Maymont, Richmond and the new house

It was a beautiful day here today.  Perfect for being outside. We were planning on driving over to Richmond to do some shopping and decided we needed to find somewhere to be outside too.  As described on their website:

"Maymont was given to all of us by James Henry and Sallie Dooley who lived here from 1893 through 1925. They wanted Maymont to be preserved so that new generations could enjoy it as much as they did.  It’s a special place where the man-made elegance of art and architecture is surrounded by the natural beauty of plants, animals, water and paths. Whether strolling through the gardens, touring the mansion, watching river otters play, petting a goat or picnicking on the lawn, Maymont is a gift of 100 acres given for all to enjoy.

And it's free.  It is a beautiful park right by Richmond and we had a great time there. We took a nice walk passing through the Italian Gardens on our way to the Japanese water garden where we could feed the huge Koi.  When we walked onto the grounds I immediately thought of the fancy gardens at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, UT.  This was very similar only much less "professional" (since there is no entrance fee).  It was really beautiful.  We enjoyed the gardens and then walked over to the wildlife preserve where we found 2 black bears, a bobcat, 2 bald eagles, owls, and hawks.  I really was not expecting to see any of these animals but especially the bears.  After enjoying that section we talked over to the children's farm but Lydia and Jared were pretty tired by then so we didn't take much time to pet any animals.  It was a great little outing and I am sure we will head back again next time we head over to Richmond.  

 These steps made me quite nervous but we all completed the obstacle course and stayed dry. 

 Japanese Water Garden

We stopped by Cafe Rio for lunch and were really disappointed. I had gone to eat there with some friends back when it opened in January and it was great but it was really not good at all yesterday. I normally love eating there but couldn't even finish my salad yesterday, boo!  We then went over to there outdoor mall where I did a little shopping and Jared and Lydia enjoyed the water features.  We were at the Short Pump outdoor mall and it is super similar to the Creekside mall in Utah so it kind of turned out to be like an East Coast version of a day in Utah.  We also stopped in Hobby Lobby so I could look at home decor for our new home.  

The house is coming along nicely.  We got the new carpet installed in the basement and it is super nice and soft and the painters finished up. It looks great. I was so nervous about the gray I picked out and it actually turned out to be exactly what I wanted.  The dining room and kitchen are done and they just look happy. The aqua is very bright so it took me a few minutes to decide it I liked it but I really do.  It's fun to see things coming together. We also did a fair amount of yard work yesterday.  The previous owners hadn't had kids living in the house for some time so the trails on the backside of the house were really overgrown and the super fun tree fort  had several layers of fallen leaves and branches that needed to be cleaned off.  Mark and I climbed up there to rake it up and filled 4 black trash bags and could have done a least one more but we were out of bags. We also cleaned up all the trash (beer cans and bottles, red solo cups... there were some good times down there) and Mark cleared a new trail for us.  We need to cut some branches down so we can have a clear sight line from the back of the house to the fort.  It is exciting to see it coming together.  I don't particularly enjoy yard work but it felt good to start these projects.   We went out and bought appliances Friday and ordered our new glass shower door.  So we spent a lot of money but are making progress! 

Preschool Grad!

Today was Jared's last day of preschool.  He is beyond excited to begin Kindergarten. His teachers hosted a parent participation day where we came in and did an art project together and then we all had a picnic on the grounds of the church.  After eating his teachers called up each child and gave them a bubble wand and certificate. Jared really enjoyed preschool.  First Presbyterian was a good fit for us. It was very different than his preschool last year and felt more like an actual school building but not school. He did a lot more academics last year with Miss Amy and more social skills this year. I do worry a bit that Jared will be disappointed when he gets to kindergarten because there will be way less play time there.  He made some good friends and hopefully gained some good leadership skills being the oldest student.

 Miss Carleen (L) Miss Tina (R)

I will miss this kid come August when he starts school.

