Bowlin Beige

What happens when four best friends live near each other, and then half of them move away, and all of them have kids? Yeah... we don't get to see each other very often. But about three times a year we all manage to coordinate our schedules and get together for a day or two of fun. Memorial Day weekend we drove up to DC to hang out with eight adults and nine children.  Amy, me, Caroline (with the ninth and newest kid), and Maggie Although the adults were outnumbered, the kids (mostly) behaved and had a great time playing together.  We had a cookout at Chris and Maggie' house, and then headed over to their neighborhood park where the kids played on the slip-and-slide and ran around playing games with the other neighborhood kids. After spending the night and saying good-bye to half the group, we headed downtown to attend the Nationals game.  Abby and Parker are best buddies... ...and maybe future spouses. These kids all had a great time at the

We finally found time to head down south to visit my in-laws, and it happened to be over Ainsley's birthday weekend. We enjoyed gorgeous weather and many fun activities - and of course great company too!  Everything on the mountain was in bloom! There are streams on the mountain to explore, and Grandma and Grandaddy always have exciting adventures planned! The kids enjoyed a ride down the mountain the back of the truck with Grandma - Eric and I walked the short distance to meet them there.  Panning for gold in the stream! Or, more accurately, panning for garnet!  Grandaddy has all the right tools!  Time to sift through and find the treasures! The kids got a good lesson on magnifying glasses! Both kids found enough garnet to fill their little glass vials! Such a handsome boy - he loves being outside! Another lesson with magnifying glasses - how to set things on fire! The kids had fun burning this leaf. Time

Do you want to know why May is my favorite month? Because I get to celebrate THREE special holidays all within one week! Mothers Day, my birthday, and Ainsley's birthday! Let the festivities begin! It started with a Mothers Day program at Parker's school. He sang a song about how much he loves me, and then he gave me a pot that he painted, which had flower seeds growing inside it. What a cutie! Then on Mother's Day I got to go out for lunch with my whole family and enjoy a delicious meal outside on the deck, overlooking the water. After brunch, Parker and I got to have some quality time together while my DH took Ainsley to see The Lion King performance. What a fun day for everyone!   Next up was Ainsley's birthday (which we celebrated a few days early)! This year she decided to have a sleepover with three of her best friends - Julianne, Peyton and Addison. The best part is they all live in our neighborhood! Dinner at her favorite restaurant,