Spring Beach Getaway

The boys and I (minus Bobby...he and Herb headed to Florida to rejuvenate by bike riding and fishing) took a quick trip to Emerald Isle for a spring getaway with the Beach Crew I grew up with.  The forecast looked a bit dismal upon our arrival, but in the end, the sun prevailed and the boys were able to enjoy 3 1/2 full days of fun in the sun.  June's grandson Jackson was able to join us as well, so the boys enjoyed having an additional friend...and my what fun the trio had!  The oceanfront house, a new one this year, had a playset and putting green, which added to the fun when the boys weren't ocean-side.  It also had a hot pool that the boys enjoyed when the pool felt too cold.  And inside, one bedroom had a play castle and slide the boys played on as well as an air hockey table. Doug created a treasure hunt for the boys, which included finding and learning how to use a compass.  Thompson later said, I want a harder one, so the following day, Doug created a new hunt, complete with three "tough" clues that took the boys close to an hour to solve.  Ahh, what fun!  Among our many laughs...William telling us "Thompson is going to have the read the clues because I can't read yet", "There is a lady who is turning 3-9", "What does 'regardless' mean", and "I am tired because I lost my energy".  Thompson challenged Doug to a game of chess and beat him, which was a highlight for Thompson.  And, the dump truck that has made every beach trip since April 2008 was finally put to rest.

Happy Easter

This year's Easter took on a slightly different feel as we stayed in Asheville for the weekend instead of Cashiers.  Mamere and Papere joined us as Annie and Poppy were at the Heritage Golf Tournament and Graham and Bart were in Ocean Reef.  The boys arose early to find the Easter Bunny had stopped by.  We enjoyed service at Skyland UMC, followed by an Easter brunch at home with the Freemans and Moores.  Next stop - the Biltmore Estate for their Egg Hunt on the Front Lawn.  We had time for a quick tour of the house while waiting for the hunt.  (It was more of an egg grab with a gazillion of our closest friends, where kids pick up empty eggs and turn them in for a goody bag.)  Afterwards we took a tour of the Winery, the boys stomped grapes and ran through the tree maze in Antler Hill Village before dinner at Cedric's Tavern.