Sooo, what with the whole government shut-down and all... Most of our DC plans were pretty well squashed. So we got creative! (And, all of these pictures are my Mom's. I took a zillion pictures on my brand new iPhone, then lost every single one. I cried. But at least someone documented most of our trip! I can usually count on her to cover things pretty well, photographically speaking!)
This. Is the most awesome store. I bought 6 books, all 1920's or older, all books that I knew and loved (plus some paperback versions of some favorites I didn't own yet) for under 20$!!! Just about my favorite store in existence!!
Grandma introduced the boys to the adventures of geocaching (which they now want to do ALL the time)
The only person I know more obsessed with Fall and pumpkins than me and Joe is my Dad. So on our way to the beach, we just HAD to stop by a pumpkin patch! Which turned out to be the prettiest pumpkin patch ever!
So what if we can't take them home with us? Grandpa will take good care of them!
There were games, animals, treats, and more. Also the best corn maze I've seen since Missouri!
I am in love with the beach. I could be a beach person. I could learn to sail, and things...
Last time we were here, Joe was miserable. Cold, wet, whiny, ugh. This year? BRING IT ON!!
Stephen, on the other hand, is always bomb-proof. He's never cold. He gets that from me. (When I was his age, anyway.)
Whoops! Wipeout!! Maybe we should back up just a little...
I don't know what this black sand is, but it was Stephen's favorite part of the beach
That and finding parts of horseshoe crabs. Like this tail-slash-dagger.
We stopped for AWESOME crab on the way home... And a tickle break...
Another day we drove out to Luray Caverns, the boys' very first cave! I will be honest, I wasn't expecting much, but WOW. They were fantastic!!
These are my favorite parts of caves, the pools that are so still and so perfect that the reflection of the ceiling looks like a whole other landscape below, without water!
The boys were in heaven, constantly asking the tour guide question after question...
I just wish Stephen had been with us!
Next to the caverns was a toy and automobile museum, a shop, a history center, and a MAZE! A real hedge maze!
It was TONS of fun!
And on the way home, the boys got invited up to the cockpit of the plane!
