6 hours in the car...

We have returned! Our 6 hour car ride home turned into an all out traffic battle lasting a very long 8 hours...but we made it all in one piece and thats something to be thankful for. Our trip to Maryland was fantastic. We saw family that had yet to meet Nolan and my Auntie Barb made a delicious meal. Fun times. Barb is a photographer and owner of Studio Eleven Photography so we had fun making a little stop motion movie. Very fun. Very exhausting. Now onto the Christmas festivities! Bring it on.

ketchup face

Were heading out of town for a turkey day adventure. 6 hours in the car...wish us luck!!! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving :)

 

public service announcement

PSA for all potential newcomers:

Here in the beautiful state of North Carolina we enjoy a subtropical climate all spring, summer and sometimes well into the fall. Never heard NC called subtropical? Well it is. Feel free to Google you fact checker.

NC is equipped with mountains, the beach and disney world is only an 8 hour drive south. Were in a good spot. Except for one thing. If you've never lived anywhere humid or more specifically in the general area of the southeast. Please do not decide to move out our way in the middle of August.

I don't care that you're from Arizona. I don't care that you spent a year living in the Sahara desert...hunger games style! It gets too hot even for the native North Carolinians to go to the pool this time of year. Therefore, you as a newcomer, will pour sweat just walking from your house to the car. I fear you might not venture outdoors for a couple months after taking your family on a Sunday outdoor picnic at exactly noon. When you do resurface, and you eventually will, equipped with claritin and an inhaler of course. I will be forced to hear you complain in your Massachusetts accent that humidity is just wrong while we get our frizzy manes tamed. Humidity and hair is a whole other issue. I'll just say that unless you believe the bigger the hair the closer to Jesus. You're in for a rough time.

Southport Trip

This weekend we:

forgot the double stroller...

stayed at a bed and breakfast who does not usually host children...without forwarning them..

spent $16 on 2 hotdogs..at a stand...with no chairs...

Enjoyed beautiful scenery

spent some quality mommy/daddy/kiddo time together

busted a move on the dance floor

& of course we rode the ferry numerous times...never getting off

It was a really fun weekend and we are so happy for our friends who got hitched!

Boogers?

Colton started complaining that his nose hurt. He complained so much that I took out the flashlight to investigate. I saw what I believed to be a booger bear in the cave and got to work trying to get it out. Nolans little green nose sucker comes in handy for all types of stuff, but mainly its a snot sucker. The boogie in question started to appear rather large. We had corn the night before so I figured great the kid stuck some corn up his nose. Then he began to whimper a little bit and his little nostril flared up! Yall I kid you not an entire peanut was stuck up his nose. For Lord knows how long...He has an itty bitty little nose too! It was gross. I got it out. He said "tank you mama no nose hurts" and went about his daily business as if nothing had happened. Yuck. Yuck. Yuckity yuck!

Were off to a friends wedding at the beach this weekend. Considering Colton hates the sand and Nolan despises the heat it seemed reasonable to bring them. Wish us luck!

We can live beside the ocean...or not..

Look at my kids on our latest beach trip. If you're wondering where this tropical paradise is, get ready for it... we went to the majestic town of Myrtle Beach, SC.

he refused to actually walk on the sand claiming it was "dirty!!" 

and this is what he did...

We went unexpectedly on a family vacation. & by "we" I mean me and the boys. Brandon had to stay behind to work. The task seemed daunting and anything but a vacation...but we went anyway. Everything was great until the last night. 

Basically we went to the classiest joint my family could come up with. aka Margaritaville. If you aren't familiar with this all American establishment allow me to give you a mental picture. Balloon artists on stilts everywhere, a loud volcano that erupts scaring young children while amusing the masses of alcohol enthusiasts, a steady stream of nothing but Jimmy Buffet songs and of course a 3 hour wait to get in the door.

I'm gonna go ahead and state for the record that I thought this was a bad idea, but without the husband around I was left with no allies and gave in to the peer pressure. The boys and I lasted about 2 hours. During that time I was able to get Colton a chicken and cheese quesadilla from another restaurant...scar him for life by subjecting him to the giant ladies, and change Nolans butt 3 times in a bathroom the size of a thimble. 

At the 2 hour mark it was anarchy. This was not a drill folks. I drove separate anticipating a possible level 10 situation...the only problem was that I'm not that great with directions. Fortunately (I guess) I didn't have to figure out the mean streets of South Myrtle Beach. While loading the screaming children a stinging bug of some sort came up and stung me directly on the nose. Yup you read that right. After enduring an evening of "amazing family fun" I got stung directly in the face. My dad later asked me what medicine I usually take when this happens. My response was a nonchalant "how often do you get stung in the freaking face?" Good times.