Vacation

Do you remember when friends used to invite you over for dinner and then relive every minute of their vacation via a slide show (or photo album) with you as a captive audience? 'Fess up. How many of you hated it? Too bad. 'Cause now we have BLOGS. Now you get to see the vacation pictures with no meal! I just got home from my vacation last night - so sit back, peeps - or sign off - your choice - here come the pictures.



I went home to North Carolina on July 2nd with my daughter, Lori, and her family for what was to be a "working" vacation for me. The intended purpose of my visit was to make a wedding gown for my firstborn granddaughter, Mallory. We journeyed to Raleigh the first day I was there to buy a pattern and fabric. After shopping most of the day and not finding exactly what we were looking for, we decided it might help me have a better idea of how I could modify patterns and what weight and texture fabric Mallory preferred if we went to a bridal shoppe and she modeled dresses for me that she liked.

After a little searching in an unfamiliar city, we finally located a large bridal shoppe. Mal tried on four dresses we selected as our favorite styles from the catalog but none met all her expectations. Then the bridal consultant helping us asked if she could bring a dress she thought would look nice on Mallory. As soon as Mal came out of the dressing room in that gown, her mother and I both knew - this was THE gown. The dress suited her perfectly and was beautiful on her but I think the expression on her face was our biggest clue. The smile never left her lips the entire time she had the dress on and just grew bigger and bigger with every passing second.

I have been a long-distance grandmother to Mallory most of her life. She has grown up as an "Air Force brat" (though she has NEVER been a brat) and has only lived within a hundred mile radius of us for one brief three year period of her life. What an incredibly inexpressible delight it was for me to have the very great privilege of sharing in such a special moment with her!

When Mallory bought a wedding gown my "working" vacation became instantly more leisurely. We decided I would make her veil and hand sew a beaded edging around it. Fun - Fun - FUN!!

Lori had a three day faculty retreat at the beach while I was visiting and on Friday Dennis, Maggie, Colton and I traveled to pick her up and spent the day at the shore. Here's Maggie and her "friend", Colton. What a sweetheart! Isn't he a cutie? I love having the opportunity to get to know the grandchildren's friends! Colton's a committed Christian and talented musician ... just like our Maggie. What's not to like! They're a fun pair.

None of us were feeling particularly crabby that day, but this little fella' paid us a visit anyway. He scampered right up under our tent between our chairs on his way to the dunes.

Sunday was my birthday and we had a scrumpdillyicious lunch at Red Lobster. (Lori, me, Mike, Mallory, Maggie, and Dennis)

Mallory loves to doodle caricatures of people - and she's very talented at it. Here's the one she did of me for my birthday. I love it (and am now using it as my profile picture on facebook)!

Would a trip to Greenville be complete without a picture with the ECU pirate?

Just wanted you to see what a great job my sweet hubby did of keeping my flowers watered while I was away. It was NOT his favorite task. Doesn't that make the fact that he did it so well even sweeter??

The Backeyed Susan's were barely budded when I left. The daisies had just begun to bloom and now they already need deadheading. What fun to come home to pretty blossoms!