Oriental, North Carolina

Oriental, North Carolina was a cute little fishing town. I do have to stress the word "little". I went for a run when we got there, and I ran the entire thing in less than 30 minutes. I even headed halfway out of town to make my run long enough!

(As a little side note, I have found that running a town is my favorite way to see it. I find streets, houses, and views that I wouldn't otherwise find if I was in a car or in the boat. Walking is great, too, but not as much ground gets covered as running!)
Dad had read about Oriental in a cruising guide and was interested in stopping there during his spring trip, but it got put on hold until now. I'm glad that we were able to do it this time, as it is such a neat place to visit. Lots of transients like us and lots of fishing boats. This is the marina that we stayed it. There was also a motel with a pool and tiki bar there... the tiki bar was jumpin', even on a Sunday night!




This is a fishing boat with crazy lights that are reflected in the water below it.

Oriental to Beaufort

Leaving Oriental behind. After we crossed a small portion of the Neuse River, we reentered the ICW.

As we headed south through the ICW, the scenery changed constantly. The further south we got, the more and more I felt like I was heading home... things started to look familiar and very simialr to what we see along the ICW in South Carolina. It especially reminded me of the rivers we played on when Jason lived on Nightingale Plantation in Georgetown.

Approaching the North Carolina State Port in Morehead City... almost to my final destination, Beaufort.

Air Tour

When Dad and I were in North Carolina during the spring "migration" north, I had arranged for an air tour for his birthday. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great then, so we planned to try again this trip. Thankfully, the weather was beautiful, and we were able to take a tour of the area in a small plane. This picture is of the airport, right before take-off. The plane was tiny... only able to seat four people!!



We flew over Fort Macon (the Civil War fort), Shackleford Banks and saw the wild ponies, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, and over the site of Blackbeard's shipwreck.
This is the marina where we stayed... we went right over Dad's boat.
I ran along this road on Monday... it was a beautiful run along the water.
The pictures really don't do the tour justice... it is definitely something you have to see for yourself. It was amazing up there and such an incredible way to see what we had seen by boat. I think Dad really enjoyed the tour and his belated birthday gift.

Goodbye Beaufort

After the incredible air tour, Dad and I went for an incredible dinner. We ate way too much and barely waddled back to the boat. The next morning, I got my rental car and sadly headed home. I was missing my boys, but I think I could have done with one more day on the boat.
Thank you again, Dad, for a great trip. It was such a beautiful and relaxing trip, and I am so glad to have gotten the father/daughter time. I am so looking forward to the next trip... when are we leaving???

For Jason

Thank you so much for taking such good care of the boys while I played with Dad. They had such a great time having you all to themselves, and I know it is a time that they will remember. You are an awesome Daddy, and I appreciate all that you did. Thank you again!

33 Things To Do In The Next 33 Years

In honor of my 33rd birthday (in no particular order):

1. Learn to surf

2. Catch a trophy fish

3. Return to Lake Wawasee for a week (where I spent summers growing up)

4. Get PADI certified

5. Run a marathon...

6. In Hawaii

7. Return to Cabo de Palos, Spain (when I was 16, I went on an incredible motorcycle ride with a super-cute Spanish boy, the Mediterreanean Sea on either side of us... beautiful!)

8. Go on a mission trip

9. Return to Fiji

10. See both of my boys graduate from college

11. Meet a grandchild of mine

12. Finish a triathalon

13. Ski out west

14. Learn to slalom

15. Sail to Bermuda

16. Master a castnet

17. Learn to trailer a boat

18. Learn to clean fish

19. Visit Alaska

20. Climb to the top of Table Rock Mountain and complete the Jones Gap Loop (not big tasks, but opportunities I didn't take advantage of when I should have.)

21. Run with (or at least meet) Dean Karnazes

22. Complete each leg of the trip from Toledo to Charleston with my dad on his boat (I am on my way... 3 out of 7!!)

23. Instill in my boys a love of the outdoors and all it has to offer

24. Watch the August meteor shower from the roof of Pretty Place

25. Build my chocolate tasting business

26. Swim the Lowcountry Splash, a 2.4 mile Charleston Harbor swim

27. Own a vintage, burgandy Mercedes convertible, just like my grandmother's

28. Be an incredible mother-in-law to two incredible daughters-in-law

29. Learn to speak spanish fluently

30. See Elton John sing live again

31. Help my boys build a sand castle as tall as me

32. Give back to my friends and family as much as they have given to me

33. Live each day appreciating all of the blessings that God has given to me

Help!!

I am one of three class moms for the Halloween party at Jackson's school. The other two moms are very creative when it comes to the holidays, and I am, well, not. One of them suggested that I make some fun salty treat, like "popcorn hands" or something like that.

What is a popcorn hand? Does anyone else have any creative Halloween ideas for a salty treat???

Happy Birthday, Mary Kathryn!!

We hope you have a happy, happy day today, and we are looking forward to celebrating with you on Sunday!!

Love,

Jackson & Harris

(Mommy & Daddy, too!)

The Pumpkin Patch

A little over a week ago (yes, I am behind... I'm sorry), we took the boys to the Legare Farms Pumpkin Patch. Jackson loved running through the patch and checking out each and every pumpkin, trying to find the very best one. Harris just loved running through the pumpkin patch!!

After looking at about three thousand pumpkins, we narrowed it down to two, one for each of them.


