Pictures from DC

We loved Washington DC!!!The Gaylord National (great name, right!?!)
was our resort & it was beautiful! The kids
spent a ton of time on our balcony watching
the dancing water show 14 floors down.
You can't tell in this picture, but
the Potomac River is right behind them!

On our first day, we toured Arlington Cemetery
and Mount Vernon (above). I would rate those
two places as my favorites! George Washington
was an amazing man and he was a lot of fun to
learn more about. Even the kids loved Mt. Vernon!

The kids loved the kids center at the
Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. There
were so many hands-on centers and Ty
loved all of the space shuttles and air
planes. I think this was Sydney's favorite!

Without question, the Natural History Museum
was Ty's favorite! He ran around like a kid
in a candy store. Everywhere you turned, there
was another incredible thing just waiting to be
discovered. The lions and the
3D Dinosaur IMAX were his favorites!

We got to tour the US Capitol, which
was fascinating! The architecture is
truly stunning, as are the statues within!

One day, we parked near the Washington
Monument and when we came back, our car
was gone! My sister (who lived there while doing
her student teaching) had warned us about the
lack of parking. No one warned us about the
4:00 cut off! We were so happy to have found
a spot. That made for one cold, crazy car search!
One taxi, and at least $100 later,
we got our SUV back!

I have a million adorable pictures that I will
spread out throughout the next week. I hope
you enjoy a glimpse into our amazing trip!!!

Washington DC...here we come!!!

Laminated itineraries in hand....
We are off to
Washington DC!Yes, I am a bit of an overly compulsive
planner when it comes to our family vacations!
Notice the detailed file folder with educational
'Did you know' fun facts for each monument we
visit. I had fun searching for these facts...
many of which will amaze my husband, let
alone my kids! I'll share some with you
after our trip along with some of our
photos. This is Sydney's 1st trip as a
photographer. Let's see if she can beat me
shot for shot! The game is on!!!

We are set with drinks to freeze at
the hotel, along with sugary snacks to
keep us going in the cold. Sydney got that
cute owl bag to hold her camera and Ty
got a travel art set for the plane.

Are we ready or what!?!
See you next week!

How cool is this?!?

Sydney sent her first fan mail

and actually got a response!!!
We all love Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda in Wicked)!
Sydney sings her songs at the top of her lungs all
the time. I'm going to surprise her with this
after school today.....on the way to voice lessons!
How appropriate! This little 9 year olds Christmas
wish just came true! Thanks, Kristin!!!

Not me!!!

Just in case you read the comments
on my other posts....I am here to clear
things up! Callie, I AM NOT PREGNANT!

My brave (and crazy) older sister
just announced that she is expecting
baby #5! Yep, 5! She is an incredible
mom and that is one (or 2) lucky
baby(ies). The kids are hoping for
twins! Isn't that one gorgeous family!!!
CONGRATS OPENSHAWS!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Now for the coincidence of all coincidences...
I was going through some old photos and
happened upon a poem I wrote in high
school. I fancied it up a bit, but can you
believe how fitting this poem is?
Click on it to enlarge.

I truly believe that Jason and I picked
one another in heaven. I also believe
that nicks made by the thorns of
roses heal over time. I will gladly
Stop and Smell the Roses today!
HAPPY VALENTINE"S DAY!

Valentine's Fun!

I love holidays! Any excuse to bake
makes me very happy! So...sit back, relax,
and enjoy our Valentine goodness!These are delicious Red Velvet Cupcake Cookies!
The picture may be deceiving, but they are
huge! Truly the size of a cupcake!!!

Even using a cookie cutter on the typical
PB&J makes life a little sweeter!

Ty was the only one allowed to bring
baked goods to school this year. I spent
a full day in the kitchen for these, but
aren't they adorable!?! Yummy, too!

Now, for Sydney we had to get creative. No
baking :0( so we made individual book marks.
They are giant sized paper clips with
fabric covered buttons. CUTE!

Girls were girly
and boys were
boyie (my new word).

------------>
doesn't that
look like Ty!?!

Jr. High is the perfect Candy Heart age.
We tried to liven them up a bit by adding
these Twilight Valentine's....for the girls only!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
FROM THE STEWARTS!

It's about time!!!

It may not seem like a lot
of snow to you, but our school
declared it a SNOW DAY!!!Ty still had preschool, but the girls got
to spend the day being lazy and getting
ready for Valentine's Day. Sedona is such
a beautiful place, and even prettier in the snow!

It's a day to celebrate!

2 years and 4 months ago, we decided to

put this beautiful house on the market and
move to Southern California to be near my
family and the beautiful ocean. Well, don't get
too excited for me....things change and houses
don't sell, businesses change, and friends are made.
As of today, our sweet little house is no longer on
the market. We didn't sell, but have decided to
be happy where we are. We are going to try adding
on an additional bedroom, bathroom, and office.
I am so excited to have a house that doesn't
have to be showing ready at the drop of
a hat! Let's take a moment to celebrate and
just be grateful for the little things (even if that
includes a house you outgrew nearly 4 years
ago when the baby was born).

I love faces!

3 years have flown by since
this picture was taken. Ty Bradley
will be 4 on March 18th. I wish I could
keep him young...but I know he has a great
life ahead of him. Enjoy this glimpse of the
past that I uploaded for