Front Tooth Down!

UVA Boy

Girl Scout Kick-off

Local girl scout council held a special event out at Sugar Hollow camp to start off the new year. Three of the girls decided to brave the rain with me to check it out, but they were being silly about trying to stay dry:

Abby, Amalia, Celia

Mommy's birthday

Presents from the kids:

Swim Trophies

City Swordfish were the Division II champs:

Splash for a Cure

Now that summer is winding down, we had a quiet last weekend before school started this week.  We mostly ran errands and unpacked, but we took a little time on Saturday night to attend a fundraiser at ACAC waterpark:

There were balloon animals

And swimming, of course

Benji watches Abby practice her handstand

Bubble blowing contest

Abby's age bracket for bubbles

And limbo - not sure that is a legal move, Benji

Abby's a pro

Nice way to send the summer off.

Addition. Professional pictures from the event:

First Day of 1st and 5th Grade

Smith Mountain Lake

Less than 2 days after the kids got back from New England, we turned around and headed to Smith Mountain Lake for 5 days.  We had heard great things about the lake, and it was beautiful, despite the fact that it rained every single day we were there:

Swimming in the lake on a drizzly afternoon

Mini golf (in the drizzle)

Booker T. Washington's birthplace

Benji tries to ring the barn bell

He got it!

The site is a National Park - one of only 33 African American Heritage sites

View from our balcony

View, with bubbles

Homestead creamery. It's where we get our milk from - we were thrilled to find the actual farm (and the ice cream they make on the farm!)

Benji and a tiny donkey

Another tiny donkey

Cruising on the Virginia Dare

Fog on the mountains

Dam that generate's the lake's power

You can see the wheel that moves the boat here

Abby didn't realize she was color coordinating with the boat

Osprey nest

Osprey in its nest

Another osprey nest, in the national park

Feeding the carp

Pool (between the rain showers)

Lots of deer and fawns