Blue Ridge Adventures...

Southern Virginia. Buena Vista. SVU.

That's where I went last weekend.  Isn't it gorgeous?

That's who I saw last weekend.  Isn't he adorable?  The young one, not the old guy... For those who are not baseball fans, this is my little brother with one of his most favorite people in the whole world: Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies.  We got to meet him last week when he came to speak at SVU, which is my brother's small college in Charlie's hometown of Buena Vista, VA (pronounced b-yoonah vista, as I was so kindly corrected by the locals... of course, my brother has lived there for three months and still says "bonah vista". oh well.  baseball is his strong point, not vocab).  It was probably the best day of my brother's whole life.  And not just because I was there :)

SVU is gorgeous.  I was so impressed by the beauty of the mountains and forests and I liked the small-town feel.  But I was starting to feel DC-withdrawal after my four days there-it was weird to not ride a metro anywhere, not hear sirens and cab horns at 3am, and actually be able to see the stars in a dark night sky.  We had a bonfire one night and it was so fun to be out in the woods, singin and roasting marshmallows over the flames with Andrew's buddies.

I loved spending time with my brother- we had a great time hanging out with his friends, watching movies, going to restaurants, hiking, attending a fireside, hearing Charlie Manuel speak, and so much more.

My favorite thing was definitely watching him play baseball.  I watched him for a few hours on friday and again on saturday- I love watching him play.  It's so clear that he loves the game. He puts his whole soul into every play- it's cool to see how dedicated he is to the game and to the team.

I've been watching him play baseball since he was six years old.  It was bittersweet to watch him play last week because it will be one of the last times I see him play for a few years.  This is his last season before he leaves on a two year mission for our church.  I'm so proud of him and the decisions that he's made in his life that have led him to this point- he is an amazing man.

I love my brother. He is my best friend.

and yes, that is a grape in his bellybutton...