Off to DC with Katie!

We spent a few days in DC last week-- Craig was at a conference and Katie and I tagged along to enjoy the city. We went to the Natural History Museum (Katie liked the small tropical aquarium there-- dinosaurs were not interesting yet though!) and took a picture just for my Mom... so Mom- Here you go! (sorry about the lousy look, we'd hiked 10 blocks in the pouring rain-- and then I had to haul her stroller up 9 billion stairs to the entrance because NOWHERE was it marked that the handicapped access was around the other side, and it was still pouring and there was NO way I was hiking to the other side of the building at that point!)






The next day we went to the National zoo-- it was pretty chilly, but we met up with friends and walked around. Katie got a HUGE kick out of the small monkeys--- particularly the golden tamarins-- they were so colorful and active. She also watched the gorillas and orang utans (yeah, that's 2 words, who knew?!)pretty intently.
The new Asia exhibit has a lot of nice features-- there are displays at kiddo height with swatches of the fur of each animal that you can touch and buttons to push that make the animals sounds and such-- Katie was a big fan of the Red Panda fur-- so we got a snapshot of her on the panda statue!
It was a nice day at the zoo overall.

















And then to top it off, we finally got to eat at Jaleo-- a Spanish restaurant in the DC area that I have wanted to go to for years! We had pan amb tomaquet (toasted bread with tomatoes), gambas al ajillo (sizzling garlic shrimp and peppers), house made chorizo, and rosejat-- sort of a paella made with vermicelli and seafood. It was all delicious-- and other than the hostess thinking we were nuts for having our baby with us, it was wonderful. I'm not sure why she was so shocked it was a Sunday-- its not like I feared a wild party crew was going to come and start a brawl or something... who knows? Katie was pretty good though, so it all worked out well.

It was definitely a nice trip away and I enjoyed taking a few days away from work!

Pictures from the Wedding

Craig's cousin Ryan's Wedding at the Ritz on Amelia Island. It was a BEAUTIFUL sunny afternoon... so we had to get some new pictures as a family (and of the little princess too!)

After the wedding we plopped the Tadpole down on the aisle of rose petals for some pictures-- and in some of the 9 million Craig took, she is not crying or grimacing and in some she had her eyes open and even smiled!
See! Like in this one... my favorite of the batch!
Isn't she the cutest thing ever?!?! Here we are assuming she was channeling a little Marilyn Monroe for the camera-- the breeze off the ocean caught her dress.
Katie dancing with her Daddy.
Katie with her Uncle Greg (her godfather) and her Aunt Maggie.

Pictures from the beach and Sliders

Off to the Beach at Amelia Island to visit the In-laws and go to a wedding.


Katies first day at the Ocean.. in a cute hat too! (goofy me, I forgot my swimsuit... boo)
As promised for my mom, Katie and I on the swingset at Sliders!
Me, Jane (Nana) and Katie
Katie looking too cute in her new hat (but slightly confused about the whole thing too)

just a few quick pictures from the Florida Trip

I only have the one memory card at home with me... and its the one with the fewest pics.... but here are a couple of our day at the beach with Aunt Christina and Katie and a few from when we were stuck at dulles on the way home!

Katie in the ocean! (and this is finally a hat she is cute in!)

Mom, Katie and Aunt Christina at the Beach
Mom, Dad and Katie at the Beach.... Craig doesn't look burnt yet in this picture!

Stuck at Dulles for 6 hours--- here is Katies bodged together entertainment--- a dangling assortment of nonsense from our luggage attatched with velcro tie downs... she thought it was pretty cool!

Colorado Trip

At the beginning of March I was sent to a meeting in Keystone, Colorado for work. The meeting was titled Stem Cells and Cancer and was really a perfect match for presenting my thesis project and getting a little feedback to help me tie together the parts and hopefully get it all finished so I can graduate someday. This trip turned into a very fortunate coincidence for Craig who tagged along to go skiing-- a lot, and in exchange I got someone to carry the heavy luggage-- and my favorite free ski lessons!
So off to Denver and then the 2 hour shuttle ride to Keystone-- the base there is at almost 10,000 feet above sea level with the peak at almost 13,000 feet-- the altitude really got to me, but by the 3rd day I was out and about skiing (and doing that whole science thing I was there to do). We got some amazing photos while we were on the slopes, and as the weather was gorgeous, I definitely enjoyed my first ski trip to a "real" mountain.

Here are a couple of pictures from our trip.

Sorry mom, no cameras allowed in the exhibit hall!

Yes, I need a helmet-- I am a bit clumsy on skis! (but I made it down some really really steep trails this time!)

The view from the highest peak, and I made it down from there all on my own without falling! (the slopes on the mountain behind us are Breckenridge)

Wow, it really was just beautiful up there, if only the oxygen would hang around!

Ah, my "Wild Irishman"

A couple of pictures from our trip to Jacksonville/Amelia Island, Fl in December. On the top is one of me with Craig and the second is me with my "little" brother John. Ah yes, we toured the budweiser factory (they hand out free beer too!) and we had to pose for a shot with the gigantic Clydesdale statue. And how can you beat tanktop weather after weeks of freezing cold PA winter!