Summer Vacation

After months of studying for the bar (Abe) and staying up all hours with a newborn (Ally and Abe), we were all ready for a break. But first, Abe had to take that bar exam... in Pittsburgh. So, we packed up the car and woke up early the morning of July 25th and drove as a family to the airport in Birmingham. Sebastian, Eli, and Ally said goodbye to Abe, whose flight was scheduled to depart at 9:00 a.m., and waited for Grandma Vivie to arrive (at about the same time). Once we collected Grandma, we jumped back in the car and began our big drive to Virginia. We took the scenic route through Chattanooga (where we toured the fantastic aquarium), the Great Smoky Mountains, and along a part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was lovely, but we were all glad to arrive safely in Virginia Beach after 2 1/2 days and 2 nights on the road. Meanwhile, Abe got settled in a nice downtown Pittsburgh hotel, enjoyed some quiet time, and prepared for his big two-days of examinations. He met up with the rest of us on July 30th in Virginia - arriving mere minutes before a funnel cloud that would almost certainly have re-routed his flight. As it was, he apparently had quite a wild ride there at the end!

Altogether, we spent about 3 weeks in Virginia Beach spending quality time with Grandma Vivie and Grandpa Doug, Papa and Grammy Candie, and Aunt Mary and Uncle Chris (in town for their baby shower). This was the first time that Aunt and Uncle got to meet baby Sebastian... all were pleased with each other!
While in Virginia, we had a number of great adventures. We toured the aquarium, Nauticus, and the Air and Space Museum. We all got to go out on Pop Pop's boat for a short adventure, and Eli and Daddy even got in a much longer half-day adventure. Sebastian became a beach baby, while Eli re-discovered the joys of romping in the surf and playing with and in the sand. There was the big party for Mary and Chris (after which Sebastian slept for 11 hours - his longest uninterrupted stretch to date - by far!), and many smaller get-togethers and gatherings, as well. And Eli and Pop Pop got to splash around the fountains at the Botanical Gardens for hours! For Abe and Ally, one of the highlights had to have been lunch and (later) dinner in the minivan at Doumars. Eli got his first lessons on eating an ice cream cone at the place founded by the inventor of the cone (see the photo) and was thrilled to discover that the middle seats can fold down into tables. Mommy and Daddy loved the nostalgic family fun. Sebastian slept peacefully. We had so much fun the first time that we invited Grandma Vivie and Grandpa Doug to join us for dinner days later and the boys made a pajama party of it. We'll be doing that again!

We ended the Virginia portion of our vacation on August 13th and headed for Washington D.C., where we spent the afternoon on the national mall and touring the American Museum of Natural History and showing Eli where they make laws and where the president lives. Eli enjoyed seeing the monuments in "George Washington D.C." After a night spent near BWI airport (we love Embassy Suites), we then drove to Newark, Delaware for lunch with Abe's Aunt Patty and Uncle Jimmy, cousins Jamie and Calyce, and their kids, Lauren and Owen. Sebastian got to meet even more family, and Eli renewed old acquaintances (whom he had not seen since he was 6 months old). Finally, we arrived at our hotel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in time for a quick dip in the pool before changing into our dressy clothes. We then headed to Paoli, to historic Waynesborough, to attend the wedding of a good friend of Abe's from law school, Gretchen, and her husband, Tim. Boy, did we have fun at that wedding! The boys behaved beautifully. Sebastian was a hit with the ladies, and all of the groomsmen commented on Eli's effortlessly cool look.

The next day, after the wedding brunch, our family was ready to return to Tuscaloosa. Though it was a long haul, we were all eager for the comforts of home. We made it back in two days (Monday night). Whew!

Just in time for Ally to start work (Wednesday) and Sebastian's baptism (Sunday)...