Vacation Recap

Last week was a week of vacation for us and we really enjoyed it. We planned a mix of quiet time at home and a few day trips. It was a time of fun together, of rest and restoration. Here are some of the highlights of our week.

New (to us) Truck

Doug has been looking at trucks for several months now and this week decided to go for it. Monday he and Michael went out to the dealership and brought us home a truck. I'm not sure which one was the most excited. 

Sherando Lake

Tuesday we had planned to go to Covington to visit Doug's parents and brother but then Doug's mother was not feeling well so we changed our plans. We decided to go to Sherando Lake instead. 

The kids enjoyed walking around and exploring. We took some snacks and drinks along as well. 

Austin was on a mission to find hooks, lure, and string that others had left behind. He pulled some out of the water and cut some out of the bushes. 

This dragonfly nymph was fascinatingly ugly! 

Chicken Coop

When we got home from the lake we decided to clean out the chicken coop. Michael and CJ always love to help bring in fresh hay from the barn for the chickens. And I'm sure the chickens were happy to have a clean coop again. 

Eaver's Classic Car Museum & Weaver's Mercantile

Two things Austin really wanted to go this week were go to the Antique Mall and Visit the Classic Car Museum. I took him to the antique mall on Monday and dropped him off and had him call me when he was done looking and then I went back and got him. 

Wednesday we went to the Classic Car Musuem. He was so excited! 

According to the sign this was the last car Elvis Presley bought before he died.

Also there is Weaver's Mercantile which is set up as an old time country store.

National Aquarium in Baltimore Maryland

Our biggest adventure for the week was a visit to the Aquarium in Baltimore. That was so much fun! I wish I had gotten pictures of the kids enjoying the aquarium but it was pretty crowded and busy  and somehow I didn't get any. 

We left around 8AM and stopped partway up for breakfast. We found it without any trouble although it took us awhile to find a parking garage that we could get into with the van. We went through the aquarium and saw all the exhibits and watched the dolphin show. Then we went to an interactive 4D movie. It was a very shortened version of Happy Feet. When the penguins danced we could feel the rhythm in the seats and when one fell the seats shook. Other times fake snow was blown over us, bubbles were blown out across the seats and sometimes we could feel the wind blowing. Michael freaked out a little but the rest of us enjoyed it. 

After we had gone through the whole aquarium once we went to the gift shop and bought some souvenirs and then ate at the cafe. Amanda decided she wanted to go for round two and see the exhibits again. So Michael and I went with her. Doug, Austin and CJ decided to go tour a submarine that was docked right next to the aquarium. 

While driving up and finding the aquarium went well, coming back home was a different story. Somehow we got all turned around, couldn't find our roads and finally ended up coming home the long way. It took us about two hours longer to get home than it did to go up there. But the kids were wonderful. Michael had a bit of a breakdown not long before we got home and I ended up sitting in the back seat with him so he could lean his head on my shoulder and rest. 

Spark 2013

Every evening last week, except for Thursday evening, I attended the Spark 2013 Fasting/Prayer/Worship Event. Most evenings Doug went along too. I usually went late, after Michael and CJ were settled for the night and Austin and Amanda stayed with them. It was a beautiful time and I'm so glad I went. There was such a sense of the presence of God there and I felt myself stretch and grow. This evening is the last evening and am planning to see there. I'm sorry to see it end but I'm excited to see the fruits of this special time. 

And that's a quick review of our week of vacation. I've enjoyed it immensely but at the same time I'm looking forward to the kids coming back tomorrow and life returning to normal. I'm so blessed to have a life and work that love.

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