Catching up with the Tillmans

One of the last things we got to do when we were in DC was to make a trip up to Harrisonburg, VA to visit with our friends Brian and Deborah Tillman, and their children Leah, Noah and Annabelle.

It was our first time meeting their newest addition, Annabelle and the first time we have seen them in about a year - so they got to meet Samantha as well.

I always love getting to see my dear friend Deborah, because we have been friends since the end of our Sophomore year at college. Since then, we have remained close despite the distance that has separate us since graduation.

However, since this our lives have changed dramatically, with us having kids. So, we decided on the kid friendliest place to meet up - a local Children's Museum. All the kids seemed to have a great time, and they were entertained enough so that we could get in some visit time too. :)

Leah and Noah cranking up some magic machine - your guess is as good as mine, at what it is. ;)

Deborah and I switched babies for awhile - Samantha felt like a ton in comparision to little Annabelle.

Annabelle is not too happy about trailing around after her brother and sister.

Samantha found a bunch of stuffed pigs to play with, which was cute until she tried to eat them -- everything goes in the mouth at this age!

Noah - a spitting image of his daddy.

Leah - a spitting image of her mama - they got one of each. We'll see who Annabelle will look like when she gets older.

We truly feel thankful that we got to see the Tillmans. We have missed them and they have been dear friends to us over the years. Hopefully, it won't be too long before we see them again.

Zoo Date with the DiNicola family

One of the last weekends we were in DC, we got to meet up with our old friends, Tony and Christine, and got a chance to meet their beautiful daughter Olivia. It was SO wonderful to see them - it had been way too long! It was nice to hug their necks, catch up in person and go down memory lane.

We met them when Keith started med school with Tony in 2002 (though Keith had met Tony in their undergrad at VT). We hung out with them during those four years, but after Med School everyone went their separate ways to different residencies. Over the years we have kept in touch and have seen the many blessings in their lives. I will never forget sitting in the airport on my way to NC and receiving an excited phone call from Christine letting me know she was pregnant. And finally with all the miles between us, I got to meet Miss Olivia and got to introduce Samantha to everyone. It was a great day, but it went by too fast!

Samantha and Olivia chilling out while we watched the seal romp about.

Enjoying a stroll through the shaded portions of the park.

Trying to get two kids to pose is nearly impossible, so you get what you get...oh well we kept trying! :)
Watching the orangutans swinging and walking overhead - too cool!

Getting a family picture with a pooped-out Samantha.

Too cute! What a beautiful family -- Olivia is a spitting image of her mama!

It was nice to see the guys together again. I just wished me lived closer!

Both girls enjoying the animals. Olivia was so cute - she'd get so excited. Samantha on the other hand, was more fascinated by her crackers and the tags on her stroller - go figure! ;)

We truly had a great day! Thanks Tony, Christine and Olivia for meeting up with us. Continue to stay in touch - you are always in our hearts, thoughts and prayers!

Downtown DC Take 2

On our second day touring downtown, we resumed finishing some museums and monuments that we didn't get to see on Day one.

One of our many stops was the American History museum. Walking through our history of wars, leaders and triumphs was fascinating. It really shows that our country also had some bloody beginnings.

Samantha was a great tour companion. Even when we took a break, she just gladly took a seat in the lobby, looking like a big girl. She also loves the attention she gets...typical girl. ;)

A nice couple also look our family picture outside the Lincoln Memorial.

A great view of the Washington Monument. Just for trivia sake, it is actually taller than the Statue of Liberty!

The World War II memorial was my favorite - so beautiful. It had plaques for all the states and beautiful iron work. I am not a history buff by any stretch of the imagination, but I loved learning more about these wars and getting a better understanding for the dedication of our country and armed forces.

Of course we had to see the White House. We actually got a chance to do a tour, which is a difficult thing to get, but our assigned date was the week after we had to leave DC - which was a bummer! But, we did snap this picture and we got to see Obama's helicopter leaving the White House (or so the intense police force keeping the crowds at bay told us). While we are passionate Republicans, this was still an awe factor. No matter who you do or don't like politically, Washington DC and all of its buildings/monuments are intriguing.

Enjoying Silver Springs

For Keith's AFIP training, we lived in Silver Spring, MD for about 4 weeks with some other residents and their family. We ended up having a lot of fun, and enjoyed our roomates Sarah, Aaron, Henry, Gerald and Ross.

I am sure that Ross esp. (the single guy! ;) ) misses up greatly - esp. the three kids in total that surrounded him for those weeks. God bless him for putting up with us all. :)

Here is a pic of the house we all rented while we were there.... Our home was walking distance from downtown Silver Spring, which had tons of shops, dining and a great splash zone for the kids (and Keith).

Samantha and Keith glistening from playing in the splash zone. :)
Samantha was fascinated with the water, esp. when it dissappeared into the holes. It mesmerized her!

