This post will be a reader :)
Ryker and I had the opportunity to fly out to Williamsburg, Virginia for a Searle Family Reunion. Randy's sister Amber lives out there and it was her turn to plan the reunion so we all went to visit her and see the sights! Sad that Randy couldn't come because of his crazy school schedule-but so fun to be with cousins and family!
Friday-June 13, 2014: TRAVEL DAY
After an exhausting few days of packing (stresses me out- I don't know why), everything was packed and ready to go! We woke up at 5AM to get dressed, do some final packing and out the door by 5:45AM. Checking in and security was nuts. Just took forever! Ryker was super good and it wasn't hard as far as getting everything broken down-just took awhile. We got to our gate and had about an hour to just let Ryker run around and get any energy out. He just wanted to sleep! We finally boarded and decided to use our actual boarding number in line to get in the plane instead of waiting for family boarding. We sat in an aisle seat and waited for the brave souls to join our row. I had one super nice girl sit next to the window and no one sat in between which meant Ryker got his own seat! He fell asleep 20-30 min. into the flight so I just laid him down on the empty seat.
It was awesome. But then we stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas and I had to pick him up for landing. He probably slept for about an hour total. Since it was a short stop for those whose final destination was Little Rock and for those from Arkansas to get on to go to VA, we stayed and waited for everyone to get off. While Ryker was sleeping, I went to the bathroom. The back one was occupied so I went to the front. While waiting in line, I saw my stroller had been unloaded. I sort of panicked and asked the flight attendant if they were planning on putting it back. She said she would make sure they would. I forgot about it because I was trying to get back to my seat before people got annoyed with a baby sleeping in the seats. He woke up and we had a full flight so he sat on my lap the whole time. The person that took the empty seat kept mentioning how she just wanted to sleep so I was all paranoid the whole flight that he was bothering her. Sleeping on flights is overrated though right? He started getting grumpy so we "read" a book-that lasted a whole whopping five minutes. Then the iPad-another 15. Mostly snacks kept him quiet. He really is a great flier though.
So we land in Chicago, get off and decided to find our gate which was in a different concourse. But first, when we got off, my stroller wasn't there. So I waited and waited. The new crew came and the old crew was leaving and they were all trying to help me locate my stroller! And the under-the-plane crew too! I mentioned what it looked like and a guy went down to find it. He came up with the stroller and apparently the tag got ripped off and so the claim at gate wasn't on there. I was on the verge of tears but he saved the day!
So we did a little walking but that was welcomed after sitting for 3 hours. We stopped to get an expensive sandwich that wasn't even good. We had strawberries, a banana and blueberries in the snack bag that I had packed so we were pretty full. We had about an hour wait again and ran around and made friends...stealing french fries--you know...the norm. They got on the intercom and started asking people if they were willing to give up their spot since it was a full flight and they would pay for the ticket, hotel room and give you a $300 voucher. I was NOT about to take that offer!
Ryker slept for basically the duration of the flight to Norfolk and we ended up getting there 15 minutes early. We got off, got our bag and found Amber and her kids waiting outside. They had yucky traffic coming in and we had yucky traffic coming out. A 45 minute ride turned into 1.5 hours! Isn't that the pits?! We got to her house, ate and put Ryker down for bed. Everyone else got in later and we were blessed to have a smooth day of flying with no delays like everyone else!
Saturday-June 14: JAMESTOWN
We had a late start to the day since everyone got in later than expected. Ryker and I had delicious cinnamon rolls and eggs for breakfast. We got dressed and ready to go when we get a call that my nephew cut his head open! Dang rough housing boys! ;) So we didn't end up leaving until after lunch and we headed to Jamestown. There we learned about the first colony to be established in America, how the indians and colonists worked together and John Smith, John Rolfe and Pocahontas. Disney has it all wrong! ;)
Sunday-June 15: YORKTOWN
We didn't have church until 1 o'clock so we decided to do Yorktown because we were unable to the morning before (remember the cracking of skulls??? Jk...it totally wasn't that bad.) Today was also Father's Day. I was feeling so guilty and bad that we weren't with Randy all day but luckily we got to FaceTime him and let him know how much we love and appreciate him!
Monday-June 16: WILLIAMSBURG
Today we went to Williamsburg. We started out by watching a 45 minute movie to get us familiar and acquainted with everything then out to the town! It was BLAZING hot that day. We toured around and went into the buildings for the AC! We went to the Governor's Palace, Armory, Apothecary, Blacksmith, etc. We also had some yummy sandwiches from a deli shop and after lunch all the kiddies were ready for naps. Some stayed and some left to go put the kids down. It's a fun place and so fun that it's still up and running and people actually live and work there still, doing the same jobs as way back in the day. After Williamsburg, we all went swimming at the condo that some were staying in. Super nice after such a hot day!
