What do you do to make a birthday special when you are married to a history buff? Why you visit historical sites, of course. For his birthday Ken and I spent the day together driving through the beautiful Skyline Drive and then on to Montecello, the historical home of Thomas Jefferson. We had a terrific day and enjoyed all our time spent together.

 
This was Jacob's first ever Parade...and boy did it snow! It was super cold and slippery to boot. Look for Jake in the santa hat with dalmation dog ears! It was so much fun to watch him have so much fun.

Jacob's Marching Order

Throughout this past fall Jacob has enjoyed Marching with the local high school's Marching band. He has really enjoyed being the quid-essential "Band Geek" and the friends he has made throughout this experience!

 

 
Bike the Sites!
I cannot say enough good things about this experience. If you ever plan on visiting the DC area and want to tour the sites and memorials this is the way to go! I had taken a mistep earlier in the week and suspected (and later confirmed) that I had broken my foot. I have walked the national mall a couple of times. It takes hours and my feet hurt for days after. With the Bike the Sites tour we were able to cover all of the memorials, saw some new places like the Einstein monument and had a great time doing it, all in one evening. Only baby Wyatt had a hard time and I think that was due to the heat. Even though Ken and I had seen most of the places we went we loved experiencing it again with our family. This one was a keeper!

 
What fabulous families!

 
Luray caverns and maze are just a short 90 minute drive from our house and located in the Shanandoa Valley. We started the day with a tour of the caverns where beautiful formations and fantastic views were around every corner. It was nice and cool underground and it was amazing to see firsthand the natural beauty of the world we live in. After the caverns we had a quick pic-nic lunch, then waited out a thunderstorm in the Classic Car museum. After the storm had passed we ventured into the maze. It was so fun to get lost, turned around and loop the same grounds over and over. Thanks to BJ's good sense we were all able to escape before heat stroke had settled in. This experience just affirmed that although we live in a crazy world where it is easy to loose your way, if you are with those you love and pool your resources the experience can be joyous and detours can be learning opportunities.

Summer Fun!

We were very excited to have my mom, Briana, BJ, Jami and their family come out to Virginia to visit this year. We were on the go almost every day and were able to see a lot of neat stuff. I really enjoyed the time they spent out here and it really brought home the cost of being a military family. I would love to live closer to our families, share more time and build more memories with those we love. It will be a while before Ken retires but I cherish the time that we are able to carve out and spend together.

Mount Vernon

 

Mount Vernon was the home of George Washington and has been kept in great condition by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, who bought and restored the property in the 1800's. The mansion itself is beautiful and the museum is full of interesting facts and films about George Washington and his family. We went early in the day and did not have to wait too long to tour the main house. The kids enjoyed the 4-D movie and when everyone was thoroughly exhausted we ended our day with a picnic by the Potomac river.

Family by Choice

 

I found these pictures from Christmas that I thought I had already posted. Ooops! We had a lovely visit with Tracy and Briana and miss living close to them. We are lucky to have friends that support our nomadic lifestyle and love us anyway. Tracy and Briana are more than merely friends, they are our family by choice and we are blessed to have them.

 

Growing Up

There comes a time when you realize as a mom that your little boys aren't little anymore. Recently I have noticed a mustache and scraggly beard-type thing appearing on Jacob's sweet face. I prefer my boys to be groomed, especially when going to church, so this morning our darling Jake took a razor and with coaching from dad... and a lot of giggling from the peanut gallery, performed his first shave. This is one step into manhood for him that he managed without incident. Lets pray that the rest of the milestones are this easy. On a personal note to our oldest, we posted the pictures as a reminder and a learning guide for you, so that you can remember how to perform this chore without hurting yourself... or others. Happy Easter!

