Finally Fall

We've been enjoying cooler temperatures already this fall.  Dan and I planned a date to Kings Dominion so we could ride roller coasters; however, my middle-aged body has strict limitations nowadays. I took motion sickness medicine before we got to the park to help prevent nausea, but nothing could prepare me for the "Intimidator 305" ride. You climb 305 feet up a hill, then practically free fall at 90 mph before making a sharp turn with a G-force of 4.5. I have no idea what happens on the ride after that, because I PASSED OUT during the first few seconds. Dan looked over at me and saw that I was out cold, but he couldn't do anything about it since he was strapped in his seat in the middle of a barrel roll. I remember dreaming and then waking up while I was still on the ride. 

Needless to say, this was my last major roller coaster of the day! After Kings Dominion, we watched "Top Gun: Maverick," and I enjoyed watching the pilots deal with G-forces from the comfort of my chair. 

In other big news, Emma got braces in mid-September. She's so cute with her braces smile! She has a cross bite that causes her lower middle teeth to overlap her top teeth. The orthodontist thinks that her bite looks great otherwise, so she should be finished with braces in 4-6 months. She had two days of pretty intense pain after her braces were put on, then they felt better and more "normal" each day.

Emma also had her first UTI in a year. She had one right after school started last year, too, which probably isn't a coincidence.  The beginning of school most likely throws her off her schedule and good habits, making her more susceptible to UTIs. 

I took advantage of "Free Museum Day" tickets so we could visit Cape Henry Lighthouse, the first U.S. lighthouse that was authorized by the government in 1792. 

Since it's located on an active military base, we had to check in at the entrance, give the guards our IDs, and ride a shuttle bus to the lighthouse. We were told (sternly) several times that we would be arrested if we stepped outside the boundaries of the tourist areas. Instead of a warm welcome, we felt like potential criminals as we began our tour. Emma didn't even want to stay, she was so nervous.

Hallie enjoyed the experience, though, and loved climbing up the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse!

From the top, we had a beautiful view of the ocean and the 2nd Cape Henry Lighthouse, which was built in 1881.

Since we were so close already, we spent an hour playing at Virginia Beach after we finished the lighthouse tour.

While we were on our way to Cape Henry, we saw the Blue Angels flying overhead!  We had forgotten that they were in town that weekend, but we quickly decided to go the following day after church.

Dan's parents joined us for the Blue Angel's performance

The girls didn't care much for the show, but they did like seeing the planes displayed on the tarmac.

The following week, my company, Epsilon Systems, displayed a booth at a large industry conference. It was a tiring three days for my coworkers and I, standing on our feet and chatting with potential customers and teammates, but it went really well.

The girls had a Friday off from school, so I took them to Sandy Bottom Park and Nature Center.

There was a playground that they played on for 10 minutes, but behind that, someone had built a mini fort in the forest and the girls spent over an hour pretending it was their house.

In the park's nature center, there were turtles, snakes, and insects on display.

One of Dan's former San Diego coworkers, Elizabeth, and her husband, Ron, vacationed near us. We met them for dinner one evening at Texas Roadhouse. After hearing all about their land and animals in Arkansas, Emma and Hallie can't wait to visit them!

Emma's class put on a talent show during chapel at school. Emma displayed some of her best artwork, and she was chosen to share a Bible verse.

All the 4th grade kids did a great job, and the class showed a variety of talents!