...in all things love

Sunday, November 1, 2015

some of our latest adventures

One night for our family date night we went to 'Miller's', where Dave Matthews got his start. Mason also enjoyed his Fall soccer team and coach. He's definitely made progress since last year. It's fun to watch him. He still gets distracted though when he sees the little kids team on the side playing duck duck goose or spots a dandelion. He also likes to engage in a casual once in a while conversation with another teammate during a game. He is a sweet, smart, good kid and I adore him.

these two might be famous one day

I think next time I'll untuck Mason's soccer uniform - he looks a little too tidy :).

How many soccer players can you fit in a goal?

he has great speed and accuracy when kicking balls

loving it.

This is what Stan does on the sidelines while Mason is playing on the field. He is taking careful notes.

OBX: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Every year, Law School students from UVA rent a beach house for fall break. This year we decided to join. It was low key - do whatever you want basically, each family takes a turn making a dinner with another family. We had a lot of beach time, visited the Wright Brothers monument at Kitty Hawk, swam, hot tubbed, played group games, watched a movie and sports together, and just relaxed. I loved the group of families we went with. Some of my highlights were watching the sunrise (East Coast) over the ocean. I loved a couple of deep conversations we had with a couple of other families. I also enjoyed going on morning runs on the beach with a few girls, and playing tennis one morning with Nate while our friends swapped babysitting with us. We also enjoyed seeing dolphins, making sandcastles, and eating 'Duck Donuts'. We also went to Church there, and loved that little branch. We got to visit some of the sand dunes as well. Fortunately we went the weekend after the big hurricane so the weather was really nice and sunny for at least half the time we were there. The storm had uncovered an old 19th Century shipwreck, so that was fascinating to see that right in front of our beach house as well. We all loved the beach and the ocean. Thanks for the magical times, OBX!

the feeling of sand never gets old

the sand dunes next to the place we went to Church

making paper airplanes at the monument

Mason's fascination with airplanes continues

Stan walks off into the sunset - don't worry...we caught him before he went into the street

our house is the second one there on the right

and he makes a mad dash to the water

Daddy comes to the rescue before...the big wave comes

golden hour

my three loves

love that beautiful rainbow over the ocean

chasing the birds

morning sunrise with Stanley

the old 19th century shipwreck

another sunrise with Daddy and Mason

worth waking up a little early for

these two sweet little snugglers

they have my heart

Mason had to have a picture with this pirate

There you have it!

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Life lately according to my phone

Being back in Charlottesville has been so sweet! It took a couple of weeks to get back to normal and back on East Coast time, but it has been so good getting back to a routine again. Nate has been working here for a Professor, and Mason and I have resumed our morning school time, afternoon or morning play time, meal prep and laundry and cleaning. It's just like riding a bike :). I also started teaching my darling violin students and one piano student again...I missed them. Being back with our friends here has also been so good. Gosh I missed them! I am so grateful for them. Charlottesville has become even more beautiful to me since being here. This has been a pretty mild summer for the most part, and that has been nice - going to parks, splash pads, picnics with Daddy, soccer and softball. Mason will start a preschool co-op (called Joy School) here in a couple of weeks so we are both excited about that. So here are some of our latest adventures, and a few pics thrown in from our trips.

This is just after Mason ran away sulking and Olivia came to the rescue. love these two dear little friends!

Sweet visiting teacher Megan Moss tended Stan for me so that Mason and I could go to a garden/cooking class at Monticello. She has her beautiful little boy Preston and is pregnant with her second, but insisted on watching Stan so that Mason and I could go together. Talk about one of the gems of the earth. Unfortunately the class was already full, but Mason and I still got to spend some quality time together. Love you, Meg!

Walking Daddy to school. Stan has not yet started walking on his own, but he insists on us walking him everywhere which I am pretty sure is his way of getting us to exercise (aka going up and down the stairs ten times). Love those three boys right there!!

My little corn shucker...I love fresh corn on the cob - "...is this corn hand shucked?" ('What about Bob'). This was a great batch. Thank you, Mason!

post-picnic wrestling match in from to the Law School

Nate's good friend sent him this gift. He felt so manly putting that together all by himself. Looks like we will be having some neighborhood barbecues here in the future. Nate said "Mormons are the best smokers!". Ha!

This is the Stanley pose when Nate comes home from work.

OK - Here are some pics from our summer adventures. I get a lot of nostalgia when I look at these! Somehow memories get even better looking back. How does that happen? I...don't know.