Thanksgiving at the Farm

This year Nick and I were able to spend part of Thanksgiving day on my grandparents farm in Walburg, NC.  They purchased the land and built their house when I was young and we have so many great memories of the farm.  Over the years Papa and Grams have had cows, sheep, a donkey, chickens and a rooster among other things!  My cousins, Laurie and I loved swimming in the creek, climbing up in the hayloft in the barn, and hiking all over the 27 acres.

A few of the sheep-  over the years we have been able to hold the baby lambs in the spring-  so cool!

All four of the cousins (and hubbys) were able to make it this year which was so much fun! 

Sister and their babies-  Anna and Copeland

We were also able to celebrate Papa's 80th birthday that day! 

After lunch the guys challenged each other to what is becoming a new tradition- racing down the long driveway on scooters.  Here are their game faces-

nice game face Pat

 I actually got a few pictures of Nick and I- thanks Blair!

I love this next one-  all four cousins and our husbands! We have so much to be thankful for- I am so thankful for family and our relationships.  Love yall so much!

Neuse River Trail

One great thing about where we live in Raleigh is the new Neuse River Trail that opened up right after we moved.  Right now it's about 7 miles long, but it will eventually connect to other greenways throughout the city.  It is a beautiful, smooth trail that follows the Neuse River.  We love running there and riding our bikes.  And the best part is that it's just a few minutes from our apartment. 

Fall Weekend in the NRV

A few weeks ago, Nick and I headed back to VA for a wedding.  Nick's lifetime friend Matt got married in Roanoke, and we decided to make a long weekend out of it.  We stayed in a B&B and enjoyed exploring the mountain town.  On Saturday morning we drove to the top of Mill Mountain, which has a few trails and a great overlook.  It was a perfect fall day and a beautiful view!  The wedding was great and we are so happy for Matt and Allison! (sadly I did not take any pictures at the wedding). 

the Roanoke star on top of Mill Mountain

Saturday night after the wedding we made the drive to Blacksburg for the night.  We couldn't be in VA and not make a stop to see some great friends while we were there.  It was so nice to be back in the quaint college town and even more wonderful to catch up with friends.  Sunday on our way out of town, we stopped for a relaxing lunch at Chateau Morrisette which is a vineyard and restaurant off the Blue Ridge Parkway.  If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend it!  The food was amazing and the wine was good too.

We loved spending time with the Boleys and Whiteds who we really miss! We have to make that happen again soon!

the guys

the girls

all of us!

NC State Fair

Up until a few weeks ago, I had never been to the state fair.  I know, its crowded, overpriced and full of greasy food but it seems like a shame to live (almost) your whole life in NC and not visit the fair.  Now that we live in Raleigh, it seemed like the perfect time to go.  On Thursdays you could get in for free with a canned food donation so of course we took advantage of that! 

You can find almost anything deep fried at the fair-  candy bars, oreos, mac and cheese, even kool-aid and bubble gum.  

We didn't ride any rides, or play any games (seriously what would you do with something this large??) but just enjoyed walking around and people watching. 

 We did our fair (ha) share of eating and our favorites were the corn dogs and fried oreos-  they were amazing actually.  Good thing we did lots of walking too.  We are thankful to spend time with good friends!

Oriental, NC

A couple of weekends ago, Nick planed a surprise weekend getaway to celebrate my birthday!  The last few months have been so crazy and a night away was just the thing we needed.  Nick was able to keep it a surprise until the day before we left.  He booked a room at a the Cartwright House Bed and Breakfast in Oriental, NC. We had driven through Oriental a few years ago and loved it.  It is a sleepy little harbor town on the coast of North Carolina with about 800 residents.  You can walk or bike everywhere and it is perfectly charming.  

Our B&B was over a hundred years old.  When we got there on Friday night, the owners had drinks ready for happy hour on the porch.  We were able to walk a few short blocks to dinner.  Life is was so much slower there! 

 From our room (on the top floor) you could see the Neuse River and all over town.

The owners recommended that we watch the sunrise over the water in the morning.  I am so glad we got up for it.  We set our alarms and when they went off, Nick looked out the window and saw the faintest little bit of light.  He yelled out "IT'S HAPPENING!" and jumped out of bed!  Haha-  turns out a sunrise happens pretty slowly, so we didn't miss anything! We grabbed some coffee and walked town to the park on the water.  The sunrise was amazingly beautiful.   It was an awesome way to start the day.  

After a delicious breakfast, we took our bikes out to explore around town.  We rode along the harbor, stopped at an art shop and had a mimosa, and dropped in a few antique shops.  It is so much fun to explore a new place.

Although it was just one night away, it felt like we had gone on a long vacation- such a fun weekend!

The Big Day

Laurie and I spent her last night as a single lady together (Nick stayed with the guys).  We woke up bright and early to pick up her flowers from the farmers market in downtown Greensboro.  I love this idea so so much.  There is a sweet lady, Shirley and her mom who grow all the flowers and sell them there every Saturday.  I love that they were local and so fresh.  They were beautiful and just the look Laurie was going for.

Laurie worked so hard to plan every last detail and it really showed.  Everyone worked really hard on Saturday to pull off her vision.  Even the groom and groomsmen got in on the flower arranging- cute!

The bridesmaids worked hard inside to make all the bouquets, boutonnieres and table arrangements.

Finally it was time to get ready!  Here is where my picture taking stopped because I wanted to focus on the bride! But, I stole a few from Sara and I know the photographer did an awesome job.  Laurie was a stunning bride and was glowing all day!  Isn't she radiant?

The day could not have been more perfect!  We are so happy for the newlyweds!  Love you both so much!

Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal and dinner took place on Friday night at the Groom Inn.  It was a beautiful evening-

The Furrs worked so hard on setting everything up for dinner.  It seriously looked like something out of a magazine!  They strung up all those little lights, which were amazing once it was dark.

Friends practicing music for the big day-  this is where it started to get real for me!  I overheard them playing Cannon in D and teared up a bit!  (no surprise that I didn't stop all weekend)

Laurie and Pat's friends gave the sweetest toasts and it was such a great way to celebrate their love and relationship.

the happy couple

sisters

staying warm by the heater

And here are ALL the Furrs!  Pat's family has been such a blessing to Laurie and our family too.  I am so thankful for the way they love her and treat her as their own.  They are such a fun family to be a part of!

Bridesmaids Luncheon

I am finally uploading all the pictures I took from Laurie and Pat's wedding weekend!  So for todays recap, we have the bridesmaids luncheon which took place on Friday before the wedding.

My Aunt Rhonda, Maw Maw and our dear family friend Diane helped host the luncheon for Laurie and her maids!  It was beautiful and relaxing- such a special way to start out the weekend!  Laurie has such sweet friends that love her so much.

Here are most of the girls-  Laurie has grown up with most of these ladies.  A lot of them were around when she met Pat in middle school!  

The Bride and Diane-

Cousins Four and Aunt Rhonda-  I love that we all were able to spend time together all in one place- I love them so much!

Dianne has her own interior decorating business in Greensboro and her home is gorgeous.  The decorations were perfect for a fall wedding.

....more to come soon!