Fun in Richmond and Virginia Beach- Our first Weekend in VA

On Friday we drove up to Richmond, VA for the first time. The traffic around Richmond is terrifying. The drivers are insane and you can tell it's an old road because the streets just end and merge without warning- like it was definitely made for carriages and not cars. I was a stress case as we attempted to navigate downtown. I was dying to see "Monument Avenue" and so once we found a parking spot, we hopped out and started exploring. 

The first monument we saw was the J.E.B. Stuart monument.  James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a United States Army Officer from the state of Virginia, who later became a Confederate States army general during the Civil War. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use of cavalry in support of offensive operations. Many consider him to be "the greatest cavalry officer ever foaled in America" and he fought in many battles including Gettysburg and Fredericksburg. 

Then we started down the avenue to find the next one. On the way we enjoyed some truly beautiful architecture. Some of these churches were hundreds of years and the stained glass windows were amazing. Tanner and I both love stained glass. He was quick to point out any stained glass that caught his eye.

Next on Monument Avenue was the Robert E Lee monument. This was my favorite monument. The stone work on the podium itself was so intricate and beautiful. 

As we walked I told the kids "fun facts" about the civil war. Well I thought they were "fun facts", the kids were quickly bored. Here are a few things that I didn't know prior to our visit.

• Because of his military accomplishments in the Mexican American war and his experience being a superintendent at West Point, President Lincoln asked Robert E. Lee to lead the Union Army first. However, Lee turned down the position due to his loyalty to Virginia. Instead he served as a Confederate General in the the civil war and closer advisor to Jefferson Davis. 
• General Lee's horse, Traveller, became well-known as he carried Lee throughout the Civil War. It seems only fitting that he be depicted on his horse for the monument. 

Chris was a trooper and pushed the stroller everywhere so I could walk and hold Tanner's hand. 

Our last stop on our walking tour was the Jefferson Davis Monument.

As we know, Jefferson Davis served as the president of the Confederate states during the civil war.

What I didn't know is that Jefferson Davis actually wanted to lead the army, not serve as a president. His wife later wrote about the day he received word that he had been chosen as president, she wrote "Reading that telegraph he looked so grieved that I feared some evil had befallen our family."

I feel bad for Jefferson Davis, he must have known the odds weren't in their favor. At the start of the war, nearly 21 million people lived in the North, compared to the 9 million in the south. The north has vastly greater industrial capacity, built nearly all the locomotives, steamships and industrial machinery and had a much great railroad system. The north also had a large navy, whereas the south only had a few captured warships. Given the Confederacy's limited resources compared with the Union, Davis decided the Confederacy would have to fight mostly on strategic defensive.

We all know how the civil war ended, Jefferson Davis was imprisoned and indicted for treason. However, after two years of imprisonment, Jefferson Davis was released on bail of $100,000, which was paid by prominent citizens.  Davis remained under indictment until he was released from all liability by the presidential amnesty issued by Johnson in 1868. 

 

At this point, the kids were hot and hungry, so we turned around and finished the rest of the avenue by car. We did grab a quick family picture on the street before leaving. I just loved all the old houses and amazing history this city offers. I'm so glad we are living nearby so we can enjoy the history and teach our kids our country's legacy. 

This little guy decided he wanted out of the stroller and walked next to me the rest of the way to the car. I just love that boy and his sweet smiles. 

After loading back into the car, we drove over to Pizza Hut, picked up a pizza and then drove to the drive in theater. The kids were apparently dying of starvation because they devoured the pizza  in no time. We arrived at the drive-in and got all set up to watch our movie. The theater was showing "the secret life of pets" and the kids were so excited. This was their first experience at the drive in and it was a big hit. 

While we waited for it to get dark, the kids played at the playground and dug around in the dirt. Lots of fun. lol. 

Then we got some popcorn and candy and settled in for the movie. 

The movie started around 9 pm. The kids were too excited to be tired and happily watched the movie from the back of the car. Bailey fell asleep with about 20 minutes left in the movie, but the boys stayed awake the entire time. I couldn't believe it. We decided not to stay for the double feature, since it was already 10:45 pm and we drove home. The kids slept the entire way and carried them into the hotel room afterward.

