Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The Puppy Life!

Jack is now 3 months old! He has settled in to his new home nicely. He has learned how to sit, shake and lay down and is currently working on how to roll over! Potty training is a work in progress, but we will get there :) Jack LOVES hiking with our family and does a good job at keeping up with Lucas!

Here are some recent pictures!


Hiking at Pohick Bay


Nap time!

Picking up Lucas from preschool!
Snuggling with Lucas' animals

Poor Jack is not a fan of bath time








Saturday, January 10, 2015

Christmas 2014

This year we spent Christmas with the Lawler side of the family in Staunton, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley. I could not have dreamt up a better Christmas!! There are only a few times each year that we are all able to be together in one location and it is always something I cherish.

As always, the time seemed to fly by. But, we definitely made the most of it! Our time together was spent playing countless games of chess, hiking, exploring the nearby caves, playing with the horses, and some late-night hours in the hot tub.

On Christmas Eve, Lucas set out cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer... which were later consumed by a drunken Steve & Uncle KJ hehe. Christmas morning, Lucas opened up his much anticipated "bike with pedals" and his set of "real walkie talkies with working buttons" and he was thrilled! As Lucas said, "I told you Santa would bring me walkie talkies!!" 

Prior to heading back home to NOVA, Steve and I made a detour out to Kentucky to pick up our family Christmas present, a mini goldendoodle named Jack!! <3

To say the least, it was a Christmas to be remembered!
Lucas leading our dinner prayer... unprompted. <3








<3




















Meet our newest family member, Jack. <3



Thanksgiving 2014

This year we traveled out to Cincinnati to spend Thanksgiving with the Wujek side of the family. We had such a blast! Lucas was in heaven playing with his Aunt Heather & Aunt Fallon. Our days were spent relaxing, eating tasty food, and catching up with family & friends. Doesn't get much better than that!

Here are some pics from our holiday:

Hitting the road to Ohio!
We love Nan!
Hanging out with the Daddy-to-be <3



Helping Dziadzi with some yard work <3

Where better to nap than your grandfather's shoulders?


Friday, January 2, 2015

A trip to Stribling Orchard

This past November, Jeannie and I took the kids to Stribling Orchard for our second annual visit.

That morning, Jeannie and I packed up our picnic baskets and loaded the kids into the truck for a trip out to Markham, Virginia. It was a rainy November day, towards the end of apple picking season, which means we were the only people in the orchard. It was perfect.

Our day was full of giggles, as Callie and Lucas spent the early afternoon snacking on the apples they picked off the trees. When lunch time rolled around, we loaded the kids into the truck, and headed up to the top of the orchard for a picnic. Lucas took a couple bites of his first ever PB&J, before he and Callie took off back in to the orchard to do a little more exploring.

Eventually, Jeannie and I loaded the tired kiddos back into the car and hit the road towards home. As the kids slept in the back seat, Jeannie and I reflected on our day with them. We recognized how thankful we are to share days like this with each other and our littles. It's moments like these, I wish I could freeze time. <3

Until next year Stribling Orchard.