Our trips back home to Richmond are always crazy full.  I love the place, and I tend to be pretty over-ambitious in planning our visits.   However, I think this past weekend’s trip takes the cake.  It was busy and exhausting and so, so good.  (Oh and my mom taught my kids to chant “Virginia is the motherland” this weekend, hence the title to this post.  I’ll give it to the woman: she’s relentless.)

Hands down, this was the best part of the trip.  My parents and I had been plotting for weeks to surprise Matt on his birthday with a overnight getaway to the river house.  Just the two of us.  While my parents wrangled the kids.  Clearly, I got the best end of that deal.  I don’t think the birthday boy was too disappointed either.

It was a quick trip, but it was perfect.  Quiet, gorgeous weather, relaxing… quiet.  Alas, we did have to head back to Richmond to relieve my parents from kid-duty the following day.  But not before I dragged Matt to Tractor Supply for this.  Baby ducks, people.  BABY DUCKS.  (Huh?  Your dates don’t naturally end in a stop by Tractor Supply?  Odd.)  Matt, in all of his post-birthday bliss, came thiiiis close to caving to my squeals and pleas for a duck, but I was ultimately denied.  Thankfully, it was but a small moment of sadness in an otherwise fabulous weekend.

I left the river with a baby-duck-sized void in my heart but returned to Midlothian to THIS.  My newest niece!  Lucy!  Chloe’s almost-twin!!  I couldn’t handle my excitement.

Sure, it was (really) awesome to see my siblings…

…but Lucy?  She stole my heart.

And as if baby ducks and bulldogs weren’t enough thrill, we headed to Busch Gardens with the cousins the following day.  With, you know, the REST OF THE WORLD.

However, the spring break crowds had nothing on us.  Meet the Ultra-Enthused Clan of Cousins.  Really, they had more fun than the picture might suggest.   Promise.

To finish up our trip, we posed with dead copperheads.

And hit up river numero dos of the weekend.  Ugh, is the state of Virginia not beautiful?

‘Till next time, RVA.  (and Williamsburg.  and the Northern Neck.)

‘Till next time.