Long Time

Whoa. That was a long break. For a while we just weren't feeling inspired. Then, for the last week, we've had a whirlwind of houseguests. Here are some highlights from the last 2 weeks:

Chapter 1. June and Aaron at Duke Gardens in Durham


Splashing in a little fountain. What else to do in a fountain?Chapter 2. Cousins from Tennessee

There's something about this that's very 100 years ago to me...I can almost imagine the three of them making the journey over the Appalachian Mountains by train or stagecoach or something to visit us here in North Carolina. As it is, they made the drive in my cousin Lori's red sedan. These are her two kids, Cole, 10, and Paxton, 6. Here they are in goofball mode....


...and in sweetheart mode.

We all had a really swell time together and it was wonderful to get the chance to spend quality time with Lori and the kids. Paxton and June formed a special bond that was characterized by June wanting to do everything Paxton did about a nanosecond after Paxton did it. And Paxton playing with June, picking her up, trying to make her laugh , and so on. Also, herding her, as you see here.
Paxton sat on the steps in the back of the house...and June immediately copied her. The kids decorated Easter cookies, then demolished them in less than 24 hours. June was allowed to have one cookie. She enjoyed it tremendously.



June's intense look. Taken at Elmo's Diner. What would we do without Elmo's? We ate lunch there both days Lori and the kids were here. Very kid friendly, fast service, big menu with lots of healthy and veg options and lots of greasy spoon stuff, too. And my favorite huevos rancheros anywhere. I'm always a little embarrassed to be showing my face there again. Paxton said it was the best grilled cheese ever. See? Elmo's. And my dad is never here an hour before he wants to know when we're going up there. We'd all go hungry without it.
If you're reading this on the northern side of the Mason-Dixon, please don't hate us for the beautiful days we had. Beautiful enough to spend the afternoon outdoors with nothing heavier than a sweatshirt. Paxton made some very beautiful drawings for June. I'll truly be sad when the rain comes again.
Action shot--Cole, Lloyd, and a frisbee. Please ignore the sorry state of our lawn...the only thing I can say in its defense is that it's pesticide- and fertilizer-free. This is what an all natural, zero-effort lawn looks like:
The house was much quieter after Lori and the kids took their energy and their fun back to Knoxville. We were sad to see them go. And it wasn't until after they were gone that I realized I didn't have any pictures of the moms, only the kids. Isn't that how it always goes? Next, Lloyd's mom arrived the day after they left. That post will come soon...