July in Review

We've been so busy being a family of five (plus a crazy cat) that I have not been a very faithful blogger.  However, I do have pictures to share.  So, I'm going to have to rely on the pictures to tell the stories better than my words... Here we go.

Daddy and Sam doing a little Jillian Michaels exercise

Our back deck at our July 4th party

My pinterest project: 

recovering a Little Tykes picnic table

tutorial here

Kayden, Kimmie and I made these decorations for July 4th

Ethan and Evan's "red, white, and blue" edible art competition

 Sam's "stars and stripes" glasses.

 Stomping in mud puddles, check!

Picking "matoes" and eating them right off the vine, check!

 Birthday brownies with caramel and candles!

Brothers reading Goodnight Gorilla, a family favorite.

Oh, and how can I forget library days?  A magic show

(with our friend Caleb as an assisitant)

A live play (The Princess and the Pea)

Our buddies Ms. Megan and Ava

And, our favorite librarian, Ms. Jessica.

Sam logged 102 books in the program this summer and won a prize!

Thanks for the bubbles Ms. Jessica.

Jamestown and Williamsburg

We had the opportunity to meet up with some of Michael's great friends who now live in Williamsburg.  Russ and Jenny were kind enough to invite us to stay with them and show us around Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg.  I know Michael was really glad to see his friends and all, but I think Sam may have enjoyed this visit the most.  Jenny made his favorite home-cooked meal, spaghetti, and her daughter Rebecca had a room full of cool toddler toys and a shared love for Caillou.  Good food. New toys. His favorite Sprout show. He was one happy boy.  

Jamestown, the colonists' settlement

The boys had to try on the battle gear.

Evan and Ethan took turns preaching from the pulpit.  

Does this look like the face of a hot, tired boy in need of some ice cream?

 Walking past the gardens on the way to the ships.

I love this picture!  My man Ethan is gonna make this log canoe work yet.  

Gotta love an active imagination and a great sense of humor.

We could actually get on these ships and tour the decks.

It was a 5-month journey from England to the Jamestown settlement.

The Indian Camp

We learned about tanning hides, grinding food, making stew, and how to keep cool on a humid summer day.  Huddle up by a fire. Ummm, yea...

We ended the evening with a ghost tour of Colonial Willamsburg.  Legends, sightings, and ghost stories was just what the boys needed.  They were hanging on our tour guide's every word and hoping to get a picture of something extoadinary along the way.  See anything strange in this picture taken right outside the church???

The next morning, we had brunch at the Chickahominy House.  We may not have had the nicest server (poor girl was from Jersey, she couldn't help it) but the food was fabulous!  

One last stop before we got back on the road, Yankee Candle,
 but this was no ordinary Yankee Candle.

Inside it was snowing!  

There was a talking countdown clock showing 151 days until Christmas and...

Summertime Santa!

He looked up Sam's name in his book and it showed several gold stars! 

He asked if Sam brushed his teeth and cleaned his room and gave him another star.  

Then they posed together for a picture.

...and a fist bump.

Thank you again to Jenny and Russ for letting us stay with you guys.  Sweet Rebecca, we thank you for sharing your toys and playing with us, pretty girl!  We are ready for your visit to our house anytime.

Washington D.C. - Day 3

Wednesday - Spy Museum, Downtown D.C., and Smithsonian

Today was our "Yep, I'm a tourist" day.  We started at the Spy Museum where they did not allow cameras, or strollers for that matter.  So, I have no pictures of me running through the museum chasing an almost 2-year old and making sure he wasn't trying to shove homing devices or explosive pen grenades up his nose.  Real fun times.  They probably would've been blurry anyway. 

We then walked a marathon to see all the war monuments.  We were expecting a lot of people, just not so much construction.  Monuments need restoration too.  Price of progress, I guess.  

Good ole' 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Better known as the White House

Evan and Ethan took turns holding up the Washington Monument.

With all the construction going on, someone had to do it.

This is the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial, drained.  Boo.

Part of the reconstruction.

My boys standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

All the boys with Honest Abe himself.

 The Korean War Memorial

This was pretty special to me since my grandfather fought in this war.

This wall beside the monument statues had the faces of soldiers etched into the stone.  

The Washington Monument

The Smithsonian - Air and Space Museum

I think my boys were in engine heaven!  We walked around and admired air crafts and learned all kinds of cool stuff about flying and space.  This museum was defintely worth the money; oh wait, it was free!

Sam learns about wind power and how it can float this ball.

All the boys took the "reflex test."  

Care to guess who has faster reflexes than the astronauts?

Daddy, of course!

And, there she is...the Spirit of St. Louis

After a day of walking (and walking, and walking) we said goodbye to our nation's capital, had dinner at a real restaurant, and went. to. bed.  Tomorrow, we go to Williamsburg.