Austin Half Marathon and Peter's 70th Birthday - February 2010 (Feb 13, 2010)

We travelled to Austin, TX for the second annual Kazaks cousins reunion in conjunction with the half-marathon race, with a bonus celebration of Peter's 70th birthday. A good number of these photos were shot by Clay.

Floyd Trip - August 2009 (Aug 15, 2009)

The whole family, including Leo, our newly adopted Labrador Retriever, headed down to Floyd, Virginia to visit with Karl & Jane's family at the farm, especially new baby Orion. The weather allowed for plenty of water play and Karl provided some great meals. Leo got a chance to hang out with 4 other dogs and exercise his in-bred swimming skills. The kids enjoyed experiencing all the animals and found plenty of spaces to explore.

Puerto Rico Trip - March 2009 (Mar 24, 2009)

During spring break, to celebrate Judd's 40th birthday and Linda's 60th, the family went to Puerto Rico. After a quick tour of Old San Juan, we drove the the northwest part of the island, to stay at a beach resort near Isabela. Each day was a mix of an excursion and relaxing in the nearly perfect weather.

Florida Trip - March 2009 (Mar 20, 2009)

Photos from our traditional spring break visit to Florida to see the Volino grandparents, uncle, aunt and cousins. Highlights included shark tooth hunting, a visit to the newly opened Robinson Preserve in Bradenton, and checking out the dogs at Paw Park.

Barack Obama Presidential Inauguration - January 2009 (Jan 20, 2009)

We attended the inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. We left before dawn to catch the bus to travel downtown. Using Julia's office (where a party was held) as a base, we visited the Mall to see the crowds (and Judd and Clay stayed through the swearing-in portion of the ceremony) and then watched the parade from windows in the office.

Pacific Northwest Trip - August 2008 (Aug 3, 2008)

We traveled to the Pacific Northwest to take in the urban and natural sights. We started in Seattle, Washington, then moved on to camping in Olympic National Park, where Peter joined us for several days of hikes and campfires and visits to the coastline (Cape Flattery and Rialto Beach). We ferried to Canada and drove on to Tofino, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island and then the city of Vancouver. Finally, we drove down to Portland, Oregon to visit with friends Pepper and Selvi. We went with them on a side trip to the Oregon coast, where everyone had a good time at the beach at Cape Kiwanda.

Christmastime/Family Visits - December 2007 (Dec 15, 2007)

Mike and Linda drove up to Maryland to spend Christmas with us, and Kris and Hazen joined for part of the time, too. We hit a lot of DC attractions to avoid cabin fever.

New York City Trip - November 2007 (Nov 21, 2007)

We, along with Hazen and Kris, took over Emily and Chris' house in NYC for the Thanksgiving holiday while they were down in Virginia. Their address allowed great access to the Macy's parade, the American Museum of Natural History, and Central Park. Some groups ventured to downtown and Brooklyn, too.

Family Life - November/December 2007 (Nov 1, 2007)

Stoddert soccer; Lucy birthday party; Prosise family visit; a bit of winter

Family Life - September/October 2007 (Sep 1, 2007)

Maia visits; kids start school; Halloween fun

Rehoboth Beach Trip - August 2007 (Aug 26, 2007)

Our bi-annual trip to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and environs.

Dutch Wonderland Trip - August 2008 (Aug 18, 2007)

We went with Anand and Eily and family to Dutch Wonderland, an amusement park friendly to young kids in the Amish region of Pennsylvania.

Family Life - July/August 2007 (Jul 1, 2007)

Independence Day; Dad Camp; Williams family visit; Julia's visit to NYC and birthday

Netherlands-Paris Trip - June 2007 (Jun 17, 2007)

Our friends Brett and Cristina and their daughter, Jodie, are living in the Netherlands for a few years, which provided a good excuse to visit Europe with the kids. This was Clay and Lucy's first trip out of the United States. We were able to see the cities of Amsterdam, Leiden, Wassenaar and The Hague. We really enjoyed being able to take some long bike rides on the nice flat trails that are common there. We also had a short side trip by train to Paris, where we primarily visited the typical tourist attractions.

New York City Trip - May 2007 (May 11, 2007)

Another Mother's Day in New York City. This was a subway focussed trip, as that was Clay's obsession at that point in time. Luckily, there was a museum centered on that very topic in Brooklyn and we visited with Kris. While in Brooklyn we visited Prospect Park. We also checked in on Emily (expecting), Chris and Theo back in Manhattan.