I just read an article about teenage suicide rates/clusters this morning. (Focusing on Palo Alto, The West side of Chicago suburbs and Washington DC/Northern VA).  Its so strange to me all the polarizing views there are on kids/parenting today.  (Well, on every topic really not just parenting.) It seems people either feel they (kids) are kind of useless and can't do anything for themselves or they are super stressed over achievers really struggling.  This is a small percentage featured in the article but still a concern. I hope we can help both Jared and Lydia achieve balance in their lives and learn to be good, adjusted people.

Home Sweet Home

We closed on our house on April 30th.  Mark and I went out for donuts to celebrate then went to Lowes to order new cabinets and counter tops.  We were really fortunate with our house.  There were no real set backs at all, the sellers were agreeable and motivated to sell (they are divorcing), our loan went through with no problems.  It was a great experience.  The sellers agreed to fix the things we asked for and the wife even left us a planter of flowers in the kitchen.  She left a card saying that she hoped "we would enjoy raising our kids there as much as she enjoyed raising hers there" and that "it was a great house for kids." I can't remember if I wrote about it but one day we were out at the house getting measurements and we ran into one of her sons who was packing up some bigger items.  He told us about the neighbors (who sound quiet and nice) and talked about how much he loved growing up there and told us some fun stories.  It was nice. I really wanted to be on the North side of town as I want to be as close to DC as possible and I felt the schools were a better fit for us. We are 18 minutes from Mark's school so not too bad and 5 minute from Target, Kohls and a grocery store.  Many other stores are less than 15 minutes away. It is a side of town with newer development even though we are not in a new development (or a subdivision even) at all. I have heard really great things about the school Jared will go to (it was in my top three) from people whose children are going there and the ward is a strong  ward too.

We were really happy with our relator and would recommend him to anyone looking out here. Before we closed I emailed him asked him if he had a "sold" sign.  I told him how I have always wanted to take a picture in front of the house we bought with a "Sold" sign.  He told me he did not have one but he loved the idea so much that he would go get one and meet us at the house to take our picture.  He mentioned that no one had ever asked him to do such a thing (which made me feel kind of dorky) which sort of surprised me. Am I really that dorky? He said that generally people are just so ready to be done with it all they don't appear to think of it.  I am so glad that we had a positive experience.  We met up with him on Monday and got it done.  I love these pictures and may just print them out to hang up in our new house.

 This picture makes me smile for 2 reasons. 

One: it looks like we sold our kids which is just kind of funny  

Two: I love that Jared has his hand on his hip just like I do all the time. 

 The Saturday after my 10K, Mark met up with some friends and took out the carpet in our basement and gutted our kitchen! We planned on saving all the appliances except the oven but one friend who is an electrician recommended getting a new dishwasher as the one in there was on its last leg so we really are getting a brand new kitchen. Counters (granite), cabinets, (made of maple, painted white) appliances (oven, microwave and dishwasher), flooring (charcoal rectangles) all of it. It is where most of our saved up money is going, to the kitchen.  We are also getting the whole upstairs painted.  We will do the downstairs next year I think. Our main color will be gray (Notre Dame if you really want to see) and in the kitchen and dining room we are using Aqua, my favorite.  (Fresh mist is the official name.) Choosing a gray was agonizingly hard.  None of the paints look like the paint chips to me. We had about 7 grays on the wall and 5 aquas in the kitchen. I am slightly worried about the colors but am hoping for the best.  Jared was super excited to help with the demo-nig. He loved it. We so appreciate all the people helping us out! We went from this:

 To this:

Super green right? 

