Rainy Day at the National Zoo

/ Washington National Zoo/

A few days ago, I woke up to ANOTHER rainy DC morning.  Not willing to let the rain get me down, I decided to take a trip to our National Zoo.  The zoo has been a popular topic this past week here in DC because of the red panda, Rusty's escape.  Theory has it that extraordinarily heavy rain helped the tall bamboo stalks to lean further than normal into the animal's enclosure.  He apparently used the leaning bamboo to climb out and escape.  Rusty was found a day later wandering the Adams Morgan section of town and is now back in his home. 

Our National Portrait Gallery

/ National Portrait Gallery/

A few days ago, while visiting DC, I stumbled across the National Portrait Gallery.  Since I first moved to DC, this museum has long been my favorite spot to take in beautiful portraits of historical figures throughout time.  One of the most interesting things I learned on this recent trip is that this very building was once used as a medical recovery hospital during the Civil War. 

Walking through the halls, each piece of art is beautifully illuminated and works so well with the stunning architecture of each room.  Soothing paint colors accent each room and add to the full experience of the gallery.  This museum is a must-see spot for all DC visitors!

An Intimate Ceremony at Potomac Overlook Park

/ Potomac Overlook Park/

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to attend our dear friend's intimate wedding at Potomac Overlook Park.  The day began early around 10am on this beautiful summer morning.  Once everyone arrived, we all walked down a quiet path to a clearing in the woods where close family & friends watched them exchange vows under an old cherry tree.  Several guests shared touching words at the conclusion of the ceremony.  We then made our way back to a small picnic pavilion and shared sparkling cider and delicious Tres Leches wedding cake.  We said farewell to the lovely couple as they left on their weekend getaway to Williamsburg, Virginia.

A Day with the Family in York, Pa

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Throughout my childhood, I fondly remember our trips to York, PA to see my mother's Aunt Posey & Uncle Rich.  I have so many great memories of the fun times we had with all of our cousins while playing there.  I can remember how much I used to LOVE taking off my shoes and socks and running around in Uncle Rich's perfectly manicured lawn.  His yard had the softest and silkiest grass I had ever seen and it was always so pretty! 

This weekend, I had the opportunity to once again visit Aunt Posey & Uncle Rich's home in York.  And just like I always remember, the yard was absolutely beautiful!  I was almost tempted to slip off my shoes and take a quick walk across the silky (perfectly-trimmed) grass. 

While there, I had such a wonderful time spending the afternoon with a few of my late grandmother's sisters and brother.  It truly was a special occasion to have 3 of her siblings all together at once.  Aunt Annie from California & Uncle Tommy from Michigan had come to see Posey which made for a mini family reunion on this lovely Summer day.  

Over the past few years, I have gotten more and more interested to learn about my family history.  A few months ago, while visiting Aunt Annie in San Diego we got to talking about what her mother and father were like? (My great-grandmother and great-grandfather)  I couldn't believe the stories she could tell!  I even leaned that my great grandmother was an excellent seamstress and would sew many clothes for her 12 children.  But by far the biggest shock was to hear that my sweet little great grandmother's favorite afternoon activity was to watch wrestling matches on TV where she would get so excited and scream at the TV as the men would fight...who would've known? :)

One of the best parts of the day was when Aunt Posey brought out some old photos of my great-grandfather and great-grandmother) .  I had never seen any of these photos nor had I ever seen any pictures of what they looked like.  She even had a photo of my great-great-grandparents and a photo of my great-great grandfather shortly after he arrived from Poland.  (How Cool!!) 

I always knew my mother resembled my grandmother-but I was absolutely shocked to see how much my mother resembled my great-grandmother!  Those were some strong genes and I'm pretty sure I have gotten some of them too :)   

At the end of the day, I just couldn't leave without snapping a few photos of their yard which looked just as pretty as it has my whole childhood.   Enjoy!

One Million Bones - Comes to D.C.

/ National Mall/

Over the last 3 years, students and organizations from around the world have been creating handcrafted bones with the intention to bring attention to genocide going on in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Burma, Somalia, and Syria.  Each of the 1,000,000 bones represented a call to action, a story, and a voice.  The national mall was covered with these bones for three days this week to honor victims and survivors of these mass atrocities.

