Travels and house adventures

June was a busy month for us, and I can't believe it's already July!  We just got back from my family reunion in Jefferson, North Carolina.  We had fun watching movies in the cushy media room, playing pool/dorkball, exploring the house and grounds, reading (really just me and Jenny), horseback riding, and going on a field trip to the Biltmore.  The Blue Ridge Mountains are gorgeous and well worth traveling to, although be prepared if you get motion sick, the roads are very twisty-turny.  Here are some pictures.

The Twickenham house where the family stayed.  It had a billiard room, a media room, and a conservatory with an indoor pool and was 11,000 sq. ft.  We filled up every room!

James and I enjoying the view up the road from the house.

I've wanted to see Monticello for years, so James and I stopped there on the way.  I enjoyed it very much!

The Biltmore Estate - the largest home in America.  Built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, it has over 250 rooms and 8,000 acres.  The family still owns it today but nobody lives in it.

Horseback riding in the Blue Ridge Mountains was very fun.  This was James' first time on a horse!

It's hard to capture the beauty with a camera, but this comes close.

The Miller/Fitzwilliam/Clay/Hamburg/Shepherd clan!  Except for Eric, Bryn, Kenyan, and Ben who couldn't make it this year.

We had a great time.  I love that my family does this every year, even if we can't go to every one. 

The other thing that happened in June is that we bought a house!  A townhouse, actually.  And really we haven't bought it yet since our closing date is in August, but we are well on our way.  I am very excited.  A townhouse isn't exactly what we had envisioned for our first home, but given the very expensive market that we have here in Maryland, it's the best we could do.  And it's much better than an apartment (and cheaper too)!  We'll have more space, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a backyard!  I've got projects swimming around in my head already, and I can paint it and make it our own.  It will be a great little first house for us and I thank God for providing!

This is the picture from the Website.  What you can see is what we will own - we will have neighbors on both sides.

So that is what has been going on with us.  It's going to be an eventful summer!