Happy Birthday Maddie!

So our 'little' girl just turned 4 years old!  Grammy & Pop Pop were able to come up for the week, and everyone had great fun.  Bill had to fly to AZ for a couple days, and ran a Marine Corps trail race through Prince William Forest, so having them around to help w/the kids and the house was wonderful.    Shannon may have had a b'day too, but unfortunately we didn't capture any photos of that.  Her big gift was tickets to see Les Miserables at the Kennedy Center, and that's where we're headed today!  Woohoo!  Grandma/Grandpa were up just a couple weeks before, and so we were prompted to keep unpacking and getting the house in order.  Thanks to both g'parents, as they both helped so much around here!  Enjoy the pics...

Surprise!  Her new Dora tent.

Maddie loves her new Dora tent from G'ma/G'pa!

Can you say 'all boy'?

Grammy & Pop came for a week....Charlie wanted in the picture too!

Maddie in her new tutu on her big girl bed!

Maples Family photos

This post is for all those who haven't seen the pics from our Maples' outing to Cannonsburg (in Murfreesboro) this May.  It was in the midst of the cicada season, so Maddie was petrified for most of the outing.  Hunter on the other hand was fascinated, but he also showed his true colors with an occasional fit.  Nonetheless, it was a good day and we have wonderful memories to share.  Enjoy!

Swimming & Camping

This post is mostly pics from recent swimming occasions, but also a couple from camping and around the house. We enjoyed a visit from Grandma & Grandpa while Bill was on travel to Vegas. The visit helped expedite furnishing our guest suite downstairs, so this is an open invitation to come visit! After their visit, we hooked up the camper and spent a long weekend at Lunga Park again. It was a nice break and we enjoyed catching up w/friends as well. Still getting the house arranged and furnished, but trying to mix in some camping and site-seeing along the way. Enjoy the pics and come visit!

This used to be daddy's fun cape!

Keep that look Maddie....for the next 20yrs! :)

Maxin' & relaxin' in the camper.

These guys came right up to our camper. And they hiss!

Enjoying the kiddie pool.

Maddie's swim lessons.

Maddie's new haircut & her yearbook from Montessori.

Grandma & Grandpa doing the spoiling thing! DONUTS!!

Been awhile....

So I realize it's been a LONG time since we last posted, but we've had just a few changes. In no particular order we: shipped our kids to TN for a month, moved 3000+ miles, saw lots of good friends/family along the way, packed & unpacked our entire house, bought an RV, started a new job in the Pentagon, and a few other things. It has been a whirlwind of a couple of months, and we're finally settled in Alexandria, VA...very close to Mt Vernon. We're renting a house here in a very friendly neighborhood, and we're just 2 miles from the Mt Vernon bike trail that snakes along the Potomac River all the way into Wash DC! Bill has already ridden his bicycle to work and is running a lot (maybe in prep for another marathon?). Shannon is getting the house organized and has enrolled Maddie in swim lessons and preschool. The kids have adjusted and play so well together every day. The house is much larger than any other we've lived in before....translation: come visit!

The new Maples rig! Fun times ahead!

Heading home to TN! Thanks to both sets of gparents for sharing the load!

Bill's last flight @ China Lake. Preparing to get soaked!

Thought this was a pretty cool sign, esp considering it's in Las Vegas.

Did not expect a snowstorm as we passed through CO in late May! Not fun.

We drove through the same storm that leveled Joplin, MO. Not fun either!

Enjoying the botanical gardens in Huntsville w/the Hulls!

The kids enjoyed it too.

Nothing like popsicles on a warm summer day.

Changes are a' comin!

So a new toy arrived this week and can be credited for the last 3 pics you see here....an IPad 2!! Yay! Bill wanted it to Skype w/the family while he's traveling, and also to read/work while he's commuting in the DC area. It is great fun so far! Things are moving quickly now, as Bill leaves for a 3 week detachment to Yuma Monday, and the kids return to TN w/Bruce & Mary in 1 week. The movers are scheduled, the POD is coming, and we'll be on the road eastbound in less than 1 month! We still haven't found a house to rent in DC, so please pray for this. One recent answer to prayer is the pending sale of our Yuma house though. Yay again! We should close later this month and have one less complication in our lives. April has been fun, but not looking forward to saying goodbye to the wife for 3 weeks and the kids for a month. Enjoy the pics.

Grammy took a family photo before church.

Hunter at the park...yes, he got up there himself!

Shannon finishing strong in a local 5k to benefit wounded Marines.

Bill had some extra baggage for his 5k!

I'm sure I'll pay for this one, but we have to show the whole family, right??

The IPad has a camera like a carnival fun-house! The kids loved it!

Another fun house pic.

Birthday Party & Sea World!!

So Hunter turned 2 last week and Shannon threw a party at the local park for all the kiddos to enjoy. As evidenced below, there was no shortage of cupcakes w/blue icing!! The kids had a great time and even saved 1 cupcake for Daddy! Yay! Since it was a short work week, we packed up the family and headed to San Diego for the weekend. Sea World is free to military, so we showed up late on Friday and saw half the park, then came back Sat morn for a couple hours to see the rest. The kids loved the whale and dolphin shows! We also had fun at the Mission Bay park on the water, shopping for RVs and Bill had fun shopping for guy stuff during the kids' naps! IPad 2 here we come! Enjoy!

Told you!

An impromptu portrait w/the 2yr old.

Shamu & friend.

Haven't perfected the whole ice cream thing.

Just being my cute self!

Bill & Maddie's trip

Just a few pictures from our current trip to visit Patrick & Patty in Huntsville! We're also spending time w/Grammy & Pop Pop in M'boro and a day trip to the Chattanooga Aquarium w/Grandma & Grandpa. It has been great fun, and we still have 2 days left! We've been hiking on the mountain, visited the Arsenal, and spent countless hours playing. It will be over much too soon, but as you can see we've documented it well. Enjoy!

A chocolate treat after the aquarium! Like mother like daughter! ;)

This is a keeper! Too cute!

Acting like the penguins.

An afternoon shot of the shuttle at the US Space & Rocket Center.

We (Patrick & Bill included) spent lots of time playing here!

More playground fun.

Cousins having fun!