December 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Fun with Dad
Fun with Dad
November 2011
"Making Faces." The lips and mustache were cut out and taped to a lollipop. The kids thought this was soooo funny!
Played with legos -- lots and lots of legos.
Decorated tangerine oranges to look like pumpkin jack-o-lanterns.
November 2011
"Making Faces." The lips and mustache were cut out and taped to a lollipop. The kids thought this was soooo funny!
Played with legos -- lots and lots of legos. 
Decorated tangerine oranges to look like pumpkin jack-o-lanterns. Saturday, November 12, 2011
Horsing around...
Gracie's Birthday Party
November 2011
Gracie wanted a horse-themed birthday party, so mom got creative. She made stick-horses out of socks, string, ribbon, buttons, and felt. She did an awesome job -- they were a BIG hit!
The kids ate lunch together (horse food, like carrots) and then gave their horses a name, and a name tag, which they decorated with jewels and stickers. They also picked out their bridle and attached it to their horse.
Sarah also made a horse cake with a knife, frosting, licorice, and gummy candies.
Once the kids were finished eating lunch and decorating their horses, they got to ride their horses during a cake walk where they each won a small toy horse to also take home. Then they played pin the tail on the horse.
Andrew loved his horse, too. He was the only boy at the party, but he had a good time.
November 2011
Gracie wanted a horse-themed birthday party, so mom got creative. She made stick-horses out of socks, string, ribbon, buttons, and felt. She did an awesome job -- they were a BIG hit!
The kids ate lunch together (horse food, like carrots) and then gave their horses a name, and a name tag, which they decorated with jewels and stickers. They also picked out their bridle and attached it to their horse. 
Sarah also made a horse cake with a knife, frosting, licorice, and gummy candies.
Once the kids were finished eating lunch and decorating their horses, they got to ride their horses during a cake walk where they each won a small toy horse to also take home. Then they played pin the tail on the horse.
Andrew loved his horse, too. He was the only boy at the party, but he had a good time. And the winner is...
And the winner is...
Sarah entered Grant in a J.J. Cole baby product contest for Halloween -- and won! She is now the proud new owner of a J.J. Cole baby bag.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Weverton Cliffs
Weverton Cliffs
Maryland
October 2011
Great 30-45 minute hike with cliffs overlooking the Shenandoah River. Lots of people hike or run the Appalachian Trail that winds its way through the area. We went with Clint and Amy, and had a blast. We also visited Harpers Ferry, a Civil War era town in West Virginia.
Maryland
October 2011
Great 30-45 minute hike with cliffs overlooking the Shenandoah River. Lots of people hike or run the Appalachian Trail that winds its way through the area. We went with Clint and Amy, and had a blast. We also visited Harpers Ferry, a Civil War era town in West Virginia.
Katie fell asleep...again
Where has Katie fallen asleep today...?
..........at the dinner table........
..........in the shopping cart at Home Depot...........
........................on the front steps of John's house..................
...................and on the floor, in the middle of the room!
Katie is our night-owl. She really does not like to go to bed on time. She usually gets out of bed about 10 times each night. Once in a while she actually goes to sleep after we do. This means that she gets tired during the day, so she falls asleep in the funniest places......
..........at the dinner table........
..........in the shopping cart at Home Depot...........
........................on the front steps of John's house..................
...................and on the floor, in the middle of the room!We have started to not let her sleep during the day (which is easier said than done), so now she actually goes to bed on time -- most of the time.
Ben's Chili Bowl
Ben's Chili Bowl
Washington, D.C.
July 2011
Ben's Chili Bowl is a famous restaurant in the downtown Washington, D.C. area. It's over 50 years old, and has had visitors such as President Obama and Bill Cosby over the years. If you like chili-dogs, and don't know what a "half-smoke" is, you'll want to give it a try when you are in the area.
Washington, D.C.