Tuesday-June 17: BEACH DAY IN NORTH CAROLINA!
Early, early in the morning, a group left to go to a lighthouse about 3.5 hours away and went and toured that. I just didn't have the energy and quite honestly my back was really begging for me to take it easy with all this walking and touring. We left for the beach and decided to meet everyone there after the tour. It was SO hot. We were dripping just walking from the car to our beach site! Didn't take long for us to change into our swimsuits! It was a super clear day so the sun was out strong. The water felt AMAZING. Perfect temperature. The waves were super strong though. I got sucked under a few times--Good thing I had safety pinned my bottoms to my top because they would have been gone multiple times. I did see some bums though :) Ryker was scared a few times but he liked the water when it wasn't attacking him. The sand was hot and he didn't love the sand-but who does honestly? I forgot how sand just gets everywhere! After a day of fun, we headed home, fell asleep and stopped for dinner at Texas Roadhouse.
Wednesday-June 18: WATER COUNTRY!
Today was another super hot day so we took advantage of it and went to Water Country. This place is amazing. Puts 7 Peaks to shame....Mostly everyone went in the morning but we stayed because Ryker needed to nap. I also napped-it had been an exhausting week! After we all woke up and ate some lunch, we headed over to the park. It's huge and has big slides everywhere! Ryker had a lifejacket so we would just go sit in the kiddie pools which felt great because it was SO hot! He would walk further and further in and once he got too deep, the life jacket would flip him over on his back so he would just float around. It was super cute. We also did a few laps in the "lazy" river. I think I just assumed it was a lazy river because it was called something "highway". It was FAST! And with Ryker in the life vest, it was hard to keep him upright so he wasn't loving it. We could have seen more of the park but with me being pregnant and Ryker being a little guy, we just didn't do much. Still fun though!
While we were there, Ryker cut 4 molars. He was so happy though and loved running around with his cousins and exploring the parks. He's getting SO big!
Thursday-June 19: BUSCH GARDENS
We all met up that morning in our neon shirts, took a picture and headed out! Again, I couldn't do much-but all well. Virginia in June is HOT HOT HOT----have I mentioned how hot it was this trip?!? The humidity sure didn't help! We started in the kiddie land and the littles got to do their roller coasters and rides. Ryker could do a couple and he like them. He's so funny when he's on them because he is so stoic. But once he get's off, he wants more! Then some couples went and did the big coasters while some of us kept the little ones. We went to a show called Pet Shenanigans. Basically just a bunch of trained pets-but it was cute, the kids loved it and it was a good break. Then we all went on a log flume ride which was fun---even Ryker! I honestly don't know how he liked it but when the picture showed up later-our faces were so funny! I honestly regret not buying the photo. I think I was more scared for Ryker because my face was hilarious. After that, we went home for lunch and tried to nap (Ryker slept 15 minutes to Ambers house from the park but then wouldn't nap again.) Since that didn't happen, we went back to the park. Once again, of course, I was with the littler ones and we had a crazy time getting to the kiddie rides, up and down flights of stairs. Which is no easy task with a stroller. We get to a dragon ride and they shut it down after one ride because of a thunder storm rolling in. So we decided to run across the park to try and get into a show--like everyone else in the park. But we had to go up and down those stairs again--fast! (At least I got some exercise to work off all the good food I ate there.) But we were too late so we waited for the storm. It started pouring and thunder/lightning were super close! After about 30 minutes it stopped but they had decided to close the park because of another storm rolling in, so we left. We got home for dinner and everyone went to put kids down. Amber arranged for babysitters to be at the condo so we could have an adult night. So everyone came back over (Ryker still wasn't asleep--I think his teeth were bothering him so I did get to have some snuggles.) We had dinner, ate a whole pan of scotcheroos....the sugar detox will be something else....and talked. And of course we played Canasta! I did horrible but was just so exhausted and sore from the day.
Friday-June 20:
Today is a free day. Everyone else is going to Busch and then Water Country if the weather cooperates. I decided we will stay and relax and swim to work on my tan. :) I stayed with the two littlest ones and napped. It was super nice. Then a group of us went to Water Country while the rest were still at Busch Gardens. It was great! At first, Ryker and I went to the little kiddie area while the rest did slides. About 10 mins. in, there was poo so we were all kicked out. I was worried because I didn't want to sit there and wait for them to come get me because Ryker just wanted to be in the water but I wanted them to know where I was. We ended up moving to a different area that had a small pool with slides and there was a boat in there with a steering wheel and Ryker really liked it. I glanced up and saw the rest pass by so I let them know where I was and stopped worrying. They all eventually came back and I did some slides! It was great to have a little fun.
