Annapolis with my favorite daughter

Hannah and I made one last trip to Annapolis to get some coffee mugs from our favorite pottery!  I also wanted to select some piece made from colored glass from a different shop to take some Maryland memories to Colorado with us.  

We had a successful day.

 Many memories at this Tavern...

 We had a beautiful, sunny day.

 Of course we had one last crab cake eggs benedict at Chick and Ruth's.

Happy Birthday Matt!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful first-born Matt!  There is so much to celebrate and encourage about this man - I hardly know where to begin.  He has worked hard to get closer to his dream of owning a gym of his own out in the sunshine state - California - and is actually moving there one month from today!  He is being bold and adventurous and going without having really anything lined up, just getting in his car and heading out there - something this mom would never have had the courage to do.  He does have income from training clients online, but the rest is up to chance and his diligence.  I am so proud of him and so excited for him.

And what a HUGE help and support he is being to us as we prepare for our move!  Not only is he taking our dog for a couple of weeks in his second story apartment in Baltimore, he is going to drive him out to us in Colorado in a car we needed to get out there!  He cannot know what a huge help this is to us, and a burden off our minds.  He has proven over and over to be a loyal and faithful and helpful son, in the way he has served us, the way he has made it a priority to pop in on special family occasions, birthdays and holidays, and if he can't be there he always is first to send a special text.  I cannot say how much I am going to miss being near to him... just can't go there without getting all choked up... but I am cheering for him all the way, and praying for a safe and happy trip as well as great success out in San Diego!  

Love you so much Matt!  

Happy Birthday!!

Day of fun

In the midst of all the craziness of packing, Jacob and Hannah got a fun day at Hersheypark with their friends, Emma and Robert.

Celebrating Matt's birthday!

Today we celebrated Matt's birthday with a crab feast followed by a movie at iPic!!  Awesome, fun, relaxing day.  So nice to have him home and have Maryland crabs one last time.  Love my firstborn son so very very much.  He is heading out to CA soon to try and make it in San Diego - a dream for him - so excited to see him living his dream!  

Saying good-bye...

...to our beautiful piano.  We won't have room in the new house for this, so we sold it yesterday.  The good-byes begin.

Scenes of moving

My childhood teddy bears ended up looking like they were laid to rest in a casket.  Danny and I had a good laugh over this one...

Took a much needed break one night to go have dinner with Matt and Maria.  We ate at a restaurant that had traditional, Baltimore food - oysters and crab cakes and lobster rolls - YUM!

During the last week we have had to nurse Indy back to health after he ate something that caused him to be a very sick dog for a few days.  

I went over to the Damascus Library to see it one last time.  It was the library we had gone to all the years of homeschooling and while the kids were little.  I hadn't been in years.  I walked up to the front door, only to find that it was closed until one.  It was 10:30.  I took it as a sign that sometimes seeing things "one last time" isn't always the emotionally wise choice, and sometimes it's better to remember things as they were.

So I took some pictures of the outside and the lobby, and peeking in the window.

And this last picture says it all.  Poor Danny has worked so very hard...

Flight Lessons!

 Jacob started flight instruction today and actually went up in and flew this airplane!  So amazing that in just a couple of hours he could be flying the plane, obviously not completely alone and obviously he didn't land it, but still to be put in charge during the flight.  Amazing.  He hopes to possibly get enough hours to do a solo flight before he goes back to college, but meanwhile getting prep for a big test he has to take in a month (Air Force Officer Qualifying Test).  Good luck to Jacob!

Got his first entry into the pilot log he will use forever. Or until he fills it up...

Hershey

We took a short trip up to Hershey Pa to go to Hersheypark for a day and then wondered why we haven't been going all these years as it was so much fun!

 Chocolate covered banana (in case you were wondering)

So all three kids are in this picture!!  On a technicality.  Ryan is inside the pod. hehe

Jacob in the pod doing battle as a Star Wars pilot

Food.

 After an hour at the arcade, this is what we walked out with!  haha

Happy Birthday to Me

Celebrated my last birthday here in Maryland with the family.  Started out with a beautiful, thoughtful card and gift from my parents - a wonderful, inscribed journal to write in thoughts and memories - something I will cherish and pass on to my kids.  

We headed to Baltimore to have dinner at P.F. Chang's, and go to a performance of Cirque Du Soleil!  Both were wonderful, and as always, I am in my "magical zone/ happy place"when my whole family is together.  I could look around at all my tall, handsome sons and snuggle up to my beautiful sweet girl, and it was good. Very good.

Dinner was fun and delicious, and Baltimore's Inner Harbor looked peaceful.  Very unlike what the world saw of the riots on tv recently...

Cirque Du Soleil was FANTASTIC!!