The April Showers turned to blue sky this week, and we are lucky to get a visit from our cousins!! Noelle, Landon, Aunt Jaclyn and Uncle Paul flew out East for Spring Break, and we are so happy to see them!

Also, there is a monkey climbing in this big tree.

The Columbia Island Marina is a cool place to catch the sunset, have a cheap-ish glass of pinot grigio, and watch the boys’ crew practice. Fortunately for this tree, there was a busy little guy who found its branches irresistable. Lots of busy boys on the Potomac today!

A visit from PJNL was the best possible way to spend spring break. April flowers are out, the days are getting longer, and the sunshine is perfect for snacks outside, visiting the zoo, Smithsonians, monuments, and some rousing rounds of Slapzi during Happy Hour.

Noelle and Landon shared the cool flavors of M&Ms they learned about in Florida, and brought us a heavenly little box of ganache treats that we cut into tiny pieces so we could try them all. Gus was especially curious to see what lemon and cinnamon M&Ms taste like…

On Saturday, we drove out to the Occoquan River and hiked through the trees to watch Jake and Eli race. The rivers here are beautiful, with water as smooth as glass in the quiet mornings, before the descent of thousands of high school rowers. It was a raucous afternoon of cheering for the teams! Although it’s kind of funny, that half the parents don’t even know which kids are theirs? Are we cheering for the right boat? Seriously, these kids all look the same out there on the water! And most of them are tall and wearing blue, so….

No visit Chez Gower would be complete for any guest without a night at the Quarterdeck. Part fine seafood destination, part dive bar, and part casual patio dining, it’s a neighborhood institution with fancy cars and heavy pours of house wine. For better and for worse, the Quarterdeck has been part of our lives for 25 years now. It’s famous for crabs and hush puppies, we love it for the burgers and green beans, and it always brings out the fun!

We will also remember this weekend as the weekend of the NASA space shuttle. Transfixed by the integrity, honor, and grace of the Artemis astronauts, it was a much-needed reminder that there is still good in the world, and that striving for good is the point. How do we make a life of meaning? What is the point of it all?

“The universe is vast, so the sooner we decide to come together, to put aside our differences, to find common ground, the better.” 

“In all of this emptiness — this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist (in) together.”

“From space, one does not see borders, religious lines, or political boundaries, but only Earth, revealing the fundamental similarities among people.

On a warm, spring-like Saturday evening, we walked across the Key Bridge to Georgetown. Of course, no evening with Uncle Paul would be complete without Feats of Strength!

Maybe next time, Paul…..

The weekend went by much too fast, leaving us wishing our family lived just down the street. Somebody to share board games, Costco runs, bottles of wine, and lots of fun stuff with kids! Life is too short to be this far away! We are thinking about that as the next chapter opens. How precious is our life, to still have a long future ahead to look forward to, with all of you ❤️.