Our Trip to Virginia Beach

We went to Virginia Beach w/ my friend and her 3 kids to stay with her cousin at his house on a water way to the Chesapeake Bay. We stayed from Monday to Thursday and had a GREAT time. The weather was wonderful....hot but not too hot, sunny w/ low humidity! PERFECT beach weather. The first day the boys explored the waterway behind the house on kayaks and canoes. They went from dock to pool to hot tub and back again many times! They pitched their tent but could not sleep in it the first night due to rain and lightning. When Carey's cousin Chris came home from work, he took us out on the boat to see dolphins! We saw several including a baby!
The next day we went to a beach on the bay where we found shells and sea glass, played in the sand and water and watched Hover Crafts launch and return from huge Navy boats. That night we went fishing for Flounder but had no luck. Think we went a bit too late. The kids had fun and Ryan loved the casting net. He caught many little fish with it.
Wednesday we went to Virginia Beach on the ocean side and had fun in the waves. We walked the boardwalk and had pizza and subs for lunch. Then back to the beach. The kids had a blast.
Wednesday night we just played in the pool and hot tub. Thursday we were sad to leave. We cleaned and packed up and the kids played in the pool, hot tub and took out the canoe and kayaks one last time. All in all it was a great vacation!

On our way to fish

Preston, Matt, Teagan, Grant and Kevin

Ryan was driving

Captain Ryan

Ryan in his sand chair at the bay beach

Grant, Matt and Kevin

Virginia Beach Fun

Baseball on the bay beach

Matt and Ryan crashed on one couch

Grant, Preston and Kevin....up too late in the tent

tired puppies in the morning!

Ryan on the dock

Water Fun

at the bay beach

tired and hungry boys

more fun after lunch....all 6 kids in picture

Matt and Grant in front

hot tub!

pool fun

Canoes, Kayaks and Crabs, oh my

The kids loved the dock area. Chris has a canoe and 2 kayaks that the kids could take out into the water way behind his house any time they wanted. They wore life jackets but the water is pretty shallow right there. Chris also had pieces of chicken already tied and weighted down for crabbing. They only caught one but had fun trying. Matt brought a casting net that Ryan LOVED and caught many little bait fish. It was right behind the house so we could watch them and when they got tired they could run up to the pool or hot tub!

Ryan crabbing off the dock

Ryan in the canoe

Preston in a kayak

Ryan, Matt and Grant in the canoe

All the boys getting ready to go out on

the canoe and kayaks within 15 minutes

of our arrival! They were so excited.

Nice Visit

My parents came to visit for a week to see the boys play baseball, help while I was still at work and see a few sites we all want to see before we leave. They had the chance to see 10 games and saw only 3! This Crazy rain will NOT stop! They saw Preston play a double header and Ryan play a practice game since all the players on both teams did not show. I had to work 2 extra days so they stayed with the boys and kept them busy w/ board games and putt putt! We went to the National Cathedral which is something my mom has always wanted to see. It is always impressive but we had a HORRIBLE tour guide.....word to the wise: wait for the next tour if you get a bad guide! We did FINALLY see the Darth Vader Gargoyle with the help of an over-zealous but nice security guard. We also took a tour of the Mint, where they make paper money! That was very interesting and neat to see. We bought real shredded money in the gift shop! - even ME! After that we went to the American History Museum. It has been closed for 3 years and just re-opened. I was not too impressed w/ some parts and am just hoping they are still working on it. Other parts had so much information and very impressive displays! After a day of a little shopping in a lot of rain-imagine that!, My parents left today. We had a nice visit even with all the rain.

Visit by Grandparents

Watching Preston Play baseball

"President Ryan" giving a speech

at the American History Museum

The chart was a few inches off, but this

tells how tall you are in $100 bills!

Are YOU worth your height?

Preston is really just a tad over 5'2"

After the tour where we saw $$$

being printed..very neat!

At the National Catherdral...

my dad and the boys

Smart Kids

We started June off with Both Grant and Preston getting great awards at school. Preston was recognized for being in the TOP 8 of his class of over 400! Grant received the Award for Presidential Excellence. You have to be nominated by 2 teachers and have great grades in all of 4th grade and the first 3 quarters of 5th grade. He got a pin, certificate and letter from the President. A few weeks later, he graduated from Elementary school! Here in Waldorf, Elementary ends with 5th grade and you go to a middle school for 6-8th grades. However, we are moving to Alabama this summer and they go through 6th grade in Elementary school, so Grant will get to "graduate" all over again next year! We are VERY PROUD of all our boys. Ryan had ALL A's the ENTIRE year of 3rd Grade!

All of us at Grant's 5th Grade Graduation

The boys

Grant getting his certificate

Grant and dad w/ his award for Presidential Excellence

We started the summer early w/ S'mores @ Rohrbaugh's