North Carolina

We recently returned from this summer's trip to North Carolina. This year, we timed it with the big Rawls family reunion. As always, it was great seeing everyone. Some highlights:

• my mom and Bruce's beautiful, bountiful garden. Anya got to help pick corn and we had a delicious corn feast for lunch.
• Bonding and lots of play time for Anya and her cousin, Alivia
• Visiting with my high school best friend, Erin, and her family. We don't get to talk all that often, but I still think she's just as awesome as always.
• All the wonderful meals we prepared as a group at dad and Angie's house. One of my favorite things is group cooking/eating.
• Anya had a great time in the mountains, looking for newts, playing with the dogs, swinging on the rope swing, and generally running amok outside. She got to meet her 6 year old cousin (Angie's nephew's daughter), Emogen (I think that's spelled right), and those two were inseparable for 3-1/2 days.
• Anya also caught her first non-trout farm fish...a full sized blue gill at Fawn lake.
• Relaxing and hanging out with my family, whom I miss and wish I could see much more often. Thank you, Don, Koby, and Alivia as well as dad and Angie for putting us up.

Anya and Grandpa B shuck the freshly picked corn

 playing with tadpoles at John & Nancy's house during the big family reunion

 climbing the rhodendron tree at dad and Angie's with Emogen

 fishing with my dad at Fawn Lake. 

 Buster and one of his precious rocks. 

 the neighbors' rope swing. This got lots of use all-around. I want one. 

 Anya and Alivia posing for the camera

 Rawls family group pic. 

 Grangie and Anya's cousin, Daniel

newt!