Saturday morning came as bright and early as ever. I thought the kids might sleep in since they were up so late, but no. They were still up at 7 am. We grabbed breakfast in the cafeteria. Then got dressed and loaded up the car for Virginia Beach. We've all been excited to go to the beach and we couldn't wait to get there. However, on the drive to the beach it started raining.

So we decided to go eat lunch first and prayed the rain would be short lived.

Lunch was amazing. We found a seafood restaurant with good reviews and drove straight there. 

While we waited for our food, the kids colored and enjoyed the view of the boardwalk, the restaurant was right off the beach. 

The food was soo delicious. Chris ordered fish tacos and I had a crab cake sandwich. The kids had gourmet mac-n-cheese and shared our food. Oh and we ordered some bacon wrapped scallops- so good. Seriously. the food was great and I can't believe we are this close to such good seafood. 

When we finished lunch it was still raining, so we headed over the Virginia Beach Aquarium.

This was such a hit with the kids. Especially Tucker. He lost his mind over the sea turtles and soft shell turtles.

I mean seriously, look at that face. 

Bailey was very disappointed in the komodo dragon. She said that it wasn't a real dragon because it didn't have wings. 

Next up was the fish tank tunnel. The kids loved walking through this tunnel and being surrounded by fish. 

The sea turtles were my favorite. They kept swimming right up to the glass and the kids loved it. 

Then we found the shark tank. 

The kids loved pretending to be eaten inside this shark's mouth. 

But I think the highlight of our trip to the aquarium was petting the sting rays. 

Every time the sting rays swam past, Tucker flipped out and giggled so much. It was so funny to watch. 

Bailey was fearless and got to pet the sting rays multiple times. Tanner was a little more hesitant but did pet them once or twice.  

We loved the aquarium. It was so fun. 

By the time we finished at the aquarium, the sun had come out and so we decided to head over to the beach. We found a beach off the beaten path  and the parking charge was a third of the price as anywhere else. It was great.

We had a great time. Bailey loved playing in the ocean with just her puddle jumper on.

And she loved digging in the sand with her matching bucket and shovel. lol. 

Tanner on the other hand, was all about the waves. He took his little kickboard out there and had so much fun riding the waves like a pro. 

Seriously though, look at this kid! He's unstoppable. 

Tucker was content to run along the beach digging holes in the sand. 

I couldn't get over Tanner's energy and persistence. The waves beat him around for almost two hours and he would still pop up and run back out again to chase more waves. 

We had a great time playing at the beach. After about two hours of playing hard in the sand and surf, we walked over to the showers and got cleaned off. 

On the way out we grabbed dinner and then drove home.

The kids were exhausted and fell asleep on the way. But it was such a fun day.

We had a perfect weekend together and I'm so excited for all the fun we are going to have while we live here. It's such a great area and we have so many fun things planned.

Our Life in Virginia- Atleast the First Week

It seems so weird that we are finally living this crazy reality. We have officially moved to Virginia and I still can't believe we are here. 

We arrived Saturday, July 9th and checked into the hotel aka the Fort Lee Lodge.

Its a massive hotel full of military students and a few of their families.

After getting checked in, we unpacked and immediately went over to the commissary to get a few groceries- just to hold us over until Monday. Our room is tiny and we only have a mini fridge so we couldn't buy very much food. 

The next day was Sunday and we attended our new ward here in Virginia. We are in the Hopewell Ward, in the Chesterfield/Richmond Stake. Our ward is very friendly and much smaller than we are use to. 

After church we came back to our hotel room for lunch and we all took naps. While we slept, our dinner cooked away in the only appliance we have- our crockpot.

We had a traditional Sunday roast. The meal was anything but normal though. We don't have a table, so the kids ate on the floor. Chris and I ate on the bed, carefully. We used paper plates and plastic silverware. It was kind of comical actually. I have no room to prepare or serve the food. I have a small 8 inch surface between the sink and the stove top that I can use to cut up food and serve it. It's definitely squished but it's doable.

Since we just have the one queen size bed in the room, we all seem to migrate there and snuggle together. Here's some pics of Bailey hanging out, looking at pics on my phone. She loves snuggling up on the bed with us.

The older two kids sleep on inflatable twin sized mattresses on the floor and Tucker is in a roll-away crib. When we are all in our beds, there is very little floor space. Chris has to be very careful not to step on kids when he gets ready in the morning. 

Here is a picture of our room, before we moved in and filled every single space possible with luggage, air mattresses and army supplies Chris needs for school. 

Monday morning Chris had to be at school bright and early. That left the kids and I to entertain ourselves. We got dressed and ate breakfast at the hotel cafeteria. Breakfast is like any continental hotel breakfast- boiled eggs, danishes, oatmeal, cold cereal and bagels. The kids think it is so fun to get to pick out whatever they want. I have a feeling that the menu might grow old after four months, but the convenience sure won't.

After breakfast we did a preschool lesson. I brought lots of workbooks with us and we are determined to be ready for school when it starts in September. Of course, this preschool lesson took place on the floor with the kids laying on their tummies on the carpet, but they didn't seem to mind. 

Chris got to come home for lunch. It was so nice to see him. I'm glad we are here with him. We would be lonely without him and he would be all alone in this hotel  and enjoying way too much space. It's better to be scrunched in here together, than a thousand miles apart. 

When Chris headed back to class, I put the kids down for quiet time and naps. Because we are in one room, this requires that we pull the curtains and turn off all the lights. The older kids and I put on headphones and play on tablets while Tucker naps with his noise machine. It's a little difficult keeping Tanner and Bailey completely quiet, but its working. mostly. 

When Chris got home we went out to dinner to celebrate his first day of school. 

The rest of the week did anything but fly by. I don't have a military ID yet, so I can't leave the base without Chris. And with Chris at class all day, the kids and I are stuck. 

But we are making it work. 

Tucker is enjoying his little take and play train track. 

We did discover a splash pad on base. That was a big hit. It's not a big splash pad, but the kids didn't seem to care. After being cooped up in the hotel room for two days, they were desperate and so was I. We had lots of fun playing in the water. 

There is a library here on base too. It's in the same building as Chris' school. The children's section isn't huge, but its enough for us. There is no limit on how many books you can check out so that's a huge bonus. The kids loved it. We are close enough to walk over there too. We checked out 15 books and basically read them all the first day. The kids were so happy to have books to read. 

We also discovered the excitement that is the hotel laundry room. This is one of my favorite things about the hotel- we can start 3 loads at once. This means I can all our laundry in about 2 hours.

 AH-MAZING!!! 

The kids love helping load the front loading washers and then watching the clothes tumble around. It's so funny. 

We have also been enjoying the playground here at the lodge. It's a big play area with two different playgrounds. We come out here basically every day around 9 am before it gets too hot.

Oh yeah- did I mention that it's ridiculously hot and humid here? Like every day it's been over 100 degrees and the humidity is the worst. It's every bit as bad as Orlando.

So we have to go to the playground as early as we can because it is just too hot in the afternoon. Like I will literally melt and die because it's so hot!

Everyday we basically do the same thing. We wake up, walk down to the cafeteria and eat breakfast. Then we typically come back to the room, get dressed and go to the playground where we play for a couple hours. Then we come back inside and do our preschool lesson, watch a show and eat lunch. Then its naps and we read books until Dad gets home.  It's not bad. We have been breaking it up with trips to the splash pad and walks around the base. 

But, today Chris might get done with school early and he will have officially finished his first week of this 4 month school. We have lots of fun plans for the weekend and I have a feeling that we will be constantly living for the weekends and surviving the week days. 

 Once I get my military ID next week, life should get a little better. I just feel a little unprepared for this military life. There are so many acronyms and abbreviations that I don't understand. There are so many rules here on base and we are working on learning them all. 