Saturday-June 21:
Today is travel day. We woke up and had pancakes. I showered so I could get us all packed before Ryker napped. I got all packed up and while Ryker napped, I went with Ryan and Bethany to the outlet malls. We went to the Nike outlet then came home. We hurried and ate, packed sandwiches and took off to Norfolk. We got to Norfolk an hour before I needed to board and got through check-in and security and got to our gate. When I got there, Amber texted me and told me that my second flight from Orlando--->Dallas got delayed from 5:40 pm to 9:10 pm. I started crying....who wants a four hour layover?!? So I talked to a guy and he gave me the info to try and get on an earlier flight that would leave at 7:35pm and stop in New Orleans in between. So as soon as I got off my Norfolk to Orlando flight, I went to see if I could get on the earlier flight. I was able to get on, but she left my name and reservation on the later flight just in case anything happened with the earlier flight. Well we waited for two hours for our flight and I was letting Ryker run around to get energy out/wear him out. While he was running around, I see 3 girls with heavy dance makeup on. Then I realized that they were dancers from the TV show Dance Moms-Abbey Lee Dance Company. They commented on how cute Ryker was and one of the Mom's said he was cute when he walks. I texted Mom, Randy and Karissa about it and Karissa begged for a picture. I told her no but snap chatted her a picture later. Felt like a creep....
We make our way over to our gate and our flight has been pushed back to 8:15pm. UGHHHH!! We finally get on and take off and Ryker slept. HALLELUJAH! So he slept for about an hour. We land and wait for the others to get on in New Orleans. Luckily we got a seat in between us so Ryker could spread out a bit. We finally land and go to find our luggage. Mine wasn't there. So I go to find out why and apparently it stayed on the later flight I was originally on and wouldn't be in until 1AM. We just left and went back for the luggage in the morning. I was so tired and sore, Ryker was tired and we just wanted to be home.
Seriously such a great trip and was so good to be with family. I can't help but realize just how blessed I am to have these opportunities and to be so welcomed and loved by Randy's family. I got so lucky!
Was that a doozy or what?! Did you make it all the way through?? Good for you! I appreciate it ;)
It was awesome. But then we stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas and I had to pick him up for landing. He probably slept for about an hour total. Since it was a short stop for those whose final destination was Little Rock and for those from Arkansas to get on to go to VA, we stayed and waited for everyone to get off. While Ryker was sleeping, I went to the bathroom. The back one was occupied so I went to the front. While waiting in line, I saw my stroller had been unloaded. I sort of panicked and asked the flight attendant if they were planning on putting it back. She said she would make sure they would. I forgot about it because I was trying to get back to my seat before people got annoyed with a baby sleeping in the seats. He woke up and we had a full flight so he sat on my lap the whole time. The person that took the empty seat kept mentioning how she just wanted to sleep so I was all paranoid the whole flight that he was bothering her. Sleeping on flights is overrated though right? He started getting grumpy so we "read" a book-that lasted a whole whopping five minutes. Then the iPad-another 15. Mostly snacks kept him quiet. He really is a great flier though.
So we land in Chicago, get off and decided to find our gate which was in a different concourse. But first, when we got off, my stroller wasn't there. So I waited and waited. The new crew came and the old crew was leaving and they were all trying to help me locate my stroller! And the under-the-plane crew too! I mentioned what it looked like and a guy went down to find it. He came up with the stroller and apparently the tag got ripped off and so the claim at gate wasn't on there. I was on the verge of tears but he saved the day!
So we did a little walking but that was welcomed after sitting for 3 hours. We stopped to get an expensive sandwich that wasn't even good. We had strawberries, a banana and blueberries in the snack bag that I had packed so we were pretty full. We had about an hour wait again and ran around and made friends...stealing french fries--you know...the norm. They got on the intercom and started asking people if they were willing to give up their spot since it was a full flight and they would pay for the ticket, hotel room and give you a $300 voucher. I was NOT about to take that offer!
Ryker slept for basically the duration of the flight to Norfolk and we ended up getting there 15 minutes early. We got off, got our bag and found Amber and her kids waiting outside. They had yucky traffic coming in and we had yucky traffic coming out. A 45 minute ride turned into 1.5 hours! Isn't that the pits?! We got to her house, ate and put Ryker down for bed. Everyone else got in later and we were blessed to have a smooth day of flying with no delays like everyone else!
