So what is Libby up to?

She loves to unload all the drawers after mom puts the dishes away...
She spends alot of time hanging out in her fort.
Libby loves to jump out and scare us just like her daddy - and then she laughs and laughs
She loves to help mom clean up the bathroom
Berty loves to be told she looks pretty and being a true girly girl loves to put on makeup
The first thing she does every morning as soon as she gets out of her crib is run to find mommies shoes and then follows me around with them until i agree to put them on. If we hide them she goes absolutely hysterical- so i usually end up starting each morning in my underwear and flip flops.
She loves to read and would do it all day, everyday but more than anything she loves us and we love her more and more every minute.

how quickly the summer left us

I can't believe it is already October. It feels like summer was never really here. We are really glad we got to be at home in Utah with family and spend so much time there. We are just trying to get back into the swing of things here. Phil is busy busy busy as usual and Libby and I are having a blast just playing together all day. She is getting so big it is like having my best bud with me all day. We hang out and laugh like old girlfriends. It is a joy. Phil decided to continue his work with the Red Cross through this semester and on top of a full school schedule is also on the Patent Law Review,or the AIPLA for those who are in the know( not me). Phil sighting are rare and brief but when we do get to see him he just lights up the whole family. We feel very blessed to be able to be here so he can be recieving such and amazing education- even if it does mean spending alot of time alone. We are looking forward to Halloween our most favorite holiday. Philly got out all the decorations today and started turning the old homestead into a spook alley with Berty. Christmas will be right around the corner before we know it and we are so happy we will get to see family again. Until then we are happy we have technology to help us feel close. Love you all, Amy, Liberty and Philly

Great Falls -- The Local Greenery

We went to Great Falls this last weekend with Nate, Jen and Brynlee. It was nice to get away from the city and see some nature around here. Also, it was different from all the museums and monuments.

We went a some trails with Berty in the stroller and saw some locks (for ships) build in 1703, the river and some beautiful falls. Nothing too tall or crazy impressive but beautiful all the same. On the way home we got a slurpee which was perfect, yummy and cool. Pics Below

Berty girl

Our little Berty is growing up way too fast. During our last trip to Costco ( for our big Date night) Phil decided to just hold her rather than lug around the really heavy car seat. Half way through the trip he thought about putting her in the front of the cart and she did great. She was riding around in that cart like the Queen of Costco. She was so proud of herself and so were we. I just couldnt' believe she was big enough to sit in the cart like a big girl. It goes too fast...... Somedays.

Daddy Daughter study time

The secret of how to get through finals while having a baby.

WE MADE IT !!!!!

After many long and lonely nights, after days of wondering if my husband was ever, ever going to shut down the computer, after feeling like i had a hermit lodger that would sneak out of his room only to eat dinner, we have finally finished.
I couldn't be more proud of my Philly and all the incredible work he has done. As always, he did it with an ease that makes everything look effortless- all the while knowing what he is doing is near to impossible. He continues to out do himself. We have loved watching him blossom and thrive here- it makes the long and harder days all worth while just to see him so rewarded by his hard work.
It has been an incredibly rewarding year but one that has brought many new challenges for us and we wouldn't have made it with out everyone's support. Thank you all for helping us get through it. We love you. " Life only gives us brief moments of celebration, it is truly a sin if in those moments we don't throw up our voices, laugh, thank god and hold each other. Let your moments of celebration be the landmarks of your days on this earth. "

Catching up on the fun stuff

We have been really lucky to be able to go out and do some fun activities lately. The weather here has been so beautiful the last few weeks that it has been hard to keep me indoors even when it rains- which it does. So i will do a quick run down of some of the funnest adventures that we have been on over that last few weeks.

The Cherry Blossoms

Libby and I went out on an adventure to see the famous Cherry blossoms. It was a huge ordeal getting there but once we did we really enjoyed it. The trees were beautiful and the day was gorgeous. We really enjoyed walking around and taking pictures.
The most interesting thing that day was not the trees though. As we were standing by the shore of the river a stroller got away from a father and rushed down the bank and crashed into the water. Luckily we saw the stroller rushing down the hill fast enough to dive in and grab the baby who seem completley unaffected by the fact that he had just crashed into the Potomac. It took me a good hour for my heart to stop pounding, and to get my breath back. It was every mothers worst nightmare happening in real life. I will never let go of my stroller again. Here are some of my favorite pictures from that day.







The "Spring-Time Egg Find"
We went to a little party given by our apartment complex last week. We were really excited to get Libby all dressed up and show her the Easter bunny for the first time. We got a good laugh when we arrived and found that the real world didn't celebrate Easter anymore- he went expecting an Easter egg hunt and pictures with the Easter bunny and got a picture with Chester Bunny and a Spring Time egg find. Oh well we still had fun.


One of the plastic eggs we found had some gummy bunny teeth- we thought they were a good fit on PhillyLibby was so excited she didn't stop smiling the entire time we were there. I am pretty sure she thought everyone was there to see her.... she was the one in the Bunny ears.

The "Chester bunny" was a bit pathetic- even the kids seemed to noticed that the costume was white but the neck, between the head and the rest of the bunny,was that of a rather large black guy. One of the little kids actually ran up to him and said" Hey Brother, what are you doing in there ".The costume didn't even have eye holes so his little helper would have to position him in the right direction so the little kids could take pictures with him.

The National Zoo
Phil got a pretty big kick out of this sign that was along one of the paths at the zoo. It was a little ironic that the only snowball left in the park just happen to be right under the sign that said " Japanese snowball" - irony or a really low budget exhibit?
Our little birdie


The national Zoo was really quite remarkable especially considering that fact that it was free. It was a really fun trip.

The Smithsonian Trip

One friday I dragged Phil to the American History Museum between classes and reading. It was the first time we had been out to look at the Smithsonians- yeah we have only been here for 8 months- hahah. The highlights of this museum were the original Star spangled banner, the sunken gunboat The Philadephia and the Lincoln top hat. It was a quick trip but it was nice to spend an hour with Phil in the middle of the day and be out in the cityThis boat was really eerie, when I first walked up to it the ominous feeling almost made me hold my breath. Everyone that approached it instantly stopped talking and just starred at it. It really felt like you could just almost see the people still walking around on its deck.