Ya'll, we went to North Carolina!

 "Ya'll!"

That's how North Carolinians get your attention.  Ya'll, we went to North Carolina over the Labor Day weekend and it was fun! 

We have two beautiful friends named Brittney and Emily.  After Purdue they left for North Carolina to get their master's degrees in order to become occupational therapists.  And we couldn't wait to go and visit them...

They were just the most gracious of hostesses.  And we had a wonderful time! We even had a surprise at the airport when our friend Peter surprised us by joining us on this trip! Those sneeky characters thought they would just omit the fact that he would be there for the weekend too.  I don't think I stopped smiling all the way out of the airport!

The first night we were there we rented bikes and explored their campus. 

Now, this may come as a shock but.... I didn't remember how to ride a bike.  I know, I know.  "It's like knowing how to ride a bike, you never forget."  Well that's wrong.  You can forget how to ride a bike.  After probably more than 15 years of not riding a bike, I forgot.  But it came back quickly... kinda.  I only fell once.  And Emily said I fell very gracefully.  Thank you Emily, you are a very, very kind and gracious woman.

The next day we drove to the coastal town of Beaufort. 

 Loved the beautiful homes and this amazing Revolutionary and Civil War cemetery. 

While we were there we rented some kayaks

And we also enjoyed the water.

We also enjoyed some chocolate chip cookies in the water.  A chocolate chip cookie flotilla? Yes Please!

But the main reason we went there was in search of the wild ponies that lived on the island. 

And that's about as close as we got.  They were way out on the marshy area and we were too scared by the possibility of getting bitten by snakes to go out to where they were.

Oh well. The island and the scenery were beautiful nonetheless. 

The next day we spent some relaxing time around the girls' apartment.  

~Killing ginormous bugs.
~Making pretzels.
~Fixing appliances (Although it looks more like disassembling appliances, Michael and Peter switched the handles and hinges on the fridge for the girls to improve functionality) .
~Catching window frogs.

And that night we went on a walk in the rain at a local park.  We walked among the most amazing trees yet talked about how Maple and Sycamore and Apple Trees are some of our favorite trees in the world.  We played word association games.  We closed our eyes and named the things we could hear.

It was wonderful to be with old friends.
 ....and to be with each other.

Then we went back to their apartment again and ate some amazing pan pizza and played some favorite games from college: succotash and telephone pictionary.  I think that was my favorite day for the simplicity of it.

The final day was bittersweet.  We said goodbye to Peter at the airport and set off to see how Raleigh could entertain us before our later flight.

We visited a great farmer's market. 

I could turn down the lackluster apple cider but I could not turn down freshly squeezed lemonade.  Yummmmm......

We even had time to stop at a place called Defy Gravity.  An indoor trampoline "park"?

We had a great time jumpin' and bouncin' and laughin' and huffin' and puffin'.  Its a workout!

Then sadly we went to the airport.  And even more sadly our plane was delayed and we had to rebook a flight for 6 in the morning the next day.  But we finally made it home and eased back into work/life as usual.


House Update:
This weekend we finished painting the ceilings and bathroom.  And this week I will be helping Saint Steve finish up the house wrap and window installation so that the siding can go on... soon soon soon! YAY!

Countertops are being measured this week! The shower base was poured! Things are happening people! Things are happening.  

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