A few weeks ago, while visiting an art gallery in Old Town Alexandria, I stumbled across a small sampling of the One Million Bones Project.  Then, on Saturday morning I woke up to news that the day had finally come where all of the bones would be laid out for anyone to see.  The family and I headed into town and arrived just as the sun was setting on the first of 3 nights for this exhibit. 

This was the third and largest installation of the bones.  50,000 bones were on display back in August 2011 in Albuquerque which was then followed by another 50,000 bones on display in New Orleans back in 2012.  This week was by far, the largest display to date.  If you look closely, you will notice biodegradable bones scattered amongst the plaster ones.  Each of these biodegradable ones were from supporters who made a $5.00 donation to place them on the mall this week.  Looking forward to seeing what further projects this organization creates in the future.  Using art is such a great way to bring attention to a social justice issue.

Trip to Longwood Gardens

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A few days ago,  I was lucky enough to spend one of the most beautiful days of the year with my mom and dad.  We spent the day at Longwood Gardens, located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.  While there, I had the opportunity to photograph some of the prettiest flowers I have ever seen. 

The Longwood Gardens story began over 100 years ago with a young philanthropist named Pierre du Pont.  He originally purchased the nearly 1,000 acre property in an effort to save the many trees growing on the land.   Over time, he used his fortune to further develop the land with many fountains and green houses to enhance people's experiences while there.  As early as 1914, du Pont was focused on creating Longwood Inc. which would help to manage the property and continue his legacy for many generations to come. 

I  remember frequenting Longwood Gardens all throughout my childhood and was so pleased to revisit it this week.  I am already looking forward to my next visit! 

Memorial Day Picnic

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Last week we celebrated Memorial Day here in Alexandria, Va.  It was such a great day to be with family and remember those who have given so much for our country.  We relaxed here at home and cooked out on the balcony.  Summer is finally here!

The Little Nest

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This week, I visited my aunt in Harleysville, Pa.  While there, she showed me this year's birds' nest in her front door wreath.  Last year, there was a nest in the same wreath however the mama bird abandoned the nest for some reason and the eggs never hatched.  After a few weeks of the eggs in this abandoned nest and no mother in sight, she decided to keep the nest.  We used this abandoned nest in some of the photos where she is holding it in her hands.

In the years past, she remembered that this mother bird always lays 5 eggs.  We decided to boost ourselves up to see inside this little nest and discovered something strange.  Four of the eggs were the usual slightly speckled white eggs while one was obviously larger and speckled brown.  We continued taking pictures and joked that another bird had left their egg in this mama's nest. 

That night I posted only one image on facebook and one of the comments said that it looked like our nest had been visited by a brown-headed cowbird because of the unusual egg.  I laughed at the name "brown-headed cowbird" at first but after doing a bit of research, we realized that this egg was an imposter egg in this mama's nest.  It actually is pretty common for the brown-headed cowbird to lay an egg in another bird's nest and then leave and depend on this other mother to care for her baby.  Sadly, we also read that since this different egg is so much larger it will often kill the mother's real babies after they hatch. 

Knowing how dangerous this bad egg can be to her nest, we quickly removed it with a spoon in order to give the mother's eggs a chance to survive.  Enjoy some other pictures of our day!   

These Hallowed Grounds

/ Arlington National Cemetary/

​Today I had the opportunity to once again visit Arlington National Cemetery.  It seemed only fitting to visit here today as we have just celebrated Memorial Day this past weekend.  Every Memorial day, nearly 200,000 flags are placed at the graves and removed before the cemetery opens the next morning. 

Here in Virginia, the temperatures soared well into the mid nineties today but that didn't stop me from strolling through the cemetery for several hours.   How appropriate to spend my memorial day holiday reflecting on the thousands of servicemen and women who are buried here.  It was a beautiful day to put aside my regular responsibilities and truly take in the ultimate sacrifice that so many have given for our country.  ​

As I approached the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, ​we were told that we would be seeing a rare event.  A Tunisian dignitary would be laying a wreath and there would be a grand event with music and a gun salute for the changing of the guard. 

When I approached the newest sections of the cemetery where the soldiers who perished most recently in Operation Iraqi Freedom & Afghanistan, I was overwhelmed  to read their stories and see personal mementos left by their families.  Today was a day I will not soon forget. 

​

Harleysville, Pa - Baby Shower Celebration

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I spent my Memorial Day weekend visiting friends and family back in Pa.  While there, I had the amazing opportunity to photograph my beautiful cousin, Julie at her baby shower.  It's such an exciting time to have the next generation of cousins beginning families of their own.  A gorgeous day to celebrate such a happy time for our family - Congrats Julie & Steve!

