Travel & Vacation: Visiting Family in Vermont
Spending time with family in Vermont!
We had the opportunity to visit family in Vermont this summer! Jake’s Grandpa Wesley or “PopPop” as the girls call him turned 90 and we were able to celebrate his birthday while we were there. It was nice seeing Jake’s Mom, grandparents, and his sister’s family while we were in Vermont.
PopPop with the three girls at the picnic table!
Sunning themselves on the rock after going for a swim in the pool!
Brina loved Grandma Kay’s chickens! She thinks we should get some too now, ha! Midge was very accommodating and allowed the kids to carry her around.
We made a lean to fort now they are weaving some items. Always something with this crew.
Celebrating PopPop’s 90th Birthday!
Nana opening up her singing card!
The three girls hanging out with PopPop and Nana!
Grandma Kay with three of her granddaughters on July 4th!
Happy July 4th from Vermont!
Running around by the river!
July 4th was a little bit of a raining day, but we still had a lot of fun and managed to squeeze in some time playing down at the river.
The three girls putting on a play.
These chickens let the girls hold them, which made it even more enjoyable of the kids!
Playing the Jelly Belly Bean Boozled Game! Wonder if Noelle got a good flavor…..nope!
Irish enjoying her ham bone!
We tried the Vermont Maple Soda for the first time this summer! The four of us split a bottle. It was cold and good. A little sweeter than I expected, but delicious!
Splashing around in the cool river on a sunny day!
The girls had fun hanging out with cousins at the river!
PopPop and Nana relaxing in their chairs!
A full table!
It was great spending some time with family in Vermont.
Travel & Vacation: Learning About Old Ironsides & the USS Constitution Museum
Our family inside Old Ironsides next to the cannons!
We split up the Old Ironsides tour and the USS Constitution Museum into two days which actually worked out really well for our family. If you are planning on visiting Old Ironsides make sure you are carrying your driver’s license otherwise you will not be able to get into see it. We left my driver’s license at the hotel since I wasn’t carrying my wallet and we would be riding on the subway and trolley. Oh well! It let us spread the adventure out a little bit more.
Visiting the U.S.S. Constitution (aka Old Ironsides)
The first day we explored the USS Constitution Museum. Both girls really enjoyed the museum, history, and all the cool activities. They did a great job making fun and interactive displays for the kids at this museum. It was not huge, but we still spent at least a couple hours doing everything (some activities the girls did multiple times). I highly recommend going to this Museum if you visiting Old Ironsides, it’s right across the street. The kids will enjoy it (especially the second floor)! The second day we explored Old Ironsides the ship!
Brina put together her ship!
They both managed to build their ships using the diagram.
Huge model of Old Ironsides
Our little sailor girl.
This was a lot harder than it looked. They had to stand on a tight rope, pull up the sails, and tie them up without falling off. Took a little coordination, but they both had a blast pulling up the sails!
Yikes! The boats rocking the hammock a little too fast for Karlie!
Brina lounging in the hammock!
We were up early and ready to go the next day. The girls enjoyed riding on the T in Boston. Brina was very worried that I was too close to the subway or that I would get left behind if I didn’t hurry when it stopped.
Went from riding the MBTA (Boston’s subway) to riding the Boston’s Old Town Trolley! Jake and Brina sitting across the aisle from us!
Karlie loving her time exploring Boston!
Ready to go abroad the U.S.S. Constitution otherwise known as Old Ironsides! I am glad we visited Old Ironsides because we just recently found out that they are pulling it out of the harbor for the next 3 years to do restoration work on it.
We got there just as it opened so it was less crowded and cooler! Old Ironsides is still an active ship. Every year on July 4th they take the ship 1 mile out and bring it back into harbor. We were there a couple days before July 4th so they were preparing for their big annual one mile trip out to sea!
Checking out the cannons on Old Ironsides!
Karlie climbing down the steep steps!
We stopped to talk with one of the sailors for a few minutes.
Demonstrating one of their fighting drills after showing us how to load the cannons!
She’s thinking about something….I sense a question about to come!
