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.