The Thomas Family Travel Diaries

Friday, October 17, 2014

Gloucester, Virginia

The next stop on our adventure is Gloucester, VA. We're meeting up with the RVHS (RV Homeschoolers) group for a few weeks of fun at the Chesapeake Bay Thousand Trails campground. We found a great spot, nestled in a patch of trees and overlooking the water, to make our homesite for the rest of the month. It's a beautiful campground, the neighbors are friendly and there are kids for the boys to play with here. Check out our humble abode!

Home Sweet Home

See that white spot on the shoreline? That's our RV!

Our backyard

It's been a busy week filled with new adventures. Here are some of the highlights!

Thumb wrestling tournament with RVHS

It was a great way to meet the other kids!

A pickup game of basketball in the park

The boys had their first Pickleball lesson this week! Thanks Mr. Lance and Mr. Mike of RVHS!

The kids all did a great job pickle balling!

We enjoyed a lesson on making our own ink and writing with a quill, like they did it in the olden days...and to think we were complaining earlier that morning about an unsharpened pencil :-)

Writing with a quill

A friendly game of Halloween Bingo...thanks Ms. Connie!

Group Mini-golf game on a quiet afternoon - we were so impressed how well the kids played together...

Field trip to the Mariners' Museum in Newport News with RVHS. Our group learned about the Savage Ancient Seas, the USS Monitor, and Stories of Survival at Sea.

From the Ancient Sea collection

Look at the size of that noggin

Uncovering fossils

Megladon Mouth

Truly amazing to see close up

This kid cracks me up! He found an empty roped off section and make himself an exhibit! He has such a quirky, good natured spirit! Love him!

Uncovering and preserving the past

Notes of the process

Designing an Ironclad ship

Creating...designing...

So true...

We saw the 3D movie Sea Rex! Intense!

I "encouraged" them to pose before everyone else got into the theater :-)

And convinced Aaron to take a picture with me :-)

The theater was filled with inspiring quotes!

Until next time...

We ended the day with a sunset cruise...

Our hearts are full and we are thankful...

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Barton, Maryland - Part 2

The fun continued...

We ate some Delicious food (this apple pie was made with love by Mom & Mom-Mom) Besides all the yummy food we had at the house, friends brought over homemade rolls, fudge, coleslaw & peanut butter cups... It's a miracle we still fit through the doorway of the RV!

We went to Frostburg for dinner one night (here we are before the Denikers and Mom & Mom- Mom got to the restaurant). We took the kids for a tour of Frostburg & told them all kinds of fun stories about the good ol' days!

Bryan worked at Broadway Liquors while we were in school - we were sad to see it closed up tight :-(

Stoyer Street house where Bryan & I first met when Mandy Hart and I stopped by one night before a party. It was so good to reminisce!

The leaves were changing & a chill was in the air!

And then we fished some more...

We visited the Lonaconing Furnace Park & learned more about the First Successful Coke Fired Iron Furnace in America...

Massive!

We were able to explore inside!

The boys were excited to recreate this on Minecraft later!

We stopped at the creek and explored...it was good to be outside...

Can't wait to come back to the mountains!

Barton, Maryland - Part 1

Our next stop after Pennsylvania was Western Maryland - a little coal mining town where Amy's grandparents grew up. We parked the RV at our friends' home and we stayed at the family "mountain house" in Barton, Maryland. Amy's mom and grandma met us there and we had a fabulous two weeks! I wish I had taken a picture of the house, but I was too busy enjoying my time there :-). Here is a picture of Bodie on the front porch of the house instead!