Vacation to NC

The first week in February, we were thankful to have the opportunity to spend time with family and friends, once again. I have to mention the trip down. We didn't leave until really late in the evening and Micah had not slept very much the night before so I prayed for energy to drive the late-late shift. I drove through Knoxville, TN and then through the mountains to Asheville. There were hardly any cars or trucks on the road. The mountains through this stretch are beautiful- even in the dark. I even saw a shooting star in the still, black sky. I realized what a city girl I am; having to remind myself that stars are always this shiny. With good praise and worship music leading me on, I had a most peaceful time and Micah and the little ones got some much needed rest. Micah was refreshed enough to drive the extremely late shift from Asheville to Statesville and I got to sleep:)

The first half of the week, we spent in Stony Point, NC with the Childs family.

We had lunch the first day at a beautiful club in Conover.

We were thankful to be joined by so many of Micah's family. We learned at this lunch that Micah's brother and his wife are expecting. It was exciting for us to hear the news in person!

Of course, Andrew and Elijah spent some time with their cousin, Caleb. They were all sweet for this photo shoot.

Elijah wanted to "be Superman" the entire trip. When it was time to put on clothes, I ended up pinning his cape to the back of whatever he was wearing so he could continue to "fly"!

A highlight of every trip to Abba and Nana's house is a bath in the big Jacuzzi tub.

Dustin, Mary, Andrew, and I did this puzzle while talking one evening. Micah and I went through a few months where we did puzzles together. I had forgotten how enjoyable it is just to talk and "work a puzzle" as Andrew says.

One highlight of our trip was being able to visit Micah's cousin, Ben. He is doing so well after his recent surgery to insert a trach to help him breathe better. He has the sweetest spirit and a heart overflowing with thankfulness. He always greets us warm smiles and is such a gracious host.

It is always fun at the Childs' home to sing and play music. Andrew serenaded us with a loud version of the army song (O Church Arise). Micah's dad taught me scales on the violin and even let me bring home one for practice. Micah encouraged me to get "really good" before bring it home:) We also played a game of croquet. Micah was the victor! Andrew made friends with the cows and finally stopped worrying that one would make its way through the fence and chase him!

The second half of the week, we spent in Wilkesboro with the Abernethy family.

Papa and Mimi's backyard was super-fun for the boys. Elijah liked being pushed around in this cool, red ride.

We also found dad's old red wagon and put it to good use as a "grass-sled". No trips to the ER this time, despite the prediction of Micah who was sure that would be inevitable.

Andrew is really improving when it comes to hitting the baseball. No broken windows, but he did hit the roof of their house a few times:)

We decided to take off behind their house to see where we might end up ("take-off" and "end-up" prove there is some country girl in me somewhere). It was a perfect day to hike. It was sunny and mild. The air was crisp and clear. Did I mention that in February there are no spiders or snakes out yet? That made it PERFECT!

Elijah was thankful for Papa who carried him most of the way, because his little legs just couldn't make it very far.
At the end of the short hike, we came to a clearing. It wasn't difficult to remember why we think NC is so beautiful.

Definitely not the "wood between the worlds" but just as sleepy and peaceful~

This is Andrew and Elijah's 2nd (or something) cousin Caleb (they have a system for identifying Calebs... whichever one they are not with is the other Caleb:)) They were glad to have some playtime with him as well.

After 7 days and several photo-opportunities, the boys were not so excited about saying "cheese" anymore. I couldn't resist taking pictures of just their faces while they were supposed to be posing!

There were other fun things, like visits with Tiff's uncle and aunt from Clemmons, dessert with Micah's old high school friends, and really good food from Mimi's kitchen. I always liked good food:) ~that was for you, Dad. There was a little Rock Band here and there and a big family meal with more relatives we don't get to see very often. Remember the croquet victory for Micah? Well, unfortunately, he lost at the electronic game of LIFE. He made a lot of money, but had very few heart points. I however had the most heart points and was in debt around $250,000... but I was the winner! I had four kids and a salary of $5,000 a year. Go figure.