Mark has been going to the house after school this week to work on the flooring.  We really lucked out in that some friends in the ward took pity on us and offered to help with the flooring.  They have redone 3 kitchens so they are pretty experienced and have all the equipment needed to do the work.  I have been watching their son while they go and spend the evening working with Mark. I know he feels much better with their help. One night they finished the first layer to make it level but when they went back to work on laying the tile the next day it was not level at all so they had to spend a day making it level. Now they are ready to lay the tile. I hope it really is level and goes quickly for them. The painters started Thursday and will finish by the end of next week. The new carpet will be installed downstairs next Thursday. Things were looking good until Mark went to check on our cabinet order yesterday. We ordered them the 30th of April when we closed, and Mark found out yesterday that the order did not get approved until May 08th. When he asked why they said because they couldn't verify our address!!  How hard would it have been to call or email us to get it figured out?  They take about 3 weeks to make then Mark is planning on installing them (which he has never done before) so we were really trying to get them here as quick as possible. Mark was so frustrated.  He wanted lots of time to work on them and not be rushed.  We planned on moving in June 06th but it doesn't seem likely that the cabinets will be in yet because they are not arriving at our house until June 04th according to the company. We can't get the counters/sink in until the cabinets are done so everything is off now because they could not be bothered to put in a small effort to check our address.  We had everything planned out so we wouldn't be rushed and would have lots of time to pack up and move and unpack and clean.  Maybe by some miracle the cabinets will get here sooner.  We sure hope so. I leave for Girls Camp June 22nd and wanted to be settled in by the time we left. I also really didn't want to be in the house without a fully functioning kitchen because that sounds awful.  We will just have to wait and see.  OU please is up the 19th of June so if we move the 13th we still have a fair amount of time to clean but ti just could have been so much nicer it our original timeline worked. We are not really DIY kind of people but Mark is trying and I appreciate all the time he is putting into the house to make it perfect for us.  We are excited! I am happy that we will get to enjoy a nice fresh house and not jus make it nice for when we sell it one day far away.  We are so excited to settle in for the next 5 -7 years if not longer. While Mark is working on the house I am trying to get preschool organized so I can send out my announcement email. I hope I get a positive response and can really feel good and confident about it.

A date to Neverland

My good friend Tara told me awhile ago that her daughters were performing in a community production of Peter Pan.  Jared absolutely loves the story of Peter Pan largely due to Captain Hook. I knew right away that I would take Jared.  I got us tickets but told Jared we were just going to a play for our date, I did not tell him which one.  We got in the auditorium, sat down and then I had Jared read the program. He sounded out Peter then I had him read Pan then say it together. It took him just a second and the he yelled out "Peter Pan! We're seeing Peter Pan! Will Captain Hook be here?" I wish I could have recorded him.  He was giddy with excitement. I am so glad I didn't tell him what the play was beforehand but got to surprise him.  I then opened up my bag and pulled out his pirate costume which made him even happier. It was so great.

The play was fun and Captain Hook was actually my favorite character.  The performer did a great job. I mentioned to Jared as we were leaving that we might be able to meet Captain Hook and luckily he was right outside the door greeting people. Jared was basically speechless. It was so fun.  Another pirate was out there and he said to Jared, "Your costume is better than mine!" Which, it kind of was.  He sat down with Captain Hook and he told Jared that when he got a little bit older he could come join his crew.  Jared was thrilled with the idea.  I love community theater performances and look forward to going to many more.

I had a lovely Mothers Day.  A little bit of sleeping in, Crepes for breakfast and fun gifts.  I really love being Jared and Lydia's Mom. I can't imagine anything I would rather be doing each day right now.  They are my favorite boy and girl. I am so grateful that they have a great dad in Mark.

We did some fun Spring art projects and we all enjoyed this easy Earth Day treat.  Jello really is so much better with cool whip! 

Shenandoah Valley Apple Blossom Festival and 10K

Pretty blossoms everywhere! 