 

Anniversary Notes

This year Ken and I were able to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. To some this might seem like a long time, but I must say I can hardly believe that 1- I am old enough to have been married this long and 2-it seems like just yesterday when we began this adventure. I feel blessed everyday that I am married to my best friend, a man who is honorable, loyal, kind, giving, understanding, humorous, and most importantly patient. Being married to a history buff makes it easy to answer the yearly question...What should we do for our anniversary? I am not so big on buying things; I would rather do something meaningful together. Living in such a historical area provides ample opportunity to fulfill Ken's thirst for historical knowledge. This year we went to Mount Vernon, President George Washington's estate. It is a beautiful mansion with numerous outbuildings and an amazing museum that illustrates his life and times. We went on a short cruise of the Potomac River, explored the estate and enjoyed each other’s company. While I will keep hoping for that elusive cruise to the Bahamas or an extended trip to Ireland, this was a fabulous day and I look forward to the next 22 (or more) years of marriage.

Spring Break

Bryan & Amberli had their spring break about a month before the boys and I did. Although for us it was still winter, we decided to try and find some fun things to do while all of the kids were home. One of the events was a trip to Williamsburg and Great Wolf Lodge. This is soooo cool! It is an indoor water park and the hotel is a maze/treasure hunt themed around knights and princesses on a quest. There are 9 quests, but during our short overnight stay we were only able to complete the first one. The boys really enjoyed the water slides, while Amberli and I enjoyed the Jacuzzi and sweet shop (killer lemon bars and gourmet fudge!). The rooms and restaurant are all themed, so it is a really neat place for kids. Even my big guys enjoyed the trip:)

As if that were not enough, we also did a DC daytrip to the National Aquarium and the National Museum of American History. The aquarium was small and not really worth the $7 per person ticket price, but the museum was fabulous. I loved seeing the first American flag and enjoyed reacquainting myself with the history involved. They do not allow pictures of the flag, so you will all just have to come to DC to see it for yourselves. I was amused that the most exciting thing at the museum for the kids was having their pictures taken with the Steven Colbert portrait. What cheeze-balls I have. It was a great day and I invite all of you to come to DC while we are here.

Snow Day

Jacob and Xan have waited a long time, over 4 years, for snow to fall. I can't count how many times I have been asked if they were ever going to get a snow day. Joyously, their wish came true and I must say they had a lot of fun playing in the snow. They even attempted to ride their bikeboards in the white stuff. Oh to be young and adventurous again.

National Zoo

One of the great things about living near our nations capitol is the proximity to the National Zoo. On our whole family outing we went early....before the animals were out, and had fun starting the day together. Some of the animals you feed...and others you don't. You decide which is which.

Bryan the Dancing Queen

Check out the YouTube link. Bryan and his Fraternity performed at a homecoming rally, what a hoot. To identify Bryan watch the clock. He takes the lead at 3.45, then follow along for a riotous ride!

Happy March! Wow where does the time fly? Today we had an unexpected day off due to snow! What a wonderful opportunity to work on updating the Koyle family blog. In January we celebrated Jacob's 13th birthday. He received his hearts desire, an ipod and lots of itunes cards to load it up. In February we experienced our first snow of the winter and the boys loved playing in it with the dogs. The kids are all doing great, Ken is still limping around, and I am just the same as ever. As we roll into spring I am grateful for the love and support of our friends and family. I know that for some this has been a long winter and things have been dark and dreary. Have faith that brighter days are ahead and that you can make it through the tough times. As the seasons change lets renew our commitment to enjoy our blessings and celebrate the gifts that we have been given. Love to all,
Conni

Fun and Games

One of the things I enjoyed the most during the holiday season was spending time with the kids and playing games. Apples to Apples, Blockus, and Rock Band fun was had by all. Upon the recommendation of my sister-in-law, Gina, I bought a game for the Wii called Raving Rabids. This game is so silly that we just had to laugh and giggle as we palyed. All of the kids got involved for some good family fun. I miss this time when Bryan and Amberli are away and encourage all of you to take a few minutes away from lifes many demands and just play!