This year we decided to break our 2 year streak of getting Family Passes to Busch Gardens and branch out a little more! We were a little intimidated at first seeing that we don't even go on over night trips with our kiddos. But having done 2 of our mini-vacations now I am glad that we did! (Although I am still hoping to get season passes to Busch Gardens again next summer, because I love it so much!).
Last week we headed up to Northern Virginia and we got to stay at Josh and Ellie's house (my brother and sister in law) for three nights and then during the two days that we were there we took Thursday to head to the Washington Zoo! The weather was perfect and the animals were super fun to see! PLUS extra bonus......we got to have Micah's sister, Rachel, come along with us for the day! We were so blessed that the rain held off until the moment we all were in the van and started to drive away!
However, we then got stuck in DC traffic for about 2 hours! But that was a blessing in disguise because that helped us decide to take the metro into DC on Friday when we headed for the Museum of Natural History!! And thankfully (even though it was Friday evening) we hardly were in traffic at all! Of course it helped that due to the rain we decided to leave the museum early and head home, so we were back to our car by 4:30 and eating dinner at the IHOP near Josh and Ellie's house by about 5:15 or so!
On Friday night we got back early enough to all get showers and baths and sit down with Josh, Ellie, Emma and Luke and watch Madagascar 4!! We had such a great evening together with everyone!! We are so grateful that we were able to stay with Josh and Ellie and their family and I know if you asked the girls what the best part of their vacation was they would say "staying at Emma and Luke's house!".
Saturday before heading back to Charlottesville we took a little drive up to visit with Mummis and Rachel for a little while. We had fun there watching the kids jump on their small trampoline and looking at pictures of Micah when he was a little guy!
And it's always hard heading back from a vacation, but our trip home was made a little sweeter with a stop off at the Moo Thru!! They have such YUMMY ice cream! And we all thoroughly enjoy it whenever we get a chance to stop by there! Although it is not too often seeing that we are usually traveling up to early or back to late, we were just grateful that on this trip the timing was perfect!
Now we are all back home and into our summer time routines once again, but we are so thankful for our trip and all of the experiences we had, and the memories that were made! (And you know us, we have plenty of pictures to help us remember as well!!).
Standing inside a pretty Awesome Sanctuary for the Birds at The DC Zoo!
This bird was pretty tolerant, he kept cleaning himself and showing off for all of the passerbys! Until this one boy kept getting closer and closer and CLOSER and taking pictures and the bird FINALLY snapped at him a little. Then we were all headed on our way:)
Haley and Ethan together on our stroller! One Happy, One Not-So-Much!
Petting the Beaver Fur!
Emily really enjoyed watching the Elephants!
That is until this one decided to turn right around and pee and poop right in front of us! No decency I tell ya:)
I have decided that this was apparently the "Vacation of Funny Faces" for me! Seems like almost every picture I am in I am doing something pretty silly! I guess Haley won Va Beach and I win NOVA!
Except here, where Emily DEFINITELY wins the award! I think she was in the middle of singing a silly song or something:)
Time for another Family Photo Op! It is DEFINITELY obvious that none of the three kids wanted to be doing this though!
I guess they didn't realize how pretty the water fall was behind us!!! Although I guess if they did they would have all been looking back at the camera instead of "sort of" at the camera!
Our Two Silly Girls!
By mid afternoon Emily was finally in picture taking mode!
And then she wanted to have her picture taken on every statue!
This panda was also quite the character! He was facing us and then when he decided to really devour his bamboo stick he got up and turned around so his back was towards us and continued munching away!!
Emily and The Panda Bear!
Mommy and one of her little cubs posing for a picture with Mommy Bear and one of her cubs!
Let's Be Real....they all LOVED the Panda Bear!
One more shot for good measure with Aunt Rachel!
Yet another animal at the zoo with attitude.....The Gorilla!
Everyone enjoyed watching the Orangutan too!
Girls first time on a Metro! You think they LOVED it?
Ethan was not quite as "on board" with the whole riding the metro thing!
Not the best picture, but we were all definitely happy to be on the Metro and out of the heavy rain!
Getting ready to enjoy a nice LONG walk in the rain to the Museum of Natural History! (Probably the last time that Emily enjoyed dry shoes the whole day! The girl LOVES jumping in puddles!)
Stopping for a minute at a Farmers' Market that was remarkably up and running in the heavy rain!
Me and Ethan with "The Germ":)
Emily being silly inside the museum!
Me and Ethan just below the Blue Whale!
And then he was out COLD until we got back on the metro!
Being silly, once again, and waiting for our metro back to the van!
And FINALLY we were safely back to Josh and Ellie's house, all clean and ready to watch a movie! The kids really enjoyed being on this HUGE bean bag together.....for a little while:)
Madagascar 4 really is a good movie!! Can you tell?
Ethan enjoying some "man to man" cuddle time with his Uncle Josh!
So Fun!
Then Haley wanted to get her snuggle time in too with Uncle Josh!
So Handsome!
Ethan cheesin' with Mummis and Rachel!
Ethan really thinks Rachel is SO FUN!
Mommy's Little Man!
On the way home this little boy was tuckered out!
But not so tired that good ice cream can't wake him up!!
Daddy and his chocolate chip ice cream!
Haley and her Mounds ice cream!
Ethan and his cone.....which he LOVES:)
And last, but certainly not least, Daddy and two of his favorite girls!
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