Trip to the National Zoo

We took our first real adventure this past Saturday since being here in D.C. . . .to the zoo! The girls were very excited. We took the Metro in. They were not too fond of the nasty elevator we had to take to get down to the tracks WAY below the streets (neither were we for that matter). But, they kind of thought it was fun to be on the train. Arianna went nuts when she saw the animals! She had a blast. But, that said, she also has a blast watching normal sparrows or pigeons on the regular city streets! Emma's favorite of the day was seeing the elephants. She requested to go back to them on our way out of the park. It was a gorgeous day- not too hot, and with a bit of a breeze. We thoroughly wore them out and they both zonked out in the stroller before we even got to the Metro station near the zoo. They slept the entire way home and transferred to their beds perfectly, for which this pregnant mom was grateful. I got a good nap in myself before they woke up!







We got a kick out of the fact that they both slept with their heads turned the same way and their arms identically transposed! So cute!

Fun in the hotel

The girls are having fun living here at the hotel. Partly because there is not as much for mom and dad to be doing and they get a lot more attention from us! With the house behind us, no place for a garden, much less cooking and cleaning going on, they have a lot more mom and dad time and are reveling in it! Here are a few pictures and a video of our fun times here at the hotel so far. . .

Good bye, house! Hello, D.C.!

We sold our very first home after living there for just 2 1/2 years. It was a hard thing, but it kind of all fell in our laps as though it were meant to be. It was strange to see it all empty and to drive away for the last time.

We took off last Saturday for Washington D.C. We are pretty much loving life right now. We are living in a hotel and being spoiled rotten. . .Breakfast served every morning, dinner three nights a week and not having to clean- beautiful! Kenneth is really enjoying his new job and the baby # three is happy in healthy inside mama's belly.



The girls are having a blast here! We have already discovered 3 different playgrounds within walking distance and go on some sort of outing every day. We will be in the hotel another 3 weeks before our apartment is ready. That should give us plenty of time to get settled in and ready for the little guy to arrive!

One last visit to the farm before we move. . .

We had one last visit to the farm before our move to Maryland. Karen and her family here visiting from Utah at the same time.

The three stooges. It was fun to live so close together for the first year and a half of their lives.

Arianna, Lydia and Benjamin

Grandma enjoying time with Emma.

Popsicles all around.

Can you believe that highchair line-up?

Emma and Arianna enjoying their popsicles.

House-Hunting Trip to Maryland

It just so happened that our house-hunting trip to Maryland fell on the weekend of our 5th Anniversary. It was like having a 5 day vacation without the children- meals paid for, hotel paid for- too bad we had the stress of having to find a place to live!!! We really did have a great time once I got over crying every time I thought of the children! We stayed at a really nice Marriott in Bethesda. We were able to go to the temple during our visit as well. I surprised Kenneth with an Album that I had put together of all the professional pictures we had taken in our marriage: from our Wedding Announcement to the most recent family pictures. He was very surprised! I love that the sentimental gifts are what Kenneth loves the best!

Here we are on the evening of our Fifth Anniversary. (I am 6 months pregnant with Grant) We enjoyed a lovely evening at the Washingtonian Center in Gaithersburg, MD.

Enjoying my dinner at Macaroni Grill

The view from our table.

Kenneth and me in front of the Washington D.C. temple.

Our Baby is 3 Years Old!!!

We can hardly believe Emma is already 3 years old. She was excited for months ahead of time for her birthday party and chose her own theme- "Cinderella". She was on a kick for a while there where we read the Cinderella story at least three times a day and she could recite entire pages word for word to us. Crazy! She was so excited to have all her little friends come over. She loved her cake, which I made in the shape of Cinderella and especially loved getting all the presents. We were probably overzealous in the amount of little ones we invited to the party, but didn't want to leave out any of her nursery friends, so we ended up having 11 little ones over. At least it only lasted 1 1/2 hours and many parents stayed with their child to help out.
That evening we went swimming in a special indoor swimming pool that could almost be called a small water park. Diane, Joseph and Ben came with us and afterwards we went out for pizza to celebrate again! It was a great day.

On Emma's actual Birthday, the next day, we went up to Potsdam, where Emma was actually born, to visit our dear friends up there before we left New York. It was so good to see all the good people in the Potsdam Branch and other friends we had made up there.

April

What fun times we had in April! We enjoyed time with family, knowing we would soon be moving. The first weekend in April we enjoyed watching General Conference at Diane and Joseph's home. Mom and Dad Larchar and Scott and Jenni and their family also joined in the fun. Truth be told, we don't really get much out of conference with all the little ones around, but we wouldn't get much out of it even if we were at home by ourselves either with our two little ladies!
Emma watching with Grandpa

The kids playing together

The three stooges- Lydia, Benjamin and Arianna

Our Liverpool Ward playgroup had an Easter Celebration- the kids dyed eggs, had an egg hunt and enjoyed time with friends.

Here is Emma dying Easter eggs with Jane and Michael Haymore. Melissa Fisk is helping them with her little Robin underfoot.

The girls, delighted with their spoils.

Here we are trying (unsuccessfully) to get a good Easter Sunday Photo of the girls. Can you say 'naptime'?
Emma hunting for eggs at home on Sunday afternoon.

The girls looking at the eggs they found.

After the long New York Winter, the children are always grateful when it warms up a little bit and the snow melts so they can go outside!

Happy Arianna!

Little Blue Eyes

Emma enjoying time in the sandbox

Emma picking the dandelions.