latest adventures and our 6th wedding Anniversary!

Since Nate has been back in school, we have been doing our best to fill our charts every day to earn money :). Get ready for the day, practicing, helping mom with the dishwasher, school time, etc. Mason made me fill out one as well - so now we're all in it together. Nate and I love February, not because of the cold necessarily (although this Virginia winter has been very mild), but because we were married on the 5th of February. We celebrated early by going to a nice french restaurant during restaurant week (good time to eat nice food on a budget). It was amazing food - unforgettable evening. Thanks Nate for spoiling me! Still the luckiest girl to get you and I feel that way more and more every year!

Since Aunt Alissa gave us the map, there has been a lot of this happening. Mason loves learning about the amazing planet earth we live on. He has said he wants to go on a mission to China, because that's where pandas live (his favorite animal at the moment). Guess we'll have to have his cousin William teach him Chinese!

salmon of course for me :)

Love him!!!

Fun to discover a new Freeman relative when you invite the missionaries over for dinner! When he said he was from Snowflake, Arizona, we knew there was a pretty good chance! Sure enough!

We also took a day trip to the Jefferson natural springs. It took a little courage to walk inside (the place badly needs renovating - it honestly looks like the original from the 1800's), but it was certainly a unique experience. I've always wanted to bath in a natural spring, so this was my chance. I'm glad we did. Our boys loved it - I'm always amazed how they are not fazed by anything. For them it was just like swimming in a giant bath tub. They jumped right in! Sunny but COLD day - and those buildings had no heating. In the water it was so nice - but getting out, I'm glad we brought our robes. 

keeping the bambinos warm :)

Robert E Lee's Birthday @ Stratford Hall

We took a trip on January 19th (Robert E Lee's birthday) to visit his birth place at Stratford Hall. Nate likes doing that because they usually offer free tours of the house on their birthdays, which was also true in this case. Plus its fun to commemorate their life on that day. How could we pass up an opportunity like that? Fun that Robert E Lee's birth place is just down the street from George Washington's birth place - both men who loved Virginia.

Stratford Hall is such a beautiful old home situated close to the Patomac River. Like George Washington, Robert E Lee only spent the first few years of his life at the home where he was born before moving to northern Virginia. It was fun to tell our boys a little about Robert E Lee - such an amazing General in the Civil War who fought bravely. Still a miracle to me, that the North was able to beat the South with such a general.

Stanley and Mason especially had fun just being free to run around on so much property, and visiting the sheep.

there was a band at the visitor center playing old style Virginia music when we walked in which was fun

Stratford Hall and a happy boy trying to keep up with his older brother

the room where Robert E Lee was born

learning how to make cloth

from wool

Here's Stanley saying, "come here sheep!" this boy loves animals

a legacy of leadership ;)

cake for his birthday!

fun day. Thanks Stratford Hall for hosting us so generously and letting us join in the celebration!

life lately and a day trip to Alexandria

Since coming back home from NYC, we've enjoyed settling back into life - school time, practicing, filling out our chart, laundry, cleaning, play time with friends, bedtime, repeat. I love this simple sweet life of mine, mixed in sometimes with a lot of mistakes, growth and learning. Life is so good. Plus besides making me want to go crazy sometimes, my boys are also good at making me laugh. Here's Stan the other day after I had made bread. I walked back in the kitchen to this :).

We each chose a dinner we liked this week (we like to do that occasionally). Mason chose Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas - so here he is, helping me make them.

I came home the other night from visiting teaching, to find Nate teaching Mason how to march. We may be turning into the von trapp family.

2017 for us started out a little cold and wet, so when we found a nice day (mid 60's!) Nate took a day off of work for UVA, and we took a day trip to Alexandria, Virginia. It was a George Washington day.

We got to eat at the Gadsby's Tavern where he ate and celebrated two of his birthdays.

We walked by the home where he lived

And we visited the Church that he attended - Christ's Church

These two make my heart stop sometimes

We visited the Mason's Monument to him just up King's Street

Our last - non Washington Stop was to visit TC William's High School - home of the Titans. This is where Mason and Stan tackled Nate on the 20 yard line - oh yea, and what this movie - Remember the Titans is all about.

This week we get to help take care of these two sweet girls while their parents travel to Spain! We love these sweet little girls sooo much! Here they are playing with the chemistry magician set their sweet Aunt Alissa gave them for Christmas (it has been a big hit Alissa!)!

We had a fun chicken dinner last night with them as well. 

This morning, when our friends came over to practice for their Sunday musical number, those children couldn't get enough of their sweet little boy! Nor could I!!! Just look at him! Pure heaven.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

Snow Day

We drove home a day earlier than planned to beat the snow storm. So glad we did, because we woke up to probably 2 -4 inches of snow the next morning. I don't know what it is about the icy roads here in the East. Maybe not enough snow plows? We had a great day of sledding and hot chocolate, popcorn and movies. Love that we just got to relax and enjoy a day at home before the work begins again.

Found Stanley here in the morning - moving around so much has got to be so confusing. That's the changing table, not the bunk bed Stanley!

a reluctant Stanley to go outside

first sighting of snow

my little helpers!! i'm obsessed with them!

cute little friends

oh hi, it's us again!

As long as he was drinking hot chocolate, he was happy happy happy.

He was prepared to go down that hill himself, until I stopped him :). My brave boy!

I LOVE their sweet little faces in this picture!

happy boy, happy family!