Joe and Jessica's Wedding

And they lived happily ever after…

Joe & Jessica’s wedding was set in the most beautiful place. How special to attend their wedding and spend three days in Yosemite at the same time!







In addition to the wedding celebration, we had the pleasure of meeting Holly and Marc’s daughter Aurora for the first time!

Happy Easter

We had a very quiet Easter. We went to Trinity Episcopal Church. Then we participated in an Easter Egg Hunt in Rittenhouse Square. Jackson did not really get the concept of collecting the eggs. He kept taking them out of his basket and putting them back.

Jack Gets a Cast

Jack had his first hospital visit (since his birth). Sarah and Jack were going down a slide. Jack's foot flew out the the right, & his trip down the tall, slick, slide went very wrong! After 2 doctors visits and 2 trips to Children's Hospital, an orthepedic specialist discovered 2 bones in Jack's right foot were fractured. He was put in a cast and will wear it for the next three weeks.



Jackson has been very resilient. He has gone back to crawling for the most part. However, he can stand and balance very well. We expect once the cast is off he'll be back to running, dancing, and climbing immediately.




To make the best of Jackson's time on the ground, we went to the Center City Toy Library and checked out a Thomas the Train set. He loves the trains, and it is the perfect activity for him to do while he heals.

Matt & April Visit Philly

Our friends April & Matt visited us for the week. We spent a lot of time at local monuments, historic sites, and restaurants. None of the tour companies were open for the season yet, so Sarah served as tour guide. She drove Matt & April around the Art Mesuem, City Hall, the Liberty Bell, and through Philly neighborhoods.




In the Italian District, where we stopped to get Matt an authentic Philly Cheese Steak, we had a Sopranos moment. This huge guy, with tattoos, and a handle bar moustache came into the little restraurant where Sarah and Jack were getting a snack. He presented the owner with this “trash bill.” It was so sketchy. It was not a city bill. It was from a private company. The bill was on a piece of yellow copy paper, and looked really low end. The owners seemed really nervous. He said, “I’ll be back next week for the money.” Then he left. Good times in Philly!






"Was that the mafia I just saw?"

Spring Break in Outer Banks, North Carolina

We spent a wonderful break from the cold of Philadelphia in the Outer Banks, a popular vacation area on the coast of North Carolina. It was fortunate that the Peyrons, a fellow Wharton family, were willing to join us. We practiced a little French speaking during the week to prepare for our time in France this summer. While it wasn't tropical conditions, the temperatures were warm enough for a lot of outdoor activities with the kids.



We particularly enjoyed some kite-flying because of the prevalence of strong breezes in the area.




We also enjoyed the beach . . .








. . . a visit to an aquarium . . .



. . . and a pilgimage to the birthplace of modern aviation.





You can find the rest of our photos from the trip here:

http://calmarty.smugmug.com/gallery/2562501
http://calmarty.smugmug.com/gallery/2562610

Oregon Visit

Over President’s weekend we made our annual trip to Oregon to visit the Dillard/Stark family. This trip has become a family tradition. We started doing it the year Marty's dad turned 50. The first trip we all cross-county skied 14 miles and stayed at a lodge on Elk Lake. Times have changed. Now we snowmobile. However, the time with family is as special as ever. This year we had much to celebrate. We celebrated Marty's dad's birthday. We also celebrated the news that Marty’s brother Scott and his wife Lauren will have their first child in August, Marty’s cousin Chris and his wife Casey will also have their first baby in September, Marty’s Aunt Betsie was recognized as teacher of the year for her school district in Tualatin, Oregon, and Marty’s upcoming graduation from Wharton!








Special Dinner






Enjoying the Oregon outdoors







Homemade dinner & more family time

Happy Valentine's

This Valentine’s we celebrated with Jackson. We spent the day with friends from the Wharton community. The Egan Family hosted a party for us. Marty and I went out together, but we no longer take pictures of just the two of us - Jack rules the roost!

Mommy and her Valentine


Party time

Jackson's New Clothes

Our good friends Bharat & Anila spent the winter holiday in India. On their trip they purchased Jackson a special outfit. Though the “kurta pajamas” look angelic on Jackson, don’t be fooled. He is still a wild boy! Jackson can add this to his collection of authentic eastern outfits, along with the outfit that Marty brought back from his trip to Japan last spring.

Night Off For New Years

To kick off 2007 we headed to the South Bay Area to visit Adam and Mindy. Jackson stayed with his Nana and Poppa in Sacramento while we enjoyed a very relaxing evening. We had a delicious meal in one of the new trendy spots on Santana Row in San Jose, CA. After dinner we toasted the New Year in Adam and Mindy’s charming home, also in San Jose.





This New Year was very special. We began our courtship exactly 10 years ago. It is amazing how much has changed. What a great 10 years it has been!

Christmas in Sacramento

As usual, we had an exciting but hectic Christmas celebration in Sacramento with both Marty and Sarah's family. Christmas Eve was spent with Marty's family for a nice dinner and presents.





On Christmas Day, Sarah and Tom hosted an incredible breakfast spread at the Jumper house for guests. We opened the rest of our presents late in the morning.



Tom even pretended to be an authentic "bad Santa".



We spent the evening dining with Sarah's extended family. As usual, all of our Christmas wishes came true.

Jackson's First Birthday Parties

Yes, Jackson's first birthday was so special that we had to have more than one party for him. The first party was with all of our friends at Wharton and Jackson's buddies from the Wharton Kids Club. We had cake and ice cream for the kids and Marty even learned how to make balloon animals for the kids (well, at least he could make a dog and a flower).





After we got to Sacramento for the holidays, we had another birthday party for Jackson so that he could celebrate with his family. He had another cake and was showered with attention and way too many gifts.



His cousins were more than happy to help take care of him.