Four Generations.

We recently spent a day with Fred's family out at the 125 acre Belle Grey Farm in Upperville. Fred's Dad and Step Mom have owned this farm for the last three or four years but only recently moved out there permanently. They have done so much with it. Renovating the barn, building an orchard and two houses (one for my father in law's workshop) and running their own saw mill just to name a few.

Fred's grandparents have been in town and staying out at the farm, in the brand new guest house. This was my first time seeing it all finished. Stunningly beautiful.

*This is the Garden in the back of the house. Very serene, peaceful, calming. A place I would love to spend reading a book alone.

We had Veda's famous Chicken Chalupas for lunch. So delicious. After, Fred and his Dad went out flying RC airplanes in the field while Mason and I got to ride in the Porsche speedster with Heather. Cool car. Mason enjoyed playing with Aiden and watching The Incredibles, yet again and I got to catch up with Veda, Fred's Grandmother. After dessert we all ventured out into the Garden for some family photos.

*Fred Briggs II with his youngest son Aiden, Grandad Briggs, Fred Briggs IV with our son Mason.

I'm not sure why, but this was the first time we had ever taken a photo of the four generations of Briggs Boys. Grandad (Fred II), Father in law (Fred III), husband (Fred IV), son (not Fred V though had potential to be). Too long to wait for a photo like this. Hopefully, once the grandparents move to Virginia (maybe in the next year or two they will be moving out to the farm to live in the guest house) we can have photos like this more often.

*Grandad, Grandma Veda Belle, and Sophia Belle

I simply adore my husband's grandparents. They are the sweetest couple you could ever meet. Sharing their kindness with me as if I was a part of the family from the fist time we met approximately seven years ago, by giving me a card with some money for my graduation from college. I especially enjoy spending time with Veda (whom Sophie is named after) . She has such wonderful stories to tell about their life history and I can't help but smile when in her presence. The spunkiest 80+ year olds, with stories of chopping the head off a snake and hopping into the back of a flat bed truck with a hedge trimmer and generator and trimming trees in the neighborhood while being driven down the street. I look at them and see an incredible life they have lived so far, and all the love they have for one another and can only hope that when Fred and I are their age, we can be so blessed.

Here are a few other great shots from the day:

The kids eating chocolate cake. I was shocked as this was the first time Mason had actually eaten cake (he's never liked it) and not just the frosting.

My son after being told he couldn't have anymore chocolate cake. Teenager in the making with that face.

Later that evening, Janet and Eric arrived. My husband's Aunt and Uncle. Looking around I realized that it had been four months since we had all gotten together as a family and how that felt too long. Ali Edwards has a new class she is teaching at Big Picture Scrapbooking, Yesterday and Today. I registered for it on Saturday and now after this day with family I'm really looking forward to this class. It really has me thinking about my childhood and the stories I want my kids to know about me (and Fred) and how it compares to their own. I suppose maybe I've gotten extra sentimental after having two kids. But then again, it could just be in my nature.