New Bern, NC

A few of our NC days were spent visiting one of my oldest childhood friends, Leigh Anne, in New Bern.  We typically see each other when I'm back home but usually meet halfway (she lives about 2 hours away).  This year I decided to take the kids on a little road trip and drive down to see her and spend some time there.  Our first day was spent in the historic town of New Bern...you know I love history!  After lunch in this cute farm themed restaurant, we toured the city...

We stopped at a playground right next to the oldest church in New Bern.  The tombstones run throughout the playground.  This was the kids first experience with a cemetery so, of course, Timo was full of questions about what it was.

We stopped at the birthplace of Pepsi!  I got myself a $.35 Pepsi inside...

Then on to the Tryon Center for the NC History Museum for Children.  It was a fun interactive museum with different "stations" for kids to complete activities, learning as they go.  The first was sailing a ship...following a map, manning the captain's wheel and whacking the rats in the crates and

The turpentine station was next...they had to extract it from the trees, fill the barrels, roll them and load them on the docks, then run over and cook it.  All so very exciting to a bunch of 4 year olds!

Printing press, where we made our own daily paper and in the kitchen where we learned how to make a real 1835 meal...complete with salt cod and boiled peanuts!  There was also a general store and a quilting room.  I was so into making a quilt, I forgot to take pictures!

A little tram tour around the Palace (would love to come back without kids and tour the Palace), played on the pirate ship and walked around the preserved wetlands.  We loved New Bern!

Father's Day Weekend

Young had been working in Charlotte the week were getting settled in at Granny and Grandpa's, but finished up and joined us for the weekend.  A few days earlier, the kids worked on Father's Day cards...such creativity!

We started the weekend at the Cameron Family Reunion. Unfortunately I don't have many pictures of the day...I was making the rounds, visiting, chasing the kids, enjoying the day.  Here are the two I took...Mt. Pleasant Church where the reunion was held...the church the Cameron's have attended for over 100 years.  Looks so small town, all American.  And  Kenzie and Cameron enjoying Uncle Kevin's BBQ chicken.

Father's Day, the kids gave Daddy their cards and his gift, a new shirt from his favorite NYC talior.  He quickly changed and we all went to my brother's church for a lovely Father's Day service.

After church we had a big family lunch at Cracker Barrel...love this place!  We love being around family!

 Young spent the rest of the afternoon playing baseball with Timo...

 
We had to bid Young farewell that evening, as he had to get back to SF for work.  We are so thankful for a Daddy that works as hard as Young does so that we are able to enjoy this amazing time away in the summer.  We love you!!

NC--Flight and First Few Days

The day after school was out, we headed on our annual trip back east for summer vacation. The kids are expert flyers by now, even handling Mommy oversleeping and just barely making it to the airport, sitting on the runway for an hour, a two hour delay on our layover and hustling through the airport for a last minuet gate change. They were real troopers!

 

Because of all our delays, we arrived way late to my parents house that night and spent the good part of the next day sleeping, grocery shopping and getting settled.  Then the children got to participate in VBS that night.  A local church was using my parents front yard to set up an outreach VBS for children's who's parents might not be able to bring them to church.  They held it outdoors with games, singing, crafts...all the things that make up a VBS.  It was a really success, at least 20 kids a night...God can work anywhere, even in a front yard out in the country!

We spent a few days just catching up with cousins...Kaylee, Timo and Cameron were joined at the hip most of the time.  Making wishes together and catching fireflies!

And getting used to the heat...ah, it felt good to be in 80 degree temps...until it moved on up over 95 degrees (I'll talk about the 107 heat later).  Granny had lots of nice cool snacks...jello and ice pops galor!

We also hit our favorite Southern meals...BBQ and sweet tea!  And a nice afternoon thunder stom to top off our first two days!  Wow, seems like a perfect vacation already and it just got started!

T-Ball Family Day

The weekend before we left for vacation, Timo's baseball team had it's final game and a big Family Day celebration to hand out trophies. It was so much fun to have the last game at Barry Bonds Park right next to Giant's stadium...nice views. And his coaches really went out of their way to make a really fun day for the kids and families. Here are some highlights...

Cameron got to have some fun too in the bouncy houses and mechanical bull!

Timo's game was the first game of the day, so we had a few games to wait out till the trophy ceremony.  We walked around the stadium and surrounding bay...as well as a pick up game of pitch baseball with any kids that were waiting too.

Timo's first baseball trophy...he was so excited!  We're already looking forward to next year...