The boys and I went to Norfolk last week with Jay while he did some training for work. This was the trip that made me realize that parents don't go on vacations for themselves. If we did, our children would not be there. After a few days of wondering why it wasn't fun for ME I decided that the sooner I consider trips like these extra work but lasting memories for the kids, the better I would feel. I was right. Of course, it helped that Jay had the last couple of days to spend with us after his training was done.
So, the first thing we did upon arrival was check the durability of the furniture...


Then the boys and I took a trip to the Virginia State Zoo. Aidan LOVES animals and could've watched the giraffe's tongues all day long. (think cow but much longer). Jayson really liked the train ride that doesn't actually go past any animals (lame) but there were a bell and an old guy dressed up like an engineer so...awesome! They were really good all day. And I do mean all day.




The next day we went to one of my new favorite places in Virginia..the Norfolk Azalea Gardens. The gardens were beautiful and expansive-they even had a vegetable garden with at least one of everything growing in it. They also had a great very hands-on children's garden called WOW (World of Wonders) and it was great. The boys got to dig in the dirt, play in different boats and playhouses, and they had a really cool hedge that they could run through like a tunnel. I loved it there!

The next day we went to see the big battleships at the Naval Base then we went to the mall. They had a really cool play area for the boys, and well..I love the mall. Besides, it was right across from our hotel so I didn't have to ask the Valet to get our car and tip him again.
Then Jay was done with work so we all spent the next day at Virginia Beach. It was a beautiful day and all three of my guys would rather be on the beach than anywhere else on the planet, so it was a good day. Oh, and a ladybug flew into the car and landed on Jayson when we got there. Life is perfect at the seashore :).




The next day was all for Jay. We went to Jamestown, the first British settlement in the U.S. It was actually really cool...it's an interactive museum, so you get to really see what things were like for the settlers and the Native Americans. Don't tell Jay, but I'm actually becoming more interested in museums and I didn't mind stopping to read every caption to every exhibit (even with two kids!) The boys were pretty fascinated by a lot of it, especially the ships and guns. Jayson even got to help carve out a part of a canoe with a seashell. He got very dirty doing it so we were proud of him.

We drove home that night and stopped to see the first plantation in Virginia which was beautiful then stopped at the grocery store to do our Easter shopping.

Easter was fun. After church Auntie Crystal came over and helped us dye eggs. She also hid eggs for an egg hunt for Jayson then we had a sort of blah dinner (it was very minimal effort though, which was nice after getting back so late on Saturday).