Guess Who is Star Student This Week???

Sandbridge Sandcastle

We made a return trip to Sandbridge Beach on Sunday for a BBQ, relaxation and some playing in the sand. On the way to the beach, Steve stopped at a shop and bought two shovels, one for him and one for Tyler and together they made this cool sandcastle.

Dinner Guests

We had friends over yesterday for dinner. Larissa's husband flew in for the weekend and they came over for a BBQ. We became best friends with them when we got stationed in Sicily together. After our meal outside, we moved everything back inside the apartment where we reminisced about the good ole' days while drinking some Italian espresso and sharing a lot of laughs together. Tyler also battled his Beyblades with Steve and Corey. It was so good to see our longtime friends again and it almost seemed as if we were never apart.

After I dropped Tyler off at school this morning, I noticed a momma duck and her ducklings out in the pond behind our apartment.

Tyler's Class Field Trip

Yesterday Tyler and his class went on a field trip to a farm. When they got to the farm, the first thing they did was go on a tractor ride. Tyler said the tractor went super fast and he loved it. LOL Then afterwards, they went to see all the animals on the farm. Finally, they planted some seeds in cups to bring home. One cup contained a sunflower seed and the other a zucchini seed. Today, Tyler brought them home. We put them out on the balcony for some sun.
He also told me that when they got back on the bus to go back to the school that there was a bird flying around inside. They eventually got it out one of the windows. This excited the kids even more.

The Best Nanny Ever

Thank you so much, Nanny, for sending Tyler a surprise parcel in the mail. Nanny sent some antique collector cars that we are saving for when he is older. Also, Tyler was sooo happy to be re-united with his guitar that we got him while in Cozumel. We forgot the guitar at Nanny's house the last time we were there.  Thanks, Nanny, for all the thoughtful things you do for us. We love you with all our heart. xoxo

Until We Meet Again

Today, 5 years ago, my dad went up to heaven. There isn't a day where we don't think of him and miss him. We would give anything to hear his jolly voice and his laughter again. He will be forever in our hearts. You are always loved, Dad. 

Video of Race

Cars and More Cars

The Mini finally got new tires after a week of waiting. It was great timing because we were attending our very first Mini event. The event, which consisted of other Mini owners meeting together at a cupcakery for cupcakes and of course, Mini conversation. Everyone was friendly and we shared stories of our cars. There were about 15-20 Minis that showed up. It was really neat seeing them all together. Ours looked pretty good among the crowd.

Later on at night, we went to Langley Speedway to see the stock car races with one of Steve's co-workers and his daughter. Steve hadn't been to the races since he was 11 years old and both Tyler and I have never been to one. The first race was the little cars driven by children. It was so cute to see and it was amazing to see how well they did. First and second winners were driven by girls. Yay!!! :) Then came out the pickup trucks for some trips around the track, followed by some legend car racing, and then novice racers. Finally, it was the big race. The one everyone had come to see. The race was loud and long, but oh so exciting!!! I asked Steve why he hadn't brought us here before this because it was super awesome to watch. We hope to return back to watch another race before we move. It was a great way to conclude our car themed day.

Tae Kwon Do!!!!

To end each class, the instructor asks a student to yell Tae Kwon Do. Well, for the first time tonight, Tyler was asked. Here is the video.

Let Em Rip

Since Tyler has been doing a great job at school, Dad treated him to a reward of a toy of his choice. Tyler decided on a Beyblades set. Beyblades are spinning tops based on a Japanese manga series. Tyler is having a blast battling against us and the neighbor kids, who also own them.
3-2-1- Let 'em rip~
Awesome job, Tyler!!! We are soo proud of you!!!

Going to the Rodeo

On Sunday, we went to the rodeo...the Food Truck Rodeo, that is. Every second Sunday in the month, Virginia Beach and surrounding area host a get together for the various food trucks/vendors in Hampton Roads. Although this idea is just new to the local area, Steve said that Florida had been having food truck rodeos for quite sometime. He was all for the idea of going to check it out, so we hopped in the car and headed on over to the event where we enjoyed some sandwiches from the Twisted Sisters truck. There were only about 5 trucks participating and the lines were low. We ate on the curb and after we finished we watched Tyler play a few games of corn hole and then hula hoop. Since we were in the area, we headed on over to Trader Joe's for a few groceries and then finished off our day by spending it on the Virginia Beach boardwalk.

