Family Pictures

One of my favorite souvenirs from our summer at the beach is our family photos. The people I cherish most in one of my favorite places. Doesn't get any better, especially when you have a great sister-in-law who happens to own a nice camera and knows how to use it:) Thanks, Toni for working your picture magic. I know it took a good chunk of your "free time" to put this all together. We love you! Someday I will learn how to do a slide show on my blog, but for now you will have to do the old fashioned scroll down the page thing. Enjoy.

Favortie Places

We have a few favorite places that we visit every time we are at Grandma and Grandpa's: the aquarium at Fort Fisher and the ferry in Southport. Sometimes we do them both in the same day, but this time we made separate trips. The aquarium at Fort Fisher is awesome. Sariah and Zac remembered going from four years ago and they were excited to go again.

Of course, being the geeky English teacher girl that I am, I had to take a picture of this sign and include it in the post. I love it!


Of course, we really go to see the marine life. The touch tank is always a highlight. Brooklyn talked the whole drive out about touching a starfish at the aquarium. She was a little hesitant when she actually got the chance, but she did do it. I just couldn't snap the picture fast enough.

Sam loved the "fishies." And he loved being with his grandpa. We all had a good time, but we missed Joseph this time around.

Grandma and Grandpa surprised the kids with lunch at Chuck E Cheese on the way home. They were thrilled! They were too busy having fun to stop for a photo op. But Sam cooperated once. I sat him down on this ride and then put the token in. When it started moving, his whole face lit up. I wish I could have captured that look. It was pure delight. Bet you can't guess where he spent his tokens?

Joseph did get to join us for our trip to Southport to ride the ferry, as did Toni and the girls. The kids love the fact that our van can drive right onto the boat. And they like to feed the seagulls that follow the ferry looking for a handout.




After we used all the bread and were sufficiently windblown, we headed upstairs to sit in the air conditioned, quiet cabin. The kids enjoyed looking out the window and waving to the other ferry we passed. We saw a few yachts and dreamed about being rich enough to have a family reunion on one of those, but then decided it would be too crowded and we were content with our ferry ride.



On the way home we stopped near Old Brunswick Town to see if we could see an alligator up close. We saw a little one, but the big gator was hiding under the lily pads. It was HOT, but very pretty. Another great Carolina day.

Greenfield Lake

There is a beautiful cypress lake in Wilmington, surrounded by a neat park. The first few days we were there it was uncharacteristically cool, so we loaded up Grandpa's canoe and headed for the lake. The kids each got a few turns to go out on the canoe with Grandpa and Uncle Brian. We saw turtles, Blue Herons and a white Egret. It was gorgeous. I loved gliding through the quiet trees.




Sam did not show an interest in the canoe, so he waited on shore while we all had a turn on the lake. Even though it was cooler than usual, it was still plenty hot. It got too hot to play at the playground so he chilled in the stroller. It made both Mom and Grandma a little calmer to not have him on the loose so close to the water. Thanks for humoring us, little man.


The other kids were pretty good about waiting their turns as well. It did help that Grandma was there to keep them entertained.


When we were done in the canoe, we packed it up and had a picnic lunch. We took pudding for dessert, but forgot the spoons. Good thing we had bid pretzel rods. It was actually pretty yummy to use pretzel spoons. We might do it again sometime on purpose. Sam was excited to be out of the stroller. He had a grand time eating lunch and chasing squirrels.

No, we did not feed the alligators. We did not even see any. (Although Dad and Brian have seen them when they have been out in the canoe.) But before we left the lake, we did feed the turtles! The kids thought it was fun to feed turtles instead of ducks. And the turtles are obviously used to being fed. They all came as fast as they could when the first bread crumbs hit the water. I was surprised by how many came to get a bite.



We all tried to throw bread to the littlest turtles. One piece I threw landed on a turtle's back. Another turtle just climbed right on and ate it. We left some on the railing and a few birds came and helped themselves. We were all hot and tired by the end, but we left contentedly with another great memory made.

