Winter Beach Trip

Thanks to one of Drew's customers we had to make a relatively impromptu trip to the coast. As of last Thursday there was no plan, but we threw something together and had a really great 'journey'--as Naomi and Leviah kept calling it. A few days in Eastern NC with nothing to do turned into 2.5 days packed full of fun, learning and even a quick visit with our naturopath/chiropractor. Not bad at all. And, can I just say that NC never ceases to amaze me? I had no idea New Bern was going to be such a beautiful place! Just when you think you know the state you live in...

First, the hotel was great (thank you Amex business card points!) The girls were thrilled to have an indoor pool, especially since swimming in the ocean was out of the question--not that they didn't stick their toes in...Naomi thought we gave up too quickly; she seemed to think if we'd just stay in the water we'd get used to it.

this turtle had his eye on leviah. we just watched this movie on netflix--a great one.

Then, thanks to our new membership at the local science center, we got in free to our favorite aquarium--sweet surprise--that has already paid for itself! Then, back to New Bern for dinner and pool time.
Sunday we spent the day walking around historic New Bern and a visit to Tryon Palace which was really neat! The guides were dressed in period clothing and it was all set-up like the Governor still lived there, I think the girls were really impressed. Though it was a little chilly, it really wasn't too bad and the sun was shining. Drew may have complained a bit, but he was raised in the South; it was late spring weather by western New York standards...barely needed a coat.

Anyway, that wore everyone out making pizza and a movie in the hotel the perfect way to round out the day. Then, home on Monday via Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway--what better way to commemorate?!

January?

Today is sort of a nasty day. Still, the high is 50. Not what one would expect mid-January. Naomi wakes up every morning with a glimmer of hope in her eye--in fact, Friday of last week, before she looked out the window she convinced herself, and Leviah of course, to dress for snow. Well, it reached 60 that day, and then on Saturday we spent a lovely 70+degree afternoon at a local park hiking around, looking for signs of wildlife and enjoying an oddly warm January afternoon with a picnic lunch.

"that's a big one"--Drew

where the 'big one' snacked on some acorns.

our view looking up from our picnic lunch.

So, Naomi's dreams of snowmen seems distant. Not to say they won't happen this year, but it's feeling less and less likely as the weeks pass. We've barely had need for hats or gloves! I won't complain, we love having days where playing outside is comfortable in a light jacket, but it feels like someone is screwing with my internal seasonal clock. I like at least one good snow storm for fireplace and cocoa nights; it'd be a shame to get to March and not have enjoyed at least one night huddled together with a blanket, our warmest socks and the thrill stomping down snow covered streets surrounded by blue skies and muffling white heaps of clean white snow on the ground and branches above.

Rainy will not fill this craving. It is not acceptable winter precipitation.

In spite of it not being a Nordic winter around here, Drew has picked up the decidedly Scandinavian past time of whittling--spoons. Don't get me wrong, I love feeding little Eliza with one of these delightfully charming and rustic applewood utensils, but I can see an obsession evolving and it's a smidge unnerving...