Also close by our place was a great park, where Sarah and I got to take the kids. Samantha loved hanging out with Henry and Gerald. She was watching everything they did!

Samantha is eyeing Henry and trying to figure out why he is brushing his hair with that stick -- men?! ;)

Enjoying the mulch in the playground WAY too much! I had to keep a careful eye on her, because at this age EVERYTHING goes toward the mouth!

Sarah helping Gerald to fly!

Henry is such a ham! He loved playing in the slide and showing off for Miss Samantha.

I love this picture of Henry and Sarah! Look at her holding up Henry like he's nothing, despite the fact she due with her third baby later this fall. What an amazing mom!

Samantha even tried out the baby swing. It was still a little too big for her and made me too much of a worry-wart, but in true Dana style I still manage to snap a picture of this big moment for my blog. Having a camera in her face is like second nature to her by now. :)

Downtown DC Take 1

While we were in DC we got to see a lot of great museums, monuments and local venues. Luckily almost all of these landmarks are free, so we really got to pack them in! I was actually surprised by how much I liked DC - it seemed clean and the people were some of the friendliest I have ever met....which is a HUGE compliment since I claim NC as home! :)

The Supreme Court

Samantha checking out the animals and pictures at the National Museum of Natural History.

We went on a tour of the Capitol Building that morning. It was really interesting and luckily, Samantha seemed to love it to!

This was the statuary hall where many of the figures symbolizing the states are held. Each state has 2 figures and they must be made of marble or bronze. Also interesting was that this was referred to as the "echo room" because they is one place in the room where if you stand over it, you can hear people on the other side of the room - as if they were right beside you. Our tour guide demonstrated this - is was so neat!

The rotunda of the Capitol building, where massive oil paintings of different wars are held.

This was what you saw when you looked up, while in the rotunda. It was amazing, esp. in person. The architecture, beauty and history of this building, and esp. DC as a whole was amazing. We really enjoyed our first day trip to the city. :)

Beautiful Annapolis

One of our many day trips since in DC has been to Annapolis, MD. It is an old harbour city, having with the character of an old downtown, a beautiful water view, a college vibe, and filled with navy pride.

We walked the streets, devoured some of the best crab cakes I have ever eaten, and finished it all off with double-chocolate ice cream -- who could ask for better!

A Legacy to Live Up To

Samantha recently got to meet my Aunt Janie and Bettye - my father's sisters. It was so special to get to spend some time with them. They are wonderful women -- and hysterical to boot! It is great for Samantha to meet the strong, crazy women that are her bloodlines. She has quite a legacy to live up to. :)

Life's a Beach

While in NC for the first two weeks, Samantha and I also went to the Outer Banks for a week. During our trip there we got to go to the Aquarium. It was nice, except for the fact that the AC was out - it was seriously hotter inside than out and that is saying a lot!

In a moment of weakness, I allowed Samantha to suck on my Peach (all fruit, no milk, before I get a lecture) popsicle to ease the hit. However, in her true dramatic style she threw a complete fit everytime I took it away .... she became obsessed! As my sister said, I was going down a dangerous road...baby food just won't stand a chance if I introduce these goodies.

(Above) We stroke a pose in the Aquarium despite dripping with heat -- hence the run to the popsicle stand afterwards. ;)

We also got to visit the beach several times. You would think it would have been warm enough to get her in a little more, but it was freezing! This was as much as her or I were willing to get in!
Here Samantha is enjoying her new lovey. Nana sewed one of her binkies onto pooh bear, so that she can have something to cuddle when she falls asleep.... too cute! :)

Okay, so I admittedly suck at taking self portraits. But, here is one of my many efforts. Not bad, if the wind hadn't been whipping us around. Oh well, I keep trying. ;)

Thanks to Aunt Tara (my personal Once Upon a Child - I so love the awesome hand-me-downs!) Samantha got her first bouncer. The first time in it she was confused, after that you just had to put on some music and she went to town. Sadly, the first music she danced to was Back Street Boys -- blame Nana who pulled out a CD she had way too close to reach!

Tara and her family got to join us at the beach. Here is proof that not all children are obsessed with just one type of binkie also, because her youngest Allyson would take anything - hence the disturbing binkie that my sister bought her.

Yet another attempt at self-portraits. Yes, I am picture crazy. I literally took around 600 in one week - you are seeing but a small fraction of all the pictures I took. My poor 2nd and 3rd children will get so angry, because I can't possibly keep this up with them (or so I am told).

Posing with Nana and Papa. We SO enjoyed our time with them, even though it felt WAY too short!

Another beach portrait. This kept her just enough away from feasting on the beach - yuck!

We bathed her a lot in the sink, which she loved! She was completely enamored with the faucet and that magical water. Explain to me again why us mothers spend so much on all those toys-- she is just as content with bottles, tags and water!

While back at my parent's home in Chocowinity, NC she got to bond with her neices - Grace, Danielle and Allyson. Just watching them was entertainment enough for her.