Saturday-June 14: JAMESTOWN
We had a late start to the day since everyone got in later than expected. Ryker and I had delicious cinnamon rolls and eggs for breakfast. We got dressed and ready to go when we get a call that my nephew cut his head open! Dang rough housing boys! ;) So we didn't end up leaving until after lunch and we headed to Jamestown. There we learned about the first colony to be established in America, how the indians and colonists worked together and John Smith, John Rolfe and Pocahontas. Disney has it all wrong! ;)
Learning about colonial times
Exploring replicas of the ships the sailed to America on
Ryker was too close to the water for my comfort!!
Sunday-June 15: YORKTOWN
We didn't have church until 1 o'clock so we decided to do Yorktown because we were unable to the morning before (remember the cracking of skulls??? Jk...it totally wasn't that bad.) Today was also Father's Day. I was feeling so guilty and bad that we weren't with Randy all day but luckily we got to FaceTime him and let him know how much we love and appreciate him!
Oh ya know...just exploring in our Sunday best!!
Monday-June 16: WILLIAMSBURG
Today we went to Williamsburg. We started out by watching a 45 minute movie to get us familiar and acquainted with everything then out to the town! It was BLAZING hot that day. We toured around and went into the buildings for the AC! We went to the Governor's Palace, Armory, Apothecary, Blacksmith, etc. We also had some yummy sandwiches from a deli shop and after lunch all the kiddies were ready for naps. Some stayed and some left to go put the kids down. It's a fun place and so fun that it's still up and running and people actually live and work there still, doing the same jobs as way back in the day. After Williamsburg, we all went swimming at the condo that some were staying in. Super nice after such a hot day!
Do I have the cutest nieces and nephews or what? All in their colonial hats!
Governor's Palace
Tuesday-June 17: BEACH DAY IN NORTH CAROLINA!
Early, early in the morning, a group left to go to a lighthouse about 3.5 hours away and went and toured that. I just didn't have the energy and quite honestly my back was really begging for me to take it easy with all this walking and touring. We left for the beach and decided to meet everyone there after the tour. It was SO hot. We were dripping just walking from the car to our beach site! Didn't take long for us to change into our swimsuits! It was a super clear day so the sun was out strong. The water felt AMAZING. Perfect temperature. The waves were super strong though. I got sucked under a few times--Good thing I had safety pinned my bottoms to my top because they would have been gone multiple times. I did see some bums though :) Ryker was scared a few times but he liked the water when it wasn't attacking him. The sand was hot and he didn't love the sand-but who does honestly? I forgot how sand just gets everywhere! After a day of fun, we headed home, fell asleep and stopped for dinner at Texas Roadhouse.
Super Mooch Ryker. This kid will mooch food off of anyone...even strangers.
But he's stinkin' cute right??
(I add this for comic relief...I told you it was a long post.)
My bottoms almost made their escape into the ocean!
The water was gorgeous!
Wednesday-June 18: WATER COUNTRY!
Today was another super hot day so we took advantage of it and went to Water Country. This place is amazing. Puts 7 Peaks to shame....Mostly everyone went in the morning but we stayed because Ryker needed to nap. I also napped-it had been an exhausting week! After we all woke up and ate some lunch, we headed over to the park. It's huge and has big slides everywhere! Ryker had a lifejacket so we would just go sit in the kiddie pools which felt great because it was SO hot! He would walk further and further in and once he got too deep, the life jacket would flip him over on his back so he would just float around. It was super cute. We also did a few laps in the "lazy" river. I think I just assumed it was a lazy river because it was called something "highway". It was FAST! And with Ryker in the life vest, it was hard to keep him upright so he wasn't loving it. We could have seen more of the park but with me being pregnant and Ryker being a little guy, we just didn't do much. Still fun though!
While we were there, Ryker cut 4 molars. He was so happy though and loved running around with his cousins and exploring the parks. He's getting SO big!
