Newport News

After we left OBX (Outer Banks) on Saturday, we headed up to Newport News, Virginia to see our friends Corey and Kristi. We know Corey and Kristi from way back... we were all at Nellis in Las Vegas together back in the last millennium. Seriously. 1998-2000! They were at our wedding in Oregon in 2000.

And we've managed to stay in touch over all the moves and all the years in between now and then. [I have mentioned that I sent out 175 Christmas cards last year, right? I am good at staying in touch, and so is Kristi!] They've had two beautiful girls in the past few years, and although I'd never met them I felt as though I had because Kristi gets gorgeous photos taken of them every other minute and sends them out a couple times a year. In fact, there was one waiting with our names on it when we arrived, and it is currently up on our fridge. And let me just say it; those two make some knockout little girls. Whoa-mamma are those gorgeous girls!

For some reason I didn't take many photos, and I completely missed getting one of all of us. But we've decided that we must see each other again soon since we're so close (only two and a half hours!). So we'll fix that right up next time! Jason and Corey and Kristi all ride motorcycles, so Jason brought his gear and went on a ride with Corey.


Kristi and I loaded up the girls and drove to Colonial Williamsburg to meet the guys. I'd been there once before (in 8th grade I think?) but I mainly remembered all the people dressed up churning butter and making candles and tanning leather and making horseshoes and stuff like that. This time we just wandered around the shops and got a great cheese plate and yummy snacks and called it dinner. Yummmm. Jason hadn't been there so we'll definitely make a trip back at some point to see the historical side (like we need an excuse to visit again)! :)

The next day we drove to Yorktown. What a great little town! We had lunch and did a bit of shopping.


Here is a very bad photo of Miss S in Founding Fathers, the Americana store. She has amazing enunciation and I love listening to her talk about how she traveled to Ih-tah-lee. Here she has introduced me to a "gentleman"... so adorable! Then Kristi and I went to a great bead store while Corey and Jason took the girls down to the beach. I got some heavenly faceted ruby quartz rondelles that I can't wait to use!

It was so great to see them and it was amazing how comfortable we were with each other instantly again! My favorite kinds of friends are the ones who, during a meal together, I can notice that we are missing something from the table, get up and find it in the kitchen, bring it back to the table, and they will respond, "Oh, I'm so glad that you just went and got that, thanks!" :) Extra bonus thanks to Kristi because she worked a 24-hour shift (she's a Midwife in the Air Force) and didn't get home until 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and somehow managed to be a trouper on just a few hours' sleep which is way more than I would be capable of!

I also loved hanging out with them because they are such great parents--a perfect balance of patience / go-with-the-flow / don't-get-worked-up-about-the-little-things while also instilling in their girls a very defined sense of politeness and good manners. They've officially been added to my short list of "Parents I'd Like to Be Like." It was a great way to end our vacation, and we're already looking forward to visiting them again (and hosting them here so we can take the girls to the National Zoo and the National Aquarium)!