Harris and I took a hayride while we were there (Jackson was not interested!). The hayride took us out to a field where we were encouraged to feed the cows with the provided "cow food". These cows knew exactly what we were going to do, and they couldn't get to us fast enough. While the other two boys on the hayride loved feeding the cows, Harris was mortified and screamed the entire time. I don't blame him... those cows have some scary faces!!
After the hayride, the boys played on the "race course" that was set up for big wheels and tricycles. Neither child was happy when we decided that it was getting late and we were getting hungry... I think they could have stayed and played for hours.
We ended the night with a BBQ dinner at the Hickory Hawg (why do they have to call their BBQ plates "Piggie Platters"???). It was a great afternoon, and both boys were totally worn out. Thank goodness it was an early night for them, as we were totally worn out as well!

Newsworthy

Check out this video from ABC News... http://www.abcnews4.com/news/stories/1006/367909.html

Our team is the burgandy team. There are many shots of our teammates, one great one of Nancy, and a glimpse of me here and there. Too funny!

Progress

My dad has done a fantastic job keeping up with his blog for his journey from Toledo back to Charleston. He is currently somewhere between Baltimore and Norfolk with his brother, John. On Friday, I am leaving again to join him from Norfolk, VA to Beaufort, NC... just me this time. I am so looking forward to the QT with Dad.

If you are interested, take a peek at his blog... some of his pictures are amazing!!

C'mon, AGAIN???

Those mean strep bugs have recolonized in the back of my throat... what the heck??? I finished my last antibiotic on Saturday morning, I felt great yesterday (I even ran almost 7 miles!!), and today I woke up with another sore throat. It has gotten progressively worse throughout the day and has been joined by a fever and headache. The doctor has thankfully called in another, stronger antibiotic... hopefully that will do the trick.

This is crazy.

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Sarah!!

Happy (late) birthday to you!

Happy (late) birthday, to you!

Happy (late) birthday Dear Sarah,

Happy (late) birthday to you!!

I'm sorry I am a little late (the whole strep thing has me behind!!). Hope it was a great day with lots of hugs ad kisses from your boys. We love and miss you tons, Sarah!!

Amanda, Jason & the boys

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Dorothy!!

I'm so sorry that this is so late, but we were on the boat on the 24th, and I was out with my sick week... excuses, excuses! BUT, I still wanted to officially say happy birthday!! We love you!!


Happy birthday to you, too, Gregg!! Hope it was a great one!!

Love,
Amanda, Jason & the boys

Kickball Update for Nancy

Nancy's sister, Jennie, playing in the outfield.
Me on first, hoping to get the guy in the black shirt out.
Nancy waiting for a good pitch. (These pictures are from a game two weeks ago.)


Last week, Nancy posted about the not-so-great game of kickball she played the night before (be sure to check it out... very funny!). I was at home sick and missed the game, although it didn't sound like I missed anything fun!

Last night, we had our weekly kickball game, and Nancy wasn't able to make it, so I promised an update. Well, we played the Three Dollar Bills (they are the pink team). Yes, any assumption you want to make about a team with that name wearing pink shirts is right on. Anyway, the game was not nearly as exciting as last week's. We did win (5-2), and there was some trash talk going on, but it was all in fun this week. No screaming at the refs or at each other or at the other team, and no checking of the basemen. What was funny were the refs standing with me at first base, drinking their "sports drink", aka vodka and lemonade. I'm not sure if it made their calls any better or worse, but they were pretty funny!

One observation I made last night: there are some players who seem to not trust their team members to do their jobs. They are good players, very supportive and encouraging, but one player in particular has repeatedly caught the ball at the pitcher's mound and run it over to first base (MY base) instead of throwing it to me. I am not scared of the ball, I can catch it and have done so many times, and I have gotten lots of people out. So trust me!! I will do my job!! Isn't that what teamwork is about???

Anyway, I was sad to learn last night that there are only three games left... I feel like we just started! Hopefully we will do well in the tournament and be able to keep going a little longer... I think kickball might be addicting. Or maybe it is just the Thursday nights out...

18 Months

Harris is (unbelievably) 18 months now (actually, almost 19 months!)... I can't believe he is so old! We had his 18 month appointment yesterday, and it went pretty well. He is 20.5 pounds (still a peanut) and 31 3/4 inches tall. Dr. T thinks that Harris is just so "on the go" that he doesn't sit still long enough to put the pounds on! I did have to take him for more bloodwork after the appointment to follow up on his anemia, but it went much better than the past few times. We still have no results, though, but are hoping all is well so we can quit these blood draws.
Harris has incredible fashion sense... he loves shoes and bibs. His outfits aren't complete without his camo bib or his blue Wellies or his Keds. He will bring me his shoes, turn around, sit in my lap and whine until I put his shoes on. For months we couldn't get him to wear a bib... now we can't get him to take it off. If his bib is messy after a meal, there had better be a clean one waiting to replace the yucky one!
Harris is wide open, all of the time. The boy doesn't stop moving. He climbs everything, runs everywhere, and is into everything. He loves Thomas the Train almost as much as Jackson, and we have had to break up many fights over who gets to play with which train. It kills me that they are fighting already... I didn't think that would start until much later!!

He is definitely starting to talk... some of his words:

Ta: Thomas
Da tru: the truck
Chair
Du: dog
All done (yes, it is very clear when he says it, too!)
Rah rah: "Wipe my face"
Chi: chip
Apple: apple juice
Ba ba: milk sippy
Mama
Dada

He will babble in his own language, as well, and is always very serious about it... when he has something to say, he says it with incredible force!! I can't wait until the words really come... I know he is going to have some funny things to say! Harris has started school two mornings a week. While the first week or two was tough, he is really enjoying it now... every time I go to pick him up, he is having a great time playing with his new friends.

I love his smiles, his sounds, and his hugs... while he is a monster, he is a sweet one! I am looking forward to what the next 18 months have in store for us! We love you tons, Harry Bug!