Williamsburg, VA

After a few days in Tennessee with my family, we drove to Virginia to spend a few days in Colonial Williamsburg with Grady's mom. Two small vacations with both sides of the family made for a pretty wonderful week!

We rented a small condo and it was a great way to ensure we could all be together, while still having enough beds, bathrooms, and TVs to spread out. And, the onsite amenities offered some simple fun in the evenings as well.

My boys are very interested in Colonial America and have done a lot of reading and movie watching this school year to learn more. I can't tell you how many times I've heard shouts of "The British are coming!" or "Get him! General Cornwallace is on the move!" wafting through my kitchen window as my boys run around the woods behind the house staging various Revolutionary War battles.

Annalyse can't get enough of early America from a pioneering perspective and has watched the first two seasons of Little House on the Prairie and has listened to several books in the series. Although Williamsburg predates this, she was excited to see bonnets, hoop skirts, butter churns, and pots under the bed for middle-of-the-night necessities. Yes, she loudly exclaimed, "Look! I see the pot they peed in at night!" during one of our house tours.

Prior to our trip, my boys had been saving their money to purchase a rifle from Williamsburg.

Micah: "I really want to get a Revolutionary War gun. Maybe a rifle or a pistol. Whichever looks the coolest."

Grady Lee: "I want whatever gun is the cheapest. As long as it still looks kind of cool."

Once they purchased their guns they never left their hands. Thanks also to Nana for an unexpected Easter gift with money-filled eggs to contribute to their savings.

Thankfully we had fantastic weather, which I think made our experience that much better. Williamsburg involves so much outdoor walking and exploring that a rainy day could have easily ruined it with young kids. And, being before Easter I think we missed a majority of the spring break crowds so we never had to wait long or make reservations to enjoy seeing things.

It was a huge help to have Grady's mom with us. We pitched it her as a vacation, but between Grady and I we knew it would be an extra set of hands to help us!

When Jax grew tired of listening to the Declaration of Independence being read, Nana happily took him for a walk and entertained him so the rest of us could continue to enjoy. Nana also has infinite amounts of patience for Annalyse and her endless questions and chit-chat.

Our two days were full of demonstrations and reenactments of all facets of daily life, as well as some of the heightened drama and tensions between the Colonies and Britain at that time. Bonus: best two homeschooling days ever!

Hands down, the favorite part for my boys was performing military drills with a slightly-intimidating but very sarcastic sergeant. Grady Lee took it very seriously and responded quickly to the commands; Micah, who likes to do things his way, was reprimanded on several occasions for not following orders.

And during this time, Nana was being her helpful self by chasing Jax and Annalyse around a field and collecting buttercups. Those extra hands sure were nice!

More than just offering extra hands though, we're thankful Grady's mom was able to take some vacation time and that she was willing to meet us at Williamsburg for some time together. We definitely made some happy memories by learning together.

We didn't have time for Jamestown or Yorktown, but my boys have already asked if we can visit those places next spring. And, they've both decided to start saving their money "to buy a Revolutionary War pistol" for our next visit. I have no doubt Jax will be in on the excitement of a handgun by next spring and I'll have three wild men running the yard to protect our home from a British invasion.

Spring break 2015... two different vacations, two different states, two different families. But, all together, lots of love and laughter and appreciation for extended family who desires to spend time with us!