Sunday, June 19, 2011

T here have been many positive aspects of Viriginia, but I would say my favorite so far is the amount of family time it has allowed us!  We have been blessed with a lot of recent visits to and from family.  Gramma & Grampa Shinabery were in town  the last week of  May.  It was great to spend time with them and show them around our Capital.   We spent one  day touring D.C. inwhich the kids got to experience their 1st train ride, we think we saw the President or his wife & kids in a caravan of police escorted black SUVS & we got stuck in the rain which everyone thought felt great after a long day of walking in the sun.  Everyone but Avery who cried the entire time! 

World War II Memorial


Bummer the reflection pond was getting worked on!





Outside of visits, we have been working in the yard or garden, mowing the lawn or helping around the farm.  Here Zac & Chris are helping the guys move some dirt!  





A little trip up to The Big Apple to visit The Keating's was next on the agenda!!  They are a weekend trip away which is sooooo Great!  What a jam packed couple days of fun!  The kids played at the beach while we just relaxed!  Outside of visiting with them & eating Mexican, the beach was my favorite!  Glorious to be so close to a beach!  I truley felt like I had gone on vacation! Thank-you Sarah for my mini recharge vacation!
Here the girls are relaxing in the sun! No need for beach towels when there is warm sand to lay in!




All the kids running into the water to touch the rope and then race back out! How many times did we say "Go!"  LOL!

Nora, seriously with this face she will get whatever she wants (from me anyway!!)


Uncle Chris & Aidan waiting for our Mexican food!!!




 Eating frozen yogart! I always take several pictures in hopes of getting a "good" one!  Here, I thought they were all cute! Enjoy!  The many faces of our kids!!!





A start to another visit!!! Granny, Grampy, Aunt Michelle, Uncle Rick and Nick all came to town! Everyone was here at the farm for a few days and then we stayed down at the National Harbor outside of D.C. for five days! We had a blast visiting and touring the city. We opted out of the museums and hung out by the pool a bit more than everyone else but we all had a great time!




Waiting on the bus to take us to the train to get us into the city: Day 1



WWII Monument

Again, no water in the reflexion pond!

Zac reading his paper on the train ride home! Lol!

Avery, Nick & Zac


Aunt Michelle & Avery


Sid

Avery

Zac & Uncle Rick (Good Margaritas!!!!)



D own at the National Harbor.  We walked around while the rest of the crew headed into D.C for another day!  It was cooler, so instead of the pool we walked around, played in the sand and ate ice cream! 



Day 3 - Pool time

Avery with her Grampy



Can you believe who we ran into down at the National Harbor?

Funny!!!





Thursday, May 05, 2011

Virginia & more



Being silly at Gramma & Grampa Shinabery's

Wow! Hadn't realized it has been almost a year since I've updated this blog!  Well, a lot has been happening over the last year so I will bring you up to speed!   The biggest news would be that we have moved from sunny Arizona to Appalachain Trail Virginia!  The move has been bitter sweet in many ways, but we are adjusting to our new surroundings and getting settled into our new house!

Two weeks ago, the kids & I drove to Ohio to celebrate Easter with family.  We had such a great time playing with all our cousins at Granny & Grampy's house. We also had a great time at Gramma & Grampa's house even though it rained almost every day!  There was one day of sunshine & the kids helped Grampa outside all day planting strawberries & mending to other plants!



Sidney, Nick, Jeremiah, Zac, Avery, Bella & Isaiah sitting outside waiting to hunt Easter eggs!


On your mark, get set, GO!!!!!


Checking out all the candy inside the eggs!!  Aunt Mel & Great Gramma holding down the fort!


Jeremiah, Isaiah & Zac.  Zac loved playing with "The Cousins" as he would put it!



Decorating Easter eggs at home before we went to Ohio.  I told Zac to hold up an egg so I could get a picture of him with it and he held it a little too close to his face!!!!



Sidney, Zac & Avery


Hunting eggs in the backyard!


Aunt Sarah, Aidan & Nora came to Virginia to visit with us for a couple days!  We had so much fun!  It rained the first days so we played inside, but we did get to go outside eventually and play in the mud!!!  We also had a beautiful day of sunshine that allowed us to walk down the road & check out the horses!!!   It was so great having them here & we look forward to more frequent visits!!


Sidney, Aidan & Zac in the tent!


Eating ice cream while riding behind the mower!




Even Nora got to play in the mud!



Then of course, we had to take a bath!
 

Before we left Arizona we ran in our team relay race!!!!  Here is Van 2 decked out for our team name Royal with Cheeze (Pulp Fiction).  This is our 202 mile race from Wickenburg, AZ to Tempe, AZ.  We had great weather this year & loads of fun!!!


We also got a visit from Aunt Pat & Uncle Warren!  They came & stayed with us for two nights.  Here is a great picture of the kids with them in Sedona!!!




And here is Virginia!!! This is our back yard.  Behind the black fence are the cows!
  



Looking at our house from the backyard!
  



The cows!
  



Another shot of the backyard!!!  The mountians in the back ground are the Appalachian Trail