Blue Door Window

We love Sebby's eyelashes

Ivy loves baths in the sink

We went to the beach one day and the next day, it snowed (yes, I'm posting pictures from last April)

A great afternoon (for me). Ivy was asleep and Elle and Seb read for almost two hours on the blanket in front of the window in the sun.

Ivy was trying to crawl and gave up

Writing in their journals during conference

Gabe walked in the door from work and Ivy fell asleep on him

Nice outfit

Easter Sunday

Sebby looked so old this day- he seemed to look like a little boy and not a toddler boy just overnight

Baseball at Hawthorn Park

Stop off at the temple on the way home from violin lessons

Seb likes to touch the door

Elle loves the flowers

Ivy makes this funny little face when she's really excited

Elle looked old suddenly, too. They like it when I beg them to stop growing, stop eating, stop getting bigger and stronger, stay little forever.

Sebby's favorite thing to eat, plum tomatoes and cheese.

Bed head

Running in Mary Finnigan's yard one hot afternoon

Swimming at Bowlers

County Fair

Dr. Plotnick, our very favorite pediatrician. They will do anything if she asks them to (go to bed on time, be gentle to little sister Ivy, floss)

Ivy watching the rain

A drum lesson with Rob Towne

I love this picture

We need a chair for Ivy

Julie Savage- love her

Saying good-bye to Jonette Vaughan

Trip to Port Discovery

Went once with Michelle and Dylan and Cole

and again with the Spiveys

Elle's group recital

Lesson with Ronda

Future teacher!

A lesson with David during the summer- a genius group class teacher

(Frejya, 6) My student's dreamy 'open down, thumbside corner' D finger, ready for vibrato

We did a little group presentation at a nursing home. I was about to lead the kids in a group song but I had Gabe call me on my cell phone right as I was about to lead. I pretended to talk to a friend that invited me to the beach party right then. I told the kids I had to get to the party and they'd have to lead themselves. I left and one of the kids told the residents they'd just have to do it themselves so they played the song and I ran back in with my beach gear on and they all told me I missed it, they had already played the song! They were laughing so hard. It was cute.

Lining up for a group performance

Ivy and David

Ronda and Ivy

My student, Xandra, and Livia meeting Ivy

Our trip to the Cotoctin Maple Syrup making demonstration with Grandpa

Cotoctin Lake

Trip to Williamsburg

Spent the afternoon in the art museum drawing room

Gabe and his co-worker both took the day off but didn't know they were both going to Williamsburg. Crazy that we bumped into each other.

Making shingles by hand

National Aquarium in Baltimore with Aunt Sarah and Grandma Chiq- Elle listening to the deep sea sounds

Watching videos of cousin Micah on Grandpa's phone

Inner Harbor

Seb loves the drums, we watched this cool drummer for a long time- go Orioles

Monthly dinner with ward members. Boyd McGinn sat down and Seb said, "Sorry, that seat is for Mary Finnigan." Boyd said, "Mary is my sister, I'm stealing the seat from her." Seb and Elle were visibly sad. So funny. They love Mary.

Susan Reinsch's homemade waffle cones for dessert

Impromptu concert from Chrystal

Decorating Easter eggs

The greatest Easter Egg hunt of all time at the Larkins

Beautiful morning in Maryland for a hunt

Table of prizes for the kids

Easter Sunday with Naomi

Easter dinner at Aldi's house

Aldi did an Easter activity, they looked in a 'tomb' to see Jesus had really died

And, then they looked for signs of spring and rebirth out her window

THE best ward party at the Koncurats

The Aeiopuoteas taught the YW a Hawaiian dance

Then they did their own dance. Made me miss Hawaii.

Sarah and Kris Richter- friends I met at the park investigating the church

Mary and Stu

"Bib" as we like to call her

Georgia and Malorie going to Bowler's to swim (Sarah and Kris' daughters)

Going away party for the Doxeys- so sad to see them move.

Stu

Kris

Movie night with Mary, Ninon and Angela (I've never stayed out so late in my life, or had so much fun)

Dinner with ward members

Kathy Jarboe and Killian- the miracle baby surviving her chemo treatments

Dinner with the Richters and our favorite Elders

Georgia loves primary

Malorie is working on liking nursery

Dinner at the Christensens

National Memorial Day Parade in DC, loving this guy in his boxers

Pat Sajak

9/11 family members

Purple Hearts

Aldi and Nolan

Buzz Aldrin

River Hill (neighborhood close by) Independence Day parade

There to support the Ipsens!

