family time in DC

Documenting the "fly-by" summer.
Let's see, where was I?

Oh yes, our long weekend in DC.
(the last weekend in June...where has time gone?)

After our picnic in the park Thursday evening and touring DC with the friends on Friday, we caught a marvelous Thai dinner with Uncle Josh and Bethany and crashed hard for the night.

Saturday was a bit more relaxed with a slow start to the morning (M7 style, complete with pancakes in our pajamas) and some park time for the afternoon.

And, following the theme of this trip, this wasn't just any visit to a park.

This afternoon gave us time to catch up with a long time friend and his beautiful daughters.  Ian and Jim go back so far that I'd heard enough stories by the time I met him early in our relationship to feel as if I already knew him.  Seriously, so many recollections started "Jim & I" that the names blended into "Gemini" in my mind.

As the pace of life frequently goes for parents of young kids, our schedules had prevented us from seeing Jim and family for several years...like at least two kids ago for us.  Thankfully after re-introducing the older kids and first time introducing our younger set, conversation fell back into place as if it had been just last week the guys had been face to face instead of nearly three years.

Once all wiggles had been expended, and enough conversation had been exchanged to cover the past several years, we headed back to Grandpa's house where Uncle Josh and Bethany treated us to a homemade lasagna dinner.

Sunday was filled again with family time...this time in the form of more China family.  We attended church with DQ's sweet friend E and her family.  And what's church if you don't follow it up with lunch afterward?

Dress-up clothes came out and little princesses flitted by as the grown-ups chatted in the kitchen during meal prep.  The boys were engrossed in cars and trains left over from E's big brother's childhood days.  Conversation flowed easily over the dining room table punctuated by the sounds of giggles at the kitchen area table full of children.  We had a delightful afternoon that, as time always does with this sweet family, flew by all too fast.

And then we found ourselves hugging goodbye, promising visits between our families as soon as we could make it happen.

one last hug between China sisters

With commitments back in NC calling, we stopped by to gather our belongings and toss hugs around the necks of the kids' Uncle Josh and Bethany.

We're not sure, but we think we saw them sinking into the couches as we left, wondering exactly what had hit the house for the past 72 hours.  Until next time DC metro area and folks we love...