Bridal Shower

A day all about Ashlyn and showing her with gifts for the wedding. I was grateful to have her Maid of Honor (and her family) help me plan and decorate the special event!

She thought of everything from a photo board of the engaged couple...

To a bubbly bar (mimosas).

The food was my contribution, so we had mini croissant sandwiches, veggie cups, fruit, and kale salad.

Alex's mom and sister even drove down from Raleigh, NC to be there!

Before opening presents, all the guests had to fill out a Bingo card with ideas of what she might receive. It was pretty clever because no matter what she opened, she would hear "Yay!!" from the room. It was the best!

Ashlyn received amazing gifts for their new house like beautiful vases, a plant, and a blanket basket for the living room...

A steamer, air fryer, and mixing bowls for the kitchen...

Towels and accessory containers for the bathroom.

Plus several crosses, gift cards, and other items that were all thoughtful and much appreciated! After the winning Bingo card was awarded, a special visitor walked in...

Alex gave a sweet introduction about himself and how they met. He was then given the final present to open...a recipe box filled with favorite recipes from all the guests! 

As the shower ended, everyone had a chance to snap a photo with the bride. The backdrop was so pretty!

The happy couple took one final photo before we had to clean up. The two were blown away at the event and loved seeing so many friends and family who took time out of their busy day to attend. We hope to see everyone in August!

Washington DC

The Army Base in Virginia where we visited Luke was 2 hours from Washington DC. We planned a trip to pick him up on our way to tour our nation's Capitol.

We had an appointment with our senator's interns to give us a personal tour of the Capitol. There were evacuation drills just before our appointment time, so it took a few extra minutes to connect.

After our tour, we received passes to sit in the Senate balcony. They were actually scheduled to be in session later that afternoon, but we didn't stick around. Instead, we explored their learning lab areas where we could pretend like we're giving a speech.

A cafeteria was in the basement. Their wide assortment of food options was impressive, especially their cute desserts!

As we exited the Capitol, we saw the Supreme Court building across the street.

Our afternoon was spent at the Air and Space Museum. Eric was distracted by all the jet engines. 

It didn't take long for me to get distracted either. I wandered off to find the Wright Brothers' original airplane that first showed the world what was possible.

Then to the Apollo missions where Gene Kranz's white vest was on display. He was the flight director for several missions, including Apollo 13.  

Encased below is Apollo 11's command module Columbia that brought Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins back to Earth after humanity's first steps on the moon.

On our walk back to the hotel, we passed by the National Guard Memorial building.

And of course, Eric couldn't walk past his favorite Postal Museum without a picture.

We inadvertently came across this beautiful church and decided to attend their Saturday evening Mass. St. Dominic's.

The next morning, we headed out for more sight seeing. The Washington Monument was a nice walk that allowed us to stretch our legs.

Once there, we could see Lincoln's Memorial and the White House. We decided to head over to our President's residence first.

Future home for this one? It's very possible!

At this point, Eric decided to rent a bicycle and head back to the car. The kids and I wanted to see a few more sights, so we walked to the WWII memorial...

 

Along the Reflecting Pool...

And up to Lincoln's statue. 

We still hadn't caught up with Eric, so we kept walking across the Potomac River.

A cute photo halfway across.

Our destination point to meet Eric was Arlington National Cemetery.

It was just as beautiful, peaceful, and solemn as I had hoped. Our fallen heroes deserve this fitting resting place for their role in defending our freedom.

BOLC

Our son left for Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) at the end of April. 

Since then, he's been busy with classroom studies...

Logistical planning....

Project oversight....

And of course morning PT (he's the 3rd from the right).

But in June, we took advantage of his 4-day weekend to drive up for a visit. We enjoyed him showing us around base.

He took us to a rope obstacle with incline sit ups and tire rolls.

Then showed us some of the big jeeps they maintain and ship to the front lines. 

Eric had to get a closer look.

His base was only 45 minutes away from a dedicated scuba lake. We enjoyed the beautiful day in the sun (and water) before it was time to head home.

First Job

Our youngest is old enough to finally get her first job. She followed in her brother's footsteps to become a lifeguard at our local waterpark. We decided to pay her a visit.

The park is usually super crowded, so we went early soon after it opened.

Here's our little girl on the stand!

Every 30-40 minutes they move stations, so naturallly, we moved, too. Eric was especially excited when she was assigned the top of the toilet bowl. 

She had to make sure that all those wanting to enjoy this water slide wore a bracelet indicating they passed the swim test. Once verified, they could go down.

Me, I just tagged along to take pictures and relax poolside.