Kings Dominion

We had our first family adventure to Kings Dominion. Kings Dominion is a theme park with lots of rides and a water park. I used to love going when I was teenager. But I'm clearly not a teenager anymore. Amelia really wanted to go for her birthday so we decided to make a family day of it. 

Mom perspective: hot + crowded + expensive... not my favorite place 

Kid perspective: fun, fun, and more fun!... wants to go back again soon. 

I guess that's the most important thing. They loved it. I get sick on many of the rides now so I'm a lame mom, but we had fun all in all. 

Next time: no going on a Saturday. Lessons learned. 

We didn't get a lot of photos. But we got a few, mostly on the carousel 🐴 . 

Alex loved Snoopy Land. Amelia was bummed because some of the rides she was just shy of being tall enough for in the main park... one day! I wish they'd stop growing up so fast in many ways. The days are so, so long but I feel like I blinked and now I have a nearly ten year old😳. Seriously how did that happen?!? But in other ways I'm really enjoying having kids big enough to go on adventures with. I want them to have amazing memories of traveling and doing fun things with family. Everyone says these years fly by, so I want to make the most of them, even if that means standing in long lines while sweating my eyeballs out😅.

 

 

 

 

Seven Never Looked so Good

This is the face of seven folks! After her traditional birthday breakfast with her dad, she was off for a great day at school. This girl is amazing! She's brought love and light into our lives since day one. She's tender hearted, kind, smart, hard working, competitive, and an all around great kid! We love you Amelia! May seven bring you many adventures! Happy Birthday sweet girl!

After school we had friends and family over to celebrate her special day, and tomorrow... Kings Dominion!

What a great day! It's good to be seven!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st Day of 4th and 2nd grades

It almost seems cruel to go back to school in mid-August, but since we've been out since Memorial Day I guess it's only fitting. And in many ways I was ready to see that big yellow bus, because getting back into a nice routine is just what we needed. But I'm a little sad as well. We had fun this summer. But here we go again! First day of 4th and 2nd grade for these kiddos.

Alex will start preschool in a few weeks, but he was ready to get on the bus with his big sisters and was more than a little upset that he couldn't. He also took Amelia's sign and demanded a picture 😂. Cute kid! And of course he needed his backpack too. 

My heart! I said prayers all day that it would be a good day for them. They both came home happy. I'm feeling like Ella's teacher is really going to be great for her and Amelia loves all of the teachers she's had. This year will be no exception. 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Summer 2017: Top Ten

It's been an awesome summer. We've done a lot of great things. So to recap, here's a list of our top ten favorite activities or moments of this summer that's very quickly coming to an end.

1. The cruise 🚢. There's really nothing that can top this experience. Family + beach + sun= memories of a lifetime 

2. So many fun camps

Ella went to a horse camp that she loved. Amelia did a sports camp. They both did a games galore camp, and Ella Aldo went to Lego camp. These camps were a lot of fun for the kids, but they also provided some much needed sanity in our home because I quickly learned too much down time is trouble. 

3. Swimming. We swam a ton this summer and loved every bit of it. In fact, next summer I'm putting these girls on the swim team. 

4. Biking/Hiking/Canoeing. Just staying active in general. We did two great hikes, one night canoeing, and many nights biking. 

The family canoe trip. I actually didn't go on this one. But these kids are lucky to have such a fun daddy. 

Hiking White Oak

Biking at the skate park.

5. The Nats Game 

That was a fun night! 

6. Trains, planes, and playing at home

So much creativity... I love it!

Also, this is what Alex does instead of nap. He doesn't want to miss a beat with his big sisters around, so why not dance with a basket on your head?😂

7. The Library. Story time, the summer reading program, and lots of good reading. I read at least ten books this summer, a new record for me with little kids. I even won the adult reading prize one week. I won a gift card to our local bakery, free books, and a really great library bag. I'm such a nerd. I was super excited!

We also walked to the library on nice days. It was a family adventure.

8. Dollar Movies on Tuesdays. We did this a few times with nana and papa. 

How fun is it to go to a movie and only spend a few dollars on tickets! Well the snacks were still expensive, but nana is always prone to spoiling these kids. 

9. Date Nights. Shaun and I had some great dates. For Father's Day, and then our night out at Bluemont. Fun times.

10. Just being together! 

No matter what we did, it was always most fun doing it together. So it's another one for the record books. Summer 2017 was great!

 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Rag Mountain Father Daughter Date

Amelia and Shaun took one day to climb Old Rag, a favorite mountain hike known for its fun rock climbing at the top. It's a pretty strenuous hike. Shaun and I last hiked it together when we were engaged and at the peak of our fitness. I'm not even sure I could do it now, but Amelia did great! She's quite the athletic one, so it might have even been a bit easier for her than Shaun, who admitted to being quite sore. But they had a great time! Ella was at a horse camp and I had to work, so it seemed like a great time for the two of them to enjoy some special time together. 

Aren't they cute?

I wish I could have gone too, but I'm glad they had such a great day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amelia's Soccer Tournament ⚽️

Amelia has loved soccer this season. She even tried out for the summer tournament group and made it! She and the other girls on the team had a great season! They won almost every game. 

Way to go Amelia! We are so proud of you!