Virginia Beach

There have been a few perks to our family hitting the interview trail together. Not only did we get to visit TJ's house, but we also got a free family beach weekend out of the deal. 

Yes, imagine the humble Johns' of little old Front Royal going to the big city and staying at none other than the Oceanfront Hilton, right in the heart of the night life. 

We arrived really late at night, so the kids were surprised and awed when they woke up on Saturday and saw the ocean...the REAL OCEAN...right out the window!

Breakfast consisted of ordering a lot of hot buttered toast from room service (we were reading a lot of Mercy Watson then :).

I viewed this "vacation" as a gift, being that Mac and Corrie love learning about the ocean and its sea creatures, but have never actually seen it for real. (Technically, Mac saw it once as a baby, but I am not counting that). 

Ellis interviewed all day on Saturday, and I was "generally" maintaining my sanity with all three kids on the 17th floor in our hotel room. Wouldn't you know, Saturday was freezing cold and overcast all day. 

But what a sweet day it was on Sunday! The sun was out and it was beautiful weather. Ellis hates the beach, but he had a happy heart about it and actually even enjoyed it a little. 

It was hard getting Corrie to try playing in the water. She would get right up to the edge and then get scared and run away crying (she spent most of her time building sandcastles). 

Mac had a love/hate relationship with the water. He would get really scared, then he would go in the water and have a blast, and then he would get scared again and run out screaming. A few minutes later he would go in the water, only have the best and worst time of his life and then run out screaming again...and the cycle continued. 

And then there was Dave. 

He would run enthusiastically into the water, get knocked over by a wave, stand up and look bewildered and shell-schocked (at which point I would pick him up), and then as soon he caught his breath again when I put him down, he would run headlong straight back into the water...laughing hysterically until the next "wave" (and by wave, I really mean a big ripple) would come and knock him off his feet again...and the cycle continued. 

Later that day we tried to eat at a nice sit-down restaurant on the main strip. I am not even going to describe one tiny part of that meal, as I refuse to acknowledge that it ever even happened. (Other than what I just wrote). All I can say is fancy restaurants and two deliriously exhausted parents with three small kids who have been trapped in a mini-van and hotel rooms for two straight weeks do not mix. 

And then before we knew it, we were back on the road again, heading back to the slow-paced, sleepy little town that has really begun to grow on us. Having a chance to experience a small taste of the lifestyles of the rich and famous was fun for a few days, but nothing beats laying your head down on your own pillow and your own 8-year-old, indented, saggy, sears mattress...

And besides, even the Oceanfront Hilton can't beat the view. :)