Awesome Blossoms

As I mentioned in the last post, the weather has been so warm and wonderful lately. This has resulted in the cherry blossoms blooming way earlier than normal. Last Friday, I had the day off and temps were predicted to be in the 80s with no rain, so we made our yearly trek down to the Reflecting Pool to check them out. Here's a photo recap of the adventure...

We started by getting VERY lucky and getting a parking spot along Ohio Drive near the river, so we only had to walk across the ball fields to get to the blossoms.

As you can see, it was simply gorgeous out at sunrise.

After making our way around to the Jefferson Memorial, we let P&F out of the stroller to do some exploring. Of course, Fletch made a beeline for the nearest tree. 

And Piper, being Miss Independence, set off on her own.

As did Fletch.

Piper's big discovery of the day was how fun it is to splash in puddles (in brand new, never-been-worn sandals).

She also loved looking at all the blossoms already on the ground.

We then explored the Jefferson Memorial itself. Fletch loved the way his voice sounded in the big, cavernous space. Piper just wanted to make a beeline back to the steps.

After we were done exploring, we stopped to take some more pictures.

We also got some great shots so we could see how big P&F got in the past year. 

Fletch in 2011

Fletch in 2012 (It was really had to get them to look at the camera due to all the ducks, runners, and tourists walking in front of us.)

 Piper in 2011

Piper in 2012

It's amazing how much they've grown in the past year. We also got a great family shot. I love this picture.

If you want to see how we looked as a family in 2011, take a look here.

After our impromptu photo shoot, we finished our walk before Eric had to get to work. 

After Eric left us, Piper, Fletch, and I kept walking and then enjoyed a little snack among the trees.

I then let Piper and Fletch stretch their legs on the ball fields on the way back to the car. They were so happy to play in the muddy field, but they gave me quite a workout. Whew--I was sweating bullets and exhausted chasing them around. This picture pretty much sums up how the playtime went.

After that, it was back in the car and on with our day. We had such an awesome time. The babies (who aren't really babies anymore) really enjoyed themselves and couldn't get enough of pointing out the trees to us, waving at the planes and birds overhead, and smiling at all the people. I can't wait to do it again next year.