"Shower in a Box"

The other day we found a big package on the doorstep that the postman had delivered. My mother-in-law and her friends had put together a "Baby Shower in a Box." Since my family is in town, we had our own little baby shower, and my brother even enjoyed attending his very first shower. We had a lot of fun playing games and eating the yummy treats. The prize winners for the games were my Mom, Dave and Brett. :)
Thank-you for a wonderful baby shower, that was very kind of you and it was a lot of fun! We can't wait for everyone to meet our little one when she arrives and hopefully it will be soon, especially since my due date was last week. :) We'll see what happens...














"Refreshment card" on the left and Dave posing the ducky onesie...Dave has a passion for ducks.

Here are two beautiful blankets that Brett's mom and his cousin Angie made...they are beautiful!
Brett posing for the camera. He also enjoyed attending his first baby shower.:)

Baby Shower!

My good friends from our ward held a baby shower for me a few weeks ago. The shower was perfect and so thoughtful! We have such wonderful friends out here in Virginia!
Thank-you for a great baby shower and for thinking of us!












Nine- months and counting! Here is a pic of my baby belly...'Thanks for the fun pictures Erin!" On right, a picture of the hand knit hat from Amy. We're excited for her to wear it.













Here are some faces from the baby shower! :) Lil' Joe and cute Emily.









Here is the baby wreath Steph and Erin made out of diapers and onesies...so cute!

4th of July Celebration

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! The day started with a yummy breakfast at our church. Later, we had a BBQ with friends and had a lot of fun, even with the rain. :) We ended the night with an amazing display of fireworks... on TV. :) Fireworks are one of my favorite things, but this year we decided to take it easy at home, with me being 9 months prego. Next year we'll have to go see the fireworks downtown. It was neat to be living near Washington DC to celebrate the 4th. DC has so many beautiful places to visit that remind us of those who have done so much for our country, and given their lives. The 4th of July always reminds me of how blessed we are to live in this great country!

My brother Dave made a 1-day excursion to NYC last week and while he was there, he saw a Flapjack advertisement at Times Square. Also, Brett and I were enjoying some free movie tickets today and before the movie, one of the advertisements was for Flapjack, the cartoon. Flapjack is soon to premiere on Cartoon Network and the creator is my cousin Mark. My other cousin, Jonny, is also helping create the production! Way to go Mark and Jonny!! We're excited to watch it on TV!

Hanging with 'Da Boys' in DC!

My dad and brother made a quick trip out to DC this past week. It was great to spend time with them! They were able to see lots of sites during their brief visit, from kayaking on the Potomac, to taking the Chinatown bus to NYC...what an adventure! :) Another highlight of the trip was to go through a session in the Washington DC Temple together.
Here are the mighty kayakers, ready to cruise the Potomac!
Sites of the monuments in the background. (I must say that I was a bit jealous I couldn't participate in this outing.)















Here's dad checking out the scenery and lovin' it! :)
They made it to NYC! Here they are waiting to get into the David Letterman Show!









Bull at the Letterman Show and Dad at the Stock Exchange.












Enjoying the excitement at the Rockefeller Center!
No better way to end the night than to go to the top of the Empire State Building. Here you will see an excited Dad as he peers his head out the bars to check it all out! One happy guy! (Glad you caught this moment on camera Spein.)













Spencer and Dad enjoyed a wonderful session in the Manhattan Temple.

While Dad and Spein were in NYC, I decided to take a nice morning walk on the trail near our house. Well, in my attempts to enjoy a lovely walk on the trail, I managed to blow the tire on our car. Since Brett was at work, I called my bro, Dave, and he and his friend, Eric, came to my rescue! Thanks guys! (Sorry you have to see me at my 'finest' with no make-up, ready to work-out, with a 9-month belly...oh well.)









Arlington Cemetery and the Iwo Jima Monument.














Brett, Dad and Spein at the National Cathedral and sites from the Washington Monument.
We took a trip to the National Zoo, only to find the animals were all asleep. This panda statue was about all we saw, expect for a very large hippo taking a bath. Dad is attempting to mimic the panda in this pic.:)
Thanks for a wonderful time!

Last Day of School

Friday was the last day of school for my little 4th Graders. It was a wild day with lots of excitement! The most exciting part of the day was when we had a special visitor...my brother! He surprised the kids with treats and talked with them for a bit! The kids absolutely loved having him there.
I love my bro! Thanks for visiting Dave! I will miss my 4th Graders, it has been a wonderful year teaching!

A Relaxing Memorial Day Celebration

We had a great Memorial Day last week. My brother Dave was able to meet us at the U.S. Capitol for a free concert and it was good to be with him. The concert was really neat with a tribute to all the soldiers that have served our country. It was fun to be there watching the concert on the Capitol lawn.









Ready to watch the show!
Early Monday morning we participated in the Falls Church annual Memorial Day race. Brett ran and I walked. :) At the end of the race we got a free T-Shirt with a drawing of Obama, Clinton and McCain racing on the front. Good times!









Racing with our good friends from the ward!