Yay!!

Stock Photography Shoot

At the end of May, Katie and I went on an adventure to New York City to do a photo shoot with stock photographer Jamie Grill (www.jamiegrill.com). My dear friend Kristin did this with her daughter Madeleine and they came away with a lot of adorable pictures that have ended up in magazines, on the cover of books, on websites, and probably lots of other places that we haven't even seen (they don't know who uses them). Since the studio was only a short drive from Media I decided to make the trip. We had a great time and even got paid to do it! All of our favorites are on Facebook but here are some of the highlights. Please let me know if you see any of these in print anywhere, especially any soon-to-be moms who are reading baby magazines!

Fun in the Valley

Andrew and I have always had a particular affection for the Shenandoah Valley. We both have lived here in the past and have always marveled at its beauty and charm. And now we feel so blessed that we get to enjoy it as a family!

Over the past two weeks we got to do two of the most fun things the Valley has to offer: hiking in the Shenandoah National Park and attending the Rockingham County Fair. Here are some photos of our fun time together!

Vanity

Katie has always enjoyed looking at herself but yesterday while I was cooking dinner she took it to a whole new level!

Kristin's Photos

A few weeks ago the girls I lived with in college got together for a reunion. It was the same weekend we moved to Harrisonburg, but luckily for us, it was at Massanutten Resort, which is only about 20 minutes from our new house. We had a quick visit but we were so glad to have had the chance to see my dear friends and their families.

As you've seen from previous posts, Kristin Moore (one of my dearest friends in the world) is a phenomenal photographer and she blessed the group by taking some amazing shots of everyone and their families. Here are a few of our favorites. Thanks for sharing your talent with us, Kristin!

"Crawling"

Last week Katie figured out how to crawl. Actually, she figured out how to sort of crawl and sort of scoot. She drags her left leg underneath her and uses her right leg to propel her forward. It's not the easiest way to get around but get around she does! I'll put her in her playroom and within minutes she's worked her way through the dining room and into the kitchen to pull on my pant leg. It's amazing how babies come up with their own creative, individual ways to get moving! Here she is in action.

Hello, Katie!

Hello, VA!

We are settling into our new home in Virginia very well. Thankfully, Andrew and I have similar strategies for unpacking, which is get it done and fast! Within a few days we were all out of our boxes and everything was where we wanted it. We will post some pictures of our new place for all our family and friends who aren't nearby. And for those of you who are nearby, come for a visit! We have a guest room!

We have been so warmly welcomed in our new city and Katie has been a huge hit. For instance, the woman who worked at the electric company asked if she could babysit Katie and a woman who worked at Lowe's told us we needed to bring her there often so she could watch her grow up. Welcome to the South!

Our new home!

Love the porch swing

Living room

Kitchen (my favorite part of the house!)

Our bedroom

Katie's bedroom (we need to paint the walls)

Andrew's office (he can see JMU from his window!)

Katie's playroom

Backyard