Karen's Wedding, Caitlyn's Visit & West Virginia

It has been a little while since I have had a chance to blog. It seems Tony may have given it up entirely, but I am sure he will make a reappearance at some point. We have had a busy summer which is nearing its close here in Virginia. But before we headed back to school, we had some fun with friends and family. Tony went to two weddings back to back, one in L.A. on Sat Aug 8th and then one in New York on the 9th. He accomplished this by taking the red-eye flight between the two cities. All were impressed with his traveling skills. I was a bridesmaid for my good friend Karen and here in the pic below you can see a few of the bridemaids enjoying our time getting ready for the wedding together. We were all competing to see who could be the best bridesmaid. Karen had points she was giving or taking away based on our actions... it was hilarious and I still think I won, though Erica definitely threw in some sabotage techniques to try to take me down... haha :)

We had the rehearsal for the beautiful outdoor wedding a few hours before the event. Karen's little cousins were learning how to walk down the isle. The only way we got the little guy down the isle was to tell him he was a pirate carrying an important treasure to bring to the bride and groom. He was very cute!

In between pictures and the ceremony...

We all excitedly waited for the ceremony!

And then we danced all night long! Here is a pic of my parents and Karen's parents. They all went to college together at the University of Bridgeport and that is how our family friendship began. It was great to see everyone and enjoy such a beautiful wedding together.

We got home Monday to a beautiful surprise! Well not really a surprise, but Jen, Matt, and Caitlyn were driving through and stayed the night at our house!

We had a fantastic dinner on the pier at Ocean View restaurant and enjoyed the evening after a really hot day. Caitlyn was all smiles and laughs and I was very proud to watch her roll over and over and over again! It is amazing how fast she is growing!

Then came school! Tony is loving his job as graduate assistant at Old Dominion. Part of his job is to train college students to be trip leaders and he co-lead a week long training where they did rock climbing, backpacking, canoeing and kayaking. All the students love him and he is making quite an impression on the faculty. He found out he received A's on the classes he took this summer and is off to a good start. He has three classes this semester.

I found out late in the game that I was awarded a graduate fellowship which just about covered my tuition with the student loan money I received. So I decided to go for it and enroll in the 2 year program instead of 3 year at Norfolk State University. It means that I am working 20 hours/week, taking 4 classes, and participating in a practicum for 15 hours/week. It is busy, but I am loving it! I am shadowing the school social worker at a title 1 elementary school in Virginia Beach. I am absolutely where I am supposed to be as far as my education which feels really good.

After two weeks of classes we took a rare opportunity for a three day labor day weekend break.
We hopped in the car on Friday afternoon with a few maps and ended up in the Mongehela National Forest just over the border into West Virginia. It was beautiful, woodsy, hilly, and much cooler than the coast. We enjoyed a great hike and 30 mile bike ride and did homework by the campfire. It was great! Here are some pics...

We caught sight of a river otter right here swimming up to his home.

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend!