9 is Fine

Spencer turned nine while we were in Utah. We spent a fun day at Grandma Geri's and then drove to Salt Lake for the Buzz Game. We love having Spencer in our family. We like how his eyes disappear when he smiles. He is thoughtful and a good help with Cameron. He loves playing outdoors and is a natural athlete. He likes collecting things and he is a good artist.

1st Day

Today was a great first day in Utah! Swimming, cousins, grandparents, Taco Time, Neilson's, dry heat, baseball, chess, tea parties, savings deposits, swinging, beautiful sunset!

Smile

I had to post this picture of this Horse's Crazy Smile. Doesn't that just make you feel happy to look at him? I might have to post a few more of him because he kept sticking out his tongue, smiling crooked and doin' this awesome face. I met him at trek this week. I got to go for a day as a historian (photographer) and I had a great time!

Fredericksburg

We stopped in Fredericksburg on the way home. If you don't know anything about this battle you should read something about it, because it is really interesting. In Fredericksburg and the area surrounding it there were several terrible bloody battles. It is sobering to walk on the Sunken Road and see part of the original wall the Confederates crouched behind and imagine the lines of Union soldiers advancing and being shot down over and over again. I am not a Civil War scholar at all, but I love visiting the battlefields around us and gaining an appreciation for the people who have fought our wars and died for our country. It is so neat to stand where it happened and visualize it. Ennis loves studying about the Civil War and so it was fun to visit some of these places with him. He bought the boys each a National Park Passport book that they can get stamped at all the national parks they visit. They all (Ennis included) had a great time finding the stamp everywhere we went and recording it in their books. Thank you Ennis and Mom!

Ennis in front of the Innes House!

 You can still see the bullet holes in this house because it stood there right in the middle of the battle.

This house is Brompton on  Marye's Heights where the Confederate Generals planned for the battle.  Their artillery lined all the high ground.

Jamestown

This day was quite cold but we still enjoyed exploring a new place.  We saw turtles in the water off of the boardwalk and got to see a real archeological dig.  The old church was beautiful and there were a lot of cool things--like skeletons--to look at in the museum.  Cam was so cold down by the water that he was crying.  I should have posted his mad face. 

Pocahontas and my soldiers

With Grandma Geri and Grandpa Ennis

 My favorite thing of the visit was going to the glass blower.  It was so cool to see them molding the hot glass.  I'm sure it is a lot harder than they made it look.  I bought a glass ball to put in our sun room to remember it by.  Don't you just love Red Bud Trees in the spring?  I love that tight purple blossom with the bright fresh green shoots coming up around this time of year!

Williamsburg

This Sunday morning was beautiful.  We walked through Williamsburg and had a picnic in front of the palace.  Spring is lovely in Virginia!

While we were taking this picture we looked up and the trees were humming with these HUGE bees!

Of course, Mom found Market Square even in an 18th century town.

Love the colors of this one.

Nate likes to take pictures, so Matt and I actually have some of us together now.

I liked how they naturally sat in such a nice formation, and I love all their different expressions!

Some of the pretty things I saw.

4th of July

Most of the time we spend the 4th of July in Utah, but this year we were at home. We watched the Dale City parade and then some new friends, the Bullocks, came over for dinner and fireworks.