Six Flags, Hurricane Bay

Yes, that blue and yellow thing in the back is a water slide. So much fun. This was the first time Anna and Maggie had been to a water park and they were very hesitant about going down any water slides. After they went on the first one they loved it and couldn't get enough.

Hanging out in the wave pool.

We had a great time with Maggie and Anna. Alexis enjoyed having friends over for an entire week. They have so much fun together.

On our way home we hit some major traffic, so we decided to stop at Kabab Palace for dinner. They're open 24 hours, YEAH. Dinner at 11 and then another midnight tour of DC. Anna, Maggie's sister hadn't seen the monuments in DC before. She was oohing and aahing at the size of the monuments. They are spectacular to see.

Rita's

This has become a favorite place to get Italian Ice. They're all over the place. Maggie's Uncle, dad and mom came with us. YUMMY. But Alexis' vacation isn't over yet. We brought Maggie and Anna back to Harrisonburg to stay with us for the week.

Presque Island, Erie, PA

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Presque Island, Erie, PA day 2

Oh my gosh, I'm trying to scare the geese away into the ocean and they just won't go.

The second day there were waves on the lake. It felt like we were at the ocean.

Presque Island, Erie, PA

We played in the lake.

We played in the sand. We had a great day.

Surrey

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This was so much fun!!!

Riding a Surrey, Erie, PA

After spending the 4th in DC we went to Erie, PA to visit some of our friends. It was Alexis' friend Maggie's 13th birthday. We made her a couple of cakes and bought some balloons. She had a wonderful birthday.

This was the best bike ride Alexis has ever been on. No peddling, she just drove the bike. Presque Island was beautiful. There are so many trees in PA. It's a beautiful state.

We never saw any turtles.

Crab anyone?

We picked up some cooked crab at a great little seafood place at Chincoteague Island. So, so, yummy. This is definitely the best and funnest way to eat crab. Kimberly also made a homemade fresh peach pie, DELICIOUS.

This was our last night with Leah and Chad, they were flying back the next day, so we decided to go on a midnight tour of the monuments in DC. Well, after about 20 minutes I look back and Chad and Leach are completely out. So our previous thoughts of pulling an all-nighter didn't quite happen.

The next day Leah made sirloin kababs with rosemary and the best shiitake mushroom I've ever had. DELICIOUS.

Before taking Chad and Leah to the airport we stopped at a great little cupcake place in Georgetown. What a great end to an amazing fun-filled week.

Assateague Island, MD

We saw several wild ponies on Assateague Island. This is the most beautiful beach ever. It goes on for 26 miles with no built structures. Vehicles are only allowed to a certain point and then you can bike or walk on all the trails throughout the rest of the Island.

Alexis and Chad making a school of fish out of sand. You can see Leah, soaking up the sun and Kimberly under the umbrella, a little sun-burned from the day before at the beach. It was quite windy and the umbrella flew up and was headed down the beach. Kimberly started chasing after the umbrella, luckily some kids caught it for her, otherwise who knows when she would have returned.

I can't see you. Actually, I can't see anything.

Chincoteague Island, VA

Hanging out at the beach.

After playing at the beach all day, Southern barbecue and then yummy ice cream.

The best fireworks ever!!!

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This firework show lasts about 20 minutes, truly spectacular!!!

4th of July, Washington DC cont.

Trying to find the best spot to watch the fireworks on the National Mall. Alexis enjoyed her piggy-back ride from Chad.

We found a great spot.

Just having some fun.

Waiting for the fireworks to start.

They were spectacular. I love celebrating the 4th in DC. They have the best firework show ever!!!

4th of July, Washington DC

The day started out with a yummy breakfast, blueberry pancakes, bacon, eggs, compliments of Kimberly. Then, of course, we had to have gelato in Georgetown. This place has yummy gelato.

White Oak Falls, Shenandoah Mts.

Kimberly's cousin Chad and her friend Leah came to visit DC for the 4th of July. We had dinner at Kabab Palace, yummy, ice cream in Old Town down by the Potomac ,and then headed down to Harrisonburg for an early morning hike. It was such a beautiful hike.

Well, this hike was supposed to be very strenuous, so we loaded up with water bottles. It wasn't strenuous at all. I kept thinking it was going to be strenuous at some point, but it never was. The weather was also perfect, not hot and no humidity. I love hiking in the Shenandoah's.

Later in the evening we headed back to Kimberly's for a barbecue and Natalie's fruit pizza, so YUMMY.

Post-Surgery

Alexis had to have her appendix taken out on Friday, June 26. She was having really bad stomach pains in the morning and I told her, it was just because of all the junk-food she had the day before. Well, her pains didn't go away, although she never had a fever, but the pain was getting worse. So after a trip to the doctor, they sent us to the emergency room to have a catscan done. Our home teacher came to the hospital and gave her a blessing, within minutes after he did this her pain started to diminish. Then her pain went away completely. I love the power of the priesthood and so grateful our home teacher was able to do this for her.

Well, I asked the nurse if we could just leave, since it wasn't bothering her anymore, but the catscan showed they were inflamed and they wanted to take them out ASAP. I thought we were going to be going home. The surgery went well, the doctor even said she would be okay to go to the beach next week, we had a vacation planned. She recovered very quickly, everyday after her surgery she did better and better. A friend of mine brought over a treat for Alexis with a disclaimer that she wasn't responsible for any cavities she would get. So, so thoughtful, Alexis was in heaven, everything she loves.

Thanks to everyone for your concern with Alexis. I'm so glad she's feeling better.

Life after vacationing

We have a great time on our vacation. I'll post pictures soon. We spent the 4th in DC and then onto Erie, Pennsylvania. Some of our friends, a really good friend of Alexis' moved there recently. Well, we ended up bringing her and her sister back to Harrisonburg with us for the week. Tons of fun. Alexis had a blast. I'm glad someone was having a good time, because the first day back at work, you guessed it, a six-hour deposition and 200 pages later...welcome back to reality. But that was just the beginning, Tuesday job was a court case which involved seven attorneys, YIKES!!! I went on two other jobs that week, luckily one of my jobs cancelled, whew, and, of course, every single job ordered -- along with a couple late write-ups from depositions where the attorneys decided they needed transcripts of the proceedings. So no sleep for me. I'm still recovering from two-midnight Washington DC monument tours, and arriving home last Saturday and Sunday, both at 3 a.m. Alexis has been on permanent vacation since school got out. She is at Young Women's camp this week and then off to Iowa this weekend. What a life.