A few weeks ago our really good friends from Oklahoma Stefanie and Jeremy and their kiddos Braeden and Lydia, came to visit us for a week. We haven't all been together since we moved from OK over a year ago. We were so excited to have the coming to see us, I have missed my girl Stef. We were always hanging out and spending time together when we lived in OK, so it was nice to have her here for a week and get to catch up.
They flew into the Raleigh Airport, so after we picked them up we headed to get some dinner. These kids were best of friends and even though they haven't seen each other in a year, they picked up just like they hadn't had anytime apart....just like real friends do.
So as anyone who comes to visit we always have plenty of time for the pool... Katie and Lydia taking a snack break.
We headed over to the beach in the evening on the first day they were hear. Braeden and Lydia have never been to a beach that has "warm" ocean water so they were excited to see it and feel it. They all took off running when they hit the sand.
After the beach we headed over to the pier to check out what everyone was catching. On the way back to the car I caught Braeden and Bree holding hands and walking. My heart melted...nothing like a stroll with a friend. :)
We had a couple of days at the beach. Lydia digging in the sand.
Stef and Braeden...hanging out
Jeremy was the skilled sand castle builder so all the kids wanted him to help build a castle...but attention spans shortly kicked in and they were off doing other things. :)
About mid way through the week we had to throw a little excitement into the week. Stef and I had Bree and Lydia at the pool. They were playing and jumping off the side. Well, Bree decided last minute to turn her forward jump into a backwards cannon ball. Two seconds later there was screaming and lots of blood. She hit her chin on the side of the pool. SO...Chris and I spent over 6 hours at the ER getting her stitched up. 5 stitches in her little chin. She was on tough cookie though. She didn't cry one tear when they numbed her or did the stitches. She laid really still. The ER doctor kept telling her she was better than most adults who get stitches.
We headed to Wilmington one day to check out the Children's Museum. B and B were trying to figure out how to get the cannon to work (it shoots out tennis balls)....no luck on this day must have been broken.
Our little engineer in the making....she kept trying to figure out the best way to stack all the cups as high as she could without them falling over.
Future Scientist
Taken a break to do some art
Cookin' in the kitchen....it's always more fun to cook with your best friend.
After the Children's Museum, Jeremy took Braeden and Katie over to tour the Battleship. Stef and I took Bree and Lydia out for ice cream and then back home. But Jeremy said they had a blast and snapped a few photos.
B and K outside the Battleship
Taking down the enemies!!!
Checking out were they would sleep.
And Jeremy introduced Katie to her first sailor....I told him she was a little young to me talking to sailors. :)
Another day we went out in search of some dolphins. We took a boat tour down the intercoastal .
Relaxing with a friend
Chris and Lydia having some boat conversation.
Two of my favorite people...They are our family. :)
Keeping her eye out for some dolphins
We saw some out infront of us....all the kids were clapping and making noise to hopefully get them to come closer
There were six dolphins swimming all around us. A couple of them were babies. They never came up to the boat but they got pretty close. It was hard to get a photo as they were up and down in no time. The kids and adults were beyond thrilled to have seen them. Such cool animals.
Me and my bestie.... love her!
After a fun filled week it was time to head back to the airport :( We decided to make a day out of our Raleigh trip, so we stopped off at one of the museums (don't remember the name...something about science and nature). Had to get one more photo op with these two cuties.
My girls....always with the silly poses. :)
The museum was really neat, not only because it was free but it had lots of amazing stuff to look at. Here is a picture of one of the many skeletons they had hanging from the roof. This is a skeleton of a whale...pretty incredible on how BIG it was. I was just hoping it was very secure it what was holding it up.
The big ole dinosaur...Chris and Katie look so small next too it.
We finished killing time at the museum and then had to head back to the airport to drop them off. The week flew by and it was sad to see them go. I had tears in my eyes as we said good by to them. It was just like saying good by over a year ago. BUT I am truly thankful for the we got to spend with them and hopefully soon we can head to OK to see them and all of our wonderful friends we left behind there as well.
