Vacation with the Phelps - Philadelphia.

Last Thursday we saw Philadelphia with the Phelps. It is so fun sightseeing with different people! I got to see so many new things that Ben & I missed on our first trip.

We started at Benjamin Franklin's grave.

The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

Landon was snoozing at Independence Hall, but popped open his eyes for the picture!

Paula smooching me at the Rocky Museum. Mwahh!

So you know how Rocky ran up the stairs of the Philly museum to get in shape? I can never remember what that museum is actually called, so I call it the Rocky Museum. And of course we ran up the stairs and took pictures next to the Rocky statue.

Sunny, Me, Ashton, Paula, Landon, Jay, and Kemp. Oh, and Rocky!

Vacation with the Phelps - NYC.

Yay! This has been such a fun week! Ben's sister (Paula), bro-in-law (Jay), and their 2 adorable boys (Ashton & Landon) came out this way from Texas for a sightseeing vacation before Jay deploys for a year. We started their trip with a day in NYC last Tuesday. Unfortunately, Ben had to work that day.

First we saw the Statue of Liberty!

Me and Ashton on the ferry to the Statue of Liberty! Thumbs up!

Ashton let me borrow his Liberty Crown. I thought it was flattering.

Had to get a shot with 'Lady Liberty' at TGI Fridays. Ha ha!

The bull on Wall Street.

Wednesday, we drove to the Baltimore airport and picked up Jay's parents, who were with us for the rest of the trip. It was nice to see them again. At the airport, Uncle Ben put little Landon in the carry-on box. Turns out, he'd make a very good carry-on. :)

More to come...

DC with the Robinsons

Last week, we were able to spend a day with Ben's aunt, uncle & cousin, who were visiting DC on business. They live in Mississippi, so we don't get to see them all that often. We were really excited to do some sightseeing with them.

First we went to the Ford Theater, where Lincoln was shot. Here's aunt Judy, cousin Grey, Ben, and uncle Tommy (who was trying to avoid the picture, I think. Ha ha!).




Not a great picture because of the glare, but still fun to pose in front of the giant Lincoln head.

Then we went to the National Portrait Gallery.

And walked through the historic lobby of The Willard Hotel.

Ben and me before we went to dinner.

Grey, Judy, Ben and me, on our way to dinner.

It was so much fun, seeing and spending some time with the Robinsons. Hope to see ya'll again this summer!

One Crazy Weekend!

Last weekend we took the fastest, craziest weekend ever. We drove from Dover, Delaware to York, Maine and back in two days - with MANY stops along the way.

Our first stop was Hartford Connecticut. We drove right into their charming downtown area and saw the state capitol and some other features, including this pilgrim guy. I couldn't tell what he was pointing at...

Next we drove east to Providence, Rhode Island. Their downtown was so historic and beautiful. We saw the state capitol and really enjoyed the feel of the town. Briefly.

From Providence, we went to Plymouth, Massachusetts. Pretty much everything was closed (it is March, after all), but we saw Plymouth Rock and the National Monument to the Forefathers. This is me reading the plaque at the Monument.

Saturday night we stayed at the lodging on Hanscom Air Force Base (so cheap!) just outside of Boston. The next morning, we stopped by the Lexington battlefield.

We spent a couple hours in Boston. We saw the Boston Harbor (where the Tea Party took place), Bunker Hill, the state house, and even the bar that inspired Cheers! It was so quick, but really fun! And Ben was so happy to get his Boston Baked Beans. Ha ha!

We drove up through New Hampshire and into the very southern part of Maine. We saw a lighthouse and WWI fort at Fort Foster Park in Kittery, Maine. Then we saw a lighthouse in York, Maine. Isn't this one so pretty?

On our way back from Maine, we took a slight detour though Concord, New Hampshire (for the capitol, of course) and through the corner of Vermont. Had to get some real Vermont Syrup. Mmm... so tasty.

We had just the most beautiful, springlike weather the whole weekend which made our traveling much easier. It was a whirlwind trip, but totally worth it. It was so nice to see so many new places... I think I've only got 7 more states left to see. :)

Here are a ton more pictures. It was so hard to leave any out.

Pictures: 1. Just in front of the Rhode Island state capitol. 2. Plymouth Rock. 3. Cheers in Boston! 4. Fort Foster Park, Kittery, Maine.

More pictures: 1. Rhode Island Capitol. 2. Boston State House. 3. Hartford, Connecticut. 4. Providence, Rhode Island. 5. Arch in front of RI Capitol. 6. Home of the Plymouth Rock.

Even more pictures: 1. Hartford, Connecticut. 2. Lighthouse in York, Maine. 3. "Hope" - Providence, Rhode Island. 4. Boston. 5. Ben, me, and a pilgrim - Harford, CT. 6. Boston. 7. Ben in Fort Foster, Kittery, Maine. 8. Massasoit (Ben bet me $10 this was Squanto... he lost). 9. Fort Foster, Kittery, Maine.

Turkey Bowling.

We went bowling last night. It was super fun... cause we both got Turkeys!!!

First game: Ben got a turkey (3 strikes in a row) AND broke 200 total! Amazing! My score was less than impressive, so I conveniently 'forgot' to include it here. :)

Second game: I played so poorly the whole night, and then pulled my own turkey at the end of this game! I was so proud. And look how awesome Ben did on the second game too! Everyone thought he was a serious pro.

Bowling is so much fun! We should really go more often!

Ben Folds in DC!

For my birthday, Ben and I went to George Washington University in DC for my favorite concert! Ben Folds!!! Jason Mraz played too, but we didn't stay for his whole set. I seriously can't get enough of seeing Ben Folds play! This was my fourth time seeing him (Ben's third), and I'd love to see him again. Here are some pictures (disclaimer: they're cell phone pictures, so they're not so great).

I love when he jumps on the piano!

Ben and the Horseshoe Crab

So this is kinda old, but I had to get it up here. A couple weeks ago, Ben and I found a tiny Bay beach here in Dover. We took a short walk on the beach and found the scariest thing I've ever seen! Horseshoe Crabs! I'd heard of them, but had no idea what to expect. Luckily, they were all dead. I would run screaming if I saw a live one. Yikes! Ben thought they were cool - he wanted to bring one home.

Isn't that just about the creepiest thing you've ever seen? But Ben is pretty cute!

Quantico

So last weekend, we took a quick trip back to NC. On our way back to Dover, we took an impromptu stop at The National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico - about a half hour south of DC.

Ben and Iron Mike

There were so many wax displays. And some of them were pretty creepy. They look pretty real! This was much more interesting than I expected. I wouldn't mind going back to spend a little more time. Ben loved it! Papa Quigley is a retired Marine, so Ben grew up around all this stuff. He was in heaven.

I loved the fake drill sergent. Mwahhh!

I didn't realize I took so many pictures and I couldn't leave any out!

Thanks Katie for helping me with the collage! You're the best!