Hiking

Last weekend we went hiking in North Anna State Park. It was a short hike - only a few miles - but we really want to get back into hiking and are trying to ease Josie into it. We had a wonderful time running on the trails, choosing walking sticks, and throwing rocks into the river. So much so that Josie was "SOOOO tired!" and needed a few sitting breaks and eventually daddy's shoulders breaks! Here are a few pictures:

Future Artist

Josie has been working on her drawing. She is focused on perfecting the art of portraiture. Clearly you can see how talented she is in this stunning recreation of her mom and dad:

When I Grow Up.....

Earlier this week, Josie and I were in the car, driving to meet some friends at the pool. Out of the blue she says to me, "Mommy, when I grow-up, I want to be a teacher." Now, keep in mind that this child has just turned three. Surprised at the 'adult' conversation I said, "That's great. Why do you want to be a teacher?" "So I can help kids learn things." (Really? My three-year-old is saying this?!?) The proud parent in me thought, well, clearly, my hard-work does not go unnoticed (since I AM a teacher!), so I respond, "Do you know anyone that is a teacher?" "Ummm....no." Oh. So I wait a moment and ask, "Well, what does mommy do for a job?" Her response was, "Your job is to be a mommy and my job is to be your baby". My heart melted. I now know, unmistakenly, (with meltdowns and all) that my job is to be her mommy, exclusively, at least for the next year and somehow my three-year-old knew that, possibly before I did. My cup runneth over.....

Flower Girl Pics

First hair-do at a salon:


Taking a quick snooze before the festivities begin:


Checking out the pretty flowers:



Our happy family:


It's over - around midnight:

Here Comes the Bride!

This weekend we went away for a wedding. Not just any wedding. A family member's wedding. One that Josie was a flower girl in. We were extremely nervous about how she would respond to her responsibilities. I am pleased to announce that she did everything just right. She looked beautiful, she walked down the aisle, she threw the rose petals, and she stood on the stage for almost an hour without drawing undue attention to herself! On top of that, the wedding was beautiful, the site was gorgeous, and the food and company was spectacular! We had a wonderful weekend with our family. Sadly, we are back home and back to the grind. Now if we could just work out a longer vacation this summer!

(Having some technical difficulties.....I will attach pics in a new entry!)