friends and passports

the week after christmas was filled with friends. we are so very blessed.

monday we went downtown (to DC) with another family. they have 7 kids. so we were quite a scene.

we went to the Botanic Gardens (free) to their train exhibit that they have every december.

we LOVE this crew!!

then drove to the National Zoo, had a picnic dinner, and walked around the zoo for "Zoo Lights" - it was amazing! (and stressful. i'm usually not worried about my kids getting lost, but in the DARK it was stressful. i was a basketcase by the end...)

the next morning, rebekah and joshua had appts to get their passports renewed. more (much more!) on THAT later. but can i just say that process is the HARDEST process to navigate? makes me NUTS! but we got it done. barely. (can you see them both through the window??)

they look so scary!! :/

that night i drove to meet Chari for dinner! she lives in NC, but was 2 hours away....so we drove halfway and i was SO sad for the evening to end. the older i get, the more precious friends are to my heart.