Our Boy

We went to the big ultrasound on Monday and we saw our sweet little boy. It was so fun to see him moving around, kicking his legs and waving his arms. Looks like he's going to be very active, like Heber.

Why have I waited all the way until Friday to write about this? Well, it's been a rough week here.

They found something on the ultrasound that took the magic right out of the moment. The radiologist was filled with scary things about what it could be. I am convinced that radiologists are not known for their people skills. To hear those words made us so sad. We want our little one to be happy and healthy.

We had to wait until Wednesday to see another doctor who was filled with much more positive news. Apparently it's common and something that will most likely be ok but we'll go through more doctor visits and tests. I think it's going to be just fine but it's not what you want to hear.

We're so excited and keep looking at the pictures over and over. I love him already. So, I'm going to do something I swore I would never do. Yes, I'm revealing a picture on the blog. Just don't start asking for belly pics because that is REALLY never happening.

Seeing the Sites

What have we been doing since moving to VA? Well, we've become regular tourists. On any weekend, you'll find us slathered in sunscreen, in our walking shoes, braving the heat and humidity at some site. The bad thing about this is that summer is the time of year when tourists flock to the city (and I mean flock), making for very busy destinations.

When I lived here before, I did a lot of site seeing. I'd wander out to pretty much anywhere the metro would take me. But, I never lived here in the summer and I must say the heat and humidity are crazy out here.

Now, we want to see it all again, this time to discover it together. It is so much better with Heber. Pretty much everything is, but this especially is.

Last week we spent Saturday with Carrie and Todd (visiting cousins) visiting the Mall and all the memorials on bikes. I'm telling you, this is the way to see them. We did not get one picture all together. What were we thinking? But here we are at one of my favorite sites, the Lincoln Memorial. Every time I go there, I still feel in awe. It takes me back to being here before. Some nights, I'd get off work and walk over just to sit on the steps and think.

Heb at the World War II Memorial

We went out to visit Mount Vernon - another of my favorite sites. They have this green dining room that I just love. George Washington really was a great man and I like to go out and see how he lived.

A highlight was seeing the Memorial Day parade in DC. I just feel so patriotic here. There are so many things that remind us to be grateful for the freedoms we have.

Here's one of the groups...

Another highlight was visiting the Eastern Market. A great little place with so many interesting vendors and items to buy. I think I could spend every Saturday there.

So there's just a few pictures. I could list so many more, Old Town Alexandria, Historic Occoquan, the Air and Space Museum....I get tired just thinking of them all. We've loved living so close to these interesting places to visit. Maybe you should come out and join us.

Donning the Caps

What do you do when you finish something really big, go to Disneyland, of course. I mean, who hasn't seen the football player who just accomplished his life goal make that exclamation?

So that's exactly what Heber and I did when we finished grad school, a whole Disneyland post coming soon. I know this is slightly overdue (or maybe way overdue) but we had a lot on our plate with the move and it's something I'd like to remember, that's exactly how I'm going to justify this late post.

Heber and I have been in school forever. Ok, not so long for me with a few years break in between but for Heber it has been the whole time we have been married. And that's a looong time. He went straight through from undergrad to grad and even muscled through some summers. It has been a big deal for us to get through it. It meant late nights, gobs of stress, having our brain somewhere else and jumping through all the hoops that is higher education. But, we're done. Finally.

I don't write this for congratulations or praise, just relief that it's over and done. Now, every night we look at each other and feel like we should be studying something or stressing over some assignment. We don't really know what to do with ourselves or even how to interact with people who aren't students. All the people here in VA can attest to that.

We proudly donned our incredibly ugly caps and gowns (really, who came up with those and thought they were such a good idea?) and went through the ceremony of receiving our degrees. I think you should always participate in commencement, no matter how boring, it completes the experience.

Our families who braved the ceremonies. Yes, I know my hat looks nerdy. In all that time, not one person mentioned that I looked like a loser with the hat.
The Lawrence's with Grandma Barbara

The Green's

Lunch at our house

My nephews (miss them so much!)