Washington, DC Newborn Session

/ Georgetown/

A few days ago, I spent the day photographing this beautiful DC family with their brand new addition, Sybil.  Big sister, Fiona couldn't wait to show off her brand new baby sister!  Check out a few of the images below!

A Day at Sunset Cliffs

/ Sunset Cliffs/

On our last day in Cali, we just couldn't decide where we wanted to spend our day.  By the time noon had rolled around, I had changed my mind about our plans at least 10 times :)  We finally agreed to drive to Sunset Cliffs and hike down to the water on this fairly cloudy day. 

One word comes to mind...BEAUTIFUL!!!  It was just us and the surfers enjoying this hidden little cove.  Bobby and I spent the next few hours exploring the tidal pools filled with small fish and sea-life.  I loved the bright green and aqua colored sea urchins covered in remnants of broken shells.  The rock formations were beyond anything I had seen during our entire time visiting the coast. 

On our way back to the car, Bob spotted a rope which could be used to climb up the side of the cliff.  I'm not going to lie...I was terrified when we reached the top. To stand at the edge of a cliff and look down at the magnificent ocean is something I won't soon forget.  What a day!!

Mother's Day Celebration

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​Just finished up a wonderful weekend with my dear mother, Dianne and dad, Bill.  We had planned to make a surprise visit home to Pennsylvania this year for Mother's Day but our work schedules had other plans.  Luckily, mom and dad were able to work out their weekend to spend a few days here in Alexandria with us.  We spent Saturday doing what a mother and her girls do best...SHOPPING!!  And ended the evening at our favorite traditional Indian restaurant, Aditi. 

This morning started off with a home-made ​omelet breakfast - courtesy of chef Bill!  Breakfast was followed by a relaxing mid-day nap and then off to for leisurely stroll through Old Town Alexandria with the family.    Some great memories for this Mother's Day and so blessed that we got to spend it together as a family.

Carlsbad Flower Fields - Here we come!

/ Carlsbad Flower Fields/

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Carlsbad Flower Fields while visiting southern California.  We arrived early morning to a partly-cloudy and on-and-off showers kind of day in San Diego.  I know what you're thinking...how can that be?  Isn't it always sunny in San Diego?  Well, apparently Bob and I will always bring the rain, wherever we go.  Including our trip to the Sahara Desert while on our Honeymoon, YES - it poured on us there too.

​Oddly enough, we were about half way up the hill on our self-guided tour of the fields and the sun suddenly popped through.  Within 15 minutes, the clouds and rain had blown their way off to sea and we were blessed with that gorgeous blue sky that San Diego is known for.

The rows of flowers went on and on as far as the eye could see.  Every row was as straight as could be and all in coordinating colors.  I never thought about where the flowers that I see at weddings in the centerpieces and bouquets actually came from.  But there they were, millions in bloom and soaking up the warm San Diego sun right along the Pacific ocean.  

After an hour or so of walking up and down the rows and taking as many pictures as possible, I told Bob that I had seen all that I wanted to see in California.   Just Kidding, that was only the start of our 2 week trip and we had days and days of jam packed exciting adventures to come.

Holly

It's Derby Day!

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Yesterday was the Kentucky Derby - an absolute must watch event for our family every year!  Last year we visited Louisville, KY while on the Bourbon Trail and got to visit an empty Churchill Downs stadium where the race is run.  It looked totally different this time around because it had been pouring all day and made for an awfully muddy track.

​My husband, Bob surprised us with delicious derby inspired treats such as Beer cheese, Whiskey wieners, and Benedictine sandwiches (which is thin bread with an onion/cucumber spread).  He finished it off with mint juleps all around (even a super sweet version for me made mostly of iced tea and mint).  My excitement came from the decorations on our coffee table.  Everything was derby themed such as a small iron horse, red roses, bourbon bottles, fresh mint, and an antique set of my late grandfather's binoculars. 

It finally came down to race time and we all put on our hats and began to cheer for our pre-picked horses.  (Even our dog, Willow)  It really is my favorite race to watch because it's super short and I'm always so excited for the winning horse and jockey.  Bob's pick, Orb won first place while my two horses came in 4th and 5th.  All in all, a great day!  And a great excuse to wear the adorable hat, right?!?