Virginia...

We went to Virgina this weekend for my nephew Brian's fiance's bridal shower. We drove down late Friday night while the kids were groggy and not poking one another. Then we got up early the next morning and went to one of my favorite places - Great Falls Park. It was one of the first places Tom took me in Virginia when we started dating and I proceeded to fall in a puddle. I reminds me so much of the woods in Michigan where we used to walk along the lake at by grandmother's house and it is beautiful to boot!

The shower was beautiful too, I had never been to such an elegant..yet comfortable event. The home was beautiful and decorated so nicely...and the food was really great. I am dying to get the strawberry chicken salad recipe! And rumor has it what I was drinking was a Mojito. The bride was beautiful. Alyssa is both beautiful on the inside and out and I am so glad Brian took his time and waited to find her she is quite the catch. I know they will be very happy. We are very excited for the wedding, Patrick is Brian's godson and he will be a "helper". Somehow he got the idea when you were in a wedding you are the one getting married and he was upset. So we are sure to tell him he is helping not getting married. Cause "He doesn't want a weddin!"

We got another nice surprise when we got down there, our other nephew Robert got engaged as well. We got to meet his fiance Ali and she too is a wonderful girl. Smart boys our nephews they know when they have it made! Their wedding will be next year on the beach in the outer banks on June 28th, so it looks like we will be spending a week in NC next summer. Tough duty! It unfortunately means postponing another plan, but I would not miss Rob's wedding, he is such a special guy. All three boys are.

While we were at the shower, Uncle Chris had spent the day attempting to wear out the boys, and while William was exhausted and Tom felt older than ever...Patrick still couldn't lay still to fall asleep. They had gone hiking, and swimming, and fishing (that was more scaring the fish away by splashing in the mud), and just plain running around all day, and he still took an hour to fall asleep.

Sunday morning the boys had more fun, William got archery and crossbow lessons, as well as Lacrosse. He also inherited some very special lacrosse uniforms. Patrick got chased around a bit and got to play some games too. He also got a pair of lacrosse shorts that he proudly wore over the ones he was already wearing all the way home. I really wish we lived closer to these guys. They are so good with William and Patrick, from teaching them to run matchbox cars down the banister of the stairs when they were little right up to now. It has never mattered what they were in to these teenagers, now grown ups got down on the floor with them and tried to talk to these little kids about whatever it was that was going on in their lives. William and Patrick couldn't ask for better cousins! I hope they turn out just like them.