Visiting with family

What a thrill to spend the week with my mom, my sister and my nephew this past week. It is always fun to rock on the front porch and sip coffee with my two favorite ladies, not to mention how much Wil loves having Ethan around to sword fight and x-box with...

Mom and Melissa at the NC Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores

We stayed busy and got little to no sleep, but it was time well spent. I really miss them since we have moved and it was nice to just have them here. Her birthday is Saturday and my sister her and I got her a pair of Zebra finches, which she appeared to adore. They were simply adorable and sang with us on the deck each morning. They are appropriately named Beethoven and Olivia (Newton-John). Keeping the cat from devouring them was a daunting task at times...we were so glad they made it through the week. Birds are just another way the Lord gets glory, because they are such majestic creatures (and such messy ones!!).

Old fisherman never die....

Jon took the boys out for some swimming and fun fishing in the Inter coastal Waterway. Apparently, most of what they caught were "mini-me's" for Jaws!

If you look closely you can see the Emerald Isle bridge in the background and the blood dripping from Jon's fingers from that blasted creature (for the 2nd time that day). I can already hear the boys recanting the story in their "What I did this summer" papers!

Austyn and Landon on the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island

The wind was blowing so hard on the way back that the kids had to hold on to their flip flops, literally. The view from the ferry was breath taking as we pulled into the harbor. One visit to Ocracoke and I am a fan for life. We are already planning a return trip and sought advice from the man who owns the Tradewinds Bait and Tackle on the Island about when to go and where to stay...of course we trust him, he is an NC State graduate.

Captured a moment from the car window at Silver Lake on the island.