Vacation Days 4 and 5

To see days 1, 2, and 3 of our vacation go here.

Day 4 ~ Due to the government shutdown during our vacation, we decided to head east to Rehoboth Beach on the Atlantic. We were excited to have a day at the beach. We live about 6 hours from our closest beach, so having one 3 hours up the highway was wonderful. This was the fourth time of seeing the ocean for our youngest two. They loved every minute of the day. The cold ocean was of no concern to them. Several people walking on the beach commented on their bravery in the cold water. (They are used to wading/swimming in mountain streams so cold water is nothing new to them.) They had a blast! At the end of the day, we got ice cream and headed on the long drive back to my parents' home.

Taken by my Father...They loved jumping the waves.

Boomer (who is afraid of water) wasn't sure hanging out on the beach was such a great idea. It was the first day of the off season so leashed dogs were allowed on the beach all day long. He spent the first hour or two facing away from the ocean. After all if you can't see the ocean, it's not there ~ RIGHT! Timothy tried to get him to play "chase the waves". However, Boomer thought that playing "run away from the waves ~ all the way to the boardwalk" was a better game. He finally decided that he would have some fun digging in the biggest sandbox he had ever seen. What a silly dog.

Of course, there was the fun of being buried in the sand. (Photo by my Father)

I will save you!!

"Oh Tim, This is not a good idea!"

"I don't know about this place, Grandpa!"

Day 5 ~ We were worn out after our day at the beach. We decided to take it easy and got a late start to the day. The two Grandmas, Tom Sawyer, Little Red Riding Hood and I decided to go looking at thrift shops for winter clothes. Everyone else took it easy back at the house and watched cable TV (we don't have cable at home). Grandma Sue knew of a huge thrift store with tons of clothes. The place did not disappoint. It was amazing. We found lots of shirts for Goldilocks, three dresses for Little Red Riding Hood and several outfits for Tom Sawyer. The clothes were good name brands and in super condition.

In the afternoon, we gathered most of us up and went to the Pentagon to see the September 11th memorial. This memorial is beautifully done. I was very impressed with the artistry and beauty in such a solemn place. One hundred eighty four lives were lost at this spot between the people on the plane and the people in the Pentagon.

Each person who died here on this day has an individual bench. The bench is like a wing and there is a bubbling fountain of water under each one. The sunlight was reflecting the water perfectly off the bench when we were there (see the light reflections on the side of benches). I hear it is amazing at night time, too. It is open 24 hours a day and wasn't affected by the government shutdown.

The open part of the bench indicates whether the person was on the plane or in the building. If it is open toward the building, it was a person on the plane. Those that were in the building have open benches pointing away from the building. Also, each row of benches holds only those born in the same year. Tim found the row of people born in 1990 (the year of his birth) -- there were three 11 year old children on the plane. (There are benches for several younger children as well.)

Lastly, we had a really nice evening with my husband's sister and family.The kids enjoyed seeing their cousins. What a busy and enjoyable vacation! Just one more day of vacation. I will hopefully post about it tomorrow.

Blessings, Dawn