Recent Adventures

The girls at the end of our day of traveling

My girls all bundled up

Jocelyn, Emma and I were able to spend a week in Washington, D.C. to visit my older sisters and their families who will both live there for the next couple years.  They met Emma for the first time and I got to meet Marcus (Emily's youngest who was born 10 days after Emma).  We had such a fabulous time and they took great care of us.  It's such a comfort to me to know where they live and when I talk with them on the phone I will be able to picture where they are now.  Here are a million pictures to document our trip.  I am so grateful for Tami and my parents for making the trip possible by taking care of Lillian and Jonas.  And, of course, to Jared for funding the trip and taking care of the kids as well. 

Ice skating with Jocelyn & Noelle

Playing with the cousins (Mangum's house)

Patriotic Andrew, Noelle & Joc with Washington Monument in background.  It was so fitting as we walked around all the monuments on President's Day

Baby Emma meets cousin Marcus

 Since Lara is pregnant and Emily and I both have newborns we did a lot of "hanging out" and spending time together, but tried to fit in some shopping and seeing the sights as well.  We went ice skating and out for hot cocoa, we had dinner together with both families almost every night, we walked around the national mall and went to a Smithsonian "American History" museum.  This was my 4th trip to D.C. but Jocelyn's first time.  Her main request was to see the white house so we made sure to walk by there.  We went out for frozen custard in the freezing weather and made homemade doughnuts and it was such a blast!

Lara and some of the kids outside skating rink

Cait and kids in front of white house

Cousin line up outside the skating rink

The three sisters braving the museum with our kids (minus 2 of mine and 1 of Emily's) and we were still a circus act

Out to custard with Aunt Em

Playing the wii with cousins

Cousins having dessert at the Tituses

Jocelyn & Noelle at Lincoln Memorial

So excited for her first plane ride in years

Emma with Aunt Em

Emma got to try out Marcus's exersaucer

 I told Jared my favorite part of the trip was being able to get to know my niece and nephews better.  To see them in their lives and homes and to get to know their personalities and to see Jocelyn interacting with them.  I have such fond memories of hanging out with my cousins every summer and I would love for my kids to have the same interaction with their cousins.  Noelle was excited to have another girl come to visit as she is usually there with 7 boys and just her to represent the feminine side!

My dear friend Sarita is in the country for a short while and we met together for our "joint" birthday dinner as our birthdays are within a month of each other.  We went out to dinner with just us and the babies we are nursing and it was such a treat to catch up with her.  We hope to be able to get all the family together soon so they can see our new house but this was a great start...

Upon the return of our trip to D.C. Jocelyn threw up on the way home from the airport and then I was throwing up by 4 am along with other unmentionable things. We were very grateful that even though we had caught the flu, we waited until we were home to really have it manifest.  I was supposed to go up to my parent's house and pick up Lillian and Jonas but I literally couldn't get out of bed the entire day.  Poor Emma spent the day on her playmat on the bed beside me and I would pull her over by me to nurse when she needed then we would sleep and I would push her over to the playmat again.  Jocelyn was recovering as well and spent the day on the couch alternating between sleeping, watching movies and coloring.  Jared was in the thick of getting a patent filed and tried to hurry home at the end of the day but I was glad we survived!  Now tomorrow we jump back into reality...