Getting Caught Up
I can't offer many REAL excuses like "I'm so busy, I haven't been on the computer". Nope, I've just been doing other things. So, I'm going to just add some pictures and write a few random things about each... Read on to find out what this picture means!
On July 3rd, DeAnna and I drove through the Blue Ridge Mountains on Skyline Drive. It was a warm day, until we got into the mountains and then it was actually chilly (in July no less!) Most of the time, we drove and chatted, but we occasionally got out to admire frequent overlooks. It was a wonderful way to start a long weekend.
Half way through, we stopped by Luray Caverns (I really love spelunking). It was a great way to break up the drive, but the highly visited caverns were surprisingly beautiful and remarkably well cared-for. I'll recommend it! This is a picture of mirror lake (see why?)
On the way back home, I had to stop by Yogi Bear campgrounds and get a picture (no comments on how much the human looks like the bear, please). Of course, that was just the first day of a long weekend! We also had 4th of July activities to do, so we hoofed it home and got to bed early. The next morning we went to Jazzercise and did a little house keeping before heading over to my parents house for their annual Independence Day party! It was a lot of fun but in an uncharacteristic twist, I have lost all the pictures! There were a lot of good fireworks from Washington DC too... :-/
The next weekend, we loaded up on a bus from church and went to see "Joseph and The Technicolor Dream Coat" with a bunch of new friends. The trip was fun - it was a nice bus with a really nice bunch of people. We ate lunch at the Hotel Strausburg before going over to see the play. We took this picture on the stairs at the historic hotel...
So this last weekend, DeAnna went to get her hair done and I went with her on my bike. I started riding in Old Town and rode out to Mount Vernon. Then, I rode back to Old Town and then home to Cameron Station. The trail is actually very nice even though it's got a lot of people on it. All told, the ride was 25.58 miles long (now you know what the picture means) and I rode it in 3 hours. I was wiped out! It was a very nice ride, but I think I'll take it easier next time - maybe an earlier start in the morning...
We're continuing with the last bits of cleaning up the house by throwing and giving stuff away. I only have 2 more weeks working at FEMA and then I'm told I will be working at the Army again somewhere! Next weekend, we're going to the Wolftrap for a concert to hear the greatest hits of John Williams!
Weekend With Colt
On the last weekend in June, I took some time off to go to Oklahoma and see the girls. It was the first time since coming back from Hawaii and 6 months since I saw Colton shortly after he was born. I've been looking forward to seeing Julia and Jessica and John so this was going to be a great chance to get away from work and unpacking!
When I first arrived, I went to see Julia! we had a great time getting caught up and had dinner at Zio's. The temperature was over 100 degrees (you can see the sun was absolutely scorching in the picture). Julia is doing such a good job at the OU Health Sciences Center and is planning to go back to school in the fall.
I spent most of the rest of my time hanging around inside (in the cool) playing with Colt. Sure, Jessica and John were aound too and I enjoyed visiting with them as well, but let's face it, the kid is infectously cute and the most mild-mannered baby I have ever seen (after my own of course)!
On Friday morning, I went with the Andersons to Colt's 6 month doctor visit. He got several shots but the only thing that seemed to bother him was when they cleaned out his ears! The rest of the day, I got to play with him - though his naps were pretty long. I have many (many, many, many) great pictures of Colt but I'll only share a few of them here.
After the shots, we went by Jessica's office to show off Colt. It was "bring your dog to work" day. Colt was the hit and he was really great around one of the big dogs. Colt observes everything and is curious about everything. Of course, he puts everything in his mouth, so we had to keep a little distance between him and the pooch.
Colt napped on the way to the office and napped on the way home and after mom gave him lunch, he napped most of the afternoon! That was OK. It was over 100 degrees outside and I enjoyed some time chatting with Jessica. Jessica and John both have had successful careers and it is fascinating to hear about them. At the same time, coordinating a new family and work is stressful, but they seem up to it!
Lo and behold, when Colt stirred, I got to hold him again (imagine that!) You might catch a glimpse of the bandages from his shots, but nothing seemed to bother him. He is giggly and happy most of the time. He loves to play with his toys and now sits up on his own. He has an array of soft toys he likes to play with and is very contented on the living room floor - especially when he has an audience!
By now, dad returned home and it was time for Colt's second haircut! Colt had long hair when he was born and now had a rat-tail in the back, so it was time for a trim. We went to John's haircutter and Colt seemed to actually enjoy the experience! There was a lot of hair to cut for a 6-month old!
There was a lot of furious activity around his head, but Colt just relaxed and in the end, emerged with his new Tom Cruise trim! The next day, Julia came over and we all went shopping at Wal-Mart and a few other places after grabbing lunch at Steve's Ribs. Jessica bought Colt a new pool which they tried out the following weekend. You can read more about it in Jessica's blog here (too cute!)
I joined Jessica and John for church Sunday morning before heading out to the airport for home. When you check the kids in to the nursery, they tag them with a label on their back. It has all of the contact information, birth date, and any medical or feeding instructions needed. This is at a church mind you, not a daycare center! It's a little much but I know it would have made life easier when I was taking babies to church! I wish I'd thought of labeling kids when I was running 3 Girl Scout troops!
I didn't get a good picture of all of us together, so I thought I'd close with a good picture of me and Colt. It will be fun to watch him grow and now that I'm on the same continent, I hope I can visit more often!
I can't offer many REAL excuses like "I'm so busy, I haven't been on the computer". Nope, I've just been doing other things. So, I'm going to just add some pictures and write a few random things about each... Read on to find out what this picture means!
On July 3rd, DeAnna and I drove through the Blue Ridge Mountains on Skyline Drive. It was a warm day, until we got into the mountains and then it was actually chilly (in July no less!) Most of the time, we drove and chatted, but we occasionally got out to admire frequent overlooks. It was a wonderful way to start a long weekend.
Half way through, we stopped by Luray Caverns (I really love spelunking). It was a great way to break up the drive, but the highly visited caverns were surprisingly beautiful and remarkably well cared-for. I'll recommend it! This is a picture of mirror lake (see why?)
On the way back home, I had to stop by Yogi Bear campgrounds and get a picture (no comments on how much the human looks like the bear, please). Of course, that was just the first day of a long weekend! We also had 4th of July activities to do, so we hoofed it home and got to bed early. The next morning we went to Jazzercise and did a little house keeping before heading over to my parents house for their annual Independence Day party! It was a lot of fun but in an uncharacteristic twist, I have lost all the pictures! There were a lot of good fireworks from Washington DC too... :-/
The next weekend, we loaded up on a bus from church and went to see "Joseph and The Technicolor Dream Coat" with a bunch of new friends. The trip was fun - it was a nice bus with a really nice bunch of people. We ate lunch at the Hotel Strausburg before going over to see the play. We took this picture on the stairs at the historic hotel...
So this last weekend, DeAnna went to get her hair done and I went with her on my bike. I started riding in Old Town and rode out to Mount Vernon. Then, I rode back to Old Town and then home to Cameron Station. The trail is actually very nice even though it's got a lot of people on it. All told, the ride was 25.58 miles long (now you know what the picture means) and I rode it in 3 hours. I was wiped out! It was a very nice ride, but I think I'll take it easier next time - maybe an earlier start in the morning...
