The Tower Master

Spencer is a very clever fellow. He found a bunch of plastic cups down in the food storage room and discovered a quick use for them. We now have in our repertoire of play things 100+ plastic cups specifically for fort building and, subsequently, battles that involve some serious destruction.

Dulles Plane Pull

The Dulles Plane Pull is an annual event in our area, and one that has always intrigued me, but we seem to always hear about it after the fact. Thankfully, these cute friends, Amanda and Areeje, invited us to go along with them when Amanda's work team needed a few more people on their plane-pulling team. It totally made Adam's day; he has always wanted to participate in the plane pull. I was pretty happy to be a spectator.


Here's a photo of the team. They didn't have as many people show up as they had hoped, so at the last minute Spencer got to jump under the spectator rope and help pull the plane using the tow rope.


Emma was really sad she didn't get to join in the plane pull, but don't worry...she got her turn to show some strength. Look at those fierce muscles just after she helped her dad and brother pull a school bus. AND she did it all in her pink peep-toe pumps. Love that girl and her shoe fetish.


Here's Adam talking shop with the kids. Adam loves aviation and used to work at the airport. Those were the days.


Here we are by a C-something or other...some big military plane. Adam could tell you. There were some really impressive planes in the line-up. Lots of small aircraft, but the military planes are so big it seems implausible that they could ever make it off the ground. This picture makes the blog because it shows the double stroller at full capacity. It was about 100 degrees the day of the plane pull, and I found myself HUGELY grateful for the double stroller and the Baby Bjorn when we were walking along the hot tarmac with tired kids. Despite the heat, we all agreed that this is definitely on the list of things to do NEXT September.

Kayaking

Adam works from home, and it has some definite perks - one being the flexibility of schedule. On a regular old Monday morning, we got to go kayaking with some awesome folks, Mike and Cate Todd, to celebrate Mike's birthday. We had a great time paddling around the Potomac and chatting with them. Thanks for the invite, Todds!

My Boys

Some Saturdays are particularly magical at our home. Every so often, the calendar is clear, leaving room for creativity (and lots of cleaning). So satisfying.

On one such Saturday, Spencer made an ingenious little car for his baby brother John. These two are going to be buddies, I can tell. Note the paper plate wheels and the masking tape roll for a steering wheel. Spencer has informed us that he plans to be an engineer when he grows up. He regularly requests that I describe how to make cars as we drive around town, and lately has me throw back the imaginary parts so he can make-believe manufacture vehicles in the back seat. Emma joins in the fun. "Chassis! Screws! Dashboard! Steering Wheel!"



Here's another snapshot of this perfect Saturday. Nothing better than a boy, a dad, and a little snuggle nap.

Sit-up boy

I have done a poor job documenting how amazing our little John-Johnny is. (Nickname courtesy of big sister, Emma). Here is a quick video demonstrating his sitting skills at the early age of 4 months. We love this sweet, happy, STRONG little man.

Marriotts and Mormons

On a Saturday in September, we took a long drive out to Hume, VA to the Marriott Ranch. The Mormon Orchestra of Washington, D.C. had been invited to play for an annual Western Gala held for the diplomats and their families. I play violin with the orchestra, so we did our best to get all gussied up and headed out to the country. We had a spectacular time playing "cowboy" with the complimentary hats and bandanas provided by the Church PR folk. What is it about wearing a cowboy hat that makes everything more fun? After playing some fast fiddle tunes, I joined my cute family, and we meandered about enjoying the activities: pinewood derby races, archery, mini-pony carriage rides, jump rope, and crafts.

Retiree Luncheon

My mom is amazing. If you know her, you already know that. But she deserves to have her praises sung publicly from time to time. This lovely lady has raised 11 children...let's pause there for a moment. ELEVEN children. As mother of THREE, I'm exhausted just thinking about it. She has monumental amounts of patience, is not easily flustered, and is a genuine nurturer. She put all these talents to work (and to the test) when she took on the formal role of teacher as well as that of mother. In 1990, my mom started home schooling. Each of her 11 children has been under her tutelage; she studied elementary education in college and was well-qualified for the task. When Mom started home schooling, my older brother Aaron was entering 6th grade; I was entering 4th grade; Dan was entering 2nd grade; and Jenny was starting kindergarten. Each of us, and the succeeding children, re-entered the public school system by high school and found success in our studies there.

Now, 20 years later, my mom has retired from home school. In addition to teaching all the core subjects, she has been field trip planner, room mom, counselor, bus driver, dean, principal, and tutor. To celebrate her success (and her retirement), Emma, John and I took her out to lunch at the local Panera. Mom deserves a lifetime educator's award. She has been the single greatest teacher in my life, and I continue to turn to her for counsel and advice. She has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to me, and I know each of my siblings feels the same. She has sacrificed her schedule and her own hobbies and pursuits, deferring those to help each of her children have a strong foundation not just in school subjects, but also in the Gospel. For this, I am forever grateful. I know that this foundation helped keep me firmly grounded in correct principles through my teenage years and beyond. Thanks, Mom.