{toms}

Today a package came, inside was this box:

I was excited. My first pair of toms.

Here is the thing about toms...you buy a pair, and A child in need gets a pair. Rocks.

And with the purchase of this particular pair, toms teamed up with another charity I love to build clean water wells in Africa. Rocks again.

{love}

Get yourself some toms today! {did I mention they are amazingly comfy?!}

Finding Me.

{by, anne swanson}
In this day and age with so many working moms, and women doing more than they ever have, being a stay-at-home mom seems, well, like it isn't enough. {read more HERE}

day 4: {WashingtonDC}

On Friday {day 4}, I had to wake up and pack the car. I was debating between taking the boys to a museum in Baltimore or the National mall...knowing we needed to be back by 2:30 as Justin would be done with his conference.
The National Mall in DC won. We checked out of the hotel and headed to the train station.

Max, Evan and I on the train.
Maxwell right after we got off train. Capital in background. National Museum of History on left, and Smithsonian castle on right.

Evan in front of the Washington Monument.
Then we walked to the WWII monument, walked the length of the reflecting pool{which alone is nearly half a mile} to the Lincoln Memorial.

Then we turned around and started back towards the National Mall.
It was SO gorgeous out. About 75 and SO sunny.

Then we caught a glimpse of the White House...which we hope to actually tour someday.

THEN!!! Then, we were stopped by police while they cleared the streets of cars and people. Nobody was allowed to cross. Soon came several police cars, then motorcyles, then a HUGE parade of black, SUV's Vans, ambulance, and more police. { I swore the sun shown right on Obama and I saw him through the tinted glass, but alas who could beleive me? Just like the time I talked to Usher}

I was so excited I couldn't even take a decent picture.

We headed in to the Museum of Natural History {Night at the Museum filmed there...so cool..and a cute movie} checked it out a bit and had a quick snack before running back to the Metro to get back to pick up Justin by 2:30.



A great morning in DC.

National Zoo, DC {day 3}: meeting Danielle, her twin boys and baby girl

On Thursday, after battling traffic and a GPS that said I'd be in traffic for another hour and a half when I was supposed to be meeting Danielle and her kids at the zoo in a half hour I saw a sign for the Metro and went for it.
I got a parking spot at the very tip-top of the parking garage and hauled the boys and a stroller down three flights of stairs. We bought our tickets I grabbed a map and we headed up to the train platform, got on board and set out to the zoo.

We finally made it and bet up with Danielle her boys; Duncan and Owen, and new baby girl, Sophia.




Evan, Duncan and Owen were non-stop...the whole day.

max.


Evan checking out the pandas.


Danielle showing the boys this crazy bird {it was quite loud too!}


there are A LOT of shots like this one.

finally, one of all of the boys {minus liam and sophia who were sleeping} all looking

...and last but not least a quick shot of Danielle and I before we parted ways.

So great to meet you and your family {minus Josh} Danielle! Finally! After all these years, and I appreciate you even more now that we've met in real life!:}

day 2 : {meeting amy & her boys} Washington DC

Wednesday the boys and I drove to just north of Washington to meet my newest blog friend Amy. She and our {6} SIX boys drove to downtown DC and went to the building museum, took the boys to the current exhibit of legos complete with building area where the oldest 4 built while we tried to keep the babes from licking the floors :)
{These pictures are just outside the museum}

luca{18 months}&liam{22 months}

evan{4}& xan{4}

these two...instant buds.

max{6} & david {8}

don't you love how cooperative liam & luca were?


6 boys!

And lastly, a quick shot of amy & I {ages unknown}.

so great to meet you AMY! It was a great day, felt like we'd been friends forever, and I love how our boys instantly bonded. Let's do it again soon!

interrupting trip details to tell you...

I'm offically an acutal, legit, for real, Aunt.

{photo credit Beth Hornyak[Jennie's Mother]}

Lucy Louise Wojciechowski
born 10.8.2010
born at 7:32 am{central time}
6lb. 6 oz. {what is up with that? I have these massive babies, and my brother who was 10lbs. 5oz. at birth has this little peanut?!!}
Congrats Alec and Jennie!! LOVE you. Can't wait to meet Lucy!!

Maryland {day 1} :Baltimore

Last week, the boys and I tagged along with Justin as he headed to Frederick, Maryland for a conference while we had a nice holiday away. We sure missed having him around most of the week, but we did a lot and had a wonderful time.
{I also met three {3} blog friends for the first time in real life, and they were all so great...more about that to come!}

Day 1 we headed to downtown Baltimore and visited the Science center.

The boys had a great time, and I wish I had taken more than a handful of pictures and that we had the energy{and it could have been a few degrees warmer} to explore more. But we did have fun at the harbor.