Laura's Birthday Milestone

This year of the milestone birthday..... and it was the best birthday yet!

Nick did a wonderful job of making my birthday extra special... and for the first time that I can remember, he planned an entire weekend.... from start to finish..... I had no clue as to any of the plans. It was hard not to be the one in control of our planning, but felt nice to not to have to make any decisions. Nick has proved capable of planning, so maybe he can get some more changes for that in the future :)

We started out the celebration with this view of downtown Raleigh.....

How fun! Nick arranged a surprise birthday dinner with some of my best girlfriends and their hubbys at Dos Taquitos, which was in walking distance of this condo where we stayed the night. I loved getting to walk to and from dinner and enjoy the downtown life for a night. The view was so cool, but also made Raleigh look so small.

Though we had to go to work the next day...it was just one day before a long weekend away, so it wasn't so bad. I didn't find out where we were going until we were packed and in the car. Camille got to spend the long weekend with Nick's parents and my mom, while we headed to Oriental/Minnesott Beach. Jeannine & Mitch were nice enough to let us use their condo. What a great place to relax and enjoy the quiet!

We spent most days in Oriental, but did make a birthday evening trip to New Bern and then Beaufort the next day. We ate at some amazing restaurants.... Persimmons, Beaufort Grocery Co, and Baker's Kitchen to name a few. 

I even got to try a new adventure from my bucket list.... paddleboarding! It wasn't too hard and was a great workout!

And as if I hadn't had enough birthday surprises, Nick got me an iPad too! I am now obsessed!! 

So all in all an amazing weekend..... some great views, and most important... relaxation!

I did miss Camille... plus, she wanted to get in on some of the birthday celebrating.... so when we got home, we had a picnic dinner in the park, complete with cupcakes and all. 

Glad to be back home, but very thankful for an attentive husband who loves to give me a break every now and then :) 

Summer Visits

We are always on the go it seems.... but with that comes exciting adventures :)

Some recent visits in July included a day trip to Greenville, NC to visit my childhood friend Stephanie and her new baby girl, Eva Marie. Camille and I enjoyed meeting Eva and seeing that full head of hair in person! I got some good snuggle time with Eva, though Camille seemed to enjoy Brooks' (Stephanie's husband) company most. 

And here is sweet Eva sporting her new NCSU hat from us.

We also got a visit from Dad and the gang in July. Here are all the kids and grandkids. (Yes, it is hard to get Elizabeth out of my arms.)

I ventured to Myrtle Beach at the end of July for a much needed girls weekend. Here are all of the MCG's (Meredith College Girls) in action. We had such a great time catching up!! 

We also headed to the big city of Fuquay Varina for Haley's 1st Birthday.

And to think, we even found time to head to Buffalo Lake for a day on the water with The Gardner's!