Second Stop - Wilmington, North Carolina

After a week in Benson with my Mom and Papa (Boe, Marcus, and Carly too!), Jack and I headed to Wilmington. It's only about a 2 hour drive so it wasn't that bad. We actually took my brothers, Boe and Marcus with us for a day. My Uncle Steve is a great tennis player and Boe asked if he wouldn't mind playing a game with him...as well as give him pointers. We met at the tennis courts of a well-known park there in Wilmington called Greenfield Lake. I remember playing there as a kid. And I'm pretty sure I've been out in paddle boats and canoes on the lake, although I'm still scared to death of the alligator horror stories [everyone's] parents told [us kids] growing up. (It's called Greenfield Lake because the surface of the lakewater is covered with moss/algae around the edges - and I'm telling you this because I didn't happen to get a picture to show you.)


I took Jack to play elsewhere in the park while the tennis "instruction" was taking place.


He LOVES the ducks...


Uncle Marcus (and Aunt McKenzie - who I didn't manage to get a picture of either) were so great to play with Jack on the playground so I could catch my breath taking pictures instead of chasing Jack.


Coming down the slide

Uncle Steve and McKenzie's side of the doubles match they played with Boe and Marcus.

I was SO lucky to make it to Wilmington when I did because my sister, Kara, and her husband Oy were having a joint birthday party for their 2 little girls Femi and Cloe. It was about a 3 hour drive to their house in Aberdeen, but it was worth it to get to see them while I was there. Jack enjoyed playing with all the kids and we had tons of delicious Thai food to eat.

I LOVE this picture of Femi...she looks so much like Kara to me in this shot.

This is Jack with my sister Krysten

Back in Wilmington...

We were able to get out to my Uncle Roy and Aunt Janice's house to visit with them. My cousin, Erik and his wife Jenny were able to come too with their little girl, Haleigh. Jack and Haleigh had so much fun playing together on the playset in the back yard and all too soon it was bedtime and time to go.

I think this picture of Haleigh is ADORABLE!

Playing in the sandbox

Jack and I were able to spend a morning with my friend Jennifer and her girls. They had SO much fun playing! They got in the kiddie pool in the back yard and had a blast...only, Jack refused to wear anything! I had to get some pictures, but I was careful to only get above-the-waist shots. We finally got him to put on some swim trunks, but as soon as we turned our backs, this little exhibitionist was sliding...well, more like skidding down the slide of the playset with his bare butt. I'm having a great chuckle remembering that, he he he.

Oh, this was hilarious too! We gave them some chocolate teddy grahams as a snack and they both took them and ran straight to the pool - they were dunking their grahams in the pool water before eating them. Kids crack me up (especially mine)!

I wasn't able to see my cousin Jimmy while I was in town, but Jack and I got the next best thing. We met up with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Mike (Jimmy's parents) who brought Jimmy's boys with them to the park for a playdate. (Greenfield Park again ;)

Austin, Evan and Jack actually got lined up for a shot, and they were all looking in the same general direction - it's pretty amazing (in case you were wondering).

The night that Jack and I headed back up to Benson, Jack kept begging for me to take pictures of him. I was able to catch these shots of him with my Dad. I love that Jack is looking at Grandaddy in this shot...

...and I LOVE that I caught a "true" smile on my Dad in this shot. I don't recall ever having caught a real smile on my dad in picture form before this. Oh, and Jack's smile is pretty cute too, lol.

It seems that whatever amount of time I am "home", we never spend enough because I always have to leave without visiting with more than a handful of important people. It's always nice to be there, but always sad to leave...