We headed up to Winchester last Friday to check out their Apple Blossom Festival, also known as "The Bloom".  After I ran my Thanksgiving 5K I decided I wanted to try to run a longer race and set a goal for 2015 to run a 10K.  After looking up various races I chose the 10K associated with The Bloom.  I figured we might as well kill 2 birds with one stone, get my run finished and check out a new festival.  I am always up for a good festival.  Winchester is about 2 hours from Charlottesville so we left Friday night and stayed in a hotel.  Jared and Lydia were of course thrilled to stay in a hotel.  This stay was actually better then our previous hotel experience which was nice.  After my race Saturday we headed back so I could get ready for the day and Mark took Jared and Lydia swimming. Much to Mark's surprise the pool was not attached to the hotel.  It was actually an Olympic size swimming pool across the street at the Rec center.  Jared and Lydia were really happy to go swimming.  I think the race was not super exciting for them.

 In all honesty it was not that exciting for me either which was disappointing.  After talking with several friends who have run long races I expected to get that runners high and get lots of adrenaline from the crowds but it just didn't happen for me.  It was just a long time to run so honestly I was kind of bored.  I had made a goal to run the whole race and am happy that I was able to do it.  A 10K is 6.2 miles and I stayed right around a 10 minute mile which is slower than what I ran while training in our neighborhood but I was fine with it. My main goal was to run it all and I did.  I remember running past the 5K sign and feeling good and then feeling really excited when I got to the 5 mile sign thinking I had just one mile left only to be disappointed a little while later when I saw the last mile sign.  That pesky .2 miles! The course was a good one in the sense that it was pretty level I am not a huge fan of inclines but it was sort of boring too as you would run down one side of the street and then run up the other side. I much prefer running a loop without a lot of overlap.  I was running along when all of a sudden I heard the announcer say that the first runner was coming up to the finish.  I looked at my iPod timer and it said 27 minutes!  This guy ran the 10K in less than 30 minutes.  It was amazing to see him run by.  It was fun to run by Jared, Lydia and Mark and have them cheer for me.  The course went down some very pretty streets and the blossoms were in full bloom so they were fun to see and to run though all the petals.  Even though I was bored while running I felt really good when I crossed the finish line. I didn't feel exhausted or sore at all which made me feel good. I felt like I could have rumor if I needed to which was nice.  Overall it was a really good experience and I am really happy I did it and am proud of myself.

Lydia wanted to stretch too. 

Mark is always reminding me that I need to stretch after I run. 

I finished in 1 hour 2 minutes! 

I put some picture of the race on Facebook and a friend asked me if I had to train for it or if I was able to just go run it. I could never just get up and run 6 miles! My good friend Megan really enjoys running long distance races. Back in January I mentioned to her that I set this goal and she kindly set up a training program for me. From what I had researched online 8 weeks was the recommend time amount to train for a 10K so that was what she set up for me.  It snowed quite a bit here in February so I was glad I din't have to start seriously training until March.  I have always known that I prefer running in colder temperatures but I think my ideal temperature is around 45 F.  That was another issue with this race.  The day was a perfect Spring day, 72 F making it around 65 for the race which is quite a bit hotter than I would run in while training.  I typically ran around 6:30 AM when it was nice and cool not at 8:30.  If I were to do this again and I might, I would try to choose a race in like April and hope I could run enough in February to train.  If the race was mid April it could work out. The training program never had me run more than 4 miles so I was really unsure of where those last 2 miles would come from on race day.  The Saturday before my race I was set to run my 4 miles and when I got back to the entrance to our subdivision I decided to keep going and see how I felt. I ended up running 5.5 miles and felt awesome. I would say I enjoyed that training day more than the race day.  I did that in 54 minutes which was a pretty decent time.

Besides the race which was the main point of going we stuck around Winchester to watch their parade for the festival. It was a huge parade! There were really fun floats, lots of "royalty" and marching bands.  It was amazing all the people who were there to watch it.  This Festival is a pretty big deal in Winchester.  The number I heard for race participants was 1400! Lots of people decorate their houses in pink and green for the festival which I would totally be on board for.  It is a fun event.

Just happened to pass Stonewall Jackson's headquarters on our walk to the parade, kind of a big deal in the Civil War.