I can have my cake and eat it, too

We came up to Ashburn so I could go out with Amy, Laura, and Mom for my and Laura's Birthday. It's a tradition Mom started a few years ago. She takes us out shopping and to lunch to celebrate.

I love this girl's cheesy grin.

Lexi got to come on our Birthday outing with Mom. Lucky girl!

Yes! Cheesecake Factory burger hit the spot.

It was fun to celebrate with my mom and sisters!

We actually came up two weekends in a row! Tyler invited me and George to go to a special dinner he reserved for Laura's Birthday.

While I was up, I took a few pictures of Amy and Derek in an attempt to get some Engagement photos. They didn't really turn out that great, but we had fun anyway.

Yeah, clearly I need some more practice. They'll be coming down to Charlottesville in the next week or so and I'll take some more around campus. 

These kids love coming to Ashburn to visit all the family. Lexi has perfected her crawl and I'm a bit sad she's given up the army crawl. She was a pro and so super fast. It was hilarious watching her go--she was so purposeful and enthusiastic. She's learning how to navigate the stairs and can climb up already, but not yet down. 

The kids LOVE Allen who is always ready to play.

It snowed before we came and the kids insisted on playing in it. This winter has been short on snow, so they were excited, even if it was sparse.

Little Owen came to visit, too!

George and I went to dinner with Laura and Tyler and a couple of their friends for Laura's Birthday. Tyler had arranged to have a private seating and a menu prepared by the chef just for us. Tyler is good friends with the chef's brother and as it turns out, we went to school with both of them.

It. Was. Amazing.

We were served 6 courses that were each incredible. I can't remember exactly what each one was, but it was all delicious.

Scallops with fresh noodles

This pasta was very rich. The egg yolk was cured in salt and pushed it over the top.

Duck

The main course was a largest tomahawk ribeye I've ever seen, cooked to perfection and served with mashed potatoes, shrimp and green beans. It almost rivaled George's steaks.

Happy Birthday, Laura! Thank you for letting us celebrate with you!

Cole is the sweetest kid possibly ever. For the past several months when I put him to bed, he's developed this routine:

He'll grab me around the neck, kiss me four times (since he's turned 5, it's five times) and whisper in my ear, "I love you so, so, so, so, so much." I'll then respond, "Well, I love you so, so, so...(random number of so's)...SO much!" I have to make sure I count how many "so's" I say because he'll ask me, "how many is that?" He's always so happy when it's more than five. 

(As I sit and write this in June, I'm sad. He does this less than less now a days, content with just a simple kiss and hug good night. It breaks my heart maybe a lot that he's getting older and more independent. It's hard to remember to enjoy these days that seem so long, yet fly by before I know it, but I'm beginning to see more and more that these precious moments are fleeting.)

Stay little.

Please.


The weekend ended at Mom's house, trying on bridesmaids dresses and eating cake.

The Birthday girls!

It was a great way to celebrate my Birthday!

On my actual Birthday, George posted this picture to Facebook:

Thanks, babe. Not sure you could have found a less flattering picture if you tried.

My shoulders look good, though, so that's something.