Getting a flower fix

I got tired of waiting for spring to arrive in northern Virginia, so I took matters into my own hands and organized an outing to the U. S. Botanic Gardens this weekend; joining me on Saturday's trip were Lisa and Samy, Cheryl and Gabe, and Cheryl's mother.  Although it was gray and gloomy outside, the inside of the conservatory was awash in all the colors of the rainbow.  I managed to grab some photos of the lovely blooms in between pushing Samy and Sammy around in the stroller (they shall henceforth be known as S-Squared).

As we were leaving the National Garden, we were bid farewell by two very friendly ducks who marched right up to us; Gabe managed to get up close and personal with them before they waddled off in search of some snacks.

I'll be honest--I was actually a little worried that the kids would get bored, but fortunately my fears appeared to be unwarranted as they seemed to really enjoy people-watching and looking at all of the different plants.  I think a return trip will be in order once things warm up a little bit around here; there were several outdoor gardens that aren't open yet, including a children's garden that looked like it would be a lot of fun for the more mobile set.