For instance, you can't use your cell phone on base while driving. When passing troops on the road, you have to slow down to 15 miles an hour (down from the allowed 25 mph on base) and you can't pass troops at all at night. When we hear the bugle songs we have to stop what we are doing and stand still- or if you are in the military you have to salute if you are in uniform or stand at attention if you are in civilian clothes.  For real, we were driving on base and we heard the "retreat song" and Chris had to pull over the car, get out and stand at attention until the song was over. So weird!!!

Those are just a few of the rules we are learning to live with. 

Chris is enjoying his school- well it's been mostly orientation this week, but he's not hating it, so that's a good thing. We are looking forward to having fun with Daddy tonight and all this weekend. 

I keep telling myself that we can do anything for a little while. I am however very much looking forward to November!

We miss our friends and family. I know the kids miss having friends to call and hang out with any time. I miss having my amazing mom friends around. I'm desperately in need of a GNO. But I'm glad we are here. I wouldn't have it any other way, it's just not easy. But that's OK. Not easy is not the worst thing and we can do hard things. 

Stay tuned. I'm sure I will have lots of fun pictures from the weekend. Yay!

Our Farewell Party

Last night my dear friend Jessica Fuhriman hosted a farewell party for us. We leave on Friday for Virginia and I can't believe it's finally here. Chris has to attend a 4 month school at Fort Lee and the kids and I are going with him. He has to be on post by July 10 and he will graduate on November 4th. So we are going on a little adventure and I am praying my sanity survives it. We were told last week that we will be staying in a single bed room at the hotel/lodge when we arrive. We were planning on a suite with two beds, a full fridge, a table and many more conveniences we have come to enjoy. But instead, we will be roughing it for a while. I'm a little nervous about the trip but I keep telling myself that "I can do anything for a little while". It's a great comfort to me to know that Sarah and Johnny will be living in our house and taking care of it while we are gone. I'm so happy they are living in NWA for a while- atleast until Johnny finishes his PhD. And I'm so excited to get back to Arkansas and enjoy the next 4-5 years of fun together. 

 Anyways, this little farewell party was the perfect show of support . Many of our dear friends came and it was so fun. We felt so loved. It was amazing. 

I wanted to get pictures of the kids with their good friends, but I forgot until the very end and some of the kids had already left. But here are the ones I was able to get.

Bailey with her girl friends. From left to right: Camry Lowden, Annalise Fuhriman, Bailey, Chloe and Addi Caresia. Not picture: Karina Fuhriman, Kenlee Lowden, and Addison Hufford. 

I got one of Tanner with each of his best friends and I'm grateful for that. On the left- Tanner and Cooper Lowden and on the right- Tanner and Ryan Christensen. 

We also attempted a group shot. Not everyone is pictured here, but we got most of them. 

Pictured below by families left to right- Us, Fuhrimans, Caresias, Huffords, Lowdens, more Fuhrimans and more Lowdens. (not pictured- Christensens, Porters, Allreds and Lanoys)

Before leaving, Dave Fuhriman set up a few fireworks. 

I love the way both Tommy and Tucker are covering their ears. So cute!

I had to get a few pictures with some of my dearest friends.
Jen Christensen, AnneMarie Porter, April Lowden, Erin Lowden, Me and Jessica Fuhriman. 

Unfortunately, Tori Caresia, Shannon Hufford, Sarah Allred and Stephanie Lanoy had already left at this point. But I love all these ladies so much. They are some of my best friends and I don't know how I am going to survive the next four months without them. 

Oh and here is one picture of some of us from my "farewell GNO".
These wonderful ladies and I went to the "Wooden Spoon" restaurant in Gentry a couple weeks ago. It was a long drive and an even longer wait to eat, but the food was simply amazing. But as good as the food was, the company made it even better. We had the best time chatting, laughing and just enjoying our night away from kids. I really do feel so blessed. These ladies are my support system and I'm so blessed to have them in my life. 

I can't wait to see everyone again. We are going to do our best to have fun and enjoy our time in Virginia, but I will be secretly counting down the days until we are home.