April Fun

We found a fun stick fort on a walk through the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge area

Haven't we done this before?!  Rooke saved the 

Bridgette took her brother's idea and requested a family trip to Climb Zone for a family birthday bash.  It was another great night of fun!

Our beautiful seven-year-old!

A walk around the Tidal Basin with friends

Sibling love!

The girls helped me plant a couple raspberry stalks

A new trampoline!!  After seven years of HARD use (not to mention four moves), the trampoline my parents bought us in England was retired.  The kids worked with Ryan to set up a new trampoline - hooray!

Working on a history project for school - a may of the transcontinental railroad route with salt dough

Bridgette is my first kid who chooses to read and walk instead of putting the book down!

Rooke had the cool opportunity to play in a free flag football league with a friend - they practiced and played right next to the Washington Monument!  Sometimes I still pinch myself that we live where we do!

Scenes from the future teenager Bridgette - chillin' with a book, propped up with the massager?! =)

Have I ever mentioned how much Rooke loves breakfast?!  It's his love language.  

It's freckles season around here!

The kids and I went for a hike one the Billy Goat Trail along the Potomac during our (late!) Spring Break

Another fun Spring Break morning was spent with friends walking through the Azalea Trail at the Arboretum

At the end of our Spring Break, we joined up with a couple other families and took part in an educational event at Gettysburg.  It was our first time to visit.  The walking tour through some old battlefields was interactive and enlightening.

Standing where President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.  Rooke and Gretchen both memorized his speech this year.

March with Family {Part 2}

March ended with a bang when The Oklahoma Paynes drove all the way up to share their Spring Break with us!  It was a wonderful week, especially getting to be around the youngest of the bunch: Cora.  Hooray for a week of family time!  And these three precious cousins played and played . . .

and played together =)

Thanks to Grammy Deb for the Cousin Crew t-shirts!

Bridgette's birthday fell on the first full day of the Payne's visit.  For the second year in a row, she requested a trip to the Postal Museum and lunch at Shake Shack.  But not before Daddy surprised her with a large squishamallow!

Look how precious Rooke and Cora are together in this photo!

Happy Birthday to our sweet, spunky, diligent, smart, and fun seven-year-old!  She wanted a chocolate-chocolate cake with chocolate chips!

Phoebe and Uncle Sean got to join us on a field trip to the Kennedy Center to hear the National Symphony Orchestra perform.  They put on a fantastic concert for kids!

Afterwards, the big kids got to do a stop, drop, and sightsee with Uncle Sean . . . I stopped the car, dropped everyone off on the curb, and let them sightsee while I drove around to swing back by and pick them up!

"Ok, everybody - let's take a group photo!"

Take One: 

Take Two: 

Take Three: nailed it! =) 

March with Family {Part 1}

March was full of special visitors!  We were very grateful to host three church leaders from England. We remain blessed by the connections with friends and churches from our years of living in England, and time with these three chaps was special encouragement for our family.

She always finds the sun!

Bridgette's reading has taken off!  About a month ago, it finally clicked for her!  Now she is often found with a book in her hand, and comes down most mornings declaring that she has finished another chapter book.  I love getting a front row seat to this explosion of learning!

A typical morning scene in the Payne School of Excellence =)

The kids and some friends took ice skating lessons!  Six weeks of lessons and all three are much more confident on the ice

Bridgette's first season of basketball wrapped up in March.  She had a fantastic coach, and was given the "Accurate Shot" award because, although she didn't shoot all the time, her shots went in the basket more often than they didn't!  She had a great time and is already talking about wanting to play again next year.

More basketball with neighbor friends - the view from my bedroom window!

He loves to set up awesome dunking shots - It won't be long before he'll actually be able to dunk!

More special visitors this month included Kaye K and Big Daddy!  Mom and I made time for a brunch date, just the two of us.

Fun at the park after ice skating lessons

Kaye K is always up for a lego sorting and building project

Some silly exercise on a sunny Saturday morning walk

Kaye K and her green thumb set to work in one of our garden beds.  She let the girls help her plant pansies, which are a beautiful addition to our blooming spring yard.

Dinner with the whole family, including Aunt Vallerie and Uncle Steve

Big Daddy and Kaye K left the day before Bridgette's birthday, so we celebrated early with a couple gifts, which included her beloved flippy shirt! =)