So Baby Blackstone is now 11 weeks and 2 days. We are really excited everytime we get to see how Baby Blackstone is growing!! In these pictures you can see all 4 limbs and two ears!! YAY!! We have started our registry at Babies R Us. Take a LOOK and if you any suggestions let me know!! We miss and love you family!! Momma I can't wait to see you this July :) - by Lil Momma Blackstone

First Baby Picture

Today was our first ultrasound and we got a great report! Our baby was squirming all around and had a heartbeat of 171 bpm. The baby is just over an inch long and we found out that anna is 9 weeks and 1 day which puts the due date on 12/22/09. However as i've said all along it is actually going to be born on my birthday, the 20th :) We go back in for an actual doctor's appointment in the morning so i'm sure i'll have more to report after that. For now you'll just have to settle for our very first baby picture.

Just a quick post with the latest photos from our spring break ice fishing trip.  We snow shoed 6.8 miles into our camp on square lake in northern Maine for three days of winter fun.  

Anna wants me to clarify that she caught ALL of these fish

Anna's snow-fisher-man

Anna's enormous 4lbs salmon

Gorby

Anna cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast!

The hike back was a bit colder... 14 degrees and 35 mph winds

The hike to camp with pack and sled

By far the biggest salmon we've ever pulled out of the lake

Just before the 3 1/2 mile hike across the lake!

Packin up before we head in!  

8 Months of Marriage

Mrs. Nan has made a formal request for more pictures, so today I decided to load some of the best pictures from our last 8 months of marriage. It's crazy to think it's been 8 months already!! This post will have a LOT of photos so if you have a slow connection speed you may want to wait until you're somewhere a bit faster. If you click on the pictures you can see a larger version and if you want any of the originals (even larger) just let me know and I'll email them to you.

So... Here is the past 8 months of marriage in a nutshell:

Anna and I get married June 14th
and begin our honeymoon in Bar Harbor, Maine

It's not long before Anna gets fed up with
me and decides to take her frustration out
on this poor rock.
Feeling much better we decide to go whale watching
and have an amazing time

The last few days of our honeymoon
are spent at beautiful Square Lake

After the honeymoon we return to Lynchburg
and spend a few days relaxing
However, it's not long before Kit is chomping at
the bit and ready to go on another adventureSo we take a hike and spend a long
weekend in Shenandoah National Park...

...where Luke decides to step on this HUGE
Copperhead, luckily it's cold enough that it moves
very slow and I avoid getting bit.

After, we head back to Lynchburg where we spend
the better part of a month babysitting our neighbors
dog, Shadow

Then we join up with Nick and head to Maine
for Thanksgiving and hunting!

The girls come along but it's not long before
they decide hunting is boring and they
need to torture my poor dog

After the hunting trip those of us who were stupid
enough decide to jump in the FREEZING cold lake
while it is snowing

we quickly decide that this was a stupid decision...

...and make our retreat to the sauna

Then its back to Lynchburg again where
Anna and I decorate our first Christmas
tree together

Before we can even enjoy the Christmas tree
we're headed to Louisiana for Christmas
with the family

Family Christmas is spent eating incredible food
and going on hay rides around the pasture

After Christmas its back to Lynchburg where Kit
has apparently decide to live the Thug life

Before long Jake, Steph, Anna and I all decide
we need to go camping to test out our
new gear we got for Christmas
at McAfie's Knob

However, after the grueling 4 mile hike up, we
all decide that camping is not for us.

The following weekend it's off to D.C. where the Taylors
have just returned with their new kiddos; Tigist and Fecadu (sp?)

Which brings us up to my previous posts. All things considered it has been a pretty amazing 8 months and God has blessed us tremendously! Anna and I can't wait to see what he's got in store for us next!

My Amazing Wife

So this is how cool my wife is. I LOVE red velvet cake... but my true weakness is cheesecake. I could probably eat a whole cheesecake in one sitting if I wanted to. So for valentine's day my wife surprised me by making this romantic little candle lit dessert for me. What was on the menu? Chocolate covered strawberries and red velvet cheesecake... thats right... Red Velvet Cheesecake! Just one of those many reasons that I love my wife.

Cold Mountain

This past Sunday Anna and I went to Cold Mountain for an afternoon hike. The hike is roughly 6 miles of mountainous yet mild terrain through a series of peaks and valleys. The last 2.2 miles of the trail is along a section of the AT which brings you up to these beautiful high mountain meadows at 3,800ft. (according to my watch... not sure of actual altitude). There is an incredible 360 degree view of the surrounding area. It never fails to amaze me how many beautiful spots there are in Virginia that I have yet to find.

We reached the meadows right around 5 o'clock in the afternoon and decided to stay put until sunset, which was amazing! We hiked down by the light of the nearly full moon and made it back to the car around 6:30. All in all the hike took nearly 3 1/2 hours including the time spent just sitting around waiting for the sun set. I highly recommend this hike!!