North Carolina trip

My great Auny Rinky was thrown a huge 85th Bday party/family reunion in North Carolina so I woke up at 3:30 AM to catch a flight. If you know Rinky you know she's worth any amount of trouble to spend time with her. She's funny and sassy and eternally young at heart.

Rinky and Me

It was great getting to see all my (great) aunts and uncles, cousins and of course my favorite man, besides J, my Grandpa J. I don't get to see him enough and loved that we had some time to see each other and talk face to face. Telephones just don't do him justice.

 love you Grandpa!

 with my aunt and her fabu fam

I snuck a candid shot before the group family picture was taken. This was only about half of the party that gathered for dinner and a toast to Rinky. My mom prepared a DVD of her old 8mm footage of her and the family taken from '55-'61. It was neat getting to see everyone so young.

The view from our hotel overlooked a shopping center with a boardwalk. Not to shabby, eh?

As soon as we got to town I was craving BBQ and this place did not disappoint. I even got called Maam. Maybe I miss the south a smidge.

My sis and cuz going for a paddle boat ride.

Mom and I had an eventful paddle boat ride. We circled the spraying fountain and just as we were rounding the last corner the wind shifted and the fountain lurched in the water effectively spraying and soaking us. I have to admit it felt good (did I mention the humidity was in full force) though I was soggy for the next couple of hours while we shopped the local stores.

Beautiful boat companions....

until they started stalking us...

gettingthisclose to us. 

They thought were had or were food and followed us for quite a bit.

 The view from the airplane on my way home before the storm hit. We were actually above the lightening which was fascinating to watch. After landing and getting on our interstate the storm continued. There was lightening, huge gales of wind that tossed my Saturn around the lanes and torrential rain that was near blinding. Most drivers pulled over to the shoulder but I was on a mission to get home. I learned from this trip that that urgency to head straight home is genetic from my Grandmother's side of the family so I'm keeping it alive. 

It was a good trip. I loved seeing my small, not-often-seen, wonderful family BUT I'm glad to be home too.