Family Life - May/June 2007 (May 1, 2007)

Kids at home and at school; gardening and visiting gardens

Florida Trip - March 2007 (Mar 25, 2007)

The nearly-annual trip to Florida to visit grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins. Plenty of outdoor fun included a spring-training baseball game, the kids' first fishing experience and a return to Jungle Gardens.

Family Life - March/April 2007 (Mar 1, 2007)

Sheridan International Night; quick trip to Charlottesville; Washington activities

Family Life - January/February 2007 (Jan 1, 2007)

Celebrating Clay's birthday at home and with friends; winter fun; indoor domestic bliss; Lucy at preschool.

Charleston Trip/Kazaks Family Gathering (Dec 31, 2006)

All of Julia's side of the family (that's 15 people in all) gathered in a big house on the beach near Charleston, SC just after Christmas to celebrate, relax, eat, and talk for a few days. We were lucky to avoid rain and it was warm enough to at least putter around on the sand, if not go swimming. The various families and sibs took turns preparing dinner each night, which resulted in a lot of great food being served, with enough leftovers for breakfasts and lunches in the days following. We took a couple breaks from lounging around to explore an old coastal fort and some of downtown Charleston.

Family Life - December 2006 (Dec 30, 2006)

Perhaps December should be called performance month, with Lucy wrapping up her first ballet lessons and Clay staging a play with his classmates, at our house. The play came out OK by the estimations of the other parents, but it certainly left us ready for a margarita (or two) at the end of the day.

Christmas 2006 (Dec 20, 2006)

We had a quiet Christmas this year, with Kris visiting from New York. The big gathering was deferred until the Charleston confab.

Florida Trip - November 2006 (Nov 25, 2006)

We made a rare Thanksgiving appearance in Florida, in lieu of Christmas break visit. We had very nice weather and the kids enjoyed several nostalgia trips to locations from Julia's childhood. The horses continued to be Lucy's focus, while Clay liked the wide array of signs and equipment that could be deployed in the farm's large driveway. We also had a great time go-karting and playing the arcade games at Livingston's in Sarasota.

Iceland Trip - November 2006 (Nov 17, 2006)

Judd found an excuse for a 3 day visit to Iceland: A one-time reunion concert of 1980's era Icelandic rock group The Sugarcubes. Besides attending the concert, which was blast, Judd had time for a day tour of the "Golden Circle" of natural wonders that lie a short drive from Reykjavik, including the Gullfoss waterfall, the Strokkur geyser, and the Pingvellir national park. On the way to the airport, he also took a dip in the Blue Lagoon hot springs, while it was snowing outside.

Family Life - November 2006 (Nov 15, 2006)

November seemed like the month of celebrating Lucy's birthday this year. (As I type this in 5/07 she's now noting the arrival of her half birthday!) Luckily it was broken up by a visit to Florida for Thanksgiving, but that's another album...

Family Life - September/October 2006 (Oct 31, 2006)

Back to school, soccer, Julia's quick hike in the Rockies, family trip to Great Falls park in Virginia, Halloween fun.

California Trip - October 2006 (Oct 16, 2006)

We all went to Northern California for Julia's 15th college reunion at Stanford. Peter came to visit us while we were in Palo Alto, and then we went up for a quick tour of San Francisco with Alexandra on our last day. This was the first time Lucy and Clay had been to the city. (Well, technically

Utah Trip Part 2: Bryce Canyon National Park and Las Vegas (Sep 28, 2006)

We visted Bryce Canyon National Park second. Its higher elevation gave us milder temperatures. Whereas in Zion, we were down in the canyon and generally hiked upward, at Bryce, you're based on the rim, and dive down to explore. The scenery is truly other worldly, and the generally clear skies allowed for terrific lighting of the trademark hoodoo formations. On the return trip, we again had a one-night layover in Las Vegas, where we swam in the hotel pools. We also had a quick visit from Alexandra, who was on her way back to California from the East coast.

Utah Trip Part 1: Las Vegas and Zion National Park (Sep 28, 2006)

We flew into Las Vegas, staying a night, and then drove over to Utah to visit Zion National Park first. After spending one night in the lodge, we camped the remaining nights. It was extemely hot, hitting 100 degrees nearly every day, so the middle parts of the day were spent in the shade of the campsite's trees. On hikes, we held the kids' hands very tightly to keep them well away from the many steep drop-offs on the trails, although we avoided the most daunting routes.

