Raleigh Getaway

Last Thursday SJ and I flew to Raleigh, NC, for a few days with my friend, E, and her family. E and her husband J have a 13 year old daughter and a newly-turned 2 year old, and they are such a fun and sweet family. We had a great time hanging out at their house while the little ones played and exploring a few of Raleigh's kid-friendly outings. I am sad that I didn't get a family photo of them or even one of me and E...but when you see some of pictures I did take, you'll know why...we had a busy pair of toddlers on our hands!

The afternoon we arrived we made a stop for lunch and a quick trip into the grocery store, complete with a cart the girls could "drive" and balloons to take home!


The second day we took a morning walk around a lake and spent lots of time watching and feeding the DUCKS! SJ was fascinated with them, but probably just as much with tearing off pieces of bread and dropping them of the bridge.



Saturday we went to Pullen Park to ride the train,

have an ice cream treat,

explore nature, (E examining a caterpillar with the girls)

consider future career paths,

take a little swing,

and ride the carousel. Whew!

Sunday morning we left Raleigh on an early flight, then got delayed in Baltimore for about 1.5 hours. We had boarded before learning that weather issues prevented our takeoff, so it was an interesting little endeavor to keep SJ busy for that long in such a cramped little area. Thankfully we were on the front row and she could sit on the floor to play and color. Just before takeoff, she had sat on my lap, turned toward me and said, "Snuggle Mommy" then fell fast asleep and napped the whole first half of the flight! Since she almost never sleeps anywhere but her bed, certainly not ON me, this special treat for me made the delay worthwhile!


We made it back and were greeted at the airport by T, AG, LL, Nana and Grandpa. It's great to go on adventures, and it's great to come back home!