Grandma's House

Grandma's house is just the best, don't you think? It does not matter who you are or where Grandma's house is, it is just a special place. And why do we call it Grandma's house? Grandpa is there, too, and he just as much a part of what makes it special, but we will always call it Grandma's house. No offense, Dad.

One of the best parts of our vacation was that we were there long enough to have down days at home when we played and just hung out together. Grandma scored major points with Sariah when she put together a doctor kit, complete with a white coat and Rx bottles full of "medicine" (aka Skittles and Lifesavers) that she could dispense to her patients. There were also real Band Aids, a stethoscope, clipboard with patient information forms, a scrunchy blood pressure cuff and a "shot needle." Grandpa scored big points by patiently playing patient. My parents are cool.

Zac and Brian logged a lot of time playing video games. They did other things too, but this was definitely the activity of choice. Zac was Brian's shadow. He wanted to do everything Brian did, including eating everything he ate, right down to the peanut butter and Cheeto sandwiches. Thanks, Brian. Brian was even kind enough to take Zac along when he went to play basketball with some friends and the missionaries. What a great kid.

Sam became instantly attached to Grandpa. He gave the biggest grins to "Bampa." If Dad was in the room, Sam had to run over to him, giggling, and at least just touch his leg. Sometimes he wanted to be picked up as well. Sam also loved the dog. He even let Molly lick his fingers.

Of course, Sam also made plenty of messes. I found him asleep like this one afternoon. He had figured out how to reach the diapers on the bookshelf beside the crib. He also pulled a huge pile of papers off the shelf and stuffed them all behind the crib. But we were at Grandma's house so it was all OK. Good think he is so cute.

Ally and Brook were in cousin heaven. Katy came to play almost everyday and Caroline was down several times, too. For the most part they all played well together, but where there are four little girls, you know there will be a certain amount of drama as well. They about came undone when Grandma pulled the Barbies out of the attic. It was fun for me, too, as I remembered all the hours I spent with Western Barbie and Angel Face Barbie in the Dream Cottage. The kids also loved any chance to get wet. We filled the pool a few times and let them cool off. On cooler days they put Grandpa's new swing set to good use.

We just moved right in and made ourselves at home. I got the master bedroom while we were there. (Mom and Dad stayed in the "cave" which is our affectionate name for an additional bedroom/bathroom that used to be separate from the house, but is now attached.) At one point Sariah was talking to Mom and said, "Hey Grandma, you know that bathroom that you use when my mom's not here?" That made us chuckle. We did have a pretty sweet set up. Thanks for making our home away from home so comfortable.

Road Trip

So I guess I should start at the beginning, a very good place to start. We left early on a Wednesday morning. It took literally all day Tuesday to get everything gathered and packed. We bought a car top carrier which I am grateful we had since it made the van much more comfortable. I did not take a single picture of our trip. We were too busy driving and mapping out the next best place to stop for a break. We stopped at rest stops to eat picnic lunches. It was perfect. The kids had a break from the car and could run around. Sam was in heaven. He quickly learned that there were often dogs or babies (two of his favorite things) at the rest stops. If there was a dog, we could not keep him away from it. He would not eat until he had been over to visit the "woo woo." (According to Sam, that is what a dog says.) It was a little frustrating, but mostly cute. It did not matter how hard we tried, by the time we were done stretching our legs, eating lunch and taking multiple trips to the bathroom, we never managed to get back on the road in under an hour. When you are driving for 7+ hours a day, any delay feels huge. But we came to expect it and deal with it.