Thursday-June 19: BUSCH GARDENS
We all met up that morning in our neon shirts, took a picture and headed out! Again, I couldn't do much-but all well. Virginia in June is HOT HOT HOT----have I mentioned how hot it was this trip?!? The humidity sure didn't help! We started in the kiddie land and the littles got to do their roller coasters and rides. Ryker could do a couple and he like them. He's so funny when he's on them because he is so stoic. But once he get's off, he wants more! Then some couples went and did the big coasters while some of us kept the little ones. We went to a show called Pet Shenanigans. Basically just a bunch of trained pets-but it was cute, the kids loved it and it was a good break. Then we all went on a log flume ride which was fun---even Ryker! I honestly don't know how he liked it but when the picture showed up later-our faces were so funny! I honestly regret not buying the photo. I think I was more scared for Ryker because my face was hilarious. After that, we went home for lunch and tried to nap (Ryker slept 15 minutes to Ambers house from the park but then wouldn't nap again.) Since that didn't happen, we went back to the park. Once again, of course, I was with the littler ones and we had a crazy time getting to the kiddie rides, up and down flights of stairs. Which is no easy task with a stroller. We get to a dragon ride and they shut it down after one ride because of a thunder storm rolling in. So we decided to run across the park to try and get into a show--like everyone else in the park. But we had to go up and down those stairs again--fast! (At least I got some exercise to work off all the good food I ate there.) But we were too late so we waited for the storm. It started pouring and thunder/lightning were super close! After about 30 minutes it stopped but they had decided to close the park because of another storm rolling in, so we left. We got home for dinner and everyone went to put kids down. Amber arranged for babysitters to be at the condo so we could have an adult night. So everyone came back over (Ryker still wasn't asleep--I think his teeth were bothering him so I did get to have some snuggles.) We had dinner, ate a whole pan of scotcheroos....the sugar detox will be something else....and talked. And of course we played Canasta! I did horrible but was just so exhausted and sore from the day.
Can you find us???
During thunderstorm. He wasn't scared. Just mad that I made him stay in his stroller. Muahahahaha.
I have some cute videos but for the life of me cannot add them here. They're on Instagram if you so desire!
Today is a free day. Everyone else is going to Busch and then Water Country if the weather cooperates. I decided we will stay and relax and swim to work on my tan. :) I stayed with the two littlest ones and napped. It was super nice. Then a group of us went to Water Country while the rest were still at Busch Gardens. It was great! At first, Ryker and I went to the little kiddie area while the rest did slides. About 10 mins. in, there was poo so we were all kicked out. I was worried because I didn't want to sit there and wait for them to come get me because Ryker just wanted to be in the water but I wanted them to know where I was. We ended up moving to a different area that had a small pool with slides and there was a boat in there with a steering wheel and Ryker really liked it. I glanced up and saw the rest pass by so I let them know where I was and stopped worrying. They all eventually came back and I did some slides! It was great to have a little fun.
Saturday-June 21:
Today is travel day. We woke up and had pancakes. I showered so I could get us all packed before Ryker napped. I got all packed up and while Ryker napped, I went with Ryan and Bethany to the outlet malls. We went to the Nike outlet then came home. We hurried and ate, packed sandwiches and took off to Norfolk. We got to Norfolk an hour before I needed to board and got through check-in and security and got to our gate. When I got there, Amber texted me and told me that my second flight from Orlando--->Dallas got delayed from 5:40 pm to 9:10 pm. I started crying....who wants a four hour layover?!? So I talked to a guy and he gave me the info to try and get on an earlier flight that would leave at 7:35pm and stop in New Orleans in between. So as soon as I got off my Norfolk to Orlando flight, I went to see if I could get on the earlier flight. I was able to get on, but she left my name and reservation on the later flight just in case anything happened with the earlier flight. Well we waited for two hours for our flight and I was letting Ryker run around to get energy out/wear him out. While he was running around, I see 3 girls with heavy dance makeup on. Then I realized that they were dancers from the TV show Dance Moms-Abbey Lee Dance Company. They commented on how cute Ryker was and one of the Mom's said he was cute when he walks. I texted Mom, Randy and Karissa about it and Karissa begged for a picture. I told her no but snap chatted her a picture later. Felt like a creep....
We make our way over to our gate and our flight has been pushed back to 8:15pm. UGHHHH!! We finally get on and take off and Ryker slept. HALLELUJAH! So he slept for about an hour. We land and wait for the others to get on in New Orleans. Luckily we got a seat in between us so Ryker could spread out a bit. We finally land and go to find our luggage. Mine wasn't there. So I go to find out why and apparently it stayed on the later flight I was originally on and wouldn't be in until 1AM. We just left and went back for the luggage in the morning. I was so tired and sore, Ryker was tired and we just wanted to be home.
Seriously such a great trip and was so good to be with family. I can't help but realize just how blessed I am to have these opportunities and to be so welcomed and loved by Randy's family. I got so lucky!
Was that a doozy or what?! Did you make it all the way through?? Good for you! I appreciate it ;)