Travel & Vacation: Butterfly Garden at Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
A butterfly getting a drink from the purple flower
While in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History we visited the Butterfly Garden. Getting into the Museum was free, but it did cost I believe $5 to get into the Butterfly Garden. I wasn’t sure if it was really worth it, however, Jake insisted that the girls should experience it at least once.
Both girls LOVED it! Brina was convinced she could stay there the entire day. It was really neat seeing the butterflies so close and having them land on you. Karlie didn’t mind them landing on her shoe, backpack, or clothes, but when they landed on her skin she didn’t like it. We spent a good amount of time in the Butterfly Garden which was completely enclosed with a variety of plants, flowers, and of course butterflies. If you get a chance to go through it with your kids I highly recommend it.
Waiting in line for the Butterfly Garden!
Brina thought it was hilarious that the butterfly landed on her camera!
Karlie with one on her leg. “Mom, it feels funny can you get it off!” She was not a big fan of them crawling on her skin, but for some reason they liked her legs, ha!
Brina loving it!
Oh no, it’s on my leg again! Mom! For some reason they liked Karlie’s legs!
One landed on the tip of Brina’s finger!
Karlie holding her hand next to the butterfly to see if it will crawl onto her hand.
Fascinating!
I was busy taking pictures when Brina informed me that I had 2 on my shirt!
One butterfly was checking out Brina’s colorful headband! She said she could feel it moving and it was tickling her ear!
The butterflies really liked Brina. She loved this activity!
Karlie’s backpack was a favorite spot for butterflies to land!
Hey, look at this one!
Karlie trying to encourage the butterfly to walk up to her hand so it wouldn’t be on her leg anymore!
This butterfly has a death wish…. I went to take a step when a butterfly decided to land on the bottom of my shoe. I had to hold my foot into this position until one of the workers came with a paint brush and get the butterfly off the bottom of my shoe! Thankfully I noticed before stepping down!
Jake took this picture on the outside of the butterfly garden. Sweet Karlie taking a picture of the butterfly in front of her!
Brina showing Daddy one of the butterflies that landed on her fingers. This is a little cloudy because it was taken through the canopy, but still really cute. She was so excited to show her butterfly to her Dad!
Travel & Vacation: Smithsonian Institution – National Museum of Natural History
Standing at the banister looking down on the elephant and floors below.
The girls were thrilled to go to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. Brina especially loves anything associated to animals. Since we did the Smithsonian Institution of National Air and Space Museum yesterday we thought this will be a great next adventure. Thankful for some fun times together!
Touring the National Museum of Natural History
OOOOOOOUCH Karlie! This one has a lot of teeth!
Brina and Jake checking out the armadillo shell!
Doing their names with stamp calligraphy
Having fun exploring with my Brina Bee
Brina reading the sign and soaking it all in
Learning more about animals
Wow! Some cool looking animals!
One big giraffe
Checking out the fun displays
They had a huge elephant in the middle foyer of the building.
Touching a piece of rock from Mars…..fascinating!
Karlie thought this rock was so cool
Whoa….look at those rocks!
The Hope Diamond is a 45.52-carat dark blue diamond. It has traveled from India to France to Britain and now the United States. The Hope Diamond is also described as the “most famous diamond in the world.”
It looks like the elephant is coming toward them!
Super excited to visit the Smithsonian Institution – National Museum of Natural History
Travel & Vacation: Arlington Cemetery, Washington DC
Arlington Cemetery
Our first big stop on the second day of touring Washington, D.C. was Arlington Cemetery. The girls were amazed at all the gravestone markers. It was neat to read the names and see what wars they served in. Just being there makes you appreciate those who serve our country and what a great sacrifice they make to serve.
It was a little windy and required more walking at Arlington Cemetery, but it was well worth the trip. The girls were fascinated and grateful that the soldiers were honored for their service to our nation.
One of their favorite monuments in Arlington Cemetery included a horse. This monument is of Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill who was a British commander in both World War I and World War II. He was instrumental during World War II in forming a relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States.
Changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The change takes place in front of the Tomb of Unknown Soldiers every 3o minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In the process of switching guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While they are changing guards you may watch, but they ask you to remain silence out of respect for the soldiers and those family members who may be visiting their loved ones.
