Virginia trip 2014: part 1 (Williamsburg)

I'm going backwards here for a few posts in an effort to get caught up on some of the important events of our family, no doubt leaving out many great and post-worthy events along the way.  I'll start with the biggest: our family trip back east to the birthplace of our firstborn.  RVC was able to celebrate her eleventh birthday in the very city of her birth, Williamsburg, VA back in April.  It was the beginning of a fantastic trip that extended from Maryland/DC down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

This and other historically significant parts of our trip were perhaps better suited to the older kids in our crew, but it was fun to hear stories from the colonial period and learn about life at that time.

Listening here with the other Virginia colonists to a reading of the Declaration of Independence

 

 Our kids narrowly escaped time in the gaol (jail).

 Favorite spots included the wig shop and the tailor shop.

 And of course, everyone wanted a turn getting locked in the gallows.

We spent just this one day in Colonial Williamsburg, but we came back to the Williamsburg area at the end of our trip for the College of William & Mary law school reunion, and more, to see some of our good friends from law school.

Ted entered the Marshall Wythe School of Law in the fall of 2001.  Right away, he became close friends with a group of guys: Brad Wyatt (Corie), Ben Candland (Kim), Christian Larson (Kellie), Justin Stemple (Kristel), spent just about every day together, studying at their table in the law library.  They bonded right away, partly because most of them were also LDS and acquainted at church, but also, in the case with Justin, because they were among the few entering married law students.  The wives also got along really well.  It was a wonderful three years with great friendships as we were all at this common stage of life.  Many of us were just starting our families at this time, and so we were each other's primary support while we were living in Williamsburg.  Wyndham and Martha Murray were a couple one year ahead of us in law school, but we became just as close to them, both at school and through the ward.  For a while, they were the only couple on campus with a kid, or so it seemed.  The rest of us soon followed.  Corie Wyatt and I both taught school while our husbands were in law school--she teaching English in a middle school in York County, and I teaching math at Woodside High School in Newport News.  Kellie Larson later joined the dance faculty at my same school.  And once RVC was born, Kristel Stemple was the wonderful babysitter that allowed me to return to work part time.  I have so many wonderful memories of these friends, from holidays to hurricanes and from difficult life events to just hanging out.  We were very lucky to have each other.

It worked out for most of us to get together this spring.  Ben and Kim live in Richmond and opened up their beautiful home to us.  We had a great evening together.  The parents visited while the kids played outside.  It was amazing how the ages of the kids lined up and how well they all got along.  We were also able to spend a night at the Murray home, also in Richmond, and see how their son Truman has grown from that first kid on campus to a big teen-aged brother to three more boys.  We missed the Stemples, who were moving into their new home up in Michigan and not able to make it, and the Larsons.  Maybe next time...

RVC with her "new" friend EMW

kids everywhere!

Ben, Ted, Brad and Wyndham

Corie, Jodie, Martha, and Kim

 The Wyatts joined us for a day at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg.  We learned that there are great things about teaming up with a family that has kids the same ages as ours.  With an extra set of adults. we managed to spend a full day at the park with minimal meltdowns and everyone able to do what they wanted to do for most of the day.

We do need to figure out a way to see these friends more often.  If only Michigan were closer.

Here are some pictures from the law school reunion picnic on campus the next day.

 We intended to get a good picture with TEC and Brad on campus, but walking around campus while coordinating the whereabouts of nine kids is not something that allows much leisurely picture taking.  The meltdowns we avoided at Busch Gardens were saved for the day on campus, so we managed only a quick walk through campus and to a few of the souvenir shops.

TEC spent most of the entire Virginia trip like this:

 By this time, the kids had seen enough Virginia historical stuff.

We did take the time to stop by the condo where we lived for most of our time in Williamsburg and RVC's first home.  Dad and RVC posed for the same picture we took on the day of her baby blessing.  Beautiful dogwood blossoms everywhere.  We were lucky to have lived in such a beautiful place.