Trip to Busch Gardens

Once we got home from Arkansas we had some very special visitors: my friend Tamara and her family. They have been stationed at Shaw AFB in South Carolina, where I have visited her 3 times, and she and her family have come up to Langley a few times as well. BUT- this visit was special because they were en route to their new duty station at RAF Lakenheath in England! Tim (the Dad) just finished a one year remote tour to Korea and they are thrilled to be reunited once again. We are jealous because we want overseas orders too, we are sad because we don't know when we'll see them again, but mostly we are excited for this next new part of their journey through life together as a family!

We took one last trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, where we got to see their newest area, the "Sesame Street Forest of Fun" which is specifically tailored to preschool and Elementary aged children. Since Sesame Street is Maddox's favorite thing in the entire world right now- we had a BLAST!!

Maddox rode her first big kid ride EVER! She was not scared! You can see Tam and Aa in the front seat, and behind them: Me, Mdx, and Day.

Then we played in the water area. I didn't plan ahead well, and didn't have Mdx in a bathing suit (with diapers it is nearly impossible to wear a bathing suit all day anyways!) so after she played in the water we had to do a complete change of clothes!

All 3 girls rode this fun horse-ride.

It was so hot, many ICEEs were consumed that day!

The next day we went to the base swimming pool. This is the best pic I could get of the three girls!! Day was a big girl and went down the water slide quite a few times! You can't tell in this picture, but Aa is actually an entire year older than Mdx...however they are the same size!

The cutest family portrait ever! Congrats Hall family, we love you!

One thing you learn pretty quickly as a military family is that you have to make friends and rely on each other, no matter where you are stationed. Tamara was one of my first AF wife friends. She helped me so much to understand that it is okay to ask for help, when to step up and be strong and do it yourself...and most of all Tam is a wonderful example to me as a mother and wife. Since we both married career Airmen we DO have a chance of being stationed together somewhere in the future, but no matter where we go in life, I will always value this family and what they mean to us.

Catching up once again

I never posted pics from our trip to Arkansas to visit Mason and Jennie so here they are! Maddox loved her time with them, and they really enjoyed spoiling her rotten.

As soon as we got there she started playing with Jennie's toy ladybugs.

Jennie's family came over and we had a great cookout and birthday celebration for Mdx and Mike- who she started calling Pa-Pa while we were there. It was so nice and generous of them to have a celebration for us!

Trying to keep her hair out of the cake- it was pointless.

We went to visit Jennie's friend Jenny- who has a pretty newborn baby girl! I held her for a short time, but Mdx didn't like it very much!

On the way home she got to play with Jennie's iPhone....the apps were Pre-K Safari which made cool animal sounds, and another game where you drag letters together to make a word. It was so surprising to me that Mdx could not only match up the letters, but could actually use the touch pad correctly!

We ate breakfast at Mimi's Cafe (DELICIOUS!!) and Mdx was happy to help Mason get all the muffin off of his muffin-paper.

Mdx had her first experience at a place called "Jump Zone"! She was too little to do most of the bounce houses by herself, and we had to watch out so other kids wouldn't trample her. She still had a great time bouncing and sliding!

Jennie's niece H was great about playing with the little kids and taking them down the slides.

Mdx showed off some singing and dancing.

And her "little German girl" hair-do.

We did some swimming the new froggie pool.

And traveled to downtown Little Rock, by the Arkansas River. There is a beautiful Amphitheater and park where kids can play.

Jennie and Maddox played in the water section for quite a while!

Mdx went on her first trolley ride.

Then surprised us all by having a blast in Jennie's parents' pool! She even went down the slide!

That night we ate dinner with Jennie's family and Maddox had a great time playing with Jennie's Dad across the table. She is eating cheesecake, and flirting with him. He was egging her on, getting her to dance and trying to get her to put her hands in her hair. It was so funny!

I think that week in Arkansas finally got Mdx over the hump as far as her fear of water. She now loves swimming and playing, and I'm SO glad!