Baby John's Birthday!

Last Friday, the boys and I with our neighbor Melissa drove down to Salem, VA to celebrate John Jones' 1st Birthday! Our good friend Emily invited us down for the party and we couldn't pass up the chance to see her and her cute kids. She and her husband John lived here in Charlottesville while John completed his first year of Med School at UVa. John was in George's class and we got to see them often. John died November 2009 in a tragic caving accident in Utah, leaving Emily with their 1 year old daughter Lizzie and about 3 months pregnant with their son, John. It's been a rough road for her as she moved away from Charlottesville and is making a life for herself and her kids closer to her family in Salem. She's going to school there and just moved into her own place!

It was great to see her and to see her beautiful house. She is renting out the main level of a large house and has done amazing things with it! I love Emily... she is so creative and happy and fun.

We got there about 2 hours before everyone else and I'm so glad we did! It was great to catch up and just relax a little bit before her attention was taken by everyone else that loves her.

Lance and Lizzie trying to set up the croquet set. 

Lizzie 

Emily and John, the Birthday boy! 

John wanted a piece of the action, too. 

Lance and Lizzie liked to hang out together. It was cute.

Jude escaped into some bushes in Emily's yard. I found him lying in the vines just relaxing. Crazy kid! 

Visiting with Melissa. 

Putting the final touches on the Birthday cake. It was super cute! 

Jude was not pleased I wasn't showing him the pictures. 

Emily set up a little pool and some sprinklers in her back yard for the kids and the boys had a good time getting wet. 

I think Jude is getting braver about the water and ventured into the sprinklers all by himself! 

More friends arrived! All right! 

Our friends the Vedomskes came all the way from Charlottesville, too! 

The pool got a little crowded with all the kids that came, but everyone had a great time. 

The Vedomske family. They live a few apartment buildings away from us in our complex and we love having them as neighbors!

 Lance has never been a big soda drinker, but he downed quite a bit of that key lime soda before he left it for some fruit punch.

John and his grandpa having some fun together. 

Greeting the guests. (Melissa on the left, Emily with John, and her neighbor is on the right) 

BBQ! 

And of course while everyone else was eating, my boys were loving having the pool all to themselves. 

Baby John helping with the burgers. 

The cake. Isn't it cute? 

Singing to John. He was pretty excited. 

Not too sure what to do with the cake, though. 

I love these two pictures. Both licking their fingers... 

...and chowing down. Stinkers! 

Jude. He was pretty tired by the end, can you tell?

Melissa, the boys and I had to leave a bit early to get back to Charlottesville. The plan was to pick up George and go to Ashburn that night to spend Father's Day weekend with our families, but when we finally got home we were all just too tired and decided to leave in the morning.

It was wonderful seeing my good friend Emily and her cute little family. She constantly amazes me with her strength and courage and is such an inspiration. I am lucky to count her as a friend!