Riser's third birthday

Riser turned THREE last week! On one morning that Bonnie was in school, I took him to Build a Bear to make his birthday bear. I offered to get him some sort of accessory to go with it but he said he just wanted the bear, my kind of date. 

Last picture with our two year old, hah!

One thing I love about Riser is he gets SO excited about everything! The morning of his birthday was no different. He couldn't believe the decorations, he loved telling people to sing to him, and reminding us all over and over again it's his birthday (as if we didn't know). 

That morning he opened presents and had muffins for breakfast. 

We then met up with some friends at the trampoline park. It turned out to be a good crowd, he had so much fun and felt so loved!

Even Grandma came, which was such a treat!

The boys ended up 'playing' the arcade games with no money, and spent a surprisingly long time doing so.

We brought cupcakes to share, and sang to the birthday boy.

That afternoon after a much needed rest, mom and Dave came over for pizza and cake. 

Not sure if you can tell - he requested a lion (which means dino in his language) cake. It didn't look like much, but it tasted good.

It was a fun-filled day with a lot of his favorite things and people! This boy's life is such a gift to us. We love you so much Riser!

Luray

Eric and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary at the end of last month. So far we have been able to keep up with the tradition of getting away for a night or two. My mom has been so amazing to offer to watch the kids for us, and they absolutely love the Grandma time. This year we went to Luray! We drove up Saturday morning after Bonnie's soccer game. Since we couldn't check in until 4, we went straight to one of the hikes we planned out, Pass Mountain and Appalachian Loop. 

It was cold but we warmed up quickly and it was well worth it! Being on Skyline drive brought back so many memories of college where my friends and I camped and hiked this area relatively frequently. 

The Airbnb we rented was beautiful. Very new, great views, and everything was so upscale. It had a hot tub/cold plunge, heated floors and towel racks, fancy appliances like an espresso maker, luxury shower products, etc. It was very well thought-out. 

View from the hot tub/fire pit.

We were able to watch the sunset out the window.

After our hike and getting checked in, we didn't have a dinner reservation until later that night so we relaxed at the cabin and went in the hot tub for a bit. 

We went to Chop House for dinner which is supposed to be a local farm to table restaurant. 

The food was fantastic and it's rare I get an uninterrupted meal with this guy. He's pretty great.

The next morning we took it slow, enjoyed some breakfast and coffee before checking out. 

Benny collected some rocks, as usual.

Then we were off to Luray Caverns! I had been once as a kid but I don't really remember it, so it all felt new to me. It was so incredible, we could have stayed so much longer. It felt like trying to wrap my mind around space, except millions of years underground. 

Below are some of the reflecting pools that look just like a crystal clear mirror.

The stalactites and stalagmites were massive, and they only grown one inch per 120 years. So incredible to witness them and try to imagine how long they've been here.

Titania's Veil

It was a quick but wonderful trip. We were excited to get back to the kids, and I think Grandma was ready for a nap! Thank you for making this possible!