Dave's Big Day: Richmond, VA

A couple of weekends ago, Joe, Noah and I got to take a plane to Richmond, Virginia to see Joe's little brother Dave graduate with his Master's Degree from VCU's advertising school, Brand Center. Joining us on the trip were Joe's other sibs, Mary and Peter, as well as Mary's awesome guy Tim. It was a quick weekend, and it was Noah's first plane ride, but everything went pretty smoothly and it was GREAT to see where Dave lives and to watch him get this honor.

{Mary snaps Dave's pic right after he is handed his diploma}
{Mary and Dave goof off post-ceremony}
{gotta love this boy's style, eh? Dressy meets comfy, topped with a classy black gown}


{well, Tim's tall. Why not? (okay, it looks bad. But the gate was broken, and we had to get out somehow.)}
{Joe and Peter}

And in the middle of the weekend, I had the GREAT pleasure of meeting one of my online friends and her daughter who is only a couple of weeks older than Noah. We had arranged to meet up to take Eva's pictures, and I am SO glad it worked out! We had a lot of fun playing with the babies and seeing each other in person, and Eva was a PERFECT photography subject!

{the babies check each other out}
{say "cheese!"}
{The four of us, mamas and cutie-pies}
{a couple of Eva's photos}
Another great delight of our trip was the morning walks Joe and I took Noah on. It was a great way to get him to take little naps, and a really nice time to explore the charming neighborhood Dave lives in. Joe and I would head to Starbucks to get hot chocolate and muffins, then walk the cobbled streets of the historic part of Downtown Richmond, enjoying the storefronts and sights with virtually no other people crowding the sdidewalks. Of course, I took advantage of several cool spots for photos... And Noah just mellowed out/dozed along the way.


Winding down the weekend, we all packed up and made sure to catch a few last-minute photos.

{this was in Dave's room. I dunno who did them, but they made me smile}

{Uncle Dave with Noah}{Packing up the airbed takes some unconventional skillz}

{Dave and Pete... Total bros, can't you tell??}
{Peter, packed and ready to go}

{The Fantastic Four: Dave, Mary, Pete, Joe}

{Joe and Dave}{and last but not least: the historic Southerland Clan Motto, sans peur, which mean "without fear"... A perfect way to top off Dave's big accomplishment!}
Thanks, Dave, for hosting us. Thanks, Mary and Tim, for helping so much with Noah and the luggage and the rental car and such... Thanks Peter for being a fun uncle and good guy...

And thanks, Mom and Dad for the chance to take this get-away trip. We LOVED it. We love you!