Butterflies Everywhere

Have I mentioned before that I love the Brookside Botanical Gardens? Because I do! It is really close to were we live and they have such beautiful plants, trails and gardens. They also have fun activities for kids. Including a terrific live butterfly exhibit during the summer months. Truman and I finally made it over to see it last week and although it was hot as blazes outside and inside the exhibit we still really enjoyed ourselves. The butterflies were literally every where. Even a few in our hair. It was pretty cool. We also took a walk around the gardens and had some fun with a giant bubble wand. And when school starts next week I will be able to enjoy the gardens with a few solitary (except for the geese) walks there.

The Big Cousins

Picnic at Gettysburg

At the beach in Delaware

Annapolis

My sister Jodi and her husband Dee, and their kids Devin, Trey, Rianne, and Liam (Zac stayed home) came to visit us a week ago and we led them on many (hopefully) fun adventures! They are the oldest cousins that we have so we call them the "big" cousins. It was fun to have them stay with us, even though we were stuffed like sardines into our apartment. Truman told me yesterday that he wants his cousins to come back so I guess he really liked having them visit.

In the West

Truman and I made our annual trip to Idaho a few weeks ago and we had a terrific time. It really is so nice to see our friends and family again. Truman's grandpas provide him with the best of vacations, with rides on horses, and four wheelers, and fishing trips. We had so much fun that it took me about three days to recover from our vacation when we got back home. Thanks to everyone in Idaho for helping us to have such a great visit "home"!

Feeding a Baby Lamb

Thanksgiving Point Dino Museum
Riding horses with Grandpa Rowe

Fishing with the Isaak Family

Swimming with the Bidwells

A-Way Down South

Watching a River Boat.

Picture of a race horse that Trum took.

A few weeks ago Truman and I made our first visit to the "real" south (northern Virginia does not count as the south), when we went to Louisville, Kentucky to meet my brother and his family there. We spent a day exploring the city and we had a great time. The Louisville Slugger factory tour was cool and it was interesting to see Churchhill Downs (thanks Rob). Kentucky was beautiful and it would be fun to go there again and take Jack with us the next time.

UK ANYONE?

Driving on the left
Swan family on the River Avon in Bath.

On the castle wall of the Tower of London, with Tower Bridge in the background.

Westminster Abbey

So some people (and by some people I mean Jessica Willis) have requested that I post more pictures from our tip to England. So I'm gonna! But feel free to look away if you do not want to see them. I promise not to take offence.

London, London

Well, I was going to post the pictures of the adventures Truman and I had in Kentucky first but I cannot find the disc. So I will just go ahead and post some pictures of our trip to London. Jack had to go over to the UK for work and we decided we just couldn't pass up this opportunity for a relatively cheap vacation in England. So I went over and met him and we spent a week together seeing the sights. We decided to embrace our tourist persona's and do all of the cheesy things we would have been embarrassed to do when we were younger. We had so much fun! And my feet have never hurt so badly, we walked everywhere. Some of my favorite things were going to the House of Commons, St. James Park, The Tower of London, a crazy lady with few teeth who sold Jack a paper flower for "the children please" (I am not sure what children she was refering to), hearing evensong at West Minster Abbey and all of the terrific street musicians all over the city. Anyway it was a great trip.

The End of an Era

Last week we held our Joy School graduation. I have to tell you it was a little bitter sweet for me. Yes, I am happy that Truman is learning and growing and that I don't have to teach any more lessons at my house and try to come up with a good snack for four kids, but I will miss all of the fun we had as well. All of the kids we had Joy school with the last two years are so cute and funny and fun. It has been truly a joy to get to know all of them. It has also been great to get to know the other mother's in our group. I had an instant group of friends and supporters in the joy school moms. But Truman is totally excited to move on to Kindergarten and I must say finding time to work out and get the oil changed in the car will be a lot easier next year with him at school. I thought I would put up a picture of last years graduation along with this years. Last year he cried the whole time and this year he did a spontaneous dance to the song "Oh, Boy, I've Got Joy". I am not sure if that is progress or not!