four years for four boys

once upon a time a man asked his wife and four boys if they were up for an adventure. a resounding yes led to what can only be described as the wildest 4 year field trip this family of 6 ever took.

it started here...

so we made a fun list. things we hoped to see and do whilst we lived in the mid-atlantic. and even though we had no idea how long we would live in this small town, we kind of felt like it would not be for forever. 

and then george washington invited us to sit on his back porch.

so once our feet made landfall, we snapped to it. ticking things off that infamous fun list-and having the most amazing time along the way.

boy did we make the most of the time.

i hate that i don't write in a daily journal. sitting still is not my strong suit. but i never go anywhere without a camera. 

the brothers utley became junior rangers

and mama enjoyed a cocktail...

whilst pops biked the c&o canal

charlie unearthed his hipster self and...

worked on mastering the self portrait.

we chased down where francis scott key wrote that infamous poem.

as well as spent many hours in our backyard, renamed the eastern forest.

whilst mama drank and..

charlie began drama team. 

we visited the bloodiest civil war site

and caroled in a baltimore pub...

and started a family business.

mama found solace at the yoga studio.

and we welcomed a new family member....

and buried another one...

and welcomed another. 

all along, taking time to smell the flowers.

and enjoying the view.

maintaining boundaries...

whilst falling in love with baking...

and this dazzling supermarket.

making lots of colorful friends...

and learning about potato chips...

cheering pops on as he walked the entire md section of the a.t. in one day-that's 43 miles.

and driving up to philly to see the dead sea scrolls.

we observed this boy fall in love for the first time-with science.

and once we did all that was on our list, we decided it was time to go home. all adventures must come to an end.

much like mama's cocktail...

and ours ends here. 

four years for four boys. it's almost like we lived here so that each boy could have his fill. his year to wander about, learning and exploring, adventuring until the next one finds us. and speaking of next.

next stop, nashville.

xo,

gf