Honor and Rememberance

Taking a few minutes out of the day to honor our US Military family.

Those who have come before us...
Those who serve today and their husbands, wives and children...
The generations that will answer the call of duty in the future..

Pray for peace.

Visit to West Point

We spend this weekend on a family adventure! Two beautiful friends invited us to witness their West Point wedding. We traveled to New York on Saturday morning and played until Sunday. George wanted to be REALLY sure that we were headed in the right direction so he used printed directions as well as the GPS (the second Mother's Day gift!). I slipped into the back seat to entertain The Peaster for a few miles.

We arrived at The Thayer Hotel on West Point's campus in the early afternoon. Due to a strict "No Early Check In" policy at the hotel we were afforded a few hours to play on the lawn. Sophia was glad to stretch her legs (and air out her bum) while being chased by The Dadder.

After getting all gussied up we took a slow ride over to the Cadet Chapel. The architecture, inside and out, is stunning. The chapel organ (which, incidentally I didn't notice while we were there but learned about later) is the largest church organ in the world.





Great weekend.

How You Know Your Husband Loves You: 3

This is one of your Mother's Day gifts:


And he says that he much prefers the photos that I have taken of Sophia over the last year to the ones taken by the paid photographer....

"aw shucks"

This Is Not A Staged Photo

George was driving us home from the park after out Mother's Day Outing (we were playing in the grass at Towpath Park) and pointed out the Soph was paging through a book. I know that parents try, in whatever ways they can read about in the latest parenting book or magazines, to encourage the reader in their little one. I don't buy into it. There is a little part of me (the Conspiracy Theorist) that thinks its a ploy to sell more books. All the real studies show that early and late readers all even out by 2nd grade...so why push?

Anyway....

Sophia really does love books. So much so that it surprises both of her geeky parents into staring into the rear-view mirror despite traveling at 55mph.

Here are a few more shots from our fun filled afternoon.

Playing Peek-a-Boo from The Dadder's shoulders. They BOTH love that game! (Also, take notice to the attention that she is paying to Geo's teeth....do we have a future dentist?)


(that is the "after-dinner-smile")

The Birthday Pea

Ms. Sophia,

A year ago our lives were changed forever. Through bountiful joy and heartbreaking sadness you have had and amazingly full year. Growing from 9lbs of baby blubber to having long, slender toddler legs. Around 9months you even allowed a tall, handsome man to move into your space and hog up our side of the bed! You certainly have sprouted!

I'm a first time mom, so forgive me for bragging, but I have admit that I think you're talented and gifted in ways that I don't see in other spirits your age. You've become a great teacher and have already taught your Dadder and I so much about the world that we may have otherwise missed.


It is clear that we have our hands full. You are fiercely independent. A leader in social situations. Amazingly compassionate and have perfect intuition. You have a smile that could stop the world from spinning on it's axle and a laughter that just ripples through the room filling everyone around you with joy and gratitude.

We have never loved anyone or anything as much as we love you. Our hearts burst with praise with every new day. Dad and I are truly honored that you chose to live this life with us. We are better people for knowing and growing with you.

Our wish for this year is that you continue to find your own path in this intense world and to have fun doing so. We ask that you allow us to walk behind or beside you and keep a careful eye on our most precious angel. We pray for the wisdom to honor your spirit and to provide you with the rich and full environment required for you to flourish. Our commitment to you is that we will stretch our imagination to find new ways to play and encourage you.

Sophia Elizabeth you are an answered prayer.

Forever and ever and always,
The Mommer and The Dadder


(Yes, for those scratching their heads....this is a day late. xoxo)

Shout Out: Katie and Calder

We miss you....


THHHIIIIIIIISSSSSS MUCH!