Back to Wednesday, we made it our super long day and got all the way to Kansas. After 11 hours of driving, we were exhausted and very grateful for the DVD player in the van. We made it in time to swim at the hotel and then drop into bed. The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and hit the road. By the time we had the car top carrier loaded and all of us in and ready it was much later than we wanted to be. That day, the miles seemed to crawl by. We didn't make our final destination until after 10 pm. It was the worst day of traveling. I made the executive decision to put the car top carrier in the stow n go and just cram everything in the back. It saved tons of time in the morning. (And for the return trip we packed smarter so that we did not have to get into the car top on hotel nights. I feel pretty dumb that I did not think of that on the trip out, but live and learn right?) Day three was better. We got a better start, but it was still a long 8 hour day. Our goal was to make it to the hotel with time to relax and swim. Our hotel was in Knoxville where two interstates merged. Needless to say, we joined I-40 about 30 miles down the road from our hotel. By the time we realized our mistake we were DONE with driving. We got a room at a different hotel. In the end, we were able to cancel our previous reservation. We did get to swim and relax a bit before bed. That alone was worth the possibility of paying for a room we did not use. Day four seemed to drag! We thought we would never make it. We were out of picnic stuff so we stopped at a Wendy's for lunch. That was when I realized what a great idea the rest stop picnics had been. The kids were literally crawling on the floor and dancing on the chairs. They were so tired of being cooped up in the van. I took Sam and Brook into the bathroom and by the time we were done both of them were crying so loudly, Laura could hear them in the dining room. I was embarrassed, but mostly I wanted to sit down and cry with them. We did eventually make it and Grandma was waiting for us with real food and a comfy house where the kids could run around and make as much noise as they needed.

I am grateful for the safe trip we had, no major incidents or trouble. Laura and I kept each other laughing and sane. I will always remember driving over bridges, looking at maps, finding Sam's pacies, playing the alphabet game, weird billboards in Kansas, and lots of good girl talk. And we still like each other and would do it again. Love you, Laura!

The Grand Adventure!

This summer was truly magical. I think I am still in denial that it is over. We had the opportunity to take a six week vacation. Laura came out and then drove with the kids and me back to North Carolina where we spent the majority of our time. Joseph stayed in Utah so he could finish his summer classes for his doctorate degree. Then he flew out to join us. We spent some time in NC together and all drove home together via St. Louis where we visited with more cousins.

It was an amazing trip and I tried to soak up every minute of it. I can honestly say that I truly "got away." I was able to let go of all my responsibilities and most of my worries and just enjoy time with people I love. What a true luxury. I had to remind myself, "Oh yeah, I do have a house and friends and a life somewhere else." There were times I truly did not care if I came back home. Mind you, most of those times were on the beach:) That's when I had to remind myself that if I truly lived in NC, I would not live at my mom's house and get to play all the time. It was all a wonderful illusion.

Of course, it is good to be home and back to "real life." I am grateful for the memories we made, some of which I will attempt to share in the posts that follow. Thanks to Mom and Dad for letting us invade their house. Thanks to Donny and Katy for sharing Laura with us and for coming to visit everyday. Thanks to Laura for the fun road trip. Thanks to Toni, Kevin and the girls for all the trips back and forth to Greensboro. Thanks to Brian for being an amazingly patient Uncle. Thanks to Emily and Chris for coming to play with us, too. Thanks to David and Amy and company for showing us St. Louis and for letting us crash in your basement. And thanks to Joseph for enduring a brief stint of bachelorhood so we could have extra time at the beach. Mostly, thanks to my kids for being such great sports about all we did. Now you definitely have something to say when you're asked what you did on your summer vacation!

Stars and Stripes

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE the 4th of July? I'm sure I have, so forgive me while I tell you again. There is just something about celebrating the freedoms we enjoy with the people we love to share those freedoms with. Maybe it's the combination of parades, summertime, childhood innocence, barbecues and fireworks. Or maybe it's the family traditions we have created. One day I will be able to put my finger on it and eloquently express it. But until then I will ponder on my blessings and try not to tear up too much when the parade route goes silent as the flag passes by and we all put our hands on our hearts. And I'll clap a little louder for the veterans who sacrificed more than I'll ever know so that I can enjoy summer holidays with my family.









This year was extra fun because Laura was with us, too. She came out to spend a few days with family and then help me drive the kids out to NC. (More on that adventure to come.) We opted out of the fireworks this year due to weather, exhaustion and our upcoming trip. Nontheless, it was another great day.