Cherry Blossoms 2013

When in DC in the spring, go see the cherry blossoms!

So we're really hoping that having a child in the photo in the near future will distract from just how goofy/awkward his father looks.

Baby bump!

Overheard one child ask her parent, "Is that the White House?" 

For those of you who are unfamiliar, that's TJ's house.

Maybe if we keep taking shots he'll eventually remember how to stand normal?

I guess this will have to do...

Beautiful sunset or over-processed photo - you be the judge!

One more baby bump!

National Treasure Trip

We took a short trip up to the City of Brotherly Love as a birthday weekend/baby-moon. There have been far more tourists then car chases, which comes as a surprise to anyone who has seen National Treasure.

Texas Baby Showers

We're back! After a long break from blogging, we're gonna give this another shot. Why, you might ask? Well, we're pregnant! And what better reason to have a blog than to share all those baby photos?  With that in mind, here are a few pictures from this past weekend when we returned to Texas for a pair of showers hosted by excited grandmothers, family, and friends!

 Jessica and Mary Bryant

 The cake was almost too cute to eat...almost.

 The youngest attendee at either shower enjoying Jessica's old desk, furniture more her size.

Jessica and Papa

 The entries in the "make a baby out of clay" shower game.

 Two of Jessica's cousins, Julie and Angie.

 Future longhorn!

Mine!

 Cake!

 Who has a stinky face?

 Nothing makes a hormonal woman tear up like a handmade quilt for her future child. Actually, scratch that...everything makes a hormonal woman tear up, especially a handmade quilt for her future child.

 More homemade items, more crying!

He's not even born and already William's clothes have been hung out to dry.

 Party favors.

The amazing cake!

More party favors. As one guest commented as she left with all the loot, "I feel like this was my baby shower!"

This is Jessica, pictured here with Mary Dunne, Justin's middle school friend who is also to thank for the amazing hand-crafted cookies and cake.

 A special one-of-a-kind cookie that matched the mother-to-be's outfit.

In case you didn't catch it, the party had an animal theme. To coordinate, the inside of the cake was zebra striped.

Memorial Day Weekend at the Mall

For Memorial Day weekend we decided to go down and visit some of our nation's most famous memorials. Unfortunately, our trip was cut short due to rain, but here are a few shots we did get.

4 Seconds, F22, ISO 100

We got there just as the sun was setting, and Justin brought his tripod. He was shooting in RAW, which takes in more information. It also requires editing, so feel free to share any of your specific observations on the editing!

2 seconds, F16, ISO 200

We went around to the backside of the Lincoln Memorial to get away from the crowds.

 All around the top of the Memorial are the states, and we found Texas!

We also got a shot of the crowds, just in case you didn't believe us.

1/60 second, F5.6, ISO 800

The moon was also out, so we got a shot.

0"3 Second, F3.5 ISO 200

There is something great about the color of the sky after the sun has set but before it is completely dark. It would probably be easier to just say, "I like the light at dusk," but whatever.

We also managed to make our way over to the Korean War Memorial, but we were not the first people to stop by. 

It's tough to shoot a reflection at night, but given all the light everywhere you can make out the American flag in the water.

Countless roses were lined around the Memorial, but the best rose was the one who stood still just long enough to make an impression on the upper right of this long-exposure picture.

Although slightly out of focus, this photo captures the haunting effect the Memorial has, with the statues seeming to work their way across the scene. A very chilling reminder of what has happened and is still going on today.

National Arboretum

We made it out to the National Arboretum this weekend, and there is something about Justin being around plants that makes him want to take close-up photos.

While the cherry blossoms are gone, there are plenty of other plants providing color. Here's a shot of an ornamental citrus tree.

Yes, roses from the florist are beautiful. But there is something quite unique about the blooms found in nature.

The coloring on these petals, particularly on the inside, is probably a secret code that only the pollinating bugs can see...

 Scary flower!

A flowering tree.

The Arboretum has an impressive banzai collection, but none of its trees were as impressive as this one, which has been "in training since 1625."

Deeply colored blooms are pretty... rare.

Beautiful water lilies dotted the surface of one of the ponds at the Arboretum, which contained lots of hungry koi.

These columns may seem better suited for a Greek Isle, but they actually used to be part of the U.S. Capitol. When the building was renovated and expanded in the early 1950s, these pillars went into storage, until someone had the bright idea to pull them out and display them here at the Arboretum.

We all know about this one... the flowers and the bees...wait, that's birds and bees, never mind.

But definitely the best photos we got pictured more than just flowers...

"A petal she blows!"

Even as we walked among all the trees of cherry blossoms, it was apparent they were not going to last long. With the wind blowing, the petals seemed to cover as much of the ground in some areas as the trees.



In some places the petals stuck everywhere. Think a six-year-old working on an art project with glitter and glue.



Moving target? Challenge accepted.



Of course, we had to get a shot of the Jefferson Memorial in one of the photos.



In some areas, the petals were so deep, it looked like a late snow. Which got me thinking...



Now it really looks like snow!



It looked like it wasn't just petals in the air. Nothin' like a little spring fever, AKA love.