Family Life - August 2006 (Aug 31, 2006)

Camping (and swimming) at Cunningham Falls State Park, fun food and the county fair.

Family Life - July 2006 (Jul 31, 2006)

Summer fun: Indepdendence day, Clay and Lucy's first big league baseball game, and Rowan and Tate visit.

Family Life - June 2006 (Jun 30, 2006)

Clay finishes kindergarten and visits the mountain campus, fun strawberry picking and building with Keva planks at the National Building museum.

Canadian Rockies Trip - May 2006 (May 30, 2006)

Judd went to the Canadian Rockies via Calgary to hike and sightsee with Hazen and Peter in honor of Hazen's college graduation. Hazen and Peter had made their way there as part of a long road trip. Since it was relatively early in the season, the weather was marginal, but it also meant that the towns and trails were not overly crowded with visitors. We camped for a couple nights, but then moved to a motel for the remaining two nights to avoid the cold rain. During Judd's portion of the trip, we visited Banff, Jasper, and Yoho National Parks. The terrain ranged from riverside meadows to glacial ice.

Family Life - April/May 2006 (May 30, 2006)

Lots of Clay and Lucy being best buddies, visiting with other friends.

New York City Trip - May 2006 (May 28, 2006)

Julia and the kids went to New York City over Memorial Day weekend to catch up with Kris, Emily, Chris and Theo. They visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and they also took the ferry over to Ellis Island and took in some great infographic displays while there.

Canadian Rockies - May 2006 (May 25, 2006)

Judd met Peter and Hazen in the Canadian Rockies for a few days of camping, hiking, and touring of Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks. The rendezvous was part of a long road trip through the western US and Canada that Peter and Hazen took to celebrate Hazen's college graduation. It was a bit early in the season to visit, which meant that they didn't have to fight crowds, but also the weather was a little chilly and damp for part of the time.

Boone, NC Trip - May 2006 (May 21, 2006)

Judd took the kids on a long road trip to visit Karl, Jane and Henry in Boone, North Carolina, with a stopover at Sherando Lake in Virginia to test out the tents that would later go Utah. While in Boone, we enjoyed visiting the Tweetsie Railroad theme park, where we got to ride on a real steam engine train and dared to ride the very tall Ferris wheel.

Paris Trip - March/April 2006 (Apr 4, 2006)

In celebration of our tenth wedding anniversary, we visited Paris for the first time. We spent about a week there, which gave us time to do a lot of really great sightseeing, but it feels like we barely scratched the surface. The city really lived up to its reputation. Maia, with help from Peter for part of the time, held down the fort at home babysitting Clay and Lucy.

Family Life - February/March 2006 (Mar 30, 2006)

Fluffy snow, gathering in Illinois for Gamps' funeral, random family fun.

Chattanooga Trip - February 2006 (Feb 20, 2006)

Julia took the kids to Chattanooga to see a distant relative installed as the chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and take in the new aquarium there.

Family Life - January 2006 (Jan 30, 2006)

Clay's 6th birthday party, school activities, and a grand day out on the Metro as Julia and the kids ride the entire length of the Red line.

Florida Trip - December 2005 (Dec 28, 2005)

Judd and the kids went down to Florida after Christmas and were lucky to have 5 straight days of sun. Clay and Lucy enjoyed playing and visiting new places with their cousins. Judd maximized his recreation time through the generous babysitting of Grandma Linda and Grandpa mike. Among the activities captured on film: Judd on a golf course.

Boone, NC Trip - December 2005 (Dec 27, 2005)

Kris came down from NYC and Hazen and Alexandra flew in from the West Coast to rendezvous and drive with Julia down to Karl, Jane, and Henry's home in Boone, NC. There they met Emily, Chris and Theo for some post-Christmas celebrating in what was definitely a wintry environment. Sledding down Karl and Jane's steep road was a highlight, and the two young cousins had fun trying out the Kazaks family heirloom blocks.

Christmas 2005 (Dec 25, 2005)

We stayed in Bethesda for Christmas itself this year (see other albums for the after-Christmas trips). Kris came down from New York on Christmas Eve to add a little family warmth to holiday. Clay and Lucy were extremely interested in Santa's visit this year. There were many discussions of all the rules and logistics of St. Nick.

