Goin' to Carolina

I have been craving some real fall weather, so I was ecstatic when David suggested we take a last-minute trip to Charlotte!  I made sure to not break the news of our trip too soon to Cohen, in fear he might not ever sleep again or stop asking if it was time to go.  Truth is, I was the one who couldn't contain my excitement the week before.  Cohen and I were like two kids on Christmas Eve the night before we left! 

I could not wipe the smile off my face as we turned onto I-77.  Driving into our old city was surreal, and my eyes immediately filled with tears.  Mostly happy tears, in anticipation of our fun-filled weekend ahead with family and old friends.  But some sad tears too, in the realization that we were now visitors, and our stay was going to be temporary.  We love the beach, but there is something special about North Carolina, and I took in all of its beauty as we drove around our old streets over the weekend.

We had a blast staying with Laura and Mike.  They made the weekend so special for the boys - there was Halloween cookie baking, trips to Dunkin' Donuts, balloons, jumpin' on the bed and lots of treats.  Staying in our old neighborhood was awesome.  We enjoyed morning runs with crisp, fallen leaves under our feet.  We played at Kilgo's pumpkin patch.  We walked to Midwood Park.  We even had a get-together with some of our old neighbors Friday evening.  Seeing our old house brought me to tears again (yes, I cried a handful of times over the weekend).  But watching the boys pick up right where we left off in March was so fun.  I still miss our impromptu late day Club Road play time with friends, and we were all happy to be able to get together again!

Cohen, Henry, Finn

The boys rode bikes and scooters, played basketball, climbed trees and played with toy snakes.

Henry, Whit

Bryce, Whit, Finn, Cohen, Henry (Can you tell Finn and Cohen were happy to see each other?!)

The entire weekend was filled with special times, and watching Cohen play with his oldest friends was one of the biggest highlights.  And I got to see some of my closest friends too.  These people still fill a big part of our hearts, and being far away from them is sad.  But we made the most of our time with play dates at Monkey Joe's and Freedom Park.

Cohen, Brady, Henry, Hunter

Cohen still refuses to smile at the camera for pictures...

And we can announce some REALLY BIG and EXCITING news!

We couldn't be happier for Laura and Mike.  They are going to make amazing parents!

It truly was an amazing weekend, and I am so thankful that we once called Charlotte our home.  We are looking forward to many more trips in the future.  And we are blessed to be able to come back to our current home, Jacksonville, another beautiful place filled with family and friends.