labor day in raleigh

awesome park in raleigh

waiting to ride the almost 100 yr old carousel

feeding the ducks

waiting for the train ride

enjoying the picnic we brought

LOVING dessert!

the park is exhausting!

sister time! we escaped and saw the movie "julie and julia"

susanna wishing she could go

off they go...canoeing on the neuse river

dinner outside on a beautiful night

time to play some basketball

and get filthy with sidewalk chalk

concentrating on our cutthroat game of HORSE

our version of the slam dunk contest

last lunch at a pizzeria before we head out of town

dave opening his b'day present - wii ski game

adorable ice cream place downtown for dessert

how cute are those saddles?

holding the shaw's hamster, sunny

sleeping on the way back to charleston

my sister and her fam moved to raleigh (actually wake forest, right outside of raleigh) in late june and we got to make our first trip there this past weekend for labor day! it is a short 4 1/2 hr drive. we had such a wonderful weekend!! their house is absolutely gorgeous with an awesome backyard and amazing screened porch. we played like crazy the whole time we were there. we went to pullen park in raleigh on sat and spent the day enjoying the carousel, train ride, playgrounds, feeding the ducks and finished it off with a picnic in the shade. that night, we had mexcian and then my sis and i got to have some sister time and went to see the movie "julie and julia", which was soooo good. i laughed like crazy. thank you to dave and john for taking care of the kids so we could do that! on sunday, we got up and went to early church so the big kids and daddies could get to the the river on time for their canoe trip. we had delicious north carolina bbq from a shack by the river before they left. we grilled steaks for dinner and enjoyed eating outside on a beautiful night. after dinner, the adults had a competitive game of HORSE (i went out first) and then a slam dunk contest for the boys. we watched a movie after all the kids went to sleep. our version of a double date when you have 5 kids :) we woke up to rain monday so we went to their little downtown and had a delicious lunch at a pizzeria and then went to "a la mode" ice cream shop for ice cream and gelato. we then had to say our goodbyes and head back to charleston :( we made lots of sweet memories and can't wait to come back again very soon!!!