My parents came into town, and we got to spend an extended amount of time with them! They were here for almost 2 weeks, so we were able to pack in all kinds of fun things :)
Our friends from church were having another farm event, "Goats and Cocoa," so we decided to show Grandma and Papa the farm. Of course, Maddie was more than happy to share the goats with them, and the sweet family gave us a sweet behind-the-scenes meet and greet with the baby cow.
We made a trip into D.C. to visit the Museum of the Bible. It had been a couple of years since we visited, so it was fun to see the exhibits again, as well as some new ones, and the kids enjoyed the interactive scavenger hunt. It really is a beautiful museum, and it gives me such a deeper appreciation for the preservation of God's Word through the ages.
We recently studied the War of 1812 and the Star Spangled Banner in school, so we invited Grandma and Papa along on a field trip to visit For McHenry in Baltimore. We got to tour the fort and watch the flag exchange program, which was really cool to actually participate in.
We enjoyed lunch downtown at Baltimore's inner harbor, and then headed over to the Star Spangled Banner House. It was pretty wild to walk down the busy {modern} streets of Baltimore and then turn the corner to see the preserved historic building where Mary Pickersgill sewed the flag that flew over Fort McHenry and inspired the national anthem.
Part of the design of this trip was for my dad and Mike to enjoy a quail hunt in West Virginia. While it was a smaller operation, and the first day was a smaller hunt, they were able to make it up on the second day with more birds. We were still able to enjoy the spoils of their hunt, and the kids definitely enjoyed the "bacon-wrapped" portion of the quail haha.
While they were hunting, we enjoyed some quieter days at the house. We made a Hobby Lobby run for some craft projects, and then did some painting and crocheting at home. Everyone seemed pretty content with their chosen projects, and it was a fun way to be creative!
Grandma and Papa were able to see Maddie and Aiden in action at their basketball practice! It was also pretty fun for Maddie and Aiden to show their basketball skills off. They got to practice a little in the parking lot before practice officially started :)
We were blessed with some tickets to Cox Farms, and it was nice to go back after a couple of years. They have added a couple new slides, and the kids were very excited to try them out! And, of course, we filled up on apple cider donuts and apple butter :)
We loved having Grandma and Papa here for another night of trick or treating, especially since they were such good sports to join the family costume haha. It was also special to have them here to celebrate Eli and Maddie's 10th birthday. The rest of our time was spent playing with pups, reading Calvin and Hobbes, having epic light saber battles, and playing games.
We had a fun trip with Grandma and Papa, and we are so grateful for all the wonderful memories. We are already missing them and can't wait for the next trip!
