Stair Remodeling

Before.  Carpet, painted wrought iron handrail, shredded carpet on the bottom step from previous owners' dog, a real eyesore.  This is the first thing you see straight ahead when you walk in the front door.

Both kids were eager to help with the initial demo of the steps.  I think our neighbor took the wrought iron handrails for the landscaping in his backyard...

 Looking better already!

Those sawhorses became a fixture in our kitchen.  We'd put the kids to bed and paint risers, spindles, you name it.

This was an "all hands on deck" project.  Kathy helped during her visit for Jackie's shower in March.  This project stretched from March-May.

Scott and Jackie were here for Easter.  Poor Scott was strong armed happy to help with spindle installation after lunch.  Friends and family will soon learn not to visit while we are mid-remodel. 

 Phew, all done!  The finished product is quite the improvement! 

 We learned a ton tackling this project on our own!  Our friends Matt and Sam helped with the initial demo and install of the wood flooring on the landing near the playroom.  The wood floor in the hallway upstairs makes a world of difference!  A million thanks to Matt, Sam, Scott, Kathy, and BRAD for whipping up this stair renovation!  By far the biggest project we've tackled to date and probably will ever tackle on our own (says the girl whose guest bath is currently in a very raw state).

Last day of Pre-K 3

Abby loved Preschool this year!  Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Love were so sweet and I'm glad Abby had such a positive experience in this new city.  She will switch to a school closer to our house in the fall, but we will continue to attend church services at St. Stephen's. 

Cicadas!

Gross.  The cicadas came to visit from late May-late June.  They were everywhere!  They'd crawl out of holes in the ground, ditch their shells, and fly all over.  We are still finding random cicada wings on the floors as they stick to the bottom of your shoes!  Now there are enough shells left in the mulch out front that we could use a small trowel to shovel them to the trash!

Reflections Awards

This year, Alex entered the PTA's Reflections Contest at his school.  He had taken a really colorful picture of the leaves on our big tree out front, by laying on the driveway and looking up.  I suggested he enter it and he won third place!  There was a cute little reception at the school one evening in May to celebrate all of the entries.  How fun!  I see many more Reflections entries in his future.

Brunch

Seriously, how tired do they look?  Such a fantastic tired though!  I'm not quite certain that anyone brushed Abby's hair that morning either.  I woke Alex up at 9:30 to walk downstairs to the lovely brunch that was served at the hotel Sunday morning.  Abby, of course, was up with the sun.  Alex had spent the whole hour plus ride back to the hotel the night prior, testing Patti on Star Wars trivia.  She humored him so sweetly.  He was wide awake after the wedding.  After arriving home that afternoon, the kids watched TV and relaxed all day.  So. much. fun.

Ross/Goldstein Wedding!

The kids looked adorable if I do say so myself.

 Totally should've taken a photo of the four of us!

 Ringbearer with the rings in a birds nest.

We were relieved to hold the ceremony outside on this pseudo-rainy day.  Rain on your wedding day is good luck!

 Perfect!

The beautiful bride and groom ready to take their vows.

The rain after dinner didn't slow the kids down any.  They were happy to dance along to the bluegrass band playing behind them.

Jackie had purchased these scarves to warm people in the cave (basement of the winery), but we all wound up using them both indoors and outdoors as the night progressed.

After two late nights, this little lady crashed hard next to Grandpa on the bus back to D.C.! 

Jackie and Scott's wedding couldn't have been more beautiful.  Jackie looked gorgeous and we are so happy to have Scott as a member of our family.  We had so much fun with all of the family in town and the kids were real troopers about it all!  Alex must have told his whole class about it because other moms from school were asking about "the wedding". 



Bride/Flower Girl Prep

The morning of the wedding was rainy and very humid.  We just knew it would clear up in time for the ceremony (and it did).  Jackie stayed the night with us in Virginia, while everyone else stayed in "town".  This was very much a beautifully executed "Town and Country" wedding.  Sue, Jackie's friend and hairstylist, met us here and we rolled out the winery around lunchtime.  She styled Jackie's hair while Abby and I set up the tables outdoors and prepped the bar areas.  While Abby was getting her hair done, Jackie helped make the final adjustments before guests arrived.  Then we all scurried back up to the loft to get dressed.  Abby loved being Jackie's shadow and followed her around all day!

Rehearsal Dinner

We enjoyed a beautiful night out with family and friends at Jackie and Scott's rehearsal dinner.  Rosemary's Thyme Bistro in D.C. was most accommodating and having both the indoor and outdoor space was key.  The kids loved being able to play out on the patio after dinner with silly putty (gotta love the Dollar Store) and we all loved having both families together.  Dinner was delicious and the kids were on excellent behavior, phew!