July 2011
Ben's Chili Bowl is a famous restaurant in the downtown Washington, D.C. area. It's over 50 years old, and has had visitors such as President Obama and Bill Cosby over the years. If you like chili-dogs, and don't know what a "half-smoke" is, you'll want to give it a try when you are in the area. Bethany Beach, Delaware
Bethany Beach, Delaware
July 2011
The "Beach Bums" at Bethany Beach, Delaware. It was fun to be at the beach with Munga and Grandpa, John and Tara, and the cousins. It was 90 degrees outside and it was 72 degrees in the water -- perfect!
July 2011
The "Beach Bums" at Bethany Beach, Delaware. It was fun to be at the beach with Munga and Grandpa, John and Tara, and the cousins. It was 90 degrees outside and it was 72 degrees in the water -- perfect!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Gracie's First School Project
Gracie's First School Project
June 2011
Gracie worked hard on her first big school project. It was not required. The Kindergarteners who chose to participate were asked to create an exhibit showcasing what they had been studying on their own at home throughout the school year, and then families came to see them after school in the early evening. Gracie has been focused on butterflies, so we got her a posterboard and talked about some things she could do. The left side of her posterboard shows the life-cycle of a butterfly. The middle section shows different types of butterflies. The right side shows the habitat of a butterfly. She put it together herself with very little help from mom and dad. She really enjoyed doing it. We are SOOO proud of her!
June 2011
Gracie worked hard on her first big school project. It was not required. The Kindergarteners who chose to participate were asked to create an exhibit showcasing what they had been studying on their own at home throughout the school year, and then families came to see them after school in the early evening. Gracie has been focused on butterflies, so we got her a posterboard and talked about some things she could do. The left side of her posterboard shows the life-cycle of a butterfly. The middle section shows different types of butterflies. The right side shows the habitat of a butterfly. She put it together herself with very little help from mom and dad. She really enjoyed doing it. We are SOOO proud of her!Wednesday, June 8, 2011
3K Family Fun Run
3K Family Fun Run
June 2011
The family did a 3K family fun run together one Saturday morning. Grant and Katie were in the jogger. Andrew just about ran the whole way -- and Gracie did. They looked like they were about to drop, but they finished. As you can see, we all had fun (this was the AFTER picture).
June 2011
The family did a 3K family fun run together one Saturday morning. Grant and Katie were in the jogger. Andrew just about ran the whole way -- and Gracie did. They looked like they were about to drop, but they finished. As you can see, we all had fun (this was the AFTER picture). Andrew's Birthday
Andrew's Birthday
May 2011
May 2011
Andrew had a George Washington birthday party with 5 of his friends.(JD, Anton, Drew, Charlie and Henry)They made colonial hats out of foam, and thanks to Dad's genius they had vests out of paper grocery bags. They went on a scavenger hunt to find plastic swords, dug for buried treasure in that sandbox played pin the star on the flag and no party is complete without a homemade pinata that won't break.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Williamsburg and Yorktown
Williamsburg and Yorktown
April 2011
Had a great trip. The kids got tired at times (and Andrew got sick one day -- he literally threw up all over Sarah at the restaurant we were eating at -- yikes!), but they loved being with their friends (we went with John's family and the Johnson family), playing on the beach in Yorktown, and watching the actors fire the cannons and muskets in Williamsburg. They also loved watching HOP at the movie theater we went to, especially since they served you pizza at your seat during the movie.
The stockade is where kids who were not minding their parents went :)
The kids had no idea what these signs said, but we thought they were kind of funny.
Gracie and Katie trying on hats at a Williamsburg shop.
Went to a very large playground one day. The Gracie and Andrew did the zip-line about 25 times each.
April 2011
Had a great trip. The kids got tired at times (and Andrew got sick one day -- he literally threw up all over Sarah at the restaurant we were eating at -- yikes!), but they loved being with their friends (we went with John's family and the Johnson family), playing on the beach in Yorktown, and watching the actors fire the cannons and muskets in Williamsburg. They also loved watching HOP at the movie theater we went to, especially since they served you pizza at your seat during the movie. 
The stockade is where kids who were not minding their parents went :)
The kids had no idea what these signs said, but we thought they were kind of funny.
Gracie and Katie trying on hats at a Williamsburg shop. 
