Beach

shark

Sunday afternoon we grilled at the beach. 

They have nice pavilions with grills. 

We walked out to a spot with very little people so the girls could play in the water. 

It was so nice. 

We stayed for a few hours soaking up the sun and playing in the sand. 

It was my perfect afternoon. 

Busch Gardens

The girls riding Red Baron.

Big Bird

Elmo

Here are a few pictures from this weekends trip to Busch Gardens.

The ones of the girls with the sesame street characters was the best I could get. 

They don't allow you to get right in front to take a picture 

because they want you to purchase their pictures. 

I was going to buy them because they looked like they'd be so cute 

but I didn't know they could only be purchased at the Sesame place.

I thought I could get them at the other photo spot. I was so upset when the guy told me that it was late and we were all exhausted. 

I didn't go back to get them. 

So this is all I got, 

they are still cute and better than nothing for the girls to remember 

getting to meet a few of their favorite sesame street characters. 

There was a total of 9 of us that went on Saturday to take advantage of the Hero Salute. 

IT was a fun day. 

They have child swap spots so Josh and I both got to ride some rides. 

When I finally get home I will scan a few pictures we had taken that day. 

All the guy's and Aynslee dressed up and got their picture taken at the old time photo thing. 

It's pretty cute. 

Aynslee insisted she dress up and have her picture taken.

It's something nice for us to have to remember this time in Josh's career. 

He has met some really great people that he will be serving with over the next year. 

a few cool things about this place...

While driving around here I spotted this store called, "The Yarn Basket." I went in there today while we were out and about. Josh sat in the Jeep with the girls so I could look. It's a pretty cool store. The lady that helped me was so nice. I found a pattern for a knitted jumper I have been wanting to make for Avery. They offer knitting classes too. 

Another store I found which I was even more excited to find was a cloth diaper store, I have never been in an actual cloth diaper store. I got to see a few brands of the new diapers that have come out that I have wanted to "try" but didn't want to spend the money on them. She had them in stock! She also carries the wet bags that I love and a few of the diaper brand we use. I would love to be able to open a store up like this. To be able to offer people a place to come and purchase things in the same day would be awesome instead of having to order online and wait for your fluff to arrive. Maybe one day!!!!

climbing a mountain

Aynslee is climbing Mt Trashmore. It was a landfill they covered and turned into a park. 

It's pretty cool. The park area is really nice and the girls had so much fun. 

Cape Henry Lighthouse

This is the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse constructed in 1792. 

The new Cape Henry Lighthouse was constructed in 1881.

They are located in Fort Story Military base at the landing site of Captain Newport 1607, he was the first to land in the area after crossing the Atlantic Ocean. 

We got a brief history lesson as we ventured out to find this. 

I saw it on the map and we just drove towards it.

The weather was bad so we didn't get to explore the dunes and Memorial area of Cape Henry,

hopefully we will be able to go back again. 

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

I love this picture of them!

Friendship Pond

Magnolia, Mississippi State Flower

taking time to smell the roses

Rose garden

We went to the Botanical gardens today. 

It has lots of trails to walk that are shaded and a kids play area. 

It was a nice day to be outside and walk around,

the girls enjoyed being outside.

My favorite part of the gardens was the friendship pond. 

We let the girls take their shoes off and run around.

There were turtles, geese and ducks all around. 

We even saw a mama goose sitting on her nest. 

We had a great day. 

Aynslee's 1st fish

Josh took Aynslee fishing and she caught her very first fish. 

She had lots of fun fishing with daddy!

Home away from home

This is the girls room while we are staying with Josh.

It's a closet but it's so big that it fits a pack n play on one side.

Aynslee's is camping out with a sleeping bag.

They were playing ponies the other day and I got this picture of them being silly.

city living

I forgot to mention I now know what it's like for people that live in the city. You know the one's that live in the high rise apartments. Yesterday, the girls and I made a run to the Nex and Commissary. When we got back I had to quickly think of how we'd get ourselves and our purchases up to the room. Josh's room is on the second floor and there are no elevators. 

My solution was to put Avery in the Ergo on my back and proceed to carry the bucket I had gotten for the few toys we got them to play with. There were a few bags in the bucket, multi tasking the carrying. I climbed the 2 flights of stairs put the bucket and my bag in the room turned around with both kids walked back down the stairs across the street to where we are parked got the other 2 bags and a box of soda and walked back up the 2 flights of stairs with Avery on my back and Aynslee following happily behind me. I think by adding those 27 extra pounds to my load up the stairs a few times I day by the time I get home I'll be in shape. : )

colors

This is my first experience staying on a military base. Sure, sure I've been on a few bases been shopping, etc. But now I am living on base. Yesterday at 7:55 am we heard a trumpet sound it was the 5 minute warning for the raising of our flag. Then promptly at 8:00am the national anthem is played. When this happens everyone stops what they are doing faces a certain direction and salutes the flag until it is risen. Pretty cool tradition. I do mean stops everything even driving until this is over. 

Well this morning we were sleeping in and but what do I hear that wakes me up. Yep! The warning trumpet. The girls think it's really cool. While I think it's cool also um it woke us all up from much needed sleep. The girls haven't been going to bed easy since we left home a few nights ago. Refusing to go to sleep and crying. Normally I would just shut the door and not worry about it but we are in a hotel with other people around us and I don't want anyone complaining to the front desk and kicking us out. I am not sure if I should cut Avery's naps out while we are here she's the worst about it. We'll figure something out. 

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The girls started to get sick as we were on our way here Sat. With the change in the weather it has gotten worse. Aynslee just seems to have a croupy sounding cough. Avery's nose was runny yesterday and her cough sounded worse. Then this morning she woke up throwing up more like dry heaving since she wouldn't eat anything last night. She isn't running a fever which is good but I hope whatever this is doesn't last long. I hate it when they don't feel good. 

on a little vaca

The girls and I are in VA with Josh for a few weeks. He flew home this weekend to take us back with him. After a nightmare of a flight, his flight out of VA was late which caused him to miss his connection, it left early, so he rented a car with another guy that was also going to the same place and got home at 5:00am on Sat morning. He was able to get enough sleep so he could start driving us north. We left in the afternoon and drove to NC to see my friend Gerry that I haven't seen in a while. It was great catching up with him. My girls LOVED him. It was so cute. We spent the night on the road and got here in the early afternoon. It was raining and COLD.  I didn't pack any warm clothes so we had to go get the girls some jackets. I feel so bad I usually pack prepared but I never thought in May it would be 57 degrees. 

The base here is really nice a lot nicer than our base which I never thought I'd say. The room is big enough. The girls are camping out in a closet it's big enough for a pack n play and a sleeping bag.  

We have lots go plans to go to the beach while we are here, do some site seeing, and spend some much needed family time together before daddy leaves for his next deployment. 

I'll be updating this with pictures and posts while we are here since I do have Josh's laptop. So keep checking back.