With only a few weeks left of school, we’ve been thinking about doing some fun traveling this summer. Visiting family, exploring more of the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas, going to the beach (Isaac’s favorite!), and even doing a quick getaway for just Joel and me. I for one am looking forward to going somewhere warm for a few days! Read more »
This photo was taken a couple of years ago when we were visiting a historical site that had a booth to take some old timey photos. Joel was pretending to teach Isaac how to play Texas Hold’Em, but Isaac was just having fun saying all the numbers he saw. The trip was definitely a memorable one, and was great because it Read more »
Joel and I have both been fortunate to find careers that have taken us to many places around the world. As a result, we are easy travelers and do so frequently. We often head somewhere fun to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. We head to the Midwest to visit family at least a couple times a year, especially over holidays. Read more »
As Isaac gets older, it’s so fun to watch the excitement on his face as he wakes up on Easter morning. We did a little Easter egg hunt with him before church and we had just as good of a time watching him hunt for eggs. So thankful we’re able to make these memories together as a family! Read more »
As Isaac gets older, it’s so fun to watch the excitement on his face as he wakes up on Easter morning. We did a little Easter egg hunt with him before church and we had just as good of a time watching him hunt for eggs. So thankful we’re able to make these memories together as a family! Read more »
12 years flies by when you’re having fun! So thankful to have found such a supportive partner and great father in Joel. I thank God every day for the blessing of being your wife and Isaac’s mom. Here’s to 12 more wonderful years together (and 12 more after that!). Read more »
In honor of Earth Day, we took Isaac to the U.S. Botanic Garden this week to let him spend some time learning about and interacting with the different flora and fauna of our country. He loves being able to run around the outside exhibit and hide behind a giant leaf when it falls into our path. They say that it is important to Read more »
As the weather starts to warm back up, I find myself longing to be by the ocean. This time last year, we went on a Spring Break vacation and Isaac couldn’t get enough of playing in the sand and giggling as he ran through the surf. Looking forward to summer when we can take another beach trip as a family! Read more »
This week we observe Good Friday, a day commemorating the crucifixion of Christ, ahead of his resurrection on Easter. In honor of Jesus’s sacrifice, we’ll be doing fun Easter activities like dyeing eggs and getting ready for a big Easter egg hunt this weekend! It’s one of Isaac’s favorite activities Read more »
As we head into holy week, I’m reminded of this photo we took on Easter Sunday a few years ago. Easter has always been a very special holiday in our home. Not only do we enjoy fun family activities—like dyeing eggs, doing an Easter egg hunt, feasting on family dinner—but we also make sure to take time to Read more »
Now that the weather is officially starting to feel like spring, Joel and I are looking forward to being able to do some of our favorite date night activities, like taking a cruise along the Potomac! Throughout the pandemic, we did a lot of date nights that consisted of take-out in front of the TV after Isaac went to bed, so Read more »
In honor of Baseball opening day today, I thought I’d share this photo of Isaac and me at a Nats game last season. Between his t-ball league and our season tickets, I think Joel and I are doing a great job of passing our love for baseball along to our son. They say team sports help encourage problem-solving skills and Read more »
How many people can say they have a photo of the first moment they met? I bet the number is pretty small, and I’m thrilled to be able to count Joel and myself in that group. This photo was captured at a friend’s wedding, and one of our other friends managed to snap this photo right as we introduced ourselves to Read more »
Spring break is here and we are fully in vacation mode! Isaac turns into a total fish whenever he’s in the water, and Joel is always right there with him splashing around. It was so nice to be able to rest and recharge on this family vacation together. It’s just what we needed to reset! Excited to welcome in Read more »
Another of our favorite spring activities when the weather is nice is to go out to Gravelly Point with a picnic and sit in the grass to watch the planes land at DCA. Although Isaac is much more into trains and trucks than airplanes lately, he still gets a kick out of watching them take off and land so close, and it’s a Read more »
Spring is officially here and that means it’s peak cherry blossom bloom season here in the DC area! We took Isaac out to the tidal basin this weekend to enjoy the spring weather and let him see the blooms. He mostly enjoyed climbing up and around the trees and throwing sticks into the water, but a fun time was had by Read more »
