Outer Banks: Day One

We had a fantastic long weekend at the Outer Banks. It had been years since we took our own little family vacation (that didn't involve a work trip or a family reunion) and it was so fun to relax and spend time together in such a beautiful place. We took the girls out of school for a few days and headed to the coast Wednesday afternoon. We stopped at the Bodie Lighthouse which was beautiful. We stayed in a beach house in Salvo which is on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. We had views of both the ocean and the sound from our house. The beach was only a short walk from our house through beautiful grassy sand dunes. The beach dropped down a bit from the road so you couldn't see any houses from the beach which made it feel very secluded. And we always had the entire beach to ourselves which was fun. Things got a little crazy with the threat of a hurricane approaching. Evacuation looked possible for awhile but in the end, the hurricane moved further off shore. We ended up with lots of rain and not quite the vacation we had imagined, but we still managed plenty of time at the beach and made lots of fun memories. The temperatures were still quite warm (and very humid) and the water was warm. I love North Carolina beaches.

Our first evening the weather and sunset were beautiful. We lingered at the beach as long as possible, knowing the storm was coming. The kids loved finding crabs, which were everywhere.

Greensboro Science Center + pumpkin season

The girls had a teacher work day so we headed to the Greensboro Science Center. They have a science museum, an aquarium and a zoo and we had a great time exploring. The kids especially loved the petting zoo and touching the stingrays.

Fall baking is in full swing. This pumpkin bread swirled with nutella was so moist and delicious. It was gone fast. I also found my new favorite pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe. Chewy not cakey. And the best pumpkin cinnamon chip cookies...like a pumpkin snickerdoodle but better! We've also had pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin pasta and I was thrilled to find a pumpkin caramel kringle at Trader Joes! Amelia learned how to make pumpkin muffins and has made them several times. Good thing fall is also perfect weather for running to balance some of those treats...

fall festival

We visited the Stagville Plantation one Saturday for their fall festival. The kids got to make some fall crafts (paper bag pumpkins and Indian corn) and we took a wagon ride on the farm. The kids also got to help make their own wooden spinning top. The weather was beautiful and there were hardly any people there. We stopped at Saltbox in Durham to try their legendary seafood. The food was amazing, but the hour and a half wait was frustrating. Luckily the kids had already eaten and just waited in the car and watched a movie.

Someone didn't want her picture taken.

yates mill + dumplings

The boys (and I) love walking around at Yates Mill. It's always beautiful there and we usually have the place to ourselves. After a morning walk, Ben joined us and we finally tracked down the Chirba Chirba dumpling truck. The food was delicious. The boys loved it too, as evidenced by the noodles covering Simon.

Elsa had some artwork on display in the Visitor Center at Yates Mill.

I went outside that evening to get something and loved seeing this scene through the window. All the kids gathered around the piano. Probably fighting but it was peaceful from a distance. We've had a miraculous turn of events and the girls have been practicing without complaint or reminders for a few weeks now. I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

covered bridge + donuts

The boys and I explored a bit of rural North Carolina one day. We saw the Pisgah Covered Bridge near Asheboro which is one of only two remaining covered bridges in the state. We also stopped at Glaze King Donuts for some yummy pumpkin spice donuts, among several other kinds. The donuts were only 85 cents so we loaded up.

Virginia weekend

We made a quick trip to Virginia one weekend. It was very bittersweet as we attended the funeral of a friend who passed away unexpectedly and then also attended the baptism of our dear friends' twin boys. It was nice to be able to see so many of our friends.

I didn't take many pictures of the short weekend, but on Friday night we joined the Littles at Potomac Yard Park. The kids enjoyed a Chik-fil-A picnic while the adults had yummy burgers and shakes from Good Stuff.

Mount Vernon Chapel.

first day of preschool

Oliver has been loving preschool this year. He still goes just twice a week and his teachers are great. He comes home with multiple art projects every day and loves bringing in items for the alphabet bag. I didn't realize he had outgrown his shoes until the first day of school so he had to wear Elsa's school shoes from last year. He didn't seem to mind.

Labor Day at Jordan Lake

Morning errands.

A typical morning with these boys. Trying not to get run over. And trying to keep up with Simon.