love me some NC

Wow, we've had quite an eventful couple of weeks. It actually kind of felt weird waking up in our own apartment this morning.

We just got back from a week in Pinehurst, North Carolina where Steve was going through some training for work. Business trip for him, relaxing vacation for me.

But first, we spent the weekend before NC camping in Virginia with Steve's boss and his wife and a few of their friends. Steve's boss is in a band and they had a gig at the campground that weekend, so we went to hear him play. They were really good and had a great mix of music, although they catered to a kind of Jimmy Buffet theme for the evening. It was hilarious to see all the drunk and dancing Jimmy Buffet fans. We're still getting used to being in the real world. :)


Virginia:

Out on the Chesapeake Bay

Trying to fly kites with NO wind

Our lunch...mmm...

Watching the sunset

North Carolina:

Our week was filled with business dinners and networking. However, while Steve was at work, I got to spend the week going to the hotel gym and pool, shopping and just relaxing with several library books. It was so nice.

We stayed just outside the beautiful, charming and quaint village of Pinehurst. I like to think of it as the Park City of North Carolina, with incredible restaurants, good but expensive shopping, and golf as the substitute of skiing.

For those who follow golf (we don't), Pinehurst is the place to be and the course to golf. They host the U.S. Open every few years and several other large tournaments. In the area surrounding the village of Pinehurst there are about 46 different golf courses.
This is the incredible Pinehurst country club.

We were able to go to the Raleigh Temple for our weekend date.

On Saturday, one of the men Steve was working with offered to take us to breakfast with his wife and show us around the area. They ended up driving us through the most gorgeous horse farms I've ever seen. We went through these "neighborhoods" that consisted of private dirt roads (easier for horses to walk on), HUGE houses and acres and acres of pastures. None of our pictures could possibly do it justice, but we quickly realized that this area is where we'll build our dream house. :)

On Sunday after church, I begged Steve to go on a drive down to South Carolina. I'm trying to check off all 50 states on my "Places I've Been" list, and I didn't see any other time I'd have a chance to hit that state. So we drove down to the first town across the border, had lunch at Subway, took a picture and headed back. (You can't really see it, but the water tower says S.C. on it, so I have proof I was there...)

(PS