Napping

A Flight and Two Festivals

Hello from North Carolina! Jimmy, Sadie, and I flew into Norfolk, VA yesterday afternoon. My parents picked us up from the airport and we drove to the Outer Banks to stay at their house near the beach!

Mom holding hands with toddler

Sadie did well on the flight, although she was super excited haha. I got over my fear of flying this year because flying 50 minutes to Virginia and then driving 1.5 hours to NC beats a nine hour drive from Pittsburgh to NC 😬

Once we got into town we ordered dinner and relaxed for the evening. We also made it down to the beach!

Husband and wife on beach in Kill Devil Hills, NCGrandpa with toddler on the beach in Outer Banks, NC

Today we went to two festivals! The first was KidsFest at Roanoke Island Festival Park. On the drive over, Sadie was asking what the park looked like and I told her that she had technically been there before when I was pregnant with her. She thought that was pretty neat 😊

We had such a fun time walking around KidsFest. It was geared towards children Sadie’s age and everything was totally free. She went on a school bus, played doctor with a stuffed sea turtle, made a boat, did crafts, played with sidewalk chalk, completed an obstacle course, explored a Coast Guard boat, and so much more.

Playing doctor with a stuffed sea turtle at KidsfestMom and daughter on school bus looking out windowMom and daughter at Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo, NC

We had such a good time that we all ended up napping once we got home! I sat on the couch intending to read a bit of this book but zonked out for an hour(!).

Jimmy and Sadie started watching Sonic the Hedgehog and ended up like this…

Dad and toddler sleeping on couch together

The second festival we went to was the OBX Rod & Custom Festival. Jimmy was super excited to see all the hot rods and cool cars, so we stopped by! Sadie ended up dancing to the live music and we all had a blast.

OBX Rod & Custom Festival Cars

We had a really nice day weather-wise, too. I think it hit 80 degrees and it was sunny most of the day! I walked on the beach for a little and I’m pretty sure I got sunburnt 🥴

Outer Banks Beach in Kill Devil Hills, NC

That brings us to now! We just had dinner and are relaxing. It has been nice to have a break and spend uninterrupted time with my parents! I’m looking forward to spending Mother’s Day here. It’s such a special place for us ❤️

Restful

We had a fairly restful weekend over here. Case in point: Jimmy and Niva shared a blanket on the couch for a little snooze one afternoon.

Husky sleeping on couch with blanket

I had come up from our basement and saw them laying together and thought it was adorable that they were sharing a blanket.

I also found Malcolm doing some sunbathing in the kitchen.

Black cat laying in sun

Sadie got in on the restful weekend when we pushed the couches together to watch TV one morning. TV first thing in the morning was a major treat for her!

Hopefully she doesn’t expect it every morning now 😉

Dad and toddler watching TV with couches pushed together

I did some reading. I started this book and it has been very interesting. There’s a lot I didn’t know about the brain, especially how a child’s brain develops and can be nurtured.

I’ve begun implementing a few of the strategies included in the book when Sadie is upset and they have worked very well!

The Whole Brain Child book

I helped Jimmy in the church sound booth on Sunday morning and got to hear my dad teach a lesson on money in the church. What a difficult topic to cover, but also very important.

My brother-in-law, Josh, preached in the evening and while I was teaching a class, I heard he did a great job. I’m looking forward to catching up on his sermon via Facebook!

Man preaching at church

Other weekend happenings:

  • A few Starbucks dates with Jimmy, Sadia, and Niva
  • We went to a dessert get-together at my sister-in-law’s house
  • Did some cleaning and real estate work catch up

A few of my favorite Bible verses on the topic of rest:

  • “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
  • And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
  • He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Tell me about your weekend!