The River

We were lucky enough to get to go to Ware's Wharf with Isabel. It was a weekend full of fun and swimming, kayaking, tubing and eating. Zaven took Clark along and that was a fun addition.

Where to begin

Ok it has been forever since I posted and I want to get back into it. So here goes.
Summer 2018. We are having a great summer. We are most of the way through it. Nell and a Esmé had a great swim season on Kingspoint. Nell swam up at most meets doing well to earn points for the team. esme was able to swim 6 and under because of her good birthday. She was a star in backstroke and freestyle. She loves breast stroke too and got a few chances to do that. There was learning to do flips on the diving board- lots of time with friends and we had a great summer sitter, Jordan. She was so fun with the girls. The swim season ended wth a great champs meet for the girls. Nell swam backstroke and won her heat and Esme finished 4th in backstroke and 8th in freestyle.

Zaven started the summer with the youth mission trip. They went to West Virginia and worked really hard tearing down an old trailer. The week finished with a great adventure hiking and rafting. He then went to TN to visit Ethan and had a great time. Once back in Williamsburg he played a good amount of tennis and spent a ton of time in Kingsmill with “the boys” (Clark, Hayden and Matt)

Christmas 2017

The season started with the girls riding in the acadeiage with Father Christmas for the Community Tree Lighting

Snowdays

Saturday Jan 7th we got about 12 inches of snow! It was very exciting. The kids ended up being out of school until Thursday - so there was a lot of sledding and enjoying more time off!

Mister was very excited by the snow and loved rubbing his face into it.

Saturday it was very cold and actively snowing most of the day.
So we did not go tot he normal sledding spot, but rather only ventured to the bottom of Nassau street and found a good hill for the girls to sled on. They also created a luge off the back stairs, that proved to be quite fun.

Zaven took off to Cannon's house and had a big day or snow football.

Sunday we were able to walk to church, but not many people we able to get out.

We enjoyed sledding with our neighbors and their little girl. Their backyard had a pretty good hill.

Then Zaven went to Kingsmill and spent the night with Clark and enjoyed sledding on a huge hill over there.

The girls went to the regular sledding spot behind the Lodge and found great conditions, but the bitter cold kept it short.

As the temperatures started to warm we made one last trip to sled and had a great time.

I also had time to look in the art folder mom and dad had brought on their recent trip and discovered that it was not art that I had done but rather some excellent things from Mom's class at UTC. I am thinking I will hang on to them and frame them. I hope that Mom will consider taking up art again, throughout her life she has shown great talent.

Christmas and Beyond

Well I have not posted much because the Blogger App was no longer working on my phone and as far as sharing photos there was no easy way. I have now hopefully, found a work around to the problem and I am hoping to be back to posting.
I have come to love this blog as a scrap book of sorts!

We had a great Christmas season- full of love light and laughter.
The Ice rink reopened at Colonial Williamsburg, Zaven sang in the community choir, Nell participated in the school government cookie sale at the Nutcracker. We went to DC for the Jingle Ball, Esme and Nell were in the pageant at church, we decorated out tree, we made cookies for santa, we shopped for gifts, baked for friends, had family visit all in all a great time

DC with Meg and George!

Zaven shoe shopping in DC, his idea of heaven

Esme and I made cookies for her classmates

The girls made gingerbread houses. Zav never got around to his this year:(

Since Esme did not get to go to Jongle Ball she and I had a special night together-we went to paint on pottery and made ornaments it was really fun. 

Nell was invited to an epic sleep over with Polar Express theme, they even saw Santa strolling through Merchants Square

Zaven's Community Choir concert at the Kimball Theatre

Dinner at Plaza Azteca after- to celebrate.

Decorating the tree

All together!

A favorite ornament

And another

A sweet delivery from the Sterns

On the way to church Christmas Eve, we eventually got Zaven's tie tied

Community Christmas Tree lighting. 

Making cookies for Santa- normally Chris would be at work as we went about all of these activities, this year he was sick and on the couch:(

A cookie I decorated to look like Zaven in his ripped jeans and Supreme hoodie

ready for Santa!

early Christmas morning, stocking collection

we are all a little bleary eyed!

Sweet sisters

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner at the O'Neill's! Chris stayed home:(

Viola, Ella, Spencer and Grammy arrived the day after Christmas, we can't get over how cute and sweet Viola is!

Cousins making "snow angels" on the kitchen floor

Then Milla and Poppy came! This is the only photo i got on the day they left and the kids went back to school.

Esme in the historic area admiring the decorations

Jingle Ball concert in DC

Chris and I also celebrated our 20th Wedding anniversary. We had such fun looking through the albums and Milla brought my gown and I tried it on, then we went to the O'Neill's for a while before our celebratory dinner at Le Yaca. no photos apparently....

Thanksgiving 2016 & Nell's 10th Birthday

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We stayed in Williamsburg and did not have visitors. It was perfect. The kids were happy to be home, out of school and able to see friends and just be. I was happy to cook a meal with only the items I knew people could eat and enjoy and I bought a fully cooked turkey - taking a lot of the work out of the meal prep. Leaving plenty of time for enjoying the break myself.

Esmé made this turkey vest at school, but really did not want to be modeling it. I think it is super cute, even with her very sad face

Nell in the kitchen on turkey Day

All of us at the table enjoying the Thanksgiving fest.

An attempt at a potential Christmas card photo.

We did not end up using it, but I am always glad to have a picture of us all together.

Nell got her ears pierced on her 10th birthday. Dr Mares came in to his office on his day off to do it. The whole family was there to witness.

on Friday after we had a great time down at Matthew Whaley for a Fantasy Football league flag football game.

The next weekend we had Nell's 10th Birthday party with a Minute to Win it Theme. It was a fun time and a nice group of girls

Nell chose an oreo ice cream cake for her party. 

The girls looking over the results of the Minute to Win it challenges, each contestant rated themselves or the challenge.