We loved the "Precision Lawn Chair Marching Dads" - a River Hill tradition!

Fourth of July at the Folkmans

The guys had a diving/flip contest

Fourth of July at Maple Lawn with the Jarboe's

Ivy watching the fireworks

Kathy

Elle loves the fireworks, Seb covers his ears the whole time

Ivy trying a snow cone for the first time

Dinner at the McKays with the Richters. So sad the McKays moved.

Enrichment night at Finnigans- Hat night

Sarah

Mary

Barbara

Bishop Krewson trying on Gabe's military issued glasses (formally known as 'birth control' glasses, Gabe has kept them, they're too funny)

Columbia's cardboard boat making contest, these were the losers

Elle wanted to go to a hotel for her birthday (surprised us with that request). But, she said she just wanted to swim. That was much easier than a birthday party for sure!

The hotel was in Lancaster, PA

Amish buggy parking at the library

A stop off at a farm for homemade root beer we promised to bring back to the Elders

I couldn't believe this buggy scooter! On the freeway! Strong mom.

Sunday dinner with the Richters and the Elders

Elder Watts and Elder Dutson

Taking Kris and Sarah and their kids to see the temple

Georgia tried so hard to get the East door open

Joe Newman- our very favorite neighbor

Sunday dinner with ward members

Sandi Mumford showing me how I'm supposed to cut a green pepper

Play date with Dylan and Cole

Visit from Grandma!

Henry Jarboe's birthday party! Making super hero capes.

Showing off our death defying leaps

Swimming lessons at the Bowlers.

Love Barbara Laumann

Bowling with Grandma

The only game I've ever won in my life- pretty low scores overall, and it was bumper bowling

We went to ride Phoenix, our neighbor's horse, for Sebby's birthday

Seb was DYING. He said it was the best birthday of his 4-year-old life - getting to ride a horse

They hang pennies in bags of water from the stable door to keep the flies out. They say it works.

Sofia Hawley's birthday party

Ivy turned 1! My student's mother, Kyoung, loves Ivy so much.

We did a Korean birthday tradition of letting Ivy choose her future (the scripture- spritual life, thread- a long life, a pen- wisdom, money- rich, book- knowledge). Ivy chose the thread!

She didn't want cake, she wanted bananas

Trip with just Ivy to see Aunt Tenessa in Atlanta. Tenessa choreographed the dances for the presentation the night before the Atlanta Temple rededication. Ivy and I watched the royal wedding together the morning we got there.

Tenessa during a run-through

President's Monson's green room- furniture brought in from member's houses

Trip to the High Museum with Uncle Geoff

Livia loved the Architecture

I loved this marble statue, I couldn't believe how real this looked, especially this little knee

Playing in Tenessa's purse before the performance

At the Conference Center in Atlanta

Cousin Logan, Aunt Tenessa and Uncle Geoff

Logan said our trip to the south wasn't complete until we drove in a truck to the waffle house.

Pics of Ivy

We happened on a bike race, and a really bad wreck, several bikers taken away in ambulances

I flew down with Livia (right). Livia knew Geoff in college and I teach her daughter viola lessons.

Saying good-bye to Aunt Tenessa

Visit to the Azalea garden

Seb's first sliver

Sheep and wool festival

Mormon night at Orioles Stadium- Boyd and Ninon made it on the Kiss Cam

Eleanor taking self portraits all night on Elder Dutson's camera

Trip with ward members to Cape Henlopen, DE (Just north of Rehoboth)

All the kids

Melanie- our favorite baby-sitter

The kids telling spooky stories

Ivy slept for a couple of hours on the beach! Here I am, under my super duper sun protection umbrella all day.

I love this picture- waiting for the waves

The guys out in the water- with DOLPHINS swimming close by in the background

Ivy and her little friend, Sam- this is how they enjoyed the ocean water

Christensens, us, Ipsens, Larkins, the other Christiansens

Out for ice cream before a storm rolled in

Roasting marshmallows in the rain

Climbing a WWII tower

Watching fishermen on the wharf- catching a flounder and a blow fish

Visiting Michelle in VA, a great overnight stay just for fun. Her house is a dream place- horses, pool, woods, quiet.

Dylan and Cole

Getting a cut

LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, NH

We took another trip to our favorite lake (we decided to sell our house and buy something there and just rent here, we wish). We were celebrating one year of making it cancer-free. It was great to see Bob and Sherrie Rudy again.