Hershey, Pa

After the wedding, Dad and Mom decided to come back down to Virginia Beach with us. We decided to drive back and made a stop at Hershey Park on the way back. We visited the Hershey Museum were we learned the whole story of Milton Hershey and how the chocolate factory came to be. Chocolate World was our next stop and we found out that the name couldn't have been more fitting. The store inside had TONS of chocolate, every candy the Hershey produced and also the Reese's brand as well. That factory is only a few miles from the Hershey factory. Evan got to put on a hard hat and "make" some candy of his own. He definitely had his chocolate fix after that trip, every time you turned around someone was handing you a piece of candy. Later on we met the trolley outside of Chocolate World and took a tour of the actual town of Hershey. We saw where the Hershey family lived and where a lot of the employees lived as well. A few of the highlights of the tour were seeing Founders Hall and the grounds of Hershey School. We all had a great time at Hershey. Next time we go we'll just have to make sure the theme park is open too!

While in Virginia Beach, Mom and Dad took Evan to the Aquarium for the day. Last year, we were able to get a year membership and it has really come in handy on rainy or hot summer days. We've gone quite a bit and Evan really enjoys it. He loves looking at the huge sea turtles and the sting rays. There are a lot of interactive areas of the aquarium and Evan loves to push all the buttons, turn all the wheels, etc.. to see what will happen. Glad we have a place like this so close to home.

Emily and Rod ~ October 10, 2010

Emily and Rod's wedding was at the Mountain House in Keene, NY. It was a beautiful location and the fall foliage was at it's peak that week. The ceremony took place outside over looking the mountains, it couldn't have been a more perfect day. Leading up to the big day we had lots of fun at Lisa G's for the rehearsal dinner and had pictures taken on a trolley overlooking Lake Placid. Emily, Ashley and I were able to squeeze in a pedicure together which was a nice time to just sit back and relax. The wedding day went wonderfully and Emily looked beautiful. Evan had a great time with Emma over the weekend. She was the flower girl and he was the ring bearer. Even though his suit ended up being a little big, Evan looked very handsome in it! The reception was great as well. Mom did a great job decorating and setting up the room. I was a little nervous about making my speech to the bride and groom but it went off well and after that I really felt like I could enjoy the wonderful evening that it was!

Evan's first day of preschool

Evan started Rollingwood Academy the first week of September. About a month before school started we got a package from his teachers, Ms. Kathleen and Ms. Laura. There was a picture of them in the package that we hung on the fridge so Evan could get used to seeing their faces and lots of information on what to expect for the upcoming school year. The drop off on the first day went really good. The teachers encouraged parents not to hang around too long because that may make the goodbyes a little harder. Evan got a little upset as we were leaving but we were told when we picked him up that it lasted only a few minutes after we left. Rollingwood has a uniform of white/navy/light blue shirts and khaki/navy pants. On Friday's the students can wear their usual clothes. I think it's pretty cute seeing them all in their uniforms and it makes shopping easier too. We hope Evan will be happy his new school and make lots of new friends!

Emily's Bridal Shower ~ Aug 2010

We traveled to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania for Emily's bridal shower in August. This was the first time Josh, Evan and I got to meet Emily's fiance, Rod's, family. We had a wonderful time with Emily, Rod and Rod's family. Evan even made a new friend, Emma, who is Rod's niece. They are around the same age and had a great time playing together. After the shower we went out to dinner with the family and as we were walking to the parking lot unexpectedly got to see an awesome fireworks display that was put on for a wedding reception at the restaurant. Evan was fascinated by them and didn't seem scared at all. It was a great ending to our visit!