North Carolina

There is soooo much I want to share!!!  So if you can bear with me while I try to organize the thoughts in my crazy brain.

The kids and I went to North Carolina for my brother's wedding.  I have the cutest sister-in-law ever.  It's okay to be jealous.

The cutest!

While we were there Amelia, Owen, and I went to a masquerade ball for the charity Kisses 4 Kate.  My mom is on the board, and they do some great things for the families at Brenner's Hospital.  My brother, sister, and niece were there too.  We had a great time!

Extended family started trickling in on Sunday, and we had the best week.  Or at least I had the best week I can't really speak for them.  A lot of work went into getting the patio ready for the rehearsal dinner.  My aunt and mom had Amelia and Owen raking leaves and pouring mulch.  My dad was doing finishing touches on the added room in the basement.  I was told Owen wimped out, but Amelia really pulled her own weight.

My mom and aunt also let me head to Concord so that I could attend the Kindred Gathering at the CiRCE Institute.  It kinda felt like I was sitting with celebrities.  Or people who knew celebrities.  I may or may not have had a few glasses of wine when I got home because I got chatty and weird like I tend to do.  My weirdness aside, it was great!  Kindred Gathering is a book club that was reviewing Consider This by Karen Glass.  I bought the book and Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace  by Sarah Mackenzie while I was there. So stoked to begin both books.

Shaking off my weirdness.

On Wednesday we went on a wine tour.  We tasted some delicious wine while the kids had some grape juice.  Before we left the kids were able to feed the catfish. It was interesting (another word for sweaty and loud), but fun.  Only of few looks from the wine drinkers as we were leaving.  I'm not sure if they were amused or happy to see us leave.  We will say it was the former. That evening we did some finishing touches for the dinner and enjoyed the patio.

Thursday more people arrived and that evening the rain began. I think it is still raining.  It let up just enough for the rehearsal so that eating outside, under canopies, wasn't completely miserable.  The day of the wedding it was raining.  My cousin did my hair and it looked AWESOME.  And I did NOT get a picture!!!  Seriously with my hair and my fake eyelashes, I felt like a rock star.

The wedding was beautiful.  We had a wonderful time.  I just wish it could have lasted longer and that I had gotten more pictures.  But here's some of them...though I'm sure you saw them on Facebook.

Eyelashes!!!

Babe!

We were excited that our hair match Charlie's Angels.

Sunday was Becket's birthday.  We had cake and Donut World donuts.  THE BEST DONUTS EVER!  Several of my friends were able to stop by, and didn't seem to mind that it was still raining.

He's ONE!

Monday we headed out later than I had wanted.  And it rained the whole time that I was driving.  And I made a stop in Atlanta to purchase My Book House Books from Craigslist.  BUT we did make it back just in time to sing to Becket as a family and for me to head to the local book club for classical educators.  Seriously guys, I have hit the homeschooling jackpot here in Alabama.  I don't want to think about the fact that we will eventually have to leave....

Until next time friends.  I have some fun pictures from our nature walk today. I'm sure you're on the edge of your seats.