Rock Climbing in Great Falls Virginia!

Over Thanksgiving, Brett, Cory, Sarah, Joel, and Pat went rock climbing in Great Falls, while Emily was at work. They had a wonderful time 'hanging off a cliff' over the Potomac River. They saw some great scenery with the changing leaves. Virginia is a beautiful place!




Cory and Brett mapping out the climb.



Brett climbing over the Potomac River.













Joel cruising up the rock.









The Falls

A 'Fountain of Blessings' at Thanksgiving!

We spent Thanksgiving in DC with our good friends Cory, Sarah and their family. We had a great time playing football, eating yummy food, and touring different sites in DC. Thanks for a wonderful Thanksgiving!
We were thinking about our families at Thanksgiving...we love you!














The mighty feast and the football warriors!





The Tate Family at the WWII Memorial.



















Arlington Cemetery. We are grateful for all those who serve our country.

Colonial Days in the 4th Grade!

Just before Thanksgiving, the 4th grade celebrated Colonial Days. Everyone dressed up in colonial gear and had a grand old time. The kids had fun making corn husk dolls, dancing, bartering and traveling through time to Jamestown. Good times!









The office staff, administration and 4th grade team.

Mrs. Palmer and her husband, ready to teach some dancing.

Cultural Experience

One of Emily's students invited us to watch her dance. Little did we know that we would be participants. Hope you enjoy Emily getting down on the dance floor.

Murder Mystery....Who Will It Be???

The yummy cake Steph made for the boys.

Yesterday, we went to a murder mystery party that Brian and Stephanie Parke hosted. We all dressed up as different characters and Steph's mom, Paulette, put together a mystery for us to figure out. It was a lot of fun trying to put together clues to solve the mystery. The character descriptions fit everyone at the party VERY well, we were Mr. and Mrs. Joyner. (Brett's character was surprising addicted to Life Cereal!)
Well, by the end of the night, the murderer was discovered....drum roll please....it was BRETT! Brett killed Mr. Connelly by feeding him whipping cream that had micro-organisms in it. We had a great time at the party and made some fun memories!
(Besides putting together a fun party, Steph even made an amazing cake for Brett and Joe's birthday....'Thanks Steph'!)
The Stylin' Women
The Men....(Nice shorts Matt!)

Happy Birthday Brett!

It was Brett's birthday this past week, October 26....Happy Birthday Brett...26!!

Fall in Full Bloom!

Virginia has finally entered the Fall Season! It has been raining every day for the past three days! The leaves are changing and it's a beautiful time of year!

Skip and Peggy in DC!

Last week Brett's parents came to visit for his birthday. We had a wonderful time while they were in town. The trip included visits to Old Town Alexandria, downtown DC, and Thomas Jefferson's home. It was the perfect time to visit Virginia, the trees were all changing colors and it wasn't too hot....we had a great time!
Brett and his mom, Peggy, having a good time in the Smithsonian Museum.








Kissing in the barn at Jefferson's home. Peggy enjoying the one of the world's most famous diamonds.
Thomas Jefferson's home was a beautiful place in the country of Virginia. We had a tour of his home and were able to tour some of the land around it.












Remnants of an old slave cabin.

Brett standing in front of the Jefferson Cemetary.

Taking a break to enjoy the Fall leaves in Monticello!

Colonial Days at Mount Vernon

Last week we decided to visit Mount Vernon, the place where President George Washington lived. Mount Vernon is a beautiful place and one of our favorite sites. The Potomac River runs along side the mansion and Washington's grave is a neat, hollowed place. George Washington was a great, religious man! While we were there, we had the opportunity to see the reenactment of one of the Revolutionary War battles. It was eye-opening for us to visualize what it was like during the war. We gained a greater appreciation of the sacrifices that were made to help make our country free. We are so blessed to live in this great land!
This is the grave of George and Martha Washington. He wanted his grave site to be in brick and he had a scripture placed above his coffin, "I am the resurrection and the life..." Many of his family members are buried at this site.




These pictures are in the back of the mansion, overlooking the Potomac River....it's a beautiful view.




We came to Mount Vernon on Colonial Day and there were many people dressed up like Colonial Times. It felt like we had take a time-warp into the 1700's, it was fun!









These Pictures are taken from the reenactment of a Revolutionary War Battle.

Teaching 4th Grade in Virginia

Recently, I started teaching a 4th grade class here in Virginia. The students in my class are darling and I'm having fun teaching them. I will admit that I have a whole new admiration for teachers because it is A LOT of work, but worth it.
Here are some pictures of my classroom, which is still a work in progress. (It's a lot more work to start a classroom than I realized. When I walked into the classroom for the first time it was completely empty, so I'm slowly building.) :)

Livin' it up in DC

On Labor Day, we decided to wander around Washington DC. There are many things to see in this big city! We were able to see a few monuments and get a look at the Declaration of Independence. It was fun to be able to enjoy the sites of DC and get a break from work and school. We are having a great experience out here.




The World War II Memorial is new to DC! It's a beautiful monument dedicated to all those who served and gave their life in the war.



Below is a picture of Brett standing in front of the National Archives Building. This building is where the Declaration of Independence is located.

Hiking 'Old Rag'

This past weekend we hiked the famous 'Old Rag' trail with some friends. We loved the hike! The mountains aren't quite as big as Colorado or Utah, but they were BEAUTIFUL! It was great to be in nature and get away from the 'big city' for a day. Hiking the top of the mountain was an adventure because we had to climb over huge boulders. The view from the top was amazing!