Fun Forest

So, we survived the hurricane. Actually, I think we had the least effects of it of anyone. There was devastation in some areas of NC and New England especially. Some part of the Hampton Roads (the area we live in - basically, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and a few other cities) had some intense flooding, and the coast of course had more damage than the more inland area. But we were pretty much fine, other than a LOT of wind, rain for most of 24 hours, (we got about 6.5 inches in our immediate area, I think) branches down everywhere, and our power flashing on and off quite a few times. Pretty good when you consider that about 40% of our area was without power for a day or more. Entertainingly enough, the U.S. Mail was not deterred by a hurricane, and was out delivering mail that day in the deluge.

You can also see some siding that got torn off already in this picture
(just above the mail truck)

A picture of some of the downed limbed a day or two after.

So there is a really awesome part of the Chesapeake City Park here called the Fun Forest. Almost none of it is pre-fabricated playground equipment; it was mostly built by local businesses and volunteers. It really lends itself to creative play (especially when it is almost deserted, like it was the other morning about 8 am after it had been drizzling) and the kids really enjoy it. Plus, it's fenced. So great. There are 3 different play structures (much of it is handicap-accessible), a lot of swings, a sand pit (with nice beach sand), a climbing area, and some nice benches and eating areas. It is our favorite park here so far, which is nice, since it's the closest one to us. :) We had a blast the other morning, and we're looking forward to more adventures there!

This structure is our favorite - I love how Katy doesn't get too dirty with her
half walking/half crawling!

She loved that she could pull herself up onto these benches.

To see a few more pictures of the kiddos at Fun Forest, check our "recent pictures" on Facebook.