August 13, 2019

 This morning found us at the local science center.

This little kitty-lover was delighted before we even got inside the building.  :)

 The butterfly garden was a big hit.

We got "butterfly spray" (aka sugar water) sprayed on our hands to entice the butterflies to land.

 LOL

 This was really cool...a skeleton projected on the wall mimicked the kids' actions.

 The aquarium was my favorite part.

Decker was not a fan of the indoor hurricane.  :)

After the science center, we went bowling.
That was a hoot.

By this time the kids were close to done, though, and I sure was.

We went home and vegetated the rest of the day.

:)

It was such a sweet, sweet visit with these precious children.

Except when they were fighting with each other.

:D

August 12, 2019

This was my favorite day of their visit.

We went to Lake Saint James State Park near Asheville (the same one we met the Smiths at on July 5)

and spent the whole day playing in the lake.

I was too busy having fun to take many pictures.

It was probably my favorite day of the whole summer.  :)

August 11, 2019

This afternoon began the adventure of our summer...
hosting the two older grandkids for a few days at our house for the first time ever!
We walked down to the creek this evening and played in the water and tired to catch crawdads.

The sky was lovely as the sun was setting on our way home.

August 9, 2019

We had our first guests this evening...all the neighbors we've met so far.  :)

August 7, 2019

Another walk after another light rain.

It's been a rainy summer, and the creek has been cheerfully receiving all of it.

August 4, 2019

We stepped out for a walk this evening and found this rainbow at the end of our street!

This little frog seemed to be enjoying the light rain.

July 25, 2019

More walking.

July 21, 2019

A really interesting sky early this evening.

July 15, 2019

A really bright full moon tonight!

July 5, 2019

Our friends from Maine, the Smith family, moved to Nashville the end of last year.

They were visiting Asheville this weekend and we met up with them at a state park in between.

It's been six years since we've seen them...Jed and their oldest, Elijah, were just 9 years old...

their youngest, Matthias, was just a baby.

We hiked a trail in the park, which included this secluded little beach where the Smiths swam a little

and complained about the lake water being as warm as bath water.  :)

(the water is pretty cold in Maine, even in the middle of the summer)

We went for a walk in the neighborhood this evening and discovered a waterfall!

Such pretty hills.

July 4, 2019

 And another huge blessing is getting to spend time with these folks....

...even if it's at a 4th of July parade when it's 125 degrees out.

June 28, 2019

One of the blessings of living in North Carolina again is seeing my parents more often.

June 25, 2019

Jed talked me into doing the most amazing thing earlier this year, and I'm so glad he did!

He wanted to see the Avengers: Endgame movie that was coming out in April,

but he had missed quite a few of the previous movies, and I had missed even more.

He proposed that we start watching them, from the beginning - 

TWENTY-TWO movies! - 

and then watch Endgame in a theater as a reward.

Thank goodness it's been in theaters a very long time, because we haven't seen it yet...

the move disrupted our viewing.

We have 2 more movies to watch and then we'll be ready, 

and our plan is to accomplish that in the very near future.

I'm not a fan of action movies, 

but watching them consecutively and following the story lines has made a huge difference, 

and I've been enjoying the movies and loving the time with Jed.

So much so, that when I saw this shadow on my dashboard, cast by my rear-view mirror,

I immediately thought of Groot.  :)

Jed did too, and laughed his head off.  :D

 

June 16, 2019

Our new neighborhood is a nice one to walk around in...pretty and hilly.
There was a beautiful full moon tonight.

June 5, 2018

On the road again.  

The story of our lives.

But this time, with a twist...a cookie bag wrapper wrapped around our antenna.  :D

In all my years of driving, I've never had that happen before.

The Missouri River had flooded earlier in the week.

We were thankful the road was okay...it's pretty flat through there.

Jed eating yet another monster hamburger.  

He kept me company the whole 24 hour drive from Colorado to North Carolina...

I don't know what I would do without that boy.

June 3, 2019

We've heard rumors of a raccoon living under our front porch ever since we arrived in Colorado.

Wouldn't you know it, the day before we move away, we finally catch a glimpse of it.

Apparently it's not the front porch that has been home to this little critter, 

but the steps leading to the back yard.

I know the picture only shows the reflection of two little eyes, but we were happy to get that!

And afraid that if we used the flash he might attack us.  :)