Summer Fun-My Favorites Part V (or The One That Goes on for Decades)

In the midst of my summertime I felt overwhelmed, by many things.  I didn't feel, at the time, as though there was much joy.  The rough spots, which in reality were here and there rather than totally constant, felt so rough that they overshadowed any smooth parts in my mind.  While I have been looking back over the pictures I have been able to see that there really were some very joyful moments, that there was fun, and beauty, and love.  I'm going to keep sharing some of my favorite moments and pictures for the next few days...if you're up for it, stick around.

After our trip to Washington D.C., Mike had to return home; the four remaining Walkers stayed at my parents' house for a couple more weeks and packed in a lot of fun, some close to home and some farther away.

There were reunions...

How fun it was to see my daughter playing with my first roommate's daughters!  When we met just before starting college, we couldn't believe how many weird things we had in common.  We were two peas in a pod, and two very different girls all at the same time.  We were inseparable our freshman year.  It's hard to believe that we had not seen each other in fifteen years or so.  That is another story for another time.  It was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful to catch up with her.  Grrrnnt-da-grrnnnt.  That doesn't make any sense to most, but there are a lot of memories wrapped up in those nonsensical words.

I also got to see some of my best friends from my later years in college...I could go on and on about these girls.  These women!  I guess we are all old enough to call women now.  Weird.

There was a cookout with good friends, and a pool party too...

There are so many things that I love about these pictures.  I love the simplicity.  I love the contentedness.  I love the happy smiles.

I love my girls riding on four-wheelers.

I love sweet holding-hands moments...

We were at my parents' friends' house, and J. took the kids around on his quad bike.  He told us,"I went as fast as it could go, and she said,'Go faster!'"  Goodness.  What will we do when she's sixteen?!

As evening came on, we began the task of cleaning up.  The kids continued to play in the gravel drive.  Right before we left I discovered just how much fun Eliana had been having...

I have never seen such a dirty kid.  She looked like a chimney sweep.  But, my oh my, did she look happy.

The fun didn't end there.  Oh, no!  There were trips to museums...

where we did some questionable things to the children, but they had fun anyway...

There were building up and knocking down...(a.k.a. being a boy)

And the fun kept going.  Just when we thought we had come to the end of the museum exhibits, there were more!  The kids even played outside, in spite of the heat, scooping sand, looking for pretty shells...

And then they discovered a giant chess board.  How cool!

Christian thought he didn't want to be there, but then he would always have so much fun whatever was next.  We ended our time at the Richmond Science Museum with a little more discovery time, building and fooling around with physics.

They also had fun at the Children's Museum.

I love that my older kids still have a good time doing these activities.  They went from one thing to the next, and were so busy.  It was a great thing to do on another very hot day.

There was a trip to the beach...

We stayed several days in Virginia Beach.  I have one ocean lover and two land lovers.  (Christian has to warm up to the waves each year.)

It was still pretty cold.

Eliana preferred the warm sand...

and warm hugs...

And to cool us off, we had to go on a Blizzard run.  Of course, we did not actually run.

It's a tradition!

We squeezed in some synchronized swimming...

And made some new friends...(Dad never meets a stranger.  Mom just thinks he's getting stranger.)

True story.  My mom, Victoria, actually fell down these steps once.  Now she treads very carefully whenever we are here.

Eliana's idea of a hole-in-one was to pick up the ball and drop it in the hole.  It was great.  She had a lot of fun, and kept up with us, all six games!

Our time at the beach had to come to an end, and we headed back to Richmond, but not before stopping at the Yankee Candle Company in Williamsburg.  It may seem an odd place to take a break, but there is a big toy store in the back, a room full of decorated Christmas trees where it "snows", and a place to dip your own candle into colored wax.  And of course, there was this...

Not stopping was not an option.

Once we were back at my mom and dad's house, we had a few more days to visit.  One of the last things we did was take a trip to the zoo.  I've been to a lot of zoos, but somehow it's always fun.  Again, it was soooo stinkin' hot, but we were troopers and tried to see as much of it as we could.

Some of it really up close...

We saw the baby love...

And I thought I needed a boob job...

We saw sweet faces...

We saw calm and stoic faces...

And more baby love...

We saw penguins!

Those eyes!

And just after I took this next picture, the giraffe swung its head up and just about gave Michaela a kiss on the nose!  Of course, I missed that with the camera, but I'll never forget her face in my mind.

The animals were beautiful.  These guys were right next to...

this guy and he seemed a little...antsy.

We saw marching...

We saw sleeping... (Eliana said,"Why are they not roaring?!")

We saw someone who really needed to brush...(blue teeth??!)

We saw the Thinker!

Is that a big turtle, or what?

We saw a lot more, too, but I am sure you are as anxious for me to end this post as we were to leave the steaming hot zoo that day.  We finally headed out, before we literally melted into puddles on the concrete.

You know, things are crazy in our family.  And when we travel, sometimes they get crazier.  My mom and dad have a quiet house, and that really changes when we come to visit.

There is a lot more noise.  Sometimes there is fighting and conflict (because that happens in families, right?).

But there is always a lot of laughter...

and I think that even though things get back to normal when we leave, and it gets quiet again...they miss the ruckus.  I do think they like it when we're around.

We have some good fun.

Comments

[Elaine]

It does look like you had fun. I especially like the picture of your mom and Michaela holding hands. Keep the pictures coming!

[Amy]

Tears! I had the absolute best time. Michael even commented that I couldn't stop smiling the whole way to Deltaville after our visit. I love you to pieces!!!! I love the pictures and I love that our kids met. I cannot wait to see you again! And a big GRNT back to you!

[Mindee@ourfrontdoor]

Michaela looks so tall in that pic with your mom. What a great "memento" post. :)