Happy New Year!

We're back from Virginia and visiting my parents, and I am beyond glad to be back in my own bed. I didn't grow up being quite so wimpy, but now I've got my lil' contoured pillow... and other people's pillows just aren't cutting it anymore. Carter had a great time up in Gladstone, and yelled at us heartily when we told him it was time to say goodbye after 3 great days.

There was still a little snow unmelted here and there, which encouraged Uncle Freeman to make snowballs. Freeman and Carter got along very well, because Freeman wasn't afraid to get down on Carter's level and play with him. That, and Freeman plays guitar and sings. If you can make music, Carter's going to like you. All I have to do if I want Carter to come running is break into song. He'll be right underfoot, clapping his hands together for more.

I told Carter this clothesline was a zipline. We had great fun "sliding" back and forth between trees.

...We had to tag the tree on each end before turning around and zipping off in the other direction.

While Carter took a nap, we left Grandma in charge and took a walk down by the James River, which my childhood home overlooks. No, (newly minted) Aunt Kate and Uncle Sawyer didn't throw Freeman in the river right afterwards, because if they did, we'd have pictures of a sopping wet and enraged Uncle Freeman chasing everyone around a field.

Oh, and we're all wearing those colors because it was the last day of hunting season and every other local was out with a six-pack and a rifle trying to bag one last deer for the year.