Cannon Clan

Cate and Mike went out of town for some much needed R&R. Aunt Abby and Uncle Chase stepped in to care for their brood of six. We've done it before and it was just as fun this time as it was back in June. The kids all played together and other than meal times and cleaning up, it was a breeze. I did have Chase there the whole time which made it possible. I have a new found respect for Cate and a deeper understanding as to why she needed a vacation in the first place:-)

I pretty much hide behind the camera but here's proof that I was actually there:-)

Pics of the kiddos

I took advantage of the beautiful grounds at the cathedral to snap some pictures of my little ones. Oh how I love them!!

National Cathedral

We've comprised a bucket list of sorts to see/do before we leave Virginia. Did I mention we are moving? Well that's a whole other blog post. .The National Cathedral was on that list. What I didn't realize was that although it looks like the ancient ones in Europe, it's only a century old!


The kids were good sports to put up with the heat, the childish monotony, and mom sticking a camera in their faces all day. Have I mentioned before how much I love my camera? Well, I do.

Great day. We can check this one off the list.

Cutest house in the world

I found this house right outside of Georgetown's campus. It was surrounded by drab, mundane townhouses. Definitely a diamond in the rough. I should have taken pics of the side. Beyond the trees on the roof there's a whole covered patio with vines and who knows what else. I want to live here!!

Monkey's Crossing

Another trip to the zoo!! The kids have fun watching the animals and Chase and I enjoy watching them....watch the animals.


I can't look at these orangutans with out totally cracking up. They're looking right at me!!
I still think it's so cool they can cross over the pathway and right over the tourist. I'll never get sick of watching them swing across the street.

Bonjour Butterflies

I am somewhat obsessed with butterflies. When I heard there was a pavilion, not in D.C. but in Maryland we were totally on board. Anything to avoid the D.C. tourists and traffic right? After reading Fancy Nancy's Bonjour Butterflies Sadie is somewhat obsessed as well. It was bound to be a great experience for all.

Sadie was hopeful that once we walked in the butterflies would land on her finger just like they did for Fancy Nancy. We did our best to attract them by wearing yellow (which wasn't too much of a stretch for Sadie as she wears this dress practically every day) and putting flowers in her hair. Unfortunately the only person the butterflies were attracted to was me. They loved me and Sadie was getting pretty upset that they didn't care for her in the same way.

I tried explaining that all the jumping around wasn't helping and the only reason they landed on me was because I was holding still. She tried that too (holding still) and still no butterflies. She kept saying she wanted one to "perch" on her finger. I've now decided that "perch" is one of my new favorite words:-)
The pavilion was HOT!! We all had sweat dripping down our faces. It wasn't until Jack found the rocks to collect and Sadie found the magnifying glass that the frustration of the non-perching butterflies was forgotten.

Eventually the heat got to Jack and he took a sweaty power nap in the stroller. We continued to search for butterflies that could potentially land on Sadie. I tried picking them up with my finger and the old lady butterfly keepers kept getting mad at me. I don't think they understood the severity of the situation. Either a butterfly needed to land on Sadie or Fancy Nancy was toast!!


Right before we were ready to go home, I managed to get a butterfly off my arm and onto Sadie's back with out her noticing. She didn't want me to put one on her. She wanted it to "perch" on her by it's own free will. She didn't understand the meaning of "beggars can't be choosers" so we had to stage the situation with out her knowledge. Ta da!! It worked!! She was as pleased as punch and we could finally go home and get out of that 90 degree green house. What we do for our children. It's pretty ridiculous but totally worth her proud little moment.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Sadie's face in this picture!! That expression pretty much wraps up this post. Goodbye!

Flour and shortening

All this for a cupcake?!!

My sweet Jack

Oh how I love this little miniature man. I love the goofy giggle in his throat when he likes the taste of something. I love that he always has his legs crossed. I love his pointed little fingers. I love his frankenstein, unstable little walk. I love his laugh when I crawl in snorting after a nap. I love his snuggles when he's tired. I love his inquisitive little eye brows when they go up and down at sight of something new. I love watching him reach on his tippy toes for his dog mobile above the crib.
I love that nothing can really get him down and a smile is always near. I love that although she scares him to death, Sadie is the only one who can REALLY make him laugh. I love watching him eat a teething biscuits. I love watching him weed through board books and throw them on the floor. I love his little arm when he chucks rocks across a pond. I love his shy nod when he meets someone new and then nuzzles his head into my shoulder. I am absolutely in love with my little Jack. I love him even more today because he is still sleeping after a four hour nap. What a champ!!

One must concentrate...

When trying to color inside the lines.

Chase Cannon, Esq. JD LLM

Chase was finally sworn in last week in Annapolis at the Court of Appeals. Originally he was supposed to wait until September 1st but we talked them into a private ceremony with one other guy from Texas. It was short and sweet and I couldn't get over how many years of studying, sacrificing and student loans that went into that short sweet little moment.
At first we planned to leave the kids home with a babysitter but after calling the court they said they were more than welcome to come, so we brought them. What a family affair! Jack walked all over the court room and Sadie stood in the center of the room twirling in her white sparkly dress. Amongst it all I tried to get pictures of Chase while the judge tried to talk over the chaos. She was very sweet and after he was sworn in we all just sat around and talked for a while.
Other than the fact that it was sweltering hot outside, we tried to enjoy our surroundings. I always feel bad for the men in their suits during the hot summers but then I remember women's fashion in the winter with their high heels and nylons trudging through the snow to church and then I don't feel so bad anymore.
Congratulations to Chase and all of us for getting through school, bar, job searches and sleep deprivations. It's been a fantastic ride!!