Well, now that we (well the kids and I) have been in Vermont for a little over three weeks it seems just about time to post pictures of our last sightseeing hurrah from D.C. We didn't knock everything off of our list of things we should have seen while we lived so close to the capital, but oh well. There's usually a next time for JAGS to come back again, and I know we have left behind a lot of people with their fingers crossed that that time will be soon. And probably just as many hoping the opposite :)
We can be a rowdy bunch.
It occurred to me that while we had done a lot of the museums, we never actually took the kids to see the monuments on the mall, so we took one of our last mornings and did just that. As you can see, they were really excited for all of the photo opportunities that presented themselves. It was a pretty wonderful day even if no one would smile for my farewell to Virginia group pictures.
Now we are settling in nicely to our new state, but we still miss all of our friends that we left behind. I know I've been so busy trying to get the house set up here that I haven't been able to really process the fact that we actually left Virginia. I suppose the beauty of moving is that there is always so much that needs doing you can fairly successfully put off dealing with most of those pesky unpleasant emotions that are bound to come up when leaving behind four years of wonderful friends and neighbors. At least I can. It's a handy military spouse skill that I've honed over multiple moves and farewells. I'm sure it will all hit me eventually, but then again, maybe I can put it off until the baby arrives and then I'll be so busy again I'll just never have to think about it at all. That's the healthiest way to deal with sadness, right? Right.
This has probably been our least successful move-in to date. Partially because the house wasn't quite ready for our arrival, partially because Chris wasn't here to help with the unpacking, and partially because I'm just really, really third trimester tired and uncomfortable and also moving very slowly. Now Chris is here though, and we should have everything set up soon and it will all be okay, even if we didn't make it happen by the usual self-imposed two week deadline.
To speed up the unpacking by giving us something to look forward to, I'm also working on a summer bucket list of things to do in Vermont/New England before Chris starts school at the end of August so if anyone has suggestions let me know. So far we've scheduled our first ever family vacation (that doesn't involve driving to visit extended family) to Prince Edward Island where I'm sure the children will all be just as excited as me to see all things Anne of Green Gables. That trip will most likely involve a couple of nights in Maine as well. I'd like to hit Fort Ticonderoga as well as the Ethan Allen homestead/Burlington, VT in general too. Maybe the Von Trapp Family Lodge? Definitely the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory.
What would you do if you had a few free weeks in New England in the summer?
Maybe I'll be more successful with Vermont sight seeing than I was in D.C. At least here I won't have to battle my desire to never ever actually drive into D.C. in order to see thing so that should increase my success rate by at least a hundred fold, give or take :)