Camping! (Part 2)

When we woke up it was C.O.L.D. I didn't want to get out of the sleeping bag. I could have stayed in there all day, but the girls had other plans.

Hot chocolate in their bellies helped warm them up.

They practically crawled into their cups.

Poor Anna was shivering and actually sat still in my lap for at least 10 minutes warming up.

A game of Simon Says.

It finally started warming up, so we headed to The Meadow for an easy hike.

This picture cracks me up. Can you tell that Adam is tall?

JB brought the little kites. It turned out to be a perfect day for them.

Sarah and Audrey... BFFs.

Anna, Sarah, Isabel and Audrey. Aren't they all adorable?

Best family photo of the year!

Camping! (Part 1)

We headed back to Shenandoah National Park this weekend for our first camping trip as a family of 4. We had no idea how our little tornado was going to handle the whole "sleeping in a tent" concept. We were prepared for a wild ride. While the night wasn't perfect, it wasn't horrible either. We will definitely go again!

Turns out we forgot to pack a coat for Sarah. Oops. She now has a lovely sweatshirt as a keepsake.

Anna all set and ready to go. She lasted about 10 minutes in the backpack before wanting to get down. She walked the entire first half of the hike.

This cute little stream grew as we hiked and became quite the waterfall.

Dark Hollow Falls

With the promise of S'mores with friends, Sarah made it back up the mountain with hardly any whining. We are incredibly proud of her!

This deer was just chilling in the campground.

Relaxing for a minute while Anna plays in the tent.

Bundled up by the fire waiting for an ooey gooey marshmallow.

One sticky mess...

Glow sticks! We hung them in the tent as night lights.

Anna's First Day of School

We've said it before, but our children are as different as night and day. Sarah loves the camera and will pose until the cows come home. Anna, on the other hand, will give me a cheeseball smile and then turn away to do something more interesting. We wouldn't have it any other way... the cheese pictures are an excellent snapshot of her personality.

We'll have to work on sitting like a lady. Maybe she just wanted to show off her big girl pants.

No more pictures, Mom. I want to play.

She's a mover and a shaker. I'm thankful that she still wants to hold my hand.

Walking into the building.

Seriously, Mom. Put the camera away and let's go!

She can reach the rail this year.

She has been having a fabulous time at school. Her teachers say she hasn't shed a single tear. :-)

Sarah's Big Week, Part 3

Thursday brought the return of Dance. We now have tap shoes which, luckily, have not made an appearance in any of the bathrooms here at home.

Now that we have added tap to the mix, class is an hour long. My littlest angel is hard to entertain. I must come up with some ideas or I may just lose my mind.

Sarah's Big Week, Part 2

Next came Soccer...

She seemed to enjoy herself. Jury is still out on whether having JB as the coach will be good for her or not.

Super Coach and his little helper.

Sarah's Big Week, Part 1

Event #1: KINDERGARTEN!

This is Ms. Green. I swear she's only 16 years old. I wonder if parents thought that about me during my second year teaching?

All smiles...

Anna really has no idea what is going on.

One of my favorites of the day. She took one last look at me before she walked in the door of the classroom. Cue misty eyes.

Fresh off the bus in the afternoon. I think the ride home was the highlight of the day.

Or maybe it was the Back to School Cupcakes. What better excuse to try out the new cupcake place down the street. I think this will be our Back to School tradition.