Here's the Diehl

Julia is a PRO at making cookies. She's gonna help me open that bakery yet. At least she can work with the variety that comes in the refrigerated section and you just plop on the cookie sheet. It wouldn't be a Diehl cookie without some extra sprinkles though. Look at this baker in the making! Want some?

Julia makes her best mean face in this hot weather. Maybe Mother Nature will pay attention and bring some rain and cooler air. Hot weather is mean!

We spent the weekend with Dee Dee and Pop Pop and had some special guests. Uncle Chris, Aunt Sara and baby Lila came too! We had a great time at the pool! Mommy and Julia were in the water the whole time while the rest of the family enjoyed the shade. We went out to dinner and ate a gigantic bowl of buttered noodles. And we played lots of fun games. Julia even got the sleep on the aero bed, which she thought was a giant trampoline. Yes, bedtime was quite a challenge, but it was worth it to see Jules give her cousin some good head noogies and kisses.

To me, fourth of July in DC means hot, muggy weather, too many tourists, excessive fencing around streets and monuments, port a potties, and a ten minute fireworks show. It's a real shame because I love fireworks. But the city that once was the most fun fireworks day, has really stumbled recently. We took it upon ourselves to have some quiet fun at home and spend the day at National Harbor with some great mexican food. Not very patriotic, i know. But the food at Rosa Mexicano is just really good. And they have a nice little beachfront where The Awakening statue has relocated from Haines Point. And the harborfront is really nice (especially for PG County)

This is my kind of town, C'ville is My kind of town, C'ville is My kind of people, too People who smile at you And each time I roam, C'ville is Calling me home, C'ville is Why I just grin like a clown It's my kind of town Ok, so when Frank wrote it, it was actually about Chicago. But the lyrics are fitting. I spend my 35th birthday back in my college town of Charlottesville, and I am more in love with that town now than ever. It's true, things have changed. Things we (my college posse) never thought possible. Bodo's opened on the Corner. And a Starbucks too. The Art Department has finally been renovated. There are more gourmet gas stations than you can count. But so many things are still exactly the same and truly make this town a gem. People are really nice. The cars stop at crosswalks. There are awesome sandwiches (something DC has none of). There is a special artistic flair to the city. Incredible music is born here. And, a highlight of our visit, the are...

Nothing like a cold, homemade popsicle on a hot summer's day. Look at how hot and sweaty this cutie gets! If you could just delete the genes you don't want to pass on to your kids, right?