It was neat to watch the process they go through to switch guards and to know that those unknown soldiers are being honored for their service. It’s sad to think that there are many unknown soldiers, however, we are grateful for the respect they are given. During the changing of the guards the soldier takes 21 steps because a 21 gun salute for a soldier is the highest honor given to any military soldier. The inscription on the front column outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier says “Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God”
Walking through the inside part of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers
Checking out the stones, names, and information as we stroll back down the hill.
Sitting on the steps outside of the John F. Kennedy Memorial
In front of John F. Kennedy’s memorial is an eternal flame that was lighted by Mrs. Kennedy the day of the funeral. It is set in a 5 foot circular granite stone that is located at the head of President Kennedy’s grace and was specially designed to always remain lit with a flame even in wind and rain.
Taking a quick rest from all the walking around Arlington Cemetery.
Karlie and Brina looking at all the memorials.
Mommy and her girls are Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Touring the Arlington Cemetery was a wonderful reminder of the many men and women who have served our country. It gave our kids a greater appreciation for those in service. Thankful the opportunity to explore such a nice place with our family while we were in Washington, D.C.
Vacation & Travel: Fun in Washington, D.C. – World War II & World War I Memorials, Trolley, White House, & Splashing in the Pool
They wanted a picture by the Kansas one since it was the first one they spotted.
We put some miles on our shoes walking to and from the various places in Washington, D.C. this summer. It was awesome being able to go through the city and see the neat historical memorials and monuments with the girls. They were fascinated and had a great time!
Checking out all the states on the World War II Memorial. Brina spotted “Kansas”
Hanging out by the fountains at the World War II Memorial
The fountains at the World War II Memorial were beautiful. There were large pillars on each side one saying “Atlantic’ and the other “Pacific”. On the smaller pillars were the names of the states that had soldiers who fought in the war.
They insisted on stopping to take a picture of the reflection pool and the bird wildlife.
A group of college students were doing a scavenger hunt competition the first day we were in Washington, D.C. One of the items on their list was to take a picture with a set of twins, here is one of the groups (several groups stopped us to ask if the girls would take a picture with them). It actually became quite comical after the first couple of groups stopped us for a picture. The girls thought it was hilarious and fun being a part of a college game!
Karlie posing by the World War I Memorial
WHAT!? Brina stopping to get a sip as we ride the Trolley to the next location!
All smiles riding the escalator back to the van after a big day on the town of Washington, D.C.
After dinner they still somehow had enough energy to go for a swim on the roof top pool!
Karlie diving down for one of the pool toys
Karlie having fun in the pool
There’s Brina!
Brina all smiles as she is ready to jump in and make a big splash!
Look out! Brina’s coming….
Thankful for a fun day in Washington, D.C. with the family. It was worth the stop to see all the neat places. The girls were super excited to explore different places that they had studied about in Social Studies. I think all of us crashed quickly that night once we hit the bed after a fun filled day of adventures, history, and fun!
Vacation & Travel: Smithsonian Institution – National Air & Space Museum
Jake and his girls at the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.!
Our family was able to spend some time at the Smithsonian Institution of National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. this summer. The first time we drove by the building and Karlie saw the sign she was ready to go explore it! The Smithsonian Institution buildings that we went into were really nice, very educational, and the best part is that they are FREE! You cannot bring in any food or drinks, but there are water fountains and a McDonald’s at one end of the Museum if you get hungry.
So excited to explore this building that they had to get a picture by the sign!
Over-the-top excited to go into the Air and Space Museum
Both girls love science and learning, however, Karlie loves anything relating to space so this adventure was a big hit with her!
So many things to look at and explore in the Air & Space Museum. As you can see Jake is the only one actually looking at me, ha! Thanks Babe! The other two were mesmerized by all the displays!
Karlie all smiles as she touches a piece of moon rock. This particular piece was brought back from the moon on Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Brina touching the moon rock….how cool to think that it was once on the moon!
Jake is so good about showing the girls the various items and explaining it to them. They love soaking up all the cool information!
Having fun at the Smithsonian Institute National Air and Space Museum!
We thought the room with all the history about how planes and other flying items were created was pretty neat!