Another photo from our recent family snow tubing trip, this one with Joel and Isaac preparing to go down the hill together. Isaac was very brave the whole time and giggled all the way down. Maybe next year we’ll be able to get him on some skis or a snowboard! Read more »
Another photo from our recent family snow tubing trip, this one with Joel and Isaac preparing to go down the hill together. Isaac was very brave the whole time and giggled all the way down. Maybe next year we’ll be able to get him on some skis or a snowboard! Read more »
Now that things are finally starting to even out after the waves of Omicron earlier this year, Joel and I (and Isaac too!) are excited to get back to doing the things we love. Joel and I love to do date night at the Kennedy Center to see the symphony or a visiting traveling show. When it’s a family-friendly show, we Read more »
I love the bond that Isaac and Joel have together. A boy’s relationship with his dad is so special, and I really cherish the way that Joel is so patient with Isaac and that they almost have their own language together. It’s so special! Read more »
Now that it seems like warmer weather is here to stay, I’m glad we were able to take a family tubing trip last month while we could! Isaac had been enjoying the couple of snow days we had earlier this year, but there’s not a lot of sledding opportunities available in our very flat neighborhood. Isaac loved tubing Read more »
Before we had Isaac, Joel and I made it a priority to have date night at least once a week. Now that we have Isaac, we spend most of our time together as a trio, but Joel and I are still able to find time together just the two of us. This photo from a trip to New Orleans a couple of years ago was one of the last vacations we Read more »
With the spurt of nice, warm weather we’ve been having lately, we’ve been able to make good use of the backyard with Isaac a lot more. He’s been almost exclusively playing with monster trucks and the trampoline and recently combined those passions together! He loves jumping around and making the monster Read more »
Recently, we were all excited for our family outing to Monster Jam! Isaac especially loved seeing all the trucks and cars and wasn’t even afraid of how loud it was. He laughed and smiled the whole time, and a great time was had by all. Read more »
“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk through my garden forever.” - Alfred Tennyson. These Valentine’s Day flowers from my boys are so sweet! Isaac was very excited to let me know that he picked out the bear. How did I get so lucky with these sweethearts! Read more »
With all the news about the Washington Football Team’s new name, it reminded me of this photo that Joel and I took when we went to a football game back when we first started dating. We’ve always had a love of sports, and we’re excited to pass that love along to Isaac (and any other future children, Read more »
Happy Birthday Joel! You’re the best dad that Isaac could ask for, and I’m so lucky to be on this journey with you. We hope you have the best day and can’t wait to celebrate you. Read more »
We love that Isaac’s school looks for fun ways to get the parents involved in their activities. Joel and Isaac were both delighted to participate in the “Dads and Donuts” event—both for the delicious treats and the great company! So glad they’re able to make these memories together. Read more »
We received a copy of Flat Stanley from my niece, and we’ve had so much fun with Isaac taking him around DC for some fun photographs. We started at the Marine Corps War Memorial, and then went on to the Washington Monument, the Capitol Building and the Supreme Court. We also learned from Isaac that Flat Stanley also Read more »
A tradition we started a few years back was the “prize box.” Isaac’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, and our friends sometimes go a little overboard buying toys for him during the holidays, so rather than give them to him all at once, we save a few for the prize box that he can earn throughout the year. Whenever he Read more »
Since Elmo and Sesame Street have been trending lately with Elmo’s friendly rivalry with Rocco, his friend Zoey’s pet rock, I thought it would be fun to revisit this photo we took with Elmo from a couple of years ago. Isaac has always loved Elmo, and it’s so fun to see how Sesame Street still has an impact Read more »
This photo was taken almost 7 years ago now, which blows my mind to think about! It was a quick selfie taken before we headed back home from our vacation in Puerto Rico. I can’t wait until we’re able to travel again with Isaac (especially to somewhere warm!) and we can take another family selfie like this Read more »
I’ve loved watching Isaac during these recent snow storms have fun playing and helping us around the house. He’s especially taken a liking to helping shovel off the sidewalks and our porch. I can’t help but feel a little bit of pride by how excited he gets to pitch in. Glad we’re raising such a helpful Read more »
