Papaw and Mamaw Nise Visit VA

Dad and Denise came to visit and we spent time exploring the area.

 

We took them to the Yorktown Pier which is always lots of fun.

We found the spot where crabbing (as in griping, complaining, being grumpy) is allowed. Ha!

Papaw treated everyone to some Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream.

We also visited the Yorktown Battlefield where the last major battle of the Revolutionary War was fought.  My dad being an old army infantry guy and a bit of a history buff especially liked this.

We took them down to the beach at Dam Neck.  Poor Rachel is trying to get caught up on the summer work she has been assigned since moving here, so she worked while we were there.

But she also had some fun!



We drove down Atlantic Avenue and saw some street performers.  We were going to park and walk around, but we couldn't find parking.

 

Denise wanted to take home some fresh seafood so I found a local shop.  Their slogan is, "Our seafood is so fresh it slept in the Chesapeake last night."  I was amazed by the baskets of Blue Crab.  There was an elderly gentleman who was very entertained by the fact that I was taking pictures of the crabs.  Denise bought some shrimp to take home.



 

Dad brought some catfish and Aaron and Hannah helped him prepare it.

 





We picked up some corn on the cob to grill and Rachel helped Mamaw Nise shuck it.

Dad also took Aaron and fishing one day.  They fished all day long, but came home empty handed. 

Therapy

Our local library has a program that gives kids the opportunity to read to therapy dogs.  I knew Hannah would love it!  The program is really designed to help kids with their reading skills.  Hannah is an excellent reader and practice never hurts, but I knew she would just enjoy meeting the dogs.

 



Oceana

We finally had a day to get out and explore a little.  We drove down to NAS Oceana where we walked through Aviation Historical Park.  Aaron was especially happy to get a up close look at all the jets.

 

 

Box Camping

My kids have always loved a good empty box.  Our house in Illinois had a partially finished basement and the kids would play for hours with large empty boxes.  We kept them until me moved out of that house.

It was no surprise when Aaron and Hannah decided to get a bit creative with empty boxes after this move.

This is not a good shot of the inside of the boxes, but they colored them on the inside and pulled sleeping bags inside so they can camp in them tonight.  I'm not sure I would sleep in a box when there was a perfectly good bed right next to it!



Mothra

Aaron and Hannah have been very happy to find some of the Virginia wildlife visiting our front porch.

 

 

The green line across the center of the photo is a Rough Green Snake.





Just Beachy

We do not live right on the beach in our new home, but we aren't too far.  That is one of my favorite things about our new home.  There is something tranquil about watching the waves roll in.  My favorite spot is the beach access on Dam Neck, a military facility in Virginia Beach.  I love that it isn't as crowded as public access beaches.

 

We have only managed a couple beach days since the move and won't have many more before it is too cold.

 

This particular day was a bit cool and windy.  I sat wrapped in my beach towel, reading a book and enjoying the view.

The cool temps do not bother Aaron and Hannah.  They would gladly sit in the sand and play for hours regardless of the weather.

New House

Here's a shot of the new house.  

 

It has four bedrooms, a formal living room and a family room with a fireplace.  There is a FROG (finished room over the garage) which is common here.  Rachel has claimed that.  I love the enclosed back porch.

We have this little apple tree in the side yard.  Doug took the kids out to pick apples and they were yummy.

 

Like every place we have lived before, it just feels like a house now.  By the time we leave it a year from now we will have built memories, like the kids picking apples with Uncle Doug and the cousins, and it will be our home.



Registration

We went to register Rachel for HIGH SCHOOL!!!! today. What?!?!  I can't believe I have a child old enough to start high school. 

 

We were very happy with the counselor.  He was very knowledgeable and mapped out her entire four years.  She has every advanced class she can as a freshman.  Two of the classes have summer assignments which she is responsible for having complete for the first day of school.  PK and I even had to sign a paper stating we understood the assignments are due on the first day of school and they count as a major test grade.  Rachel thrives when she is busy with school, but as she is starting band camp next week, she is going to be one busy girl.  If she had had the assignments at the beginning of the summer, she would have them finished by now.  She is very motivated where her school work is concerned.  Seems like we are all hitting the ground running in our new place.

 

I had her pose for this picture on the way out of the building because I know there is no way she is going to pose at school for me on the first day of school.