National Arboretum with Family and Friends

Trying to revive the blog... I was considering going back in history and adding posts about past events as lots has happened (Christmas, two big snow storms, new job for Cara-Lea, new office location for me, Richard has a new office location, Richard and Shelly have a new van, we have a new puppy, etc.), but instead I figured the first step should be just trying to stay caught up with whatever events happen now. Otherwise everyone will always be reading about events that happened a year ago...

Connor reaches for some cake.

So yesterday, I met up with Richard, Shelly, Kaley, and Connor at the National Arboretum downtown for a quick picnic and walk around the park. Friends from their church came too including Scott, Kirsten, and Charles Henry Faulk. Also some friends I hadn't met before, AB, Michelle, and Spencer I believe?

Warm day in 80s, but with a nice breeze.

Shelly had just tried baking a pineapple upside down cake for the first time, which is what is tempting Connor in the picture.  Connor has good taste, as the cake was incredibly good!

Kaley looks for a squirrel that had gotten away.

After lunch we went for a walk through the azalea gardens.  Perfect time to come as they were really blooming.  Kids enjoyed running around through the various paths, smelling flowers, and chasing squirrels.

Azalea

Connor, Richard, and Kaley

We then walked down to the visitor center where they have a koi pond.  Amazingly no kids fell in despite Connor's repeated efforts to touch the fish and Kaley's repeated efforts to stop him.  She wasn't being bossy, just concerned.  I think she believed that those fish were going to get him.

"I don't want him to do that."

Shortly after, we walked back to the vehicles to leave, put the kids in air conditioning, and the adults said their goodbye's.  Connor happened to find a pen within arms reach during this time and the rest is self-explanatory.

Pen + boy - paper = boy + ink

Fun day.  Hopefully by writing this stuff down, I'll actually remember some of the details 5 or 15 years from now...

Full gallery of pictures
Convenient slideshow

TN Trip Pictures

Continued...

July Trip to Tennessee

On the 15th of July Richard boarded another flight to southern California. I decided to pack up the kids and head home...to Tennessee. This would be my first journey home on my own with the kids. I packed the car in advance, cleaned my house and sent texts to the family letting them know I was on the road.

The trip down went much better than I had feared. The kids were happy and slept quite a bit. On one roadside potty stop for Kaley, Connor slept in the car. We stopped near a fenced-in wooded area. Kaley was relieving herself when all of a sudden a loud pitiful "MAHHHH" sounded very near us. I surmised it must be a goat but we couldn't see it. Kaley was shaken a bit and ask me "MOMMY! IS THAT GOAT GOING TO BITE MY BOTTOM? WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS IT?"

(Continued...)

We stopped in Staunton VA to eat a late breakfast with Aunt Ruthe at Cracker Barrel. She gave us a huge tin of fresh baked ginger snaps for the long ride. These were to help Kaley with her nausea. She seems to get car sick very easily, even when there are few curves in the road and she is not watching a video. They did seem to help her, although I ate as many as she did.

We finally arrived at my Dad's place near Dayton TN. He and my step mom, Pamela, live on a quiet cove of the TN river. It is absolutely beautiful there. Kaley and Connor always enjoy their tropical aquarium fish, two cats and the garden. The highlight of this trip however was going out on the ski boat. On Sabbath my friend Corina and her baby Anabelle came over and we went for a long ride up the river. When we got back I decided to let Kaley and Connor take turns having their first tube rides behind the boat, riding with me. Dad drove the boat slowly and no other boats shared our cove. They had a blast.

Dad took us to the Dayton Airport to see his airplane, a Cessna 150, which he has been flying for the past 4 years. He really enjoys it and the kids found the radio and controls interesting. Kaley ran and hid in our car when someone down the tarmac yelled "clear the prop" and started his small plane. "It's too loud" she cried.

Next we drove to Knoxville to see my mom. She took us to the Little Ponderosa Zoo where Kaley fed goats, sheep, camels, and zonkeys (cross between donkey and zebra). She also enjoyed her very first pony ride. Unfortunately, one of the animal there peed on my diaper bag. I couldn't escape the stench. When one of the straps also broke I knew it was time for a new one. Thankfully, Mom bought me a beautiful new bag as an early Bday gift. While there we also explored Knoxville some. Kaley and Connor loved the splash fountains at World's Fair Park and Market Square. It was fun to go up in the Sun Sphere and look down and the city and park. We also visited with friends Mike, Katie and Jenna Hancock while in Knoxville. Such a good time seeing old friends.

Mom had just purchased a house but had not moved in yet. She planned a little birthday party for the kids at her new place. Kaley helped her make the cupcakes and while the kids napped Mom set up a balloon treasure hunt with a present for each kid at each station. Kaley had to locate a certain colored balloon then she could go find the gift hidden there. There were water balloons to burst and a couple large basins of water with water toys. Connor had a cupcake with one candle, Kaley had 3 cupcakes each with a candle and I had 10 cupcakes with three candles on each. I did manage to blow out all the candles with 2 attempts but I didn't eat all 10 cupcakes.

Finally we turned back toward Collegedale to stay with Connie and Gary. Kaley picked tomatoes and cucumbers from Grandpa's garden, and helped Gramma make pinwheels, a desert made of pie crust dough rolled up with sugar, butter and cinnamon. We had a fancy Sabbath dinner at the Gramma and Grandpa Regal's house, and Kaley enjoyed exploring Great Gramma Regals large home. She even got to see the secret fish room. Connor was especially taken with Gramma and Grandpa's new kitten Spice. He toddled over to the glass doors laughing, pointing, and pounding on the glass. Both kids had fun with Ginger, the dog, and Spice. We spent time with my sister Emily and Josh at their place. Kaley watched Veggie Tales and made art with Aunt Emily using sidewalk chalk.

We met up with a friend from SAU, Heather Moore Carvill and her two girls Mikayla and Emma. She was staying with her Cousin Alisa who set up a kiddie pool and slip and slide in her back yard for the little ones. Kaley had never been down a slip and slide. She really enjoyed it. Heather has been living in Australia where she met her husband and had her two girls. They just moved back to the USA last December and it was so good to catch up with her. She gave me some great pointers for my camera. Alisa made a delicious pot of curried veggies for lunch and was so sweet to share her recipe with me.

When we turned toward home I was so glad that I had made the trip. I don't usually get to spend that much time with my family. It rained the whole way home and the kids were cranky. All I can say is thank heaven for Chick- Fil-A. We didn't eat much there but the indoor playground was a life saver for getting wiggles out and they have baby changing tables in the bathrooms. As we drove into Dale City that evening, I sat at a stop light and noticed a full rainbow stretching across the sky. A perfect end to another fabulous trip.