It was SUCH a good day!  I knew it was going to be good weather and that I should get the kids out of the house and walking but by the time the boys got off the bus I was NOT motivated.

I am so glad I went.

Here are all the reasons why:

One, all the leaves were full, full, full of color, and the light shining through was so pretty

Two, Eti asked if he could lead, because he said, and I quote, "I really want to get us lost".

Three, Jeff held my hand.

Four, the elderly man who lives two houses down, who I have been trying to "thaw", smiled and talked to us, and even brought his dog over and let us pet the dog today.  All this after five years of me smiling, waving, and saying hi and him ignoring us.  I know he is a widower and is "hibernating" since her death.  How wonderful this interaction today!

Five, Eti led us to the little country market a few blocks over.  I have been wanting to check it out since we moved here, inside I found...brace yourself, PENNY CANDY.  The elderly lady who has been running the store corrected me, it has gone up in price in the 45 years she has been there it is now 2 cents!  A row of candies behind her that the kids can look forward to picking out and have some of the memories I had growing up. 

We had decided last year when I first booked the wedding in Norfolk to have our family vacation in the Outer Banks N.C. since it was only a few hours away.

We found a great house that was perfect for us, and this time around we invited my parents to come with us, we have never been on vacation with them before and really wanted the kids to have  memories with them like we do with Steve's parents.

On one of the first days there we took the ferry over to Ocracoke island.

My favorite coffee shop on the island has a wall with magnets all over it and you can make up poems and quotes, above is the existential quote/poem that evolved after letting all the children add their own words.

There is an old old house (now a museum) on the island where many of the things are preserved and you can walk through the rooms and see what it was like on the island many years ago.

Steve was reading my blog and when he got to these pictures I found him fake sleeping in the most dramatic fashion with his arms hanging down at his sides and his face on the key board and I think there was drool.  I guess country cottage pictures, just aren't his thing.

This pattern is called the Ocracoke pattern, one of the inside stripes is always red.  It was most popular on the island during the 30's and the 40's.

I love the colors, even the pot holder was cool, it reminded me of something you would find in Anthropology today!

Eti looking for fish out on the small pier

My first introduction to a passion flower.

I had to talk Steve out of buying these foam Wright Brothers' flight goggles! 

I was squinting through the viewfinder trying to get a shot of this lighthouse when Steve decided to be funny..maybe he was paying me back for not buying him the glasses.

Steve's idea for the light house shot.

Steve and his boys.

My Jeff, this is a sweet shot for me,  after I took it, we walked along and looked for shells together and he talked to me about all the adventures he has on the playground at school, during recess.

My mom walking with Coco

Hatteras lighthouse taken late that same night.  It is HUGE, the tallest brick lighthouse in the world.

Jeff took this shot of Steve and I, we are standing out on our little deck.

This weekend was a little get together with my family and it was at my brother Joel's house, he was showing me a collection of old books he has.  Among them I found the Bible my mom used when we were all little.  Joel would not part with it but I did copy out some of the notes she had written in the cover they inspired me thinking that they inspired her when she had six little ones running around.

"An excellent disciple of a singular master"

"We cannot change our hearts; that is the exclusive work of the holy spirit.  But we can and must avail ourselves of the means He uses."  -Jerry bridges.

Titus 1:1

 ^"Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness"  Next to this she had written " My job description/my kids"

One more thing, something Steve's dad said last night, Spurgeon started his sermons with "O, Lord have mercy on me a sinner", so humbling and beautiful. I have thought about it all day.