Trees for the Forest

We spent a good part of day four driving to our new destination. It was exciting coming "home" to Hampton Roads for the first time in four years. Everything was familiar, yet different. We have spent a good hour total having the following discussion: one of us..."Oh look! That's new." The other..."No it's not, we went there twice before we moved." Suffice it to say, it's pretty amazing how places change over time.

One thing we can both agree on, is that we do NOT miss the traffic. Yeesh.

We came here to visit the old house, see the neighbors we miss, go to tour battlefields, forts and possibly Colonial Williamsburg. We have been here almost two days now, and here is what we have done....

Nothing.

What it is about a forest? Oh wait, let me digress. See, we are staying in Newport News Park. One of our favorite old camping haunts. It is about 10,000 acres of forest, lakes, trails and just generally beautiful. Right in the middle of things, but away from everything.

We have spent the last two days marveling at the beauty. Catching fireflies and naps, fishing, biking for miles and checking for ticks. We haven't been to battlefields, but we did ride our bikes to what was George Washington's headquarters during the civil war. We saw several deer early in the ride and Nathan was calling to Bambi for much of the rest.

It rained yesterday for hours off and on, but that just gave us some needed down time. We played games with the kids, Noah started a trip journal (which is apparently going to consist of a single incomplete sentence per day- sigh), and we made some berry cobbler. Laundry got done too. What's a vacation without a little laundry?

Last night before bed we discussed all the things we haven't done. How we're completely and irreparably off schedule. But none of this is a bad thing. We're finally starting to relax. No one is bored. We're excited to see family, see DC, see...whatever we end up seeing.

Right now though, I'm going back out to see the trees. Taking my coffee for a walk in the woods.