Great Falls

We've been wanting to see Great Falls since the last time we lived in DC, but never got around to it until Brandon happened to have a Saturday free of work last weekend.

Our day consisted of waterfall viewing...


...and trying to teach Kiddo the difference between hiking and running.



Kiddo made this last pose without any influence from us. Does it look familiar?

There's probably dozens of pictures of Brandon like it somewhere on this blog, including this classic from the second post we ever wrote, May 2006. Our boy's a chip off the old block!

The Price of Admission

For at least a few states, the last step in order to be admitted to the Bar is to fly to whereever you are to be admitted into, have an interview, and be sworn in. Even though Brandon passed the NY Bar exam a year ago, he had yet to take the final step of being sworn in. It's still a required step before you become officially admitted to the Bar, so last week we flew to Albany.

We checked into our hotel and then walked up to Empire State Plaza to find THE ANNUAL FOOD FESTIVAL! More than 50 booths selling food from places like Germany, Jamaica, and Peru. We listened to O'Death perform while eating kabobs and crepes and shakes. I regret that we were too full to buy the alligator nuggets. Curse our weak eating skills!

Kiddo was a trooper while we wandered around the city. Albany has some really beautiful architecture and has done a great job of keeping the buildings usable.

The next day was mostly waiting around for Brandon's interview (I'm using that word very loosely, since the man that talked with Brandon told him it was merely a formality) and then waiting around for Brandon to be sworn in. The actual swearing in consisted of all of the applicants standing in a group and then repeating after the official. It took about two minutes.

Who's that hot guy in the back? Oh wait!


Post-swearing in: It's over!


We were attempting to get Kiddo to stand by the flags for a picture by himself so that in 25 years, when he's being sworn in for something, we can look back and say, "See? You've been preparing for this day your whole life!" But I think he'd rather be a rock star.

The rest of our time in Albany was spent going to the State museum, wandering around the city, swimming, eating food nowhere near as good as what we had at the Food Fest, and lounging around the hotel.

Undoubtedly, Kiddo's favorite part of the trip was during the layover on our flight home. The police officer in the airport let Kiddo ride and steer the police cart and play with his crazy powerful flashlight. Our little boy was in heaven, and no longer wants to be a rock star. Now he's going to be a police officer.

Philly-licious

We met our friends, Baxter and Gwen, in Philadelphia a week ago to check out the city.

We ate "authentic" cheese steak sandwiches with Cheez Whiz.

We walked down one of the oldest neighborhoods in America.

We saw Benjamin Franklin's grave from the outside the cemetery (I stuck my camera through the fence to take this picture) because we were too cheap to go inside.

We saw the Liberty Bell.

We ate ice cream.


We saw the US Mint...

...and Independence Hall.

We were exhausted.

Thanks for the good time B & G!

Now That We're Famous...

Things have really changed for us now that we're celebrities. For those of you who have never experienced stardom, let me explain how our lives and mindsets have been altered:

• I have a greater sense of entitlement because I am important. I am in a magazine.
• Of course complete strangers know who I am, but I have (thankfully) yet to be asked for an autograph. Fans can be so intrusive.
• While waiting in line at the grocery store, I altruistically turn all of the Southern Living Magazines to page 28 so as to save my fans the trouble.
• I am waiting for that phone call or email asking us for a modeling/movie/book/reality show deal. For $20,000 an episode, we might be willing to have 7 more kids.
• I check the mail a lot because I know people are going to send us money for free like we're rock stars.

And just to remind you why we're famous (not that you need another reminder):