Kayaking with the Geese

This past weekend we went to Woodbridge to visit our friends Jordan and Sara. They live right next to the Occoquan River, so we went kayaking on the river for a few hours. It was really nice to get away from the city for a while and enjoy nature. There were geese everywhere and Abby was having the time of her life. It was a great weekend! Thanks Jordan and Sara for a great time.

On the river...lovin' the ride.


Brett leading the way.

Taking a picture, hoping I don't drop it in the lake. I'm not the most coordinated person. :)

Here come the pack of geese...headed for Abby's crackers. We decided not to share the crackers once they started hissing at us.



Sheer joy to see the geese.

Jordan was nice to watch Abby while we took a journey down the river.

I love looking at this cute face when I peer over the seat.

Memorial Day 2009

Memorial Day is always a fun holiday in DC. We had a good time with friends and enjoyed a beautiful day on the East Coast. We went to the annual Memorial Day Concert on Capitol Hill and ran the Falls Church City race in the morning. ( Brett even ran with his sore blisters after doing a overnight backpacking trip on Friday. )
It was nice to honor those who have served our country and also remember and reflect on family and friends that have passed on, whom we love.
Thanks to all those soldiers who give so much to give us freedom!

Strollin' around Falls Church enjoying the festivities.










The streets of Falls Church. Abby checking out the stands.



Enjoying the Memorial Concert.

Kissy Face

Happy Mother's Day!

This post is dedicated to our mothers. Brett and I have been blessed with wonderful mothers.

My mother has always been an inspiration to me! She gives everything to her family and is the most selfless person I have ever met. She always thinks of her family and others before herself. I have many great memories of my mom, from reading books together at night to fun 'girls nights' on the town. Something I will always remember about my mom is listening to her share her testimony about the scriptures. Much of my testimony has come from her. To sum it up, I hope I can become a mother to my kids like my mom is to me.


Peggy is my mother in law and she is a neat lady! She is always 'on the go' doing some kind of fun craft or activity. She is a very thoughtful person and always thinks of others. It's fun to get together with her whether it's making jewelry and cards or shopping. She has raised an amazing man and I am very grateful for that. Thanks for being so great Peggy!

Ocean Air at Virginia Beach

There is nothing better than walking hand in hand across the ocean shore...






Abby was a little nervous of the waves that came crashing over her feet.













Look!...
Daddy daughter time.

The whole crew
Checking out the view of the sandcastle she built with mom and dad.

Diggin' in the soft sand.
















Beach Baby

"Life's a wonderful journey...enjoy the ride."

Exploring History

Last week we had Brett's parents, Peggy and Skip stay with us. We traveled around town and even explored some new areas in Virginia, Williamsburg, and Jamestown. We had a great time! Thanks for a fun visit.

Feeding the geese in Jamestown. Uncle Dave would be proud. There were baby geese waddling around with their mom, Abby loved it.
Revolutionary Battle...Yorktown

Yorktown battlefield. If the Patriots would not have won this war, we would probably not have this country. We had a very cool experience at Yorktown.
Pausing on a battlefield in Yorktown.










A real cannon from the Revolutionary War.

Church windows in Jamestown. A part of this church was the original from when the colonists were there.












Abby enjoying a walk through Georgetown with the Hamilton grandparents.

Saying 'Bye, Bye'...

Every time we go out the door, we will try to wave 'bye bye' to Abby in the hall before we leave. Abby has now associated the hall that leads to our door as the place where you say 'bye bye'... whether you are leaving or not. :) Today, when I was playing with her, she crawled over to the hall and kept waving and trying to say goodbye to me.

We Luv Visitors!

Dave and Alissa came to visit us in DC last week. It was so fun having them over. Abby was in heaven with all the love and attention. In fact, Abby cried the moment we drove away from the airport.
They covered a lot of ground while there were here. From bike riding, kayaking and museums to a day trip to NYC. It was the perfect time of year to come because there were flowers everywhere and the weather was really nice. Thanks for a GREAT time guys!
Come visit again soon!













Alissa in Central Park, sporting Suppy's hat. :)













You have to visit the 'NBC Turkey'...he's famous.













Abby enjoying Daddy's waffles in the morning. We visited the DC Temple with them and it was BEAUTIFUL!













Abby and George Mason just hangin' out.










Feeding the ducks on the Potomac River.

The whole time Dave was visiting, he was practicing with Abby on how to click her tongue. Abby has been clicking her tongue all the time now and here is a video of her at the mall, clicking her tongue. (I'm trying to get a better video of this, but this will have to work for now.)