Visiting the NC Cullinans

 We made a quick trip to Greensboro this weekend to visit Justin, Amanda and the cousins.  We had a great visit and did lots of fun stuff although it was a short visit.  The boys went to see the UNC/NC State game on Saturday afternoon and got to watch it from a box!!  They came home with hats, cups and coozies! The girls and Declan went to see The Good Dinosaur at a theater where we could order food!!  On Sunday morning we went on a walk to see the horse farm down the road. The kids loved feeding grass to the horses!  Declan found a new best friend - they have a kitten that was so sweet and let Declan carry hiM around.  We drove home on Sunday evening and didn't even hit much traffic!

Watching the game from the box!

Declan and his kitty!

Going for a walk!

Thanksgiving 2015

Today is Thanksgiving and it seems so crazy that 2015 is almost over!  I feel like this year has gone by so quickly and I can't believe that we've been here a year and a half already!!  Tom, Tony, Shannon and Mike joined us for Thanksgiving today which was so much nicer than all of the Thanksgivings I have spent with just the kids while Brendan was deployed.  Not that I don't enjoy spending time with the kids - it's just really fun to be able to cook lots of food!!  (Click here for lots of past Thanksgiving pictures!!)
I don't even think that I got any pictures of the food - a shame after all of that work!!  We had turkey, stuffing, cranberry relish, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole (with sweet potatoes from our garden!!), salad with goat cheese and candied almonds and cranberry nut bread with pecan pie and cheesecake for dessert!!  It was a feast and we all probably won't eat for days!!  We also put all of the china, silver and crystal out - I love being able to use it all on special occasions and it reminds me of all of the people who gave it to us for our wedding.  It's something very special to have and be able to use!!!  Emmy and Aoife worked so hard and made beautiful hand turkey place cards for everyone - it was the PERFECT touch to our Thanksgiving table.  My children and husband are what I am most thankful for!!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!  Now - on to Christmas!!

Girls on the Run 5K

Emmy and I ran the Girls on the Run 5K that she has been training for during the week for the past two months. She did so great!  I had agreed to also run with two other girls who are friends of Emmy's.  They ended up being a lot slower than Emmy and I didn't feel comfortable leaving them behind so Emmy decided to go on ahead and just meet up with is at the finish line. I wish I could have crossed the line with her but I'm so proud that she wanted to push herself and go on ahead.  Brendan got a picture of her finishing with a friend and I'm sure she was super happy. Here are a couple of pictures from today!!  A few of my friends from Stroller Strong joined us! She had a big cheerleading section!!

Grandma Page Crafford

 My grandmother, Page Crafford Scott, passed away today.  She was a remarkable woman who was born on April 15, 1919 and died on November 19, 2015.  Here are a few pictures of here from her later years.

Spending Mother's Day with us in 2009 at our house in Alexandria

With Aidan, after his baptism in April of 2005 in Florida:

Holding Aoife in Alexandria, VA in May 2009

 With me in their backyard in 2008

 picking apples with Aidan and Pop in 2008

 Holding Emmy in our house in Alexandria in 2007

 Visiting her in Abingdon on our move to Arlington in May 2014

 At her 90th birthday party at our house in Alexandria in 2009

 More from Aidan's baptism in 2005