First two weeks in NC

When we decided to live in North Carolina for the summer I was worried about being so far from friends and family. I am use to walking three doors down and having my sister-in-law and (BONUS) best friend right there, my mom and dad twenty minutes away, and a really incredible ward surrounding us. I wasn't sure how it would work out even just getting here. How would things go living so close to Landon and Jacey. Joanna, my middle sister, would be three and a half hours away. I didn't know if that was good or bad. Not having friends for the kids so close, and leaving our pool for the summer... scary.

So far, it has been AWESOME! The flight with Delta Airlines was the best flight I have ever taken. I flew my mom out with us so that I might have help traveling with four kids. She did more than I could have asked for. Including buying the kids rolling carry-on cases. Jacey is great. And guess what?!? The distance from my apartment to hers is probably about three doors down. I love that she wants to just hang out and is comfortable doing that. We have just had to figure out how to make the vehicle thing work so that we can go out together and I am glad that we can. I have really wanted to spend more time with her boys Taydon and Kayson. This is the perfect opportunity to do that. They are so cute! Hopefully they can become best friends with my boys. I want Taydon's stranger danger of me to go too.

My mom,and I drove the three and a half hours to visit Joanna in Georgia. It was a nice trip. I took some pics of the us. The first is Peaches and Lorali having a tea party. They played so well together and Peach loves to say "Lorali" again and again. I think it is one of her favorite words. Actually all the kids played great together. Ethan plays a bit rough, but thank goodness I have two boys who love to wrestle.

The second day we were there we took a trip to Stone Mountain. I guess it is a big tourist attraction. We had a great time even with the heat. As we pulled up the thermometer on the car said 100 degrees and then you factor in the humidity, hot! We picked a place on the lawn then grabbed a bite to eat. I ordered a french dip sandwich (but I make them so much better) and had half a gigantic cookie. YUM! Then the highlight of the trip for Tate: the train ride! It was an open-air train that took us around the mountain the whole time playing train themed music for us to sing along with. We ended the evening with watching the Laser show Spectacular. It was a 40-minute light show to music from popular movies and songs about the south like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia". It ended with fireworks.

The best thing in Georgia we did just before leaving, The American Girl Store and Bristo. I never had one of these dolls when I was little. They really came out after my time. I had a Cabbage Patch Doll named Eartha Sasha that I just loved. Even as I grew older I thought she must be real because I really felt that she loved me back. But that's another story. For Christmas this year Grandma got all the grand kids dolls. All of them but peach got an American Doll, Peach got the most beautiful baby I've ever seen that she named "snuggle baby" (really after one of Emily's dolls growing up called Sugar Baby). Anyway, snuggle baby fits the same clothes as the Am. Dolls so it was fun to look at all they had and have some lunch all together. It is the cutest little restaurant for little girls. The dolls had lunch with us.

Friday I tried to get moved in and unpacked. Saturday was the longest ever. I suddenly realized we needed to find some toys and things do keep us busy. I was left wishing badly that I could have figured out how to bring my sowing machine with me. I also realized I desperately needed more toys for the kids so that they don't just fight with each other. I can see that the summer is going to be great. We have been to the pool three times already. It is great! Smaller then ours without a diving board. It is perfect to keep an eye on everyone.