Roosevelt Island

We have already done SO many fun things around here this summer, including two brand-new things to all of us!  Great Falls a couple weeks ago, and walking around Theodore Roosevelt Island yesterday!  We've always seen it on the map and had it on our bucket list, but having never been there to know what to expect, that makes it hard to plan with kids and actually GO!  Well, we decided to go, and we invited the Carrillos, and they wanted to go too!

We were a little early, so we hung out by the water.

Ready to walk across the pedestrian bridge!

We spent a lot of time on the bridge, actually.  There were lots of airplanes to watch and boaters to wave to!

It was fun to watch the boaters go under the bridge one way, and then run to the other side of the bridge to watch them come out the other end.  Most of them were very friendly and waved back to the boys :)

They had a GREAT time!

We don't get together as much as we'd like, but these three are such fun friends!

Photo shoot fun on a big rock

We walked all the way around the island, and there was lots to see!  There were some bridges to cross, lots of signs to read to explain the difference in some vegetation, and just peaceful scenery.  

The long walk around the island leads to the actual monument with this statue of Teddy Roosevelt.  This statue is in a huge area with lots of stairs and benches and water features that weren't turned on.  The kids loved it, and they loved all of the room to run around! 

 You can also just walk across the pedestrian bridge and go the other way to walk a shorter route right to the monument.

The Smiths and the Carrillos!  

Playing with the stroller is always fun!

After getting back to the cars, we went and got some yummy dinner before saying goodbye to our friends!

Mid-Summer Activities

Jackson attended a week of Science Camp at a rec center near our house.  While he was at camp one day, Graham and I met Lucy, Alex and Katie at the playground!  Always a good time and lots of smiles with these kiddos :)

Jackson discovered Perler Beads and made a beautiful sun catcher for his room!

Graham and I took a power walk to the construction site for a new library minutes from our house!!!  It's getting there--it is scheduled to open late October!

Jackson LOVED Science Camp, and here he is with several of the things he made: fingerprinting, a fossil, s painted and decorated frame with a picture from camp, and a growing water bead.  

We used the boys' coupons from Summer Reading to get smoothies as an afternoon snack--everyone loves a "smoobie"  :)

Yesterday we headed to Difficult Run for some caching, and to enjoy the pretty day!  Josh and Jackson crawled out on this fallen tree to retrieve the first cache.

Such a trusty helper!

Notice the poor choice of footwear :(  There was some confusion about what shoes were already in the car for Graham... :/  He was a trooper, considering!

Super Graham crosses the river!

Jackson loves any hike that some adventurous crossing like this!

And, if the rock crossing wasn't exciting enough, then there was a rope swing!

I LOVE this picture!  Makes it look like I know what I'm doing in the photography department...

I love spending time with these faces 

We drove to Lake Fairfax for a picnic lunch, and ended up playing in the creek too!  Well, this little guy just threw rocks in the creek that his big brother handed to him...

This guy got IN the creek and had the best time!  Jackson was super proud of this cairn he built!

It also happened to be July 11th, also known as 7-11 Day!!!  We snuck in a walk to 7-11 with our friends and neighbors, the Camerons to get free Slurpees!  That was one of the first things we happened to do together after they moved in last summer, so it's like "our" holiday!  This was an extra special treat right before dinner!  Daddy drove to 7-11 and picked us up so we could go have dinner at Qdoba.  We came back to get the littles in bed before getting together with Kathy and Greg to play Ticket to Ride.  Fun times with good company, a great game, and yummy snacks!

Great Falls!

We had a plan, and we were not to be deterred!  The rain was finished, but the ground was MUDDY!  We set off for Difficult Run with great ambition to snag a cache Josh had on his list, and even after several groups of hikers in front of us turned around because it was just "too muddy," we hiked on!

We were rewarded with this cool water crossing!

Resting by the cache's hiding spot.

It is so nice having a six-year old hiking with you since he has limitless energy and enjoys scampering up another hill to search for the cache, so the rest of us could rest ;)  The look on his face says he doesn't mind :)

This was a Letterbox Cache, so there was a stamp inside!

Graham looks slightly unsure of this stamp because he was not enjoying the mud :(  

Putting the cache back right where we found it.  It makes me so proud of our little family when we tackle projects like this that are just the right amount of challenge for each of us, but we get so find something/see cool things at the end/along the way :)

We were very close to Great Falls Park, so we decided to head there next for some hiking and a picnic.

Graham and Jackson were ready for the sunny day it turned into!

The kayak is named after Jackson!

Jackson sitting in the Jackson!

Great Falls!  I can't believe we have never been here!  It was breathtakingly beautiful!

My people :)

These two...

After we hit all of the scenic overlooks, we took a hike to climb on some big rocks and collect a few geocaches.

Some of the caches had questions to answer, or specific pictures to take...like this one of giant caverns in the sides of the rocks.

I have no idea what this pose is, but the photo was requested, so I'm including it!  After our hike, which was fun for all of us, especially the boys with climbing all over the rocks, we ate our picnic lunch and checked out the lookouts again and visited the visitor center briefly.  Josh and I have a thing for waterfalls, so this spot was right up our alley.  We definitely want to go back, but we will make it our first stop of the day next time to get ahead of the crowds ;)

Fourth of July 2015!

 For the four days leading up to the 4th, Jackson went to Pillar Kids Sports Camp.  Our neighbors attend Pillar Church, and each summer, the church sponsors a sports camp for elementary aged kids...for free!  Jackson LOVED every day!  He chose basketball as his "focus" sport, but he got to do some soccer and baseball as well.  He did know two of the volunteers since they are our neighbors, but otherwise he knew no one to start, but he didn't seem to give it a second thought!  I'm so proud of how he just dives into new situations and has such good times :)

 Happy 4th!!!

 On our way to the Kennedy's for a BBQ, we stopped for Jackson and Josh to have a caching adventure in order to find a cache Josh had had his eye on.  We've learned that if you pay attention, you get to know some of the cachers by their super awesome hides and/or their skills at finding.  We have really enjoyed one cacher's hides as they are clever and family friendly.  Many of the caches hidden by this family include a story about the family dog, Roo.  Jackson and Josh have actually met Roo!  This was one of those caches, and we had to follow a map and story hints to follow in Roo's pawprints as he ran along the path and across the creek to a cave.  The adventure required crossing a rather raging creek...

Beginning the crossing

Teamwork

 Daddy testing how deep the water was before they stepped forward

 I loved watching this because it made Jackson look so little!

 In they go...

Thumbs up after the explored the cave and found the cache!

Starting back across...

My two JASes

 This one kept me company and himself busy by throwing rocks and sticks into the creek :)

 The "after" picture!  My mama heart was mostly calm, but it is surely happy as Jackson gets to make such special memories with Josh :)

It started POURING just as we approached our car  :(  The pool and other water activities never recovered at the party, but we were able to move outside for eating and playing!

Graham was in heaven with this sandbox full of trucks!

  Jackson and Graham both ate like they hadn't seen food in weeks!  I'm pretty sure they each downed a hamburger AND a hotdog and plenty of fruit and cookies :)

We left the BBQ to head back to our neck of the woods to watch the fireworks put off by Montclair, a neighborhood close to our street.  This has become the perfect 4th of July tradition as the fireworks show is pretty spectacular, we get to watch with friends, and the commute is non-existent!  

My light up gizmos were a huge hit :)