Adventures in Virginia!

We've been in Virginia not quite a month now and so far we've made the most of our time here! We love it and are sad we are leaving so soon :( It's gorgeous here with all the trees and there is SO MUCH to see and do. We're about 30 minutes from Richmond and 2 hours or so from D.C. We've got a Virginia bucket list that is about a mile long. I don't think we'll get a chance to see and do everything we want to, but we will probably be back here in a few years for more training (fingers crossed!)
Here's a little bit of what we've been up to so far.

One of our first adventures was to the Museum and White House of the Confederacy in Richmond. Most people think the Confederate capital was in Charleston, but it was actually in Richmond. I wasn't able to take pictures in the actual house, but I got some cool (ok nerdy) ones in the museum. It was a Confederate treasure trove! 

As you can tell by the sign, this is the headquarter's flag of General Lee.

A Confederate uniform

Mom this is for you. Remember those railroad ties they called "Sherman's Neckties" that they talked about at Stately Oaks? This is one of them.

This painting was HUGE! I'm not exactly a professional photographer.

More Confederate uniforms.

To reward our kids for being such troopers when we went to the museum, we took them to the Richmond Children' Museum. It was basically a big educational indoor playground.

Fishing with Dad

These two are such hams.

Our next adventure was a day-trip to Colonial Williamsburg and the Yorktown Battlefield.

The drive out was stunning! It would have been so much fun to drive it on a motorcycle!

James River

James Tyler Memorial Highway. We passed a bunch of turn offs for plantations. We didn't do everything we wanted to in one day, so when we go back to see Jamestown we will stop off at a couple of plantations (hopefully!)

We didn't get a chance to go to Jamestown, but I'm excited to stand where some of America's earliest Pilgrams stood!

Amaya has been full of funny faces lately when I try to take her picture.

Sooo excited to see Yorktown!

Ever faithful driver.

I didn't know much about Yorktown before we went, but it was a very important battle during the Revolutionary War.  We got to see George Washington's tent as well as some of the trenches dug by Yankee soldiers. It was so neat to stand where America's first patriots fought for our freedoms.

A few of the smaller trenches.

Yorktown Victory Monument.

This monument was authorized by Continental Congress, October 29, 1781, just after the news of surrender reached Philadelphia. Actual construction began 100 years later and was completed in 1884. The original figure of Liberty atop the Victory shaft was severely damaged by lightning. A new work replaced it in 1956. the shaft of Maine granite is 84 feet in height to which Liberty adds another 14 feet.

Dallas looked like he was our bodyguard in his sunglasses and coat.

This cool bridge was on the drive to Williamsburg

So Colonial Williamsburg is a Colonial village that has everything from restaurants to town hall to a blacksmith shop. They have actors, tours, and tons of fun activities. Unfortunately we came later in the day in the off-season and didn't have a chance to do much but walk around and eat. We're planning to go back when the place gets hopping in May.

Oaklie's "flower" bouquet.

Oaklie fell asleep in our warm laundry one day. I folded her right up and put her in the drawer.

Amaya and Oaklie pinched their pennies to get buy a fish. I was expecting a bowl and a fish but softie Dad brought home two Beta fish and a fancy tank. 

The blue one is Amaya's fish, Boots, and the pink one is Backpack, Oaklie's fish. They were named after people on Dora the Explorer. The barrier keeps them from going at each other. The day after we got them, Backpack snuck through the barrier and they started fighting. Boots lost a piece of fin and the girls were traumatized. Backpack got put back in his container for the day until we fixed the tank and Oaklie kept telling him, "Be nice! Okay? Okay?" 

These two are the best of friends.

Dallas told me I have to put this picture up even though I really don't want to. Let's just say the cheese burns crazy bad and I normally don't look so homely...

We found a fun indoor play place where we live and they have half-off for military kids on Tuesdays! I have a feeling we will be putting in a lot of time here.

 We've crammed a lot into a month. I'm so so excited because soon we are going to WASHINGTON D.C.!!!!