We just returned from our annual trip to Isle of Palms with the Boone gang. This year we missed Lance and Nicole due to their new baby girl's arrival being immenent, but added Lynn and Abby along with the regulars of Todd and Jess, and Jasyn and Corrie. What a different experience with EVERYONE having kids! It was great to hang out with everyone, eat awesome food, have fancy drinks, and relax on the beach. The kids did great and Carter loved playing with Lucy, Lynn and Abby's 2 1/2 year old. Gracen kind of did her almost two year old thing, playing on her own, and not wanting share with anyone. (what is up with the terrible twos anyway?)
Mostly it was just fun hanging with good friends in a beautiful place. The boys (the big ones) caught both some surf during the day and some crabs in a night stealth mission. Carter loved "surfing" on his boogie board and played in the water most of the time. It was great finally being at the beach when none of my children were eating the sand and could just run around and play. It just makes me even more excited for next year's trip!

McWhirter Family Reunion

Back towards the end of July we met Amy's family for the annual McWhirter get together. This year it was at Natural Tunnel State Park in Virginia only about 30 minutes from Kingsport. We had a great time visiting with everyone and spent a ton of time in the pool. It was pretty hot while we were there but the pool was right next to the lodge we were staying in. In fact we even had our own little back gate to access the pool. Carter's swimming progressed exponentially during our time there to the culmination of jumping off the diving board all by himself and on the last day even swimming to the side unassisted.

Carter really enjoyed playing with his cousins Ethan and Ellie the whole time. He also really liked hanging out with the bigger cousins especially his cousin April.

Todd and the twins spent a night with us after the reunion back in Boone. Gracen is still putting things on her head and saying "hat" (a game with her silly Uncle Todd). We got to hang out at the pond together where Ethan and Ellie both got to real in a couple of bass.

Our hike down to the Natural Tunnel.

Carter going for it.

Carter's Swim Lessons

Carter has finished and passed his level one swim lessons. Yeah!!!!!! He took level one last summer and was set to take them a second time last summer when he refused to keep going. We let him make that choice last year and were a little apprehensive about this year. This year has been a completely different story. He has been excited to be there every night and just since last week when we were allowed to watch to this week he has made huge improvements. Here is some of the action at his last lesson.

Enjoying our Mountains...

We've been back for a couple of weeks now and have been making it a point to remind ourselves why we love where we live. Hiking around Price Lake.

Hiking the Boone Fork Trail

























Playing at Papa's.


















Fishing and canoeing at Papa's

Climbing along the parkway.

Another Hiatt Road Trip

Right after school we took off for our Summer road trip. We drove down to Kingsport and spent the night with Amy's folks before hitting one of the bigger driving days to Belleville, Illinois just outside of St. Louis where Amy's Godparents live. Next it was off to Mizzou to spend some time visiting with Russ's aunts, uncles, and cousins.





















Amy and kids with Aunt Elaine and Uncle Wayne






Lunch with cousins, aunts, and uncles in downtown Kansas City.











Down on the farm in Kansas

























Next it was off to Colorado and Utah to visit more family and friends.


A typical morning on the road with the Hiatts somewhere across Kansas, quickly followed by the picture below.


















A hike to Rainbow Lake above Frisco, Colorado.

















Hiking with our friend Hannah and her son Kai above the Reudi Resevoir and the Frying Pan River.
















Our morning in Arches National Park on the way to Grandma Coates' house.










Grandma Coates and Chooch.

























Our train ride on the Front Runner from Ogden to Salt Lake City.














Nana and Carter in front of the Front Runner. Carter and Nanna also had an exciting day out at the movies to go see Kung Fu Panda.

















Hill Air Force Base Aircraft Museum.









Uncle Ryan and Chooch on our hike up Malan's Peak overlooking Ogden.






















Our hike up Mt. Royal in Frisco the second time.

























The kids with cousins Ethan and Ellie at the Denver Childrens Museum.


























Carter and Gracen at the Great Arch the gateway home for us.

A Flashback to Easter and Spring Break

Nana and Uncle Ryan flew out to Raleigh where we met them along with Aunt Kristi and Uncle Kevin. We rented a beach house in Wilmington for the weekend. It was a gorgeous place on the intercoastal waterway side of theWrighteville Beach. It had its own personal dock which was rather convenient for using Kevin and Kristi's new sea kayak. We had a fun Easter with some great seafood dinners out. Then we all headed back home. Nana and Uncle Ryan came up to Boone for a few days before having to head back home. All in all a very relaxing week.