Finally... the Big Trip

So, I'm finally sitting down to give the highlights and lowlights of our 10 day trip back east toa North Carolina and Washington DC.  First some background - We flew out to Raleigh-Durham, NC and then drove 3 1/2 hours to Asheville for the wedding of a good college friend.  We stayed in a house with good friends and celebrated the wedding over many days.  We then drove the 9 hour drive (or so) up to DC taking the Blue Ridge Parkway and cutting up through the western parts of NC and Virginia.  Having lived in DC for 5 years, it was really nice to be back and see all the familiar streets and landmarks.  My brother, his lovely wife and my niece graciously hosted all 4 of us at their house in Rockville.  It was exhausting having all the kids in one house but we did lots of fun things.  We spent our last day out east with more good friends in Alexandria.  They are leaving shortly for a couple years in Colombia so it was wonderful to catch up with them.  Then we flew home on a SUPER long flight or so it seemed.

Highlights

• North Carolina is an absolutely GORGEOUS place.   
  
• The wedding was outdoors and both bride and location were especially lovely.
• Sarah was a complete success as a flower girl for both rehearsal and 
  wedding.  Her new friend Sam also did a fantastic job as ring bearer.
• Sarah made lots of new friends (4 dogs, 2 younger girls and one younger boy).
• Sarah did karaoke at the wedding - where there was no karaoke set up.  She got a hold of the mic and found out how to turn it on.  Unchained Melody has never sounded better.
  
• Will found freedom - walking almost everywhere and loving the open fields.
  
• Sarah watching butterflies at Brookside Gardens and putting her arm out hoping that one would land on her.
  
• Taking Sarah and Will to see a couple monuments and Sarah liking the huge winged horse on Memorial Bridge better than anything else.
  
• Sarah having a wonderful time with her cousin Sofia running around their house, playing silly games.
  
• Sofia sharing her room with Sarah which was pretty funny and worked about half the time.  The other half - they would stay up talking and it was funny to listen to.
• Will falling in love with Hawkeye - a German Shepherd mix who was about 3 or 4 times his size.  He even learned to say Cock-eye.
  
• Watching my brother, all 3 kids and both of his dogs race up and down this grassy area near their house.   Best part was Andy telling BJ (the smaller dog) to go run, not realizing that Sarah was still holding tight to the leash.  She flew a tiny bit and hit the ground in shock.  We're just glad it was BJ and not Hawkeye.
  
• Will getting mad about having to get off a carousel at Wheaton Park and getting mad whenever we walked away from something really fun. It was hilarious.
  
• Sarah playing with Victoria and having a delicious huge brunch with Greg and Adry.
  
• Sharing a house in NC with Kathleen, Matt and Bethany, and Julie, Buster and Ruby.
  
• Drinking one night while watching the silliest Japanese TV on YouTube with Julie (the only one on Eastern time) falling asleep.
  
• Convincing Sarah to like Ruby the dog for the sole reason that Ruby had a pink polka dot collar on.  It worked like a charm!
  
• Realizing that you can pick up with old friends right where you left off.  I think that's just a sign of a true friend.
• Mastering both a 3 1/2 year old going to the bathroom on the plane AND changing a diaper on the plane.  It's interesting what type of small victories you celebrate with young children.
• Cracker Barrel

Lowlights

• Long plane rides and Will refusing to sleep much on them.
  
• SUPER long car ride and having to stop completely for meals because Will couldn't sit still for that long in his car seat.
  
• Long trip - a bit too long for 2 kids under 4 but they were troopers.
  
• Realizing how far away family and friends are.
• Andy has discovered the G4 channel and Ninja Warrior thanks to my brother.