All the snow on the ground reminds me of this photo Joel and I took a few years ago while we were on the way to see Chicago the musical in DC. Our jackets look like we were putting on a little razzle dazzle, but it was just a light dusting of snow! It’s fun to take the time to have a little “snow date” with Read more »
Last week was probably the biggest snowstorm accumulation in the Virginia area that Isaac can remember, so he was very excited to get out and play. He “helped” Joel with shoveling the sidewalk (or he tried at least!) and made lots of snow angels and more than a few snow people out in the yard. The look of pure joy Read more »
A boy’s relationship with his dad is truly something special to behold. I’m so grateful that Isaac has such a wonderful role model in Joel and watching them play and interact together is so fun. He’s the definition of a loving, awesome dad! Read more »
Before we go totally back to real life, I wanted to take one last moment to start the new year with gratitude and joy for the blessings in my life. I made this collage of photos from the holiday, including Isaac opening presents on Christmas morning, decorating cookies as a family, all of us about to enjoy our Christmas Read more »
Isaac never passes up an opportunity to see and/or play with trains, so he was delighted when we went to the U.S. Botanic Garden last week to see the train display they have there. The train is part of the 2021 Outdoor Holiday Display, which remains up until January 2nd. It’s outside, so it’s a nice break from Read more »
While I always love our professional holiday photos, there’s something to be said about an impromptu family selfie on Christmas Eve! I love Isaac’s holiday jammies (maybe we’ll all get matching family pajamas next year). I think this photo serves as a good reminder that memories don’t have to be posed Read more »
Not to be outdone, I also uncovered this photo of Isaac from a few years ago, when I had the opportunity to take him to the White House for photos with Santa. He doesn’t remember it because he was so little, but I really cherish this photo and the blessings we’ve had to be able to expose him to so many unique Read more »
In preparation of Santa’s big visit this week, I was looking back at old photos and found this one of Isaac’s first Christmas. I Just can’t get over how adorable he looks in his little Christmas onesie and Santa hat. Read more »
Here’s a throwback to our 2019 family photo. I can’t believe how much has changed in just 2 years! Isaac looks more like a little adult now, it’s hard to believe he was ever that small. Can’t wait to see how this year’s family photo turns out. Here’s hoping that next year’s will have Read more »
Last year, Santa Claus brought Isaac this fun marble run set—but I think it was as much a gift for Joel as it was for Isaac. They spent a few hours in the living room building different towers and variations and racing marbles down each course. They still break it out from time to time to have marble races, and I love Read more »
While DC missed out on some snowy weather this morning, the wind chill makes it feel like winter is definitely here. I’m reminded of this photo that Joel and I took a few years ago all bundled up on a trip together. We were cold, but having the time of our lives! Read more »
Isaac and I enjoyed spending some quality time together at Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie at the Kennedy Center last week! We’ve loved reading Kwame Alexander’s Acoustic Rooster book at home, and it was so much fun to see it come to life on stage Read more »
I can’t believe it’s already December! We spent the weekend after Thanksgiving decorating the house for Christmas, and I stumbled upon this photo we took for our Christmas card way back in 2014, when Isaac was still just a dream in our hearts for the future and Scruffy was our only baby. Time sure flies! Read more »
Chores are an important part of helping kids learn personal responsibility and self-reliance, and we love getting Isaac to pitch in around the house with us. One of his favorite chores in the fall is helping Joel rake leaves in the backyard. We all have fun watching him jump into the leaf pile before we send the leaves off to Read more »
This Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all the blessings we have in our lives. First, I am so grateful for the love and support of my family—my son Isaac, my husband Joel, and our dog Scruffy. I’m also excited for a return to normalcy and to be able to spend time with our extended Read more »
It’s a Thanksgiving week tradition 2 years running! Last year during the pandemic, Joel took Isaac out fishing in the neighborhood to keep him occupied and out of the kitchen while I finished getting everything ready for dinner. This year, we’re excited to be able to spend time with our extended family for Read more »