And the proud graduates. Who would of thought we'd share a cap and gown picture.

The Parable of the Bonsai

A few days ago, Hebs and I braved the ghettos and went out to the National Arboretum. As surprising as it sounds, there are actually some pretty bad parts of DC. The main goal for the day was to see their collection of bonsai trees.

Bonsai are fascinating. They are small trees that have been trimmed and trained to be a certain size and shape. These trees are sometimes cultivated for years, no generations. We saw one that had been cultivated since 1625. Unbelievable.

These little trees are testaments of someone's dedicated work and effort to create something beautiful. There were many that were a couple of hundreds years old (not so unbelieveable in comparison to the 1625 but imagine all of the people who dedicatedly watered and trained that plant over several hundred years). I'm pretty sure that if I had been in charge, it would have died. I'm not so good at watering plants.

I was pretty blown away by the whole exhibit. It got me thinking. Bonsai are like me. Over a lifetime, I am gradually training and growing and becoming something beautiful. It doesn't happen all at once and may be uncomfortable in the process but if I keep trying, at some point, I'll become the what I was meant to be.

Let's take this redwood bonsai as an example. When I think of redwoods, I picture huge trees, right? Well, this is a redwood that has been trained to remain a tiny version of the massive giants. Under the careful hand of a master, it was trained into the master's vision.

I think I may be in one of those uncomfortable times. It's not so fun picking up your life to start over again but a part of me knows that this is where we are supposed to be. I'm not so sure yet what I'm supposed to be doing but I'll just keep moving along and trusting that there is a purpose and an ultimate plan. It's been hard, coming to a new place and not knowing a soul. Let's hope for the best.

The News You've All Been Waiting For....

For almost six years it's been Heber and I and we have loved it. Together we've traveled, killed ourselves in school/work/life, and loved each other through it all. We've embarked on a huge adventure in moving to Virginia and I guess we thought we'd make it even bigger.

Well, the big news is that we're expecting. A new little Green babe will be joining us in November.

We couldn't be happier.

We broke the news to our families on Easter weekend. Easter happens to be one of my favorite times of year. I love the family parties in Ophir canyon, the soft fuzzy decorations and of course the candy.


Granny Barbs, Mom L, Me and Carly. Isn't little Ryder so cute!!

We are all doing great and even felt the baby move a couple of days ago. We're thrilled.

Saying Goodbye

We said goodbye to Logan a few weeks ago. How I have missed the internet.

How do you say goodbye to a place that has brought so many good things into my life? With a snowcone, of course. And, other things too, I guess.

I walked around campus and visited all the old haunts. I wrapped up things at the office and returned all my library books (quite glamorous). I stopped to take a shot of this.

It's a mail box. It's the one where Heb and I would write letters to each other while he served. I loved looking inside and seeing an envelope from him. Who doesn't like getting mail from someone you love? There are a thousand places like this. Where we met, where we fell in love, where we got engaged, our first home, first real jobs, my Inisfre Irish Dance group. It's hard to leave it all behind.

In the last few days, I tried to make some time for old friends.

Tami and her kiddos

The Quinney Library Girls. Both ready for big adventures!

The Celtic Girls


Me and Janette at the Dance Review

My Irish class that has been together all these years. I miss you all!!

I made one last stop at my favorite place to eat, Great Harvest Bread, and had "the pilgrim" with Heber.


The big truck pulled into town and the loading began. Thank goodness for friends and family to help make the process a bit easier. We packed all the boxes and shipped it across the country and now I am in Virginia. It feels weird to say that.

To wrap up, we had our last snow cone from the best shack ever, really, and I take my snowcones seriously. It's the one in the Hastings parking lot. Were I not far, far away, you could probably find me waiting in line for one of those babies. So, if you pass by the snowcone shack, please stop by and have one for me!