Father's Day

For Keith's first Father's Day, we had a fun-filled day, doing all the things that Keith wanted to do.  For some time now, he has been wanting to go for a drive on Skyline Drive, which runs through the Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Keith likes to be in the car and he loves looking at nature - trees, mountains, etc.  I, on the other hand, don't really enjoy it as much as he does.  But since it was Father's Day - and his first - I asked him if he wanted to spend the day in the mountains, just the three of us. Of course, he was thrilled that I suggested this and we decided to make a day of it.  

Before we left, he spent a little time snuggling with his son.  Too cute!

Here they are, all dressed and ready to head out.

We left the house around 11am and drove to the entrance of Skyline Drive, which is about 45 minutes from our house.  We were pleasantly surprised when the guy at the gate told us that the entrance fee was waived. (Normally it is $15 per car to enter.) We spent about 5 hours driving up and back along the scenic drive. There are numerous "overlooks" where you can pull the car over and get out and see the beautiful mountain views.  We stopped quite a few times to do this (and also had to stop twice so I could feed Jacob in the car).

Here are Keith and Jacob with the Blue Ridge Mts. in the background

Jacob did pretty well in the car, even though he ended up being in his carseat for a long time. Feeding him and changing his diaper was a little bit challenging, although we found some less populated places and it made it easier for me to nurse him right in the back seat. He did get a little fussy at one point and he was only happy when I was holding him (which obviously meant we couldn't be driving), but I think for the most part, he liked being in the car.

After we left Skyline Drive, Keith wanted to go to a restaurant that we had heard about but had never been to.  It is called The Blue Mountain Brewery and it is known for its "homebrewed" beer.  We had an great dinner and, of course, Keith enjoyed a beer. As you can see, Jacob slept the entire time, even though the restaurant was packed and it was pretty loud in there.

After we left the Brewery, we headed to one of our favorite ice cream joints, Arch's, and enjoyed some frozen yogurt for dessert. 

All in all, it was a great day!  I am glad that Keith got to spend his first Father's Day doing everything he loved. Jacob and I are truly blessed to have him in our lives. He is such a loving husband and great friend to me and he has been a caring, doting father to Jacob.  I know that their bond will only strengthen with time and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.