebrate at the beach. I'll put those pics up soon.

And that's it for Summer 2016! The boys are off to school again tomorrow, 3rd and 1st grade. Time just keeps on ticking...

Summer Road Trip - Cape Cod

For our road trip this year we visited Waitsfield, VT and Cape Cod, MA. Mom and the kids and I visited with Mary and Robert for a few days, then made our way to Cape Cod to meet up with Nancy, Steve, Sam and Anderson and Mike joined us for the long weekend. We stayed in Brewster, MA which was right on the bay, with its incredible tides - high tide was right up on the beach, but at low tide the water went out almost a mile so you could walk really far and see the sea life that was left behind. We spent a day in Martha's Vineyard where we visited Oak Bluffs and saw the gingerbread houses, ate at Nancy's (of course), and walked around town. Next to Provincetown where we climbed up 100something steps to the top of a tower commemorating the original Mayflower landing point. Despite the unusual heat wave (ugh) and mom braving a very bad allergic reaction (she is SUCH a good sport!!), it was pretty fun for us all to get to explore a new place together.

On our way home we stopped by Mike's college friend Toby & his wife Rebecca's cottage nearby and enjoyed a little brunch with them and I decided there's just nothing like having a little cottage to call your own. Just beautiful.

As you will see, the pictures are in reverse chronological order, but that's the way it goes this time.

Toby, Rebecca and the Shermans in Marion, MA.

Finally, my road trip crew pic, but on the way home after a fun adventure away!

Me and mom and our little cottage without air conditioning in Brewster, MA.

We climbed to the top of the Pilgrim's monument tower in Provincetown.

This is Amelia, with the shore behind her. Unreal how far out the tide went.

 She fits right in!

Martha's Vineyard at one of the original Vineyard Vine stores.

 Arriving on the vineyard we made a quick stop for treats at the Black Dog Cafe.

Nancy and Mom on the ferry out to the vineyard.

 Oh AMELIA!!?!?!

That water line is where the water went to during high tide.

In Vermont we saw our old family friends Mary and Robert and got to see Katie and her family too, including Desiree who Amelia just loved!

 My pretty mom with a pretty view behind her.

 Old friends.

 Robert was extremely patient about losing his personal space while we were there.

 Creemies/Ice Cream EVERDAY!

 The crew in one of our less chaotic moments. It lasted about 3 seconds.

 

 More ice-cream. Jacob has since lost that front tooth that's sticking out. Woohoo!

Friendly's. This is Jacob and Owen's happy place and also our first stop on the drive up to Vermont. It's about a 9 hour drive to where Mary and Robert live in VT. Last year we did the drive in 12 hours, with a baby and all I thought nothing of it and imagined how quickly we'd be able to travel this year. Well, 13 hours later we pulled into Waitsfield. UGH! Not to self: work on being more efficient!!

And that concludes the great road adventure of Summer 2016. Til the next one!