Shoe Family

Monday, April 26, 2010

Easter, Old Friends and Field Trips

Happy (belated) Easter. We hope you had a wonderful celebration of the resurrection of our Lord!

It was too much work to move all these pictures, so they are in backwards chronological order. I wasn't trying to feature myself! :)

20 weeks along...its a healthy (thank GOD) boy!!

Thanks for the racetrack Grandad and Bibi. This was my second setup of the track so some of the turns are a bit abrupt!

The JSF---just for you Grandad!

Who doesn't enjoy a day at the air and space museum??

The 3 younger ones may not have been impressed by the Arlington National Cemetary, but Grandma, Law and I were. It is full of history of our nation.

We were amazed at the grounds of George and Martha Washington. To think these buildings were put up in the 1700's blew our minds.

This sheep at Mt. Vernon was having a rough time...the children were having a fun time guessing what he was talking to the wall about.

George and Martha's view of the Potomac.

Grandma and the children learn about the machine shop at Mt. Vernon.

We had a wonderful night catching up with some other Marine families. Just a few years back, there were 3 children between the three families.

Top (Law S, Madison J, Alexandra M)

Bottom (Ezra S, Maison S, Feven S, John Patrick M and funny Andrew J)

The 3 originals: Alexandra M, Law S and Madison J (our favorite God daughter)

Our favorite God son Justin.

Scott, Niki, Shelly, Eric, Amparo and John

Justin REALLY wants to pose with us!

Easter day fishing at the neighbor's pond.

Ezra's catch!

Cousin Matt trying hard to limit the fish casualties. :)

Easter Day with cousin Matt.

Ezra trying to figure out what it means to 'hunt' for Easter eggs.

The boys and cousin Matt.

Hiking in Prince William Forest.

Field trip to Fredericksburg Battlefield.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Winter Fun!!

Rumor has it our part of Virginia has accumulated upwards of 70 inches of snow this winter! After 3 days of no heat, no water and no electricity, we are looking forward to the warmer spring weather. Niki feels she has fulfilled her camping requirements for 2010! December was a busy month. We had the joy of celebrating Grandma's birthday and had Christmas morning with Grandma, Uncle Ryan and Aunt Renee. (niki's Mom, brother and sister in law) The children were not so sad as Scott and Niki left for Paris for a few days over Christmas break. It was a blessing to get away and visit our French military friends Bertrand and Armelle. They gave us a wonderful walking and driving tour of Paris. Our pictures don't do justice to the amazing architecture of buildings that have been standing for hundreds of years, one more spectacular than the next. We did lots of walking, found fun neighborhoods to have leisurely lunches and ate lots of bread and cheese. THANK YOU Grandma, Uncle Ryan and Aunt Renee for holding down the fort while we were gone. It was a chance in a lifetime....at least while we have small children at home!

Bertrand and Armelle.

We came up with Maisy's name courtesy of Bertrand and Armelle's moving box when they were leaving the states for France. Maison is the french word for home.