Went to a very large playground one day. The Gracie and Andrew did the zip-line about 25 times each.Saturday, February 26, 2011
The National Cathedral
The National Cathedral
Washington, D.C.
February 2011
A few interesting facts about the National Cathedral: (1) Woodrow Wilson was buried there, (2) the northwest tower includes a gargoyle like figure of Darth Vader, based on a 1980 competition for children, and (3) the Dalai Lama, Billy Graham, and Desmond Tutu have spoken there. 
The vaulted ceilings are approximately 100 feet tall. The flying buttresses on the exterior are also very impressive.
Katie, just hanging out by herself amongst all of the empty chairs.
This is a tiny chapel called The Good Shepherd Chapel. There is also something similar called The Children's Chapel, where everything is smaller in scale -- just for a child. Pretty neat.
The National Cathedral viewed from the Bishop's Garden.
Washington, D.C.
February 2011
A few interesting facts about the National Cathedral: (1) Woodrow Wilson was buried there, (2) the northwest tower includes a gargoyle like figure of Darth Vader, based on a 1980 competition for children, and (3) the Dalai Lama, Billy Graham, and Desmond Tutu have spoken there. 
The vaulted ceilings are approximately 100 feet tall. The flying buttresses on the exterior are also very impressive.
Katie, just hanging out by herself amongst all of the empty chairs. 
This is a tiny chapel called The Good Shepherd Chapel. There is also something similar called The Children's Chapel, where everything is smaller in scale -- just for a child. Pretty neat. 
The National Cathedral viewed from the Bishop's Garden. Friday, January 28, 2011
The Grandparents Visit Virginia
The Grandparents Visit Virginia
January 2011
Got about a foot of snow while Namma was here. Built a snow man with the kids, then Katie literally tackled the snowman to the ground.
Katie eating snow. Hope it wasn't yellow snow!
The two "Richards," together at last.
Munga, Grandpa, and Grant.
January 2011
Got about a foot of snow while Namma was here. Built a snow man with the kids, then Katie literally tackled the snowman to the ground. 
Katie eating snow. Hope it wasn't yellow snow!
The two "Richards," together at last.
Munga, Grandpa, and Grant.Thank you all for coming!
Dome Tour of the Capitol
Dome Tour of the Capitol
January 2011
Picture from the outside of the top of the Dome -- The Mall in the background. Grant did not appreciate the view he was getting.
Picture of George Washington on the ceiling of the Dome.
Hiking up the 800 steps to the top of the Dome. Grant got a free ride.
Picture of the Rotunda from the top of the inside of the Dome.
January 2011
Picture from the outside of the top of the Dome -- The Mall in the background. Grant did not appreciate the view he was getting.
Picture of George Washington on the ceiling of the Dome.
Hiking up the 800 steps to the top of the Dome. Grant got a free ride.
Picture of the Rotunda from the top of the inside of the Dome. Thanks to John for getting us tickets!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
A new baby boy...
New Baby Boy
January 2011
Grant Richard Sands was born January 5, 2011 at 6:30 AM EST in Falls Church, Virginia. He weighed 8 lbs, 3 oz and had a fair amount of brown hair.
Katie was SOOOO excited to be a big sister. She just kept saying, "Baby! Baby! Baby!" or patting her lap saying, "Hold him."
When Gracie was asked if she was excited for the new baby to come home, she said: "Yes! Now I will have THREE kids to take care of." She is a mommy in training -- and is extremely good with the new baby.
Andrew loved that he was the first one that got to hold the new baby. He will always look after his little brother.
January 2011
Grant Richard Sands was born January 5, 2011 at 6:30 AM EST in Falls Church, Virginia. He weighed 8 lbs, 3 oz and had a fair amount of brown hair.
Katie was SOOOO excited to be a big sister. She just kept saying, "Baby! Baby! Baby!" or patting her lap saying, "Hold him."
When Gracie was asked if she was excited for the new baby to come home, she said: "Yes! Now I will have THREE kids to take care of." She is a mommy in training -- and is extremely good with the new baby.
Andrew loved that he was the first one that got to hold the new baby. He will always look after his little brother.
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