We headed back to DC earlier this month for my grandfather’s 85th birthday. We wouldn’t normally make the drive twice in a month’s time, but we really wanted to make sure we were there. I’m so glad we went; we enjoyed the party and seeing family, as well as spending time with my brother, Josh, and his family.
Speaking of my brother’s family…check out this little chunker! I got to babysit my nephew, Jack, for an hour or so while Andrew and my brother were out shopping, and his mom was helping decorate for the party. He’s eight months old and loves to eat!
My Grandpa Jimmy has a big party every five years at the The Harbour Grille in Woodbridge, near where he lives. It’s where he used to keep his boat, and this year’s theme was red, white and blue. Good thing those are also the Buffalo Bills’ colors–automatic outfits!
My mom and her siblings, as well as Grandpa’s wife, Cathy, did a great job decorating. The food was delicious and I wish we’d had more time to stay and visit. Maelle loved the balloons and music the most.
That evening, after the babies went to bed, Andrew and I and Josh and Hannah went out on a double date! We headed to Crossroads Tabletop Tavern, a board-game place in Old Town Manassas, where we ended up playing Codenames (one of the only games I really like) and having a great time together.
One thing I do enjoy about going south in the spring (either to Ohio, Pennsylvania or Virginia), is being able to enjoy some warmer weather. I’m always amazed at the greenery and flowers I see coming up, while we still have snow on the ground at home. The following day was even nicer than the day before, so I went on a run outside, followed by a ‘driveway’ picnic lunch and family car wash. The 75-degree temps and sun felt so good on my skin, as well as washing away all that salt build-up on my car. Maelle really loved scrubbing!
After her nap, we all took a walk to the playground in my parents’ neighborhood. Maelle loves to play there during our visits. She’s gotten into climbing up the tube all by herself.
We said goodbye to Josh, Hannah and baby Jack, and enjoyed a quiet night of pizza-making with my parents before Maelle headed to bed. We capped off the night with our usual: a new British TV show.
The next morning, we said our goodbyes and hit the road. Unfortunately, our drive back to Buffalo (10 hours!?) took much longer than our drive down (only 7.5 hours!). We had some longer stops, one of the better ones being our favorite playground in Gettysburg. Other than an outfit change related to not one BUT TWO falls in the mud and getting caught in the rain, we had a nice time stretching our legs.
We’re already looking forward to seeing Grandpa and Nana (and Jag and Scooter!) again soon!
thehealthypineapple 
Happy 85th!!
It was a terrific weekend!