On Tuesday we made the 8 hour drive to Leesburg, Virginia to visit our friends, the Chappell's. They were one of our first friends in Michigan and we were sad to see them leave over a year ago. We went into this drive with no tablets (one dead, one lost) and just one car dvd player (only one screen worked) and surprisingly it went really well. The kids actually had a lot of screen free time and did things like License plate Bingo and listening to the third Harry Potter book. There was also minimal whining due to bribery. We stopped every couple hours for snacks (no food allowed in the car these days) and they would each get a cookie if they had been good. Tyler and I would also switch driving at each stop. Tyler was so excited that I am finally helping out with driving on trips. I am a bit less excited but it did help the trip pass better. All in all it was a really smooth trip there.
The kids all had a fun reunion when we got there and they had made us a yummy dinner. After dinner we got the kids down for bed and then we played a game with Jenny and Chris and stayed up late talking. I was so pooped by the end of that day!
The next day we got ready for the day and then headed to the 4th of July Parade in Leesburg. It was ridiculously hot and humid so thank heavens for a shady spot. The kids were all kind of irritable due to the heat and the previous long day. Penny cried every time candy was thrown and she wasn't fast enough to get any. This girl kept taking pity on here and giving up her candy to Penny- Penny did not deserve such niceness. When both her fists were full of candy she finally stopped crying. It wasn't a super exciting parade- lots of campaigning in the parade and not one marching band- but there were a few cool vehicles and one neat ethnic dancing group.
Their youngest, Felicity, came up to me that morning so excited that we matched. Even better, I ended up matching Jenny C's mom too. It was a good day for stripes!
After drying off from their squirt gun fight we went to Jenny C's parent's house for some 4th of July partying. They had a lot of family there and a few friends there and I am not good at being in big groups so most of the time I felt kind of awkward and out of place but I did have some fun in the pool. I played HORSE with Tyler, Chris and one of their friends and I totally won- me the girl with no sport skills. I am pretty proud!
Ben claims that his favorite part of our whole amazing vacation was swimming in the pool- apparently for our next vacation we can just go to a pool and all will be well for Benny Boo.
When it started to sprinkle and lightning we all headed inside to eat some BBQ (and awkwardly socialize). Penny found some plastic Easter Eggs while we were inside that were filled with candy- literally had been lost since Easter. Of course my candy fanatic found them!
The rain let up and the kids went outside and blew bubbles and played on the playset outside. They have some amazing land and the sunset was beautiful.
When the sun went down Jenny C's dad put on the most amazing fireworks show. He had bought 150 illegal and very legit fireworks and I thought I was going to be blind and deaf. So close, so bright, so loud but definitely cool.
Then it was back to the Chappell home where everyone very quickly passed out.
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