As an avid reader myself, it was really important that Joel and I foster a love for reading in our son (and in any future children we might be blessed enough to have). We read to him often when he was a baby, and it warms my heart to see him reading to himself in the car or at home whenever he gets a chance. Read more »
Throwback to 6 years ago, almost to the day, when we had the honor of baptizing our son, Isaac, alongside his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. We are so lucky to be able to be his parents, and it is a blessing and privilege we thank God for every single day. Read more »
This Veterans Day, I wanted to give a solemn thanks to our soldiers, both past and present. We owe you our thanks, but more than that, we owe you our freedom. Especially to my favorite veteran, Joel, a former Marine who always makes us proud! Read more »
Before we totally switch gears to the holiday season, I wanted to share this photo of our family Halloween costumes we wore to an event together. On actual Halloween, Isaac went as a train conductor for trick-or-treating, but here we just all put on some spooky outfits as a family and it was a lot of fun. Isaac really loved Read more »
Now that the weather has officially transitioned into fall, I’m reminded of one of my favorite photos that Joel and I took together with Scruffy (before Isaac came into our lives) in the fall leaves at home. So much has changed in our lives since this photo, but it still feels like just yesterday we were sitting down to Read more »
This photo of Isaac and Scruffy laughing together just warms my heart! There’s something special about the bond between a boy and his dog, and I’m so glad that Isaac gets to experience what it means to care for an animal. Seeing them interact together is too precious. Read more »
As we approach Halloween this weekend, I thought I would share this photo of Isaac trick-or-treat from last year when he was dressed as a race car driver. Although it was a bit different given everything that was going on in the world, our neighbors still put together a socially-distanced trick-or-treating experience for all Read more »
Another photo from our UK trip! Isaac was not as entertained by the goofy photos we took as we were, but he was still such a good sport about the whole thing. I love this photo of Joel channeling his inner Superman by popping out of the phone booth in London. Can’t wait til we get to travel overseas again! Read more »
Joel captured this photo of Isaac and me outside of Stonehenge last summer. I love being able to instill a love of travel in Isaac while he’s young, and he gets excited to go new places and see new things. He liked seeing the “giant rocks” and traveling by train to many different places (trains are his Read more »
I can’t believe October is already halfways over! With the holidays right around the corner, I’m in full swing planning out our family Christmas card. Here’s an outtake of last year’s photo where we were all fighting against squinting in the sun. I just love Isaac’s red sweater in this photo and Read more »
I’ve been a passionate Nationals fan for quite some time, and one of my favorite things is being able to share that passion with my son (and my husband!). We love to go to games together and Isaac loves to cheer and do all the dances and chants like “Take me out to the ball game.” Looking forward to Read more »
I recently rediscovered this photo we took of visiting family in Colorado over the summer. Isaac loves getting to spend time with his cousins, and after a year of being cooped up, it was a joy for all of us to be able to spend some quality time with family and get a nice change of scenery. Now that life is seeming to get back Read more »
Now that it’s finally starting to feel like fall, we’re excited to be able to take Isaac to all the fall festivals in the area. He loves to get his face painted (as seen in this photo!) and he’ll be excited to pick out a pumpkin and play with other kids on the carnival rides. Read more »
The bond between a boy and his dad is so special. I just love watching Isaac and Joel interacting with each other. I can see Isaac looking at Joel and mimicking what he does—like wearing his Marine Corps hat in this photo! I am so glad that Isaac has such a great role model in Joel. Read more »
One of the ways we really enjoy bonding as a family is spending time together outside. The fresh air, getting some good exercise together as a family, and putting our screens away to enjoy the natural beauty of this world… it’s so rejuvenating! On the trails that allow dogs, we try to bring Scruffy, because he Read more »
We’re a family full of people with sweet tooths, so it’s always fun to find ways to enjoy sweet treats together. This photo is from a summer visit to the Turkey Hill Experience factory in Pennsylvania. We took a little road trip and then had the ice cream experience of our lives! Isaac still talks about it to this Read more »
