Raleigh

Over a week ago, we returned home from Raleigh.  It was my third trip to North Carolina in June.  Perhaps that's a sign that I'm destined to live there someday.  It's also a sign that I'm utterly done with road trips for a while, I may never catch up on sleep.

Raleigh has been on my bucket list of places to see forever.  For no reason in particular, other than it just sounded like a charming place.  I have several places like that on my list: Maine, Seattle, Savannah Georgia....  

 

 

We drove down to do a final farewell for one of my best friends.  It was comforting knowing she was relatively near by, a four hour drive is far but it meant a few visits a year.  Now, they are heading much further south and I am sad to see them go.  I miss seeing my best friends and talking to them face to face often.

 

Raleigh lived up to all I'd hoped it would be, except for that darn humidity.  If you see me bright red and sweaty in the pictures, well, it was over 100 and HUMID.  We visited a great farmer's market, you know what a sucker I am for those.  The kids ran around the awesome children's museum that was a steal at $5 admission.  Of course, Heber's favorite part was the electricity section (you know, he's an electrical engineer).  We ate a divine meal at the Pit, seriously, one of my top meals ever.  Those po boys alone are worth the trip.  We visited Pullen Park, a charming complex with a train and carousel and playgrounds that are in shade no matter the time of day (that is my kind of park).  And, you already read about the bead store (swoon).  It was great, except nobody slept.  But sometimes, it's worth it just to be there with old friends.     

 

Oh Raleigh, may we visit again. 

Outer Banks 2015

I have been in beach mourning ever since we got home from our trip to Outer Banks last weekend. I think I just want to live at the beach forever.

 

  Life is so much more relaxed at the beach.  There is always going to be sand everywhere so I have no expectation that it's going to be any other way.  No one worries about makeup, I don't blow dry my hair and I just let it be for a bit.  Maybe this is a lesson I need to take home into my regular life.  

Amy didn't sleep much the first night and was up very early the next morning.  I gathered her up and we walked down to the water together.  I stood in the sand and just thought about life.  There is something about the water, the waves that is the most calming thing to me.  In my life, there is very little calm so I steal these little moments.

 

The happiest part of the trip for me was watching the kids discover and play in the water.  Leo has always loved the beach and Amy had no fear.  We spent a truly blissful afternoon playing and laughing.  I'm going to tuck it away as one of my happiest memories.

 

 

 

  We rented the most beautiful beach house.  It was the nicest one we've stayed in, by far (lets not talk about the one with the half bath on the porch).  I admired all the little beach touches.

I think I have two little beach bums.  Leo hasn't stopped talking about being at the beach.  I printed up some pictures and Leo had to have all of the beach ones hung on his door.  I never thought I'd want to return to the same place over and over, I like adventure in my life but now I want to come back to the same place again and again.  I can't get enough of being there.  This trip, we were able to share it with my parents.  I have been talking about it for years so it was so fun to share it with them too.  I think they loved it as much as we did.