After Seminary, we got in the car, and headed to Big Stone Gap, Virginia, to visit some friends and stay for the night. Benji knew them in high school, and after E was born, I watched their daughter during the day until they moved away. They also lost a baby just a few months before we lost our baby, ... anyway, they are especially near and dear to our hearts. We stayed up late catching up. They have a baby just a few months older than T.
Day 2
We slept in then headed to Hampton, Virginia to spend a few days with my sister, Katherine, and her family. They are being stationed out of the country next month, so it was awesome that they were on the way to Assateague Island. Actually, that is part of the reason we decided to meet Bob & Anna at Assateague in the first place. We arrived, settled in a bit, ordered pizza, and visited while the kids played together (E: in the garage). Justin had a gig, so he got home later. T was fascinated with Uncle Justin's action figure collection.
Day 3
We planned a day-trip to Colonial Williamsburg. We parked by the Visitors' Center and walked a distance to the village (learned later there is paid parking much closer). The children did not really appreciate the living history, but we got some pics, so we can prove they were there sometime when they may care. They did, however, like the candy shop. Benji let E & J pick out one item of their choice. E chose a deluxe candied apple (with chocolate candy pieces and everything!), and J chose a chocolate pumpkin. When we got back and cut open the candied apple, E decided that actually she did not like candied apples - too caramelly - I thought it was delicious. It's a shame, though, for all the begging she did for the caramel apple. Aunt Katherine made a delicious homemade chicken noodle soup ... which the kids did not care for, but had to eat anyway. I had seconds, and possibly thirds.
Day 4
We spent the day mostly relaxing - the dads took the kids to a large park while Katherine & I picked up her raw milk. Benji kept texting us when would we be back, and could we please bring water. They walked to the park, but did not want to walk back. They did run into one of Justin's best friends in the air force band, and the kids all played together, and even after we arrived with water, we probably stayed another hour.
That evening, we had a surprise for the children - we did not give them a clue. First, Aunt Katherine picked up their former foreign exchange student, then we all went out to Olive Garden. We went to the Hampton Coliseum ...
... it was Disney's Frozen on Ice.
It was sweet. Albeit pricey. Benji told me to take E & J out one-by-one to pick out a souvenir of their choice. They each chose a wand that has tendrils ($25 and $22 respectively) that light up and spin around when you push a button. It was kind of neat to see these devices throughout the stadium during the performance. Oh the crown came with the cotton candy ($13).
The neatest thing to me about the performance was that most of the audience sang along with the songs. Big crowd vibe. At the beginning and ending of the program, they bring out lots of Disney characters - almost all the princesses, and Buzz & Woody, and of course Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. I was impressed with the snow monster.
Day 5
We went to 9am Sacrament meeting - but left after the Sacrament - T was already in the hall with me following him around, when Benji came out with the other two. We went back to Katherine & Justin's, changed clothes, and headed to Assateague Island. We went through the tunnels under the Chesapeake Bay and across the bridge that is several miles long.
We were a little fascinated by the sea gulls that were on every lamppost - and many many dead seagulls on the side of the bridge - I am glad we did not hit one - that would be distracting on a bridge. We arrived on the island. Assateague has herds of wild horses that roam the thin, barrier island. We saw several on our way to in to the ranger station and campsite.
We were a little fascinated by the sea gulls that were on every lamppost - and many many dead seagulls on the side of the bridge - I am glad we did not hit one - that would be distracting on a bridge. We arrived on the island. Assateague has herds of wild horses that roam the thin, barrier island. We saw several on our way to in to the ranger station and campsite.
We arrived and scoped out our site - holy mosquitos! We stayed on the bayside of the island (less sand) and were literally right next to the marshes and then the bay. We set up our tent.
Bob & Anna and their kids arrived with their travel trailer while we were finishing setting up the tent. We decided to go for some seafood on the mainland for dinner. Service was slow. But the food was good enough. A couple hours later, we arrived back, visited for a bit, and went to bed. The kids fell right to sleep - except T, who decided to attack J a few times before I held him too tight, and he submitted to sleep. I got up at about 4am, and as I stood up in the tent, I heard a horse noise, then saw a horse walk right by our tent door! Grandma & Grandpa arrived late in the night.
Day 6
Dew drops woke us in the morning. We like the design of the tent as far as circulation ... but there was an issue of dew which collected then dripped down right about where our arms were. We stayed in the tent until we heard Alex & Vickie on their bikes to go see Grandma & Grandpa. We sent the kids out to join them.
There were 3 horses in an empty campsite. So we visited the horses. A small, harem herd of 4 horses owned the territory we camped on - we saw them every day.
