Nick turns 8!

Sporting his new Nationals jersey.

Running the bases after the game.

The foul ball he caught.

His Birthday balloons.

His present from Grandma O.

Yesterday was Nicks 8th Birthday and according to him it was the best birthday he has ever had. We celebrated with friends from Alabama on Thursday with the baseball cake. Yesterday we went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and then lounged around the house for most of the morning. We checked out a new park by our house later in the day and ended the day at the ballpark watching a Potomac Nationals game. We paid $5 to have them announce Nick's birthday and put it on the big screen. It was worth every penny because he was so shocked. His face was priceless. He also caught a foul ball which he thought was the greatest thing on earth. Thanks to everyone who sent presents and Birthday cards and wishes he loved them all.

Seeing the Sights in DC

Taking a rest after spending hours seeing the sights.

The boys riding the metro for the first time.

Well today we finally went in to the city and did some sight seeing. We rode the metro because the boys really wanted to ride "the train". They enjoyed it but Jeremy and I not so much. I think it was much more of a pain in the butt then it was worth and it was kind of expensive. We went to the Air and Space Museum which both boys loved. Nick was really into it and loved every second of it and probably would have stayed longer but Aidan really wasn't much fun after about 2 hours in there he was done. Then we hiked up and down the Mall a little to the Capitol and the Washington Monument just showing the boys around a little. We found a nice shady spot and the boys had some ice cream. That was about all we could take on our first trip. Next time I think we will drive and maybe bring a bike or stroller for Aidan.

Happy 4th of July

Aidan running the bases.

Nick enjoying some dip n dots!

Aidan sliding in the bouncy house area.

On the 4th of July we had a BBQ at home and then went to a Potomac Nationals game. They are the minor league team for the Washington Nationals. We got sprinkled on a little bit at the beginning of the game which actually kind of felt good because it was pretty warm out, but it dried out fast and we had a great time watching baseball. They had fireworks after the game which were awesome. The kids also got to run the bases at the end of the game which they loved. It was a wonderful way to spend our Holiday and our last vacation day before Jeremy went back to work.

The New Fire Pit

One of our new purchases at our new house was a fire pit. The boys have loved having fires in our backyard and most of all roasting marshmallows which seems to be their dessert of choice these days. We hope to use it a bunch more before the summer is over.

Hiking at Leesylvania State Park

The boys celebrating the end of their hike with ice cream.

The view from the top of our hike.

Taking a rest on one of the benches.

Aidan with one of the cannons along the trail.

The deer that was not afraid of us at all.

Hanging out on the fishing pier.

Last Saturday we couldn't take anymore of the unpacking of boxes and decided we needed to get out of the house so we went to the State Park that is only a couple miles from our house. Leesylvania State Park is right on the Potomoc River and has a boat launch and beach and then all kinds of hiking trails. We took one of the easier trails and hiked to the top of it and it had an amazing view of the river. The boys enjoyed the hiking for the most part. Aidan loved that this deer kept following us while we were hiking. We saw tons of deer while we were there. We can't wait to go back and try a new trail.

VBS at FBC

Aidan went to VBS at First Baptist Church the last week we were in Alabama. It was nice that he was able to go while Nick was at baseball camp because it allowed us to pack out our house without them under our feet the whole time complaining about not having a tv. Aidan had a blast and made all kinds of cute stuff throughout the week. The theme of VBS this year was The Big Apple so everything was like New York themed with taxi cabs and skyscrapers. These pictures are from his performance at the end of the week where they sang all the songs they learned. It was pretty amazing how many they learned in just a few short days and he knew all the actions too. I will try to post the video we took of him singing because it is so precious.

Father's Day

Like Father, Like Son

We celebrated Father's Day with Jeremy by sleeping in and having a big breakfast at home. Then after church we went fishing despite crazy hot temperatures. The kids had fun especially once the sun fell behind the clouds. We only caught a few fish but everyone got a few bites even if we couldn't get them in the boat. The boys made a cookie cake for Jeremy at Publix and we enjoyed that while he opened his cards and presents from the boys. All in all, it was a great way to spend our last weekend in Alabama.