BABY SHOWER DAY

A wonderful restful night of sleep in my own bed made a world of difference in the way I feel this morning. I always take my pillow on vacation with me, its too bad I can't take my mattress !!!
After chores and breakfast hubbie went early to teach his and daughter's Sunday School class as she is on the road back from High Point his morning.
I went in earlier than usual as I am a greeter this morning and I needed to get some flowers out for the communion table. I wore one of my vacation thrift store purchases today.

Church was good out of 1 Timothy about passing the torch to the younger generation.
After church I went straight over to d-in-love's baby shower that her mom was organizing for her.
Hubbie, #1 son and Aa came home to grill hamburgers for their lunch. Re and d-in-love followed me to the shower. While we worked getting things set up g-son and EL pretended this skate board was a boat and they were sailing.

The shower was from 1:00- 3:00, she got a lot of very nice gifts for the new baby girl.

She liked the quilt I made for my new little grand daughter.

Re and daughter looked over the gifts.

#1 son came late and helped clean up. This won't be a family of three much longer !!!

Daughter followed me home to get Tipper her dog who spent the week here so Heather could take care of her. We also went by #2 son's to get the rest of her luggage and then headed over to her house to unload the pieces of furniture she bought in Southport that were still in the back of my honda.
They will look good in her living room.
After a short visit with her and Josh who came by after mowing the lawn at his place hubbie and I made a stop at Sam's Club and Walmart for groceries and baking supplies to get back into the routine this week.
We stopped by Aa and Re new house on our way home. They have a lot of things still in boxes but things are starting to settle down for them and they are loving their new home.
I finally took off my church dress when we got home and sat down to watch the news for a little break. Both Bernie and Dolly are still suffering from being left behind and want to continually touch me when I sit down anywhere. They rest peacefully when I put my hand on them. Poor little guys.
Hubbie and I did chores and then I cut the Okra from the garden. Some of it was too hard but we have a nice amount for a meal tomorrow.
We ended the day out in the covered patio watching the mountain sunset this evening.

Thanking God for another blessing filled day and for the love He shows each of His children each day.
Good Night and God Bless.

SAFE TRAVEL DAY HOME

 After a restless night of trying to sleep it was a relief when the 7am alarm finally sounded. I guess the long wait at the restaurant that made for a late supper didn't set well with my internal clock.
#2 son and daughter were already up getting things ready to leave. They are meeting Josh and his brother and sis-in-law, Ben and Kristin in Gastonia so daughter can go to one of their nephew's birthday parties in High Point  today. They are spending the night there and coming home tomorrow morning.
They left the beach house at 8:30, #1 son's family left about 9:00 and we left shortly after. We rinsed off the Honda as we couldn't see out of the windows because of all the sea spray that blew up on it.
As I looked out over the ocean for the last time for probably a year I wondered out loud if this foggy August beach morning meant they would have a snow this winter ?

We had a very good travel morning. I drove as I am better at keeping up with traffic than hubbie.
We caught up with #2 son and daughter when we stopped to get some fresh peaches at PeeDee orchards where we usually stop.
We followed them to a Chic-fi-la where they were meeting Josh and Ben. We all had lunch together then they headed north to High Point and we headed west to the mountains.
I really like Josh's family and I think daughter is getting some great in-laws.
Another easy travel afternoon put us at home around 3:00 after making 4 stops.
We got unloaded and spent the afternoon getting things put away and playing with all our 4-legged kids who were making no bones about how much they missed us !! Even Annie , my red Aussie, who is usually really stand-offish leaned against my legs and whined for a long time just so I would rub her.
We did laundry and went to the grocery store for some things for lunch tomorrow before chore time.
After chores we went through the garden. I picked tomatoes and peppers so a salsa making day is in my near future.
I wasn't here for the first day of the month garden picture this month so I took this one today, which pretty much still looks the same as when we left.

 We came inside and had a light supper before getting some more putting away and cleaning done.
I have worked on getting all my pics downloaded and my blog posts caught up tonight, but I still have a bunch to go before I am back on time. I'll get there !!
Boy it is sure nice to be getting ready to get a hot bath and lay down in my own bed tonight.
So so grateful to our loving Lord for gracing my entire family with safe travel today as we made our way home to our beloved mountains. It is nice to go on a vacation but it is sure nice to be home !!
Good Night and God Bless.

AZOHVA

When I saw the name of this house on the rental site I wondered where in the world anyone would get a name like that.  But when I learned the meaning of the name it makes perfect sense. Seems there are three owners of this house, one from Arizona-AZ, one from Ohio-OH, and one from Virginia-VA
...........AZOHVA............. it is a really nice house, the nicest house we have ever rented for our vacation before.

After a very stormy night with high winds, heavy rains and thunder and lightening that lit up the entire world as we went to bed last night I looked around this morning for damage. I found nothing to indicate any bad weather had ever passed through so that was a good thing. I did however notice some of the shrubbery around this house is not typical for this area.
There are cacti from Arizona....

