Let's do the flips

Been wanting to put this up for awhile... just waiting for the full moon I guess... not really things are just at a pretty steady pace still here... as always!! Anyway, as you can see though I always have time to play with my kids!! Enjoy.

A DC Day

We have tried to commit one weekend a month to taking a family trip into the DC area just to learn and tour our nation's capital. Seems like that would be easy but when you have so many going in all different directions it can be challenging... anyway, we did it this past Sat and here are the places we saw.

The weather was beautiful so our plan was to stay outside! But starting on the mall we had to make a potty stop in the Museum of American History and which was just in time to watch a role play about the, Greensboro Lunch Counter in 1960, a civil rights movement for desegregation. We then walked to the Tidal Basin, and on around it seeing the Jefferson Memorial.

We ate Rocket pops with George Mason.

... on the way to the Korean War Memorial, we caught a little bit of a polo match.

After this we enjoyed the reflecting pool and Lincoln Memorial.

We ended strolling across the Potomac,
hopped on the Metro and headed home. Not bad for an afternoon....and thanks Tasha for being our official photographer... I've never been in so many pictures!

The calm after the storm.

Well, the week has been much calmer than it has been for quite some time (like 4 mos!) and it was a nice change! We did have our ups and downs... M tries to find a friend, golf ends for S, C didn't get voted class representative but R did feel good about what he already knew in American History class (being he was in German school for 3 years), C has the opportunity to learn the Viola in school, and J always keeps us smiling... but the really good news is one... I got the blog updated... so go back and check what you missed starting with July 23 Christmas in July... and two... we received our letter of approval for our trampoline yesterday in the mail! When we moved in we had permission from our landlord but no one knew we had to get approval from the Reston Association. So we had to submit the paperwork and they were very kind and let us keep it! We are all very happy about these things and look forward to a good weekend.

Shaking out the cobwebs after class

... oh Russian please come easy!

Tim Robbins

Here is M and Tim Robbins... below her new drama class here at South Lakes High School.

Tim Robbins came and held a workshop for them! It was a really neat experience!

Just a taste

Our pantry...2+ hrs, 3 carts, $600 later... and it should last 2 weeks!

Yes I am feeding a small army... 3 teenagers (one eats more than his father!)

... and as a result we are going to have to go on a shopping trip for clothes... nothing fits anymore!

Let the fun begin!

...just a sweet picture of my babies...
(btw, this school is underground... not too pretty from outside but very neat inside)

First to leave at 6:45ish are the High Schoolers! (do you see it is still dark outside!)

Next... the lonely middle child heads to Middle School about 7:30ish...
(still dark outside, it was a rainy morning)

Then... our little ones (which C is not liking to be called anymore!) go to the Elementary at 8:50!

(by the time they went the rain cleared!!Yeh!)

... last but not least Joey and I head to language school. Eating lunch together twice is a week is a perk! That and Joey is home for dinner every night! What a year eh?!

This is a poster Natasha made for the kids to get excited about starting school. After the long summer they were all ready!!

Natasha would be taking a college course too but we missed the deadline for a placement test... but we'll get her going next semester. For now, I think she is a bit relieved as the revolving door here keeps her busy pretty.

meanwhile

Aunt Karin and Uncle Brandon become parents to our new twin cousins!!!
Congrats you guys! We are so thankful you made it to 38 wks and now they are here safely!

They are so sweet... we are all so excited! and can't wait to hold them!!

all in a day....

We saw the biggest stick bug we have ever seen above our door!

Open house at the elementary school... C and J got to meet their teacher and see their class room! Gonna be a good year... C's teacher graduated from Ramstein High School! J's is as sweet as ever! We all came away very excited!

M's first Cross Country meet!

and a long awaited bday present/promise made good. C and I had a night out, got our hair trimmed and her ears pierced. She is so big these days!