Visit from the Fam - Part 2

I couldn't resist posting some more photos from my parents' and  younger brother's visit earlier this month.  It was such a special time that we all will hold dear in our hearts for many years.

We got to enjoy a relatively cool evening (still rare around here) around the fire pit making s'mores. 

My parents couldn't remember the last time they had roasted marshmallows.

We took a trip to a local museum and enjoyed looking at all the fish and wildlife.  My brother Joseph and mom here....it's hard to believe he's 24 years old and in his 2nd year of a MBA.  Where does the time go?

Annika at the museum.

My dad reading to the kids...they took advantage of having extra people around to read to them frequently..... 

as evidenced here as well.

Ellia and I at Colonial Williamsburg - chasing the big kids through the maze behind the Governor's Palace.

The second day at C.W. the kids got the chance to dip candles.  They liked the idea of it, but it took so long with all the lines of kids, we soon gave up and ended up with candles the size you would stick in a birthday cake.   

Much more to Corban's liking was climbing trees outside of the Capitol, while my parents were inside on the tour.  SO glad the kids and I skipped out on that one; it was a group of around 40 people, all middle-aged and older, and quite boring for young ones.  

In the Magazine, listening to the talk about weapons in the 1700's - it was very interesting to the adults, but the girls found more entertainment chatting with another pair of matching sisters. 

This was a wagon-of-sorts that the dad of the girls in the above photo designed and made a few years ago expressly for their family's yearly trip to C.W.  Hey, with a family of 6 kids, you gotta be creative dealing with all the complaints of "I'm tired", or "My feet hurt!". 

I thought it was awesome and had to take a picture. 

We stopped at a hat booth and the kids all wanted to try on various hats.  Which do you like the best?

Marissa wanted to try on every single girl hat they had....but the candy store down the street was calling us.

The bus rides were always popular, just as last year. 

Our trip to C.W. was a great success...we saw lots of things I didn't get photos of and made lots of memories just being together.  Looking forward to going again next year.

And......I thought I'd throw in a couple of random photos of Ellia and her discovery that the plastics drawer is incredibly fun to empty piece by piece onto the floor.