Cedar and Juniper trees filled with berries from Ohio....

and this Virginia Creeper vine  that is doing very well in this sandy soil.

Even some mountain native "Canan's Lace"....

A grape vine is growing over all the trees and bushes in the landscaping.

These little beach Morning Glories remind me how much I miss my yard and flowers.

G-son was afraid the clouds were going to keep him off the beach today.

 Daughter and I set out on our regular morning walk even under a threatening sky.

We checked out all the turtle nest and found that no baby turtles braved last night's stormy weather.
#1 son went to fish for the day on the pier hoping the clouds would hang around.
When we got back to the house we had an early lunch then headed down to the beach for our last day of ocean play.

 G-son was loving it and wore his pawpaw and his aunt T out in the rough waves.

He played alone in the shallow water and fought the waves that continually rolled him and pushed him down on the sand.

Me doing what I do best at the beach ,soaking all the sun up and watching this guy play in the waves.

About 4:00 the sky filled with clouds again and we took our canopy down and brought everything in from the beach just in time before the rain shower came.
#1 son came in from the pier and said he had caught several fish today, none of any significant size but he had fun.
We all got ready and went out for dinner. After not being able to find a parking spot at the restaurant we wanted to go to we went to a smaller one and after a long wait with a big crowd the food was not that great but it was filling.
We came back to the house and hubbie, daughter and I set out to check on the turtle nest.

They weren't hatching yet but both watcher groups at each nest thought they would hatch tonight.
The sunset was beautiful as we tried to drain every last drop of daylight from our last day of vacation.

This has been a great week, restful, family filled and fun filled.

As we packed tonight and got our Honda and #2 son's jeep filled to see what we needed in each vehicle I felt a little sad that it is over but I will be glad to get home and back in my normal routine.
We have a lot to look forward to this next year before we make a return trip on summer vacation next year.
I am truly grateful to God for the blessed week He has allowed us and pray tonight for His traveling mercies for each of us tomorrow as we head back into the mountains.
Good Night and God Bless

DAY FIVE, A WINDY BEACH DAY

I thought it was going to be a cloudy day the first time I looked out the window this morning as I rolled out of bed. The bed here is not what I am used to but my back hasn't bothered me like some other times on a different mattress.
By the time I got dressed and ready for the day the clouds were totally and the sun was already hot.
Hubbie, daughter, #2 son and I had our regular breakfast meeting on the front porch.
After we ate #1 son's family was getting up and having breakfast.
Hubbie, daughter and I made a run to the store for some supplies.
Everyone except d-in-love headed to the beach when we got back. She got a pretty bad sunburn yesterday and is staying inside today.
She is going to try to get the virus off my old laptop so hubbie can use it.
#2 son went walking this morning and found a new turtle nest that looks ready to hatch, he took us to see where I was.

The waves were very rough again today and not much fun to be out there in but g-son had his uncle , dad and pawpaw to help him.

G-son loves to be in the ocean even if the waves knock him down lots of times...

Daughter and I walked and checked on the turtle nest that are marked ready to hatch. We found out the nest we walked to check out yesterday at Fort Caswell hatched last night. There is one right down the beach from our house that is due next. It would be great to see this twice while we are here and wonderful for g-son to get to see it.
After lunch the wind got so high that it was hard to even sit on the beach. We thought it was going to blow our canopy away so we put extra sandbags on the legs and it held.

Both sons were going to the pier to fish but that changed in the heat and high winds.
This was a nice relaxing day for everyone. We washed our chairs and all the toys as the weather forecast is calling for rain tomorrow so we don't know if we will get back out on the beach or not.
At least we got some of the salt and sand off some things and in this wind it was the perfect drying time.
#1 son's family went out to the store and brought their supper back. The rest of us scrounged through our left overs for our supper tonight. No one was overly hungry so this was a good time to get rid of some things in the frig.
As the clouds grew darker out over the ocean I gathered all the dried things off the porch and put them inside.
Daughter , hubbie and I went down the beach and checked on the turtle nest. The "turtle watch" person was there tending the nest trying to keep the drifting sand from getting too deep over the eggs.
She said the weather might play havoc with this nest as the sand drifts and the high winds would not be a good combination for these little ones.
As we walked back to the house the rain started and daughter and I got wet for the third time this week !!
The shower of light rain quickly passed and the skies cleared but the wind still was really blowing.
Word from home is that we got 1/2inch of  rain today which will help things hold on until good rain comes.
All the kids went to the movies this evening leaving g-son here with hubbie and I for a nice quiet evening.
I am sitting at the table looking out over a dangerous looking ocean as the waves are white capping all the way to the horizon.

Over the sound lightening flashed under these threatening clouds.

As another day of vacation comes to an end I praise God for all the blessings that He showered down on us this day.
Good Night and God Bless