Market and Beach Day

Our day started out by checking out the Virginia Beach's Farmer's Market. They are celebrating their 37th birthday and there was lots going on including pony rides, bounce houses, petting zoo, a live band, food tasting and demonstrations, and of course, the Farmer's Market vendors. Steve bought some delicious organic coffee which they had fresh ground for us. Tyler loved the petting zoo. After we left the market, we made our way to the beach for the rest of the day.

This was our first official trip to the beach this year. We went to Sandbridge which is a more natural less crowded beach. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. Tyler played with his sand toys, Steve and Tyler made a sandcastle together, and then afterwards we watched Steve fly his helicopter along the water. We had an awesome day!!!

War Planes

The Mini got a flat yesterday so we drove Dad to and from work today. Dad wasn't quite ready to go when we arrived so after going to Tim Horton's to pick up some donuts and a cafe mocha for Dad and I and then delivering it to his office, Tyler and I used the remainder of our time by going to the aviation museum on the base. Tyler had always wanted to check out the plans there, but we never had the time to stop. He enjoyed looking at all the older aircraft very much. It started to rain so we ran to the car and then Dad called to say he was all ready to go home. Great timing~
We had to order special tires for the Mini and hopefully they will come in soon.

Cherry Blossoms

If you scroll down you can read that we went to the Japanese Festival this past week. It was held at the Red Wing park located in Virginia Beach. The cherry blossoms in the park had just started to bloom, so we made plans to come back during the week to get some photos once they fully blossomed. It was a gorgeous warm evening to enjoy the beauty of nature, and Tyler was even in a posing mood which doesn't happen as much anymore.  Enjoy the following~

My Awesome Amazing Aunt

My Aunt Norma just went through her last chemo treatment. This is her ringing the bell and doing the happy dance. Thanks so much for everyone who prayed. For those who don't personally know my Aunt Norma, she is one of the most kindest, warmest, generous, and strongest people I know.

At Last

The weather went from the 50's and 60's last week to the 80's and 90's this week, making it the perfect weather for doing homework outside on the balcony.

Hiking and Fishing

After getting Tyler's PPD results read on the base, the last step for completing Tyler's medical overseas screening required for our move to Bahrain, we had lunch outside at Sonic. We then came home to grab our cameras and then since it was a beautiful sunny day outside, we went to the North Carolina Swamp State Park to go hiking. The trail was the same one Tyler and I went on during our wagon ride in the autumn. They were just then building exhibits along the trail to educate about the local history along the canal. We wanted to see if they had finished building the exhibits.

The first exhibit was to show the local moonshining that took place in the area. The remote location and the access to the water in the canal offered the perfect location for illegal moonshining in the area. We remembered from our wagon ride that the ranger explained to us that if you walk along the canal through the woods that pieces from the operation can still be found. The second exhibit was also finished which showed the type of boat they constructed to be used in the canal. After viewing both exhibits, Steve noticed on the trail map that the trail meets up with a new canal and so we made that our destination point. It was a fantastic hike and we even saw two deer in the woods and lots of animal tracks. It was great getting back on the trail. after our long cold winter we really needed the exercise and fresh air. We hiked a total of 4.4 miles.

After our hike we decided to grill outside to make our outside day complete. While we were grilling, Steve decided to take the helicopter out for a spin around the apartment complex. he got some amazing shots, however as he was landing it the wind picked up and it got caught up in a huge tree. We didn't have any clue how to get it down because it was up so high. Finally, two of our neighbors came by with their kids to take them to the playground and offered to lend a hand. They turned out to be awesome fishermen and they each got their fishing poles out and tried shaking the branch with their lines. Of course, this generated a lot of spectators; people were watching from their balconies, from the sidewalk and even stopped their cars in the road to watch. Finally after about 30 minutes of trying to "fish" the helicopter, they managed to bend the branch enough for it to fall down. Thank goodness!!!