We went for a hike - there are 3 hiking trails on the Maryland side of the island. The Marshlands trail was very near our campground. We saw lots of pretty waterfowl.
After lunch, we took the kids to the bayside beach. It was very calm and shallow waters, so I let T play in the water, and just followed along behind him, the water up to my ankles or thereabouts. The older kids went out a long ways, and it was still almost just as shallow!
We had campfire hot dogs and s'mores and such for dinner. The stars were beautiful. I could make out the milky way, and several constellations. I wish I knew more constellations, but I don't usually see them so well... After dinner, the grandparents kept all the grandkids while the middle generation went to Wal-mart for ice and a few other supplies (more insect repellent, in particular).
Day 7
Some light rain during the night helped keep the dew off of us in the morning. We took pictures.
This day, we also went to Ocean City - just our family and Grandma & Grandpa. It has changed a bit. We rented this bicycle carriage, where the four adults pedaled while the kids sat (although they took turns, too), and pedaled most of the way down the boardwalk and back - it sure beat walking!
Lots of shops were closed for the season. We passed some sand art.
After we returned the bike, we had lunch and walked along the beach and into the waves. One of the waves sucked J down with it. Poor guy - I watched him struggle and lose his balance. We played in the waves, and then walked back to the parking lot, rinsed off the sand and loaded back up into our car.
After we returned the bike, we had lunch and walked along the beach and into the waves. One of the waves sucked J down with it. Poor guy - I watched him struggle and lose his balance. We played in the waves, and then walked back to the parking lot, rinsed off the sand and loaded back up into our car.
We met up with the cousins at the Assateague Island visitor center, and watched a movie about the horses. We learned that the stallions are aggressive with each other and have "battle scars." J still likes to talk about the battle scars. Also learned that they give the female horses a shot to prevent them from getting pregnant but once to keep the numbers down and extend the mares' lives. We had a spaghetti dinner, and the kids told ghost stories by firelight and ate more marshmallows. J decided he likes to light them on fire! One after another.
Day 8
Benji and I decided to take Grandma & Grandpa up on their offer to host the older kids and bring them home for us (I think they initially offered - or did we just dump the kids on them??). We took down our tent (kind of funny, because it kept sprinkling on and off - so we kept laying stuff out to dry and then running to get it out of the sprinkles). We took T with us, and headed back through Katherine & Justin's to get a hot shower, and made it as far as Emporia, Virginia before T started to get really fussy, and we got a hotel room for the night.
Day 9
We made a stop at Town Creek Indian Mound on our way home, because I enjoy learning about Native Americans, and it was basically en route. They had a self-guided tour of the archaeological site, and some recreated huts, including a ceremonial center on top of a manmade hill. I think T really enjoyed the break from his car seat.
We had dinner in Atlanta with another high school friend of Benji's and her family. It was dark when we got home, but we made it home in not too long. E & J got home two days later.
We had dinner in Atlanta with another high school friend of Benji's and her family. It was dark when we got home, but we made it home in not too long. E & J got home two days later.
E: We had lots and lots of fun and at night, sometimes, we told ghost stories (even though it was not Halloween). One night, Aunt Katherine made chicken noodle soup, and I don't like chicken noodle soup, so I barely ate it. We went to a kind-of-little-village-place. J found a penny and a dime. I had the dime. While we were going our way to the car, I saw an old man in a wheelchair, and I wanted to give him my dime. I was a little shy, but I did it. There was a surprise. We saw Disney on Ice! It was so much FUN! We even had cotton candy and it was delicious. We even got little Frozen wand-thingies. When you press the button, it spins. J got an Olaf one, and I got an Elsa-and-Anna one (in a heart). It was so beautiful. We saw lots of Disney characters skating on ice - even some little kids were skating. After the three days were up with our cousins, K & E, we went to Assateague Island. It was amazing. There were beaches, and oceans, and I loved it! And Alex & Vickie came, and Grandma and Grandpa, and both everyone except us and some of the people were in RVs. We went to the beaches a couple of times. We had so so SO MUCH FUN! Two or one time, we slept in Alex & Vicki's RV (J: you mean travel trailer).
What did you like on the trip?
J: The ghost stories and the s'mores. The ghost stories kind of scared K, so she couldn't hear the ghost story I was telling. When we were on Assateague, well, then, we got to go on a hike and I had so so so so so much fun. When we got back, we came a different way. Then, when we got back, I really loved the trip. So, then we were in Grandma and Grandpa's RV, when Mom & Dad left, and we wanted to stay. So we went in the RV, and we slept in the RV. Then we liked the trip. Then we did like the trip so much. Then we wanted to stay when they gone. So we stayed. And I liked it so so so so much. Then I remember when the marsh got deeper so it moved closer to the tent.