We went for a family hike this past weekend on the trails near our house, and brought Scruffy with us. Isaac loved climbing around and I loved this photo that Joel captured of Scruffy looking majestically off into the distance. You’d think he was a professional dog model! Read more »
Family fun night at the Blippi concert. Isaac had the time of his life clapping and singing along with all the other kids and families at the Blippi concert. He didn’t let his face mask stop him from singing his heart out! Hopefully as things settle down, we’ll be able to go to more events like this as a Read more »
This photo is from a family vacation we took to San Diego a few years ago. I have always loved the look of laughter and happiness on Isaac’s face and how much fun we had together. With school having just started, it’ll be a little while before we can take another family vacation, so we’ll have to treasure Read more »
This is our first photo with Isaac right after he was born. You can see the delight and pure joy in our faces as we held him for the first time. It’s been an honor and a privilege to see him grow up into the fun, silly, monster truck-loving kid we love so much over the past 6 years. Read more »
Feeling a little emotional this week because I can’t believe Isaac is already six years old! I feel like I blinked and he went from being a tiny baby to this six year old boy I see before me. Here’s hoping his 6th year on this earth is a great one, full of love and happiness! Read more »
Lighting the unity candle at our wedding. This was one of my favorite rituals that we did during the ceremony. To us, it represents joining together as one unit to love, respect and cherish one another. Grateful for this marriage that God has blessed us with. Read more »
This photo was from a couple of years ago when we were visiting a historical site that took old time photos. Joel was teaching Isaac how to play Texas Hold’Em. Teaching Isaac about different time periods throughout history is important to use and we hope to instill in him a love for history, people and culture. Read more »
While we always love the fun summer months of laying by the pool, eating ice cream on the back deck and spending time with cousins, I always look forward to the changing seasons and the cooler weather that fall brings! Here’s a photo from a couple years ago where Isaac and Joel built a funny snowman in our neighborhood. Read more »
Family time is so important to us! Here’s a fun picture at Red Rocks from our recent vacation to Colorado, with Isaac’s uncle Todd and cousin Sophia. The kids enjoyed running up and down the stands and I got tired from just watching them! Read more »
This is such a fun picture of Isaac and me enjoying kayaking while in Colorado. He loved being out on the water and getting to paddle in the water, and it was so nice to enjoy the beautiful weather together as a family. Read more »
We didn’t let a little wind stop us from taking a selfie together in Colorado! Looking back at summer vacation memories is so fun, especially now that we’re getting back into a normal routine with Isaac back to school. Read more »
Flashback to 2019 when Joel and I rocked out at the Kenny Chesney concert at The Anthem! I miss going to concerts and hope to go to many more once concert halls are reopened. Read more »
Isaac loves a merry-go-round, so we had a lot of fun riding this one as a family on a recent vacation! This time we sat together on a bench, but Isaac usually opts for riding the zebra or whichever animal he’s currently obsessed with. Love spending time with these two! Read more »
There’s a special bond between a boy and his dad, and I love seeing how much Joel and Isaac enjoy spending time with each other. Joel loves to golf, so Isaac loves to go with him and hit balls around the course. Maybe we have a future golf pro on our hands! Read more »
How can you tell that the boys are sick of me taking a bunch of pictures of them? I think this photo says it all! Even the silly moments are worth capturing because it shows us all having fun together as a family. Read more »
While we love our home in Northern Virginia, we enjoy getting out of the house and doing different activities together as a family! Whether it’s traveling on a big vacation, hiking around Virginia, or going to eat at a restaurant together as a family, these little moments help us build memories to carry with us through Read more »
A few weeks ago, Joel and I took a cruise down the Potomac together. We had a quiet dinner alone (good thing Isaac loves his babysitter!) and enjoyed spending some quality time together. I love this shot of us with the Washington Monument in the background! Read more »
Isaac loves spending time with Grandpa! Here they are playing with a model train set, one of Isaac’s true passions in life. Things might be changing constantly, but it’s heartwarming to see different generations as they come together over a shared love that transcends the years. Read more »
We love living near DC because having access to the wonderful (and free!) museums downtown is a great way to spend time as a family, and get Isaac excited about learning. He loves to visit the Air & Space Museum because he loves to see all the airplanes and changing technology. It is really cool to be able to see and Read more »
Throughout our relationship, Joel and I have always enjoyed date night at Nat’s park. Baseball season is one of my favorite times of the year, and although it’s been pretty hot in DC this week, it was nice to get back out and spend some time together enjoying one of our favorite pastimes. Read more »
Can’t believe it’s back to school time already! We brought Isaac in to meet his new teacher, and he couldn’t be more excited to be back in a classroom. While we’re all a bit sad that summer is over, it’ll be nice to get back into a good routine, and for Isaac to spend more time with kids his Read more »
Joel loves to golf and has passed on that love to Isaac in the form of family putt putt outings! I love that the boys get to spend some quality time together, getting some fresh air, and making memories. Here’s hoping we can continue this after school starts back up! Read more »
Beach hair don’t care! A little time out by the ocean breathing in the salty air and putting our feet in the water does a lot to help[ us rest and recharge! So grateful that we were able to have a little getaway before Isaac goes back to school. Read more »
The weather in DC has been absolutely gorgeous lately, and Isaac and I were happy to take advantage by having a picnic outside. These mommy-son dates are so special because it really allows me to get a chance to spend some quality one-on-one time with him, building a bond that I know will last a lifetime! Read more »
My heart is so happy every time I look at this photo. I just love the pure look of joy on Isaac’s face, and how much Joel loves being his dad. I am so grateful to have such a supportive partner in this adventure, and I know God has great things in store for us in the future! Read more »
While I always love a big, elaborate family vacation to Disney or abroad, there is something really special about a simple family trip to the lake. Joel and I relish the opportunity to unplug our phones and just hang out next the lake. We cook do some hiking in the morning, cook some burgers on the grill during the day, and Read more »
I came across this photo of baby Isaac on the White House lawn in 2017, and it brought such a smile to my face! It feels like just yesterday and 100 years ago at the same time. It’s hard to believe he was ever so small! He still has quite the love of sunglasses and is just as quick to smile as he was back then! Read more »
We built our home just a few years ago in a great neighborhood in Northern Virginia. Although we sometimes miss downtown living, I wouldn’t trade our backyard for the world! Our backyard has lots of space for trees and grass, and Isaac and Scruffy both love playing out there on summer afternoons. When the weather is Read more »
Summertime is such a magical time for children. Long days spent by the pool, eating icecream and learning new things at summer camp. This summer has been especially refreshing for Isaac as we strive to spend as much time outdoors together as possible. Thank you to our friends who invited us to join them on a boat over the Read more »
Yep! This photo just about sums up life with this fun, rambunctious and energetic 5 year old! Read more »
Enjoying our beautiful neighborhood in Northern Virginia as we wait for the 4th of July Parade a couple of weeks ago. I love watching holidays through the eyes of a child. Every parade truck that drove past was a source of pure delight for Isaac. I love how fully he embraces life (and of course all of the free candy Read more »
We have a family tradition called ‘Just do it July,’ where in the month of July we indulge our impulses and try to be the most fun versions of ourselves. Want ice-cream on a Tuesday night? No problem! Spontaneously go to a water park with Isaac? Sounds like a great idea! Plan a last minute get away to Cape Cod? Read more »
It is so hot here in northern Virginia and the humidity feels relentless. As a joke, Joel sent me this picture this morning saying “don’t forget your coat today!” Everyone loves a good dad joke, and I think Joel’s are the best. Read more »
We have been doing some fun traveling this summer. Visiting family, exploring our local area, going to the beach, and even doing some quick get away for just Joel and me. All of the travel has made me think about some of our past travels like this one to New Orleans! Joel and I are big concert goers so it was really fun to Read more »
Isaac enjoyed his time exploring all of the big trains but his favorite part was driving his own wooden train. Watch out world- conductor Isaac is behind the driver’s seat! Read more »
Hope you explore in for a little sneak peak into our life. It's full of unconditional love, fun, messes, and good food! We Welcome you into our hearts and home.
“As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.” - A. A. Milne. Happy Valentine's Day to my love. Each year with you gets sweeter and sweeter.