Brina all smiles waiting in line for the next activity and you can see Karlie in the reflection checking to make sure her Air & Space Museum pictures were turning out! Silly girls!
Brina flying the plane!
Karlie’s turn to drive! They’ve got their eyes on what’s in front of them! Whatever it is better look out!
Soaking it all in….
Wow, what a huge carrier. Even the display model was big! Love that they are so fascinated by the display they don’t even realize I am on the other side taking their picture.
Having fun at the Air & Space Museum!
Karlie wanted a picture by her favorite rocket – The Apollo! The space rooms were a hit with Karlie!
Karlie all smiles as she gets a picture in front of Buzz Aldrin’s astronaut suit. Earlier this year in March she had a chance to see and hear Buzz Aldrin speak at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC!
Mommy and her girls!
It didn’t take Brina long to figure out all the computer activities!
Showing Daddy what she put together on the computer!
Fascinating, this was probably Brina’s favorite rooms with all the interactive science activities, experiments, and fun information.
Gravity, force, magnets…..all kinds of fun activities to check out!
This picture cracked me up – all three Karlie, Brina, and Jake have their heads down looking at the all pictures in the displays.
Someone really liked this room!
Having fun at the Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Karlie and Brina loved all the neat activities and displays at the Smithsonian Institute National Air and Space Museum! I was shocked at how long we spent there since the time went by so quickly. They could have spent the entire day just in this museum. Karlie was really hoping we had “extra” time in Washington, D.C. so we could go back and go through the museum again, maybe next time sweet girl!
It was educational, fascinating, and a fun place to explore for the whole family. They did a great job with this museum. Washington, D.C. is a great place to visit the only hard part is fitting in all the amazing places to visit into one trip! We packed in as much as we could in the couple days we were there, but I am sure we’ll have to go back at some point to explore some more!
Vacation & Travel: Exploring Washington, D.C. – Union Station, Capital, Washington Monument, and Vietnam Memorial
Outside Union Station in Washington, D.C. The girls first comment was, “It looks like an airport with everyone carrying their luggage around to meet the trains.”
Our family had the opportunity this summer to explore Washington, D.C. The girls were VERY EXCITED! They have studied, read, and heard various things about our capital city of Washington, D.C. so they were thrilled to finally get to go and see some of it for themselves.
We stayed in a Reston which is on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. The girls were up early the first morning ready for an adventure. We parked the van in Union Station and caught the trolley to get around town.
Originally, it was our plan to walk from monument to monument in Washington, D.C. but we found a good deal on the Old Town Trolley and decided that would be a great option especially for traveling around town with the kids. I am glad we did because it was hot and we still had a lot of walking as it was with the trolley to ride between stops. If you have kids I highly recommend riding the trolley because it helps break of the walking a little bit, gives you and the kids a chance to cool down, get a drink or snack, and rest. The trolley drivers give you information about the various sights you are going by as well so you get a little bit of extra history information while going from one place to the next too. The trolley’s went very close to every stop we were hoping to visit as well which made traveling around the town much easier for us.
The Freedom Bell outside Union Station in Washington, D.C. it says on the side of it “Proclaim Liberty Throughout….”
Watching the trains come into Union Station
Capital building! The tent out front is for the July 4th concert!
Karlie chatting about all the cool places as we ride the trolley to the next stop!
You can see the Washington Monument from many directions all over town….now they know why….because it’s so tall!
They look so small standing in front of the Washington Monument!
Resting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for a moment while they take in the sight of the reflection pool and the Washington Monument.
Getting ready to go visit the Vietnam Memorial. They are standing in front of a bronze statue called “The Three Servicemen” which is part of the Washington, DC National Mall trail and commemorates the Vietnam War.
They were shocked at all the names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.
Reading the names….so many people and families affected by this war.
Reading through the names with Daddy.
Copying a name onto a sheet of paper with a pencil.
Each girl picked out one name to copy onto their sheet of paper.
As we were walking by the Vietnam Memorial one of the sections had these boots and jacket folded up neatly next to it. It brought tears to my eyes thinking that someone’s family member gave their life to serve in this war. What a special way to honor them by putting their or another family members boots next to their memorial. It makes me thankful for those both in my family and others who have and are serving our country even though there are great risks involved.
Road Trip Tips – Easy Games to Pass Time in the Car
Karlie having fun and being goofy on the road trip.
On the road again….! After a full day of work, horse camp, packing the van, and more fun we set off on another road trip adventure with the whole family. The kids are excited and we have several days worth of fun on the road planned. We get to go to a few places we’ve never been before so that is always fun for the family!
Road Trip Game ideas (here are a few that we played on this particular trip):
- Road Trip Bingo – you can buy a road trip bingo board or create your own if you know some of the items you will be seeing such including road signs, building, national monuments, animals, etc….
- I Spy – you don’t need anything to bring for this game. You just have someone say “I Spy With My Little Eye” and the rest of the family has to guess what object they see whether in the car or outside of the vehicle.
- License Plate Game – how many of the 50 states can you see while on the road trip, if I remember correctly we got 37 US states and even some Canada ones too! It was the closest we have ever come to getting 50 states!
- 20 Questions – this does not require any prep or packing either. Have one person think of a plant, animal, or thing and the rest of the family gets a total of 20 questions to determine what object they were thinking about. The person answering the question can only answer “yes” or “no” and nothing else.
- Animal Game – the first person to spy an animal or pen of animals (a herd counts as 1 point) gets one point. If there are different types of animals in the same pen or location (such as horses, cows, donkey, etc…) they can get additional points for each type of animal if they call them out first. Wild animals or unique farm animals (other than birds) such as deer, coyotes, emus, llamas, etc…. get a bonus 5 points for each type they see. Our rule is at least one other person in the car must see the animal as well.
- Car Game – everyone picks a different color of car and gets a point for every car they see with their color. This game works best in a quieter traffic or two lane highway since in a big city the score keeper will have a harder time keeping up and it becomes a series of yelling “I see a red, white, blue, green…..one!”
- Historical Marker Game – the first person to see something of historical significance gets a point.
- ABC Game – this one is great for areas with a lot of road signs or billboards. You start with the letter “A” and find a written word that starts with that letter than move onto “B” and so forth.
- Car Color Bingo – we picked the car color “yellow” and the first person to spy a yellow vehicle would call out “Bingo yellow Penske truck or Bingo yellow convertible, etc…” and they would get one point per vehicle they spotted. Another person had to see the vehicle to count and the majority of the vehicle had to be yellow in order to count.
These were a handful of the ones we played on our road trip. Hope you enjoy some of them if you are going on a road trip too! It is a great way to pass the time and have fun. We all want road trips with the whole family to be fun and pleasant for everyone!
We stopped for dinner at a Chic-Fil-A along the way and let the kids run around in the play area for a few minutes while we waiting for the food. It was a great way to let them stretch their legs and have fun. It helps break up the time just sitting idle in the vehicle too.
Our family enjoys road trips! It is a fun way to spend extra time since we are all packed into the van together. While in the car we have plenty to talk about, games to play, snacks, videos to watch, audiobooks to listen, and even summer workbooks to complete, stories to tell, memories to laugh about, books to read, and more so the time goes by quickly! Yes, we are one of “those” families that make their kids do summer workbooks to keep them up to speed during summer vacation, although we don’t necessarily make them do it everyday (road trips are a great time to get a few pages of some workbooks done). Even though we have a DVD player in our van the kids are not allowed to watch it very often. It is our rule that unless the trip is 5 or more hours the DVD never gets opened. Since we had a 40 plus hours of driving ahead of us the kids were excited to watch a few DVDs on this trip! What do you do to make road trips fun for your family and break up those long hours in the vehicle with the kids?
Fun at the Park with Friends
Climbing on rocks at Herdklotz Park with friends
We met some sweet friends at the park for a picnic and to play! The only time that I could get all four kids to sit still long enough for a picture was after they climbed up on this rock. It was the big rock, but they all managed to get up onto it. Thankful for a great time with friends.
Derby decided to join me on the dash in front on the way to and from the park today. He was on the lookout for a fun adventure! It’s not everyday a horse rides on my dash. The girls thought it was hilarious having him help in the van!