Family Life - December 2005 (Dec 15, 2005)

Highlights in December include Clay losing his first tooth and a visit to the Maryland Science Center. And we joined the ranks of minivan owners.

Family Life - November 2005 (Nov 15, 2005)

This was a low-key month. It was nice to have a short visit from Emily, Chris and Theo as Julia recovered from ankle surgery shortly before Thanksgiving.

Atlanta Trip - November 2005 (Nov 11, 2005)

We visited our friends Lisa and John and their sons, Michael and Tommy, in Atlanta for a quick weekend trip. We enjoyed going to the children's museum downtown (which Clay had visited a couple years ago), walking along the paths in the Chattahoochee Nature Center, and going to see Ralph Covert and his band perform some kids' music live.

Lucy's Birthday - November 2005 (Nov 10, 2005)

Lucy turned 4, after a long anticipation during the 3 1/2 and 3 3/4 periods. Lucy did not want for recognition of her birthday this year. She had something on the order of 5 different rounds of having "Happy Birthday" sung to her. She had a costume party for her classmates, which provided her an opportunity to wear her treasured princess dress (although at this writing the dress-up phase is waning). Her dream of having Grandma Linda at her birthday came true with a surprise visit. After the festivities had finally come to an end she promptly began planning for next year.

Family Life - October 2005 (Oct 31, 2005)

October was a blast - especially since Clay and Lucy's costumes required a minimum of sewing and special materials. Even Judd got dressed up this year. Julia and Judd had a little escape to a resort in Virginia while Kris held down the fort at home.

Family Life - September 2005 (Sep 28, 2005)

Clay marched off to Kindergarten and Judd marched in a peace (or was it anti-war?) march. Maia, Alexandra and Elsa came to see the kids start school and did some DC touring.

Family Life - August 2005 (Aug 28, 2005)

Leaving the iPod behind, we went to the Howard County Fair this month and spent a lot of time outside, with pool trips and bike riding being Clay and Lucy's favorite activities.

Rehoboth Beach Trip - August 2005 (Aug 18, 2005)

We shared a rental with Anand and Eily this year which meant more entertainment for the kids and more free babysitting for the adults! Judd's main goal during a beach vacation is to give into any and all requests from the kids for ice cream. We brought everyone's bikes along for the first time. Judd liked pedalling to get the newspaper in the morning and Clay and Lucy could ride to the beach.

Family Life - July 2005 (Jul 28, 2005)

Our trip to the Loudon County Fair was marred by the theft of Judd's iPod from the car by a young punk. I know it was a young punk, because a sharp adult later suspected the player didn't belong to the kid when he was asking around for the requisite accessories. This led to the improbable return of the iPod to Judd. Anyhow, we had a good time celebrating Independence Day with a parade and a party. We also had a nice day trip to a state park north of here in Maryland.

Florida Trip - June 2005 (Jun 29, 2005)

We finally got to visit with (Grandparents) Mike and Linda and (Uncle/Aunt) Tate and Sonja and (cousins) Rowan and Calder in Florida after cancelling our traditional spring break trip due to illness. We learned that, yes, it really is hot in Florida in the summer. Fortunately, we spent a lot of time getting wet at the beach, in Tate & Sonja's pool and at water parks. The horses at the farm were happy to have the kids back and handing out the carrots. Luckily the new breed of ants that have overrun the place have displaced the biting ones.

New York City Trip - June 2005 (Jun 7, 2005)

We visited New York City this past weekend to attend a baby shower and to give Clay and Lucy their first bite of the Big Apple. Since it largely involved a lot of eating out, visting a giant toy store, listening to music in a park, playing with a "big girl" and petting guinea pigs, they were sold.

Shenandoah National Park Trip - May 2005 (May 7, 2005)

Over a long Memorial Day weekend, Judd went hiking in Shenandoah National Park (SNP), in Virginia, about a 2 hour drive from Bethesda. This was another in his series of "sabbatical" trips. He covered about 35 miles of trails during the trip, doing a bunch of day circuit hikes. He didn't completely rough it, though: He had a soft bed to rest in at night in one of the cabins at Big Mountain Lodge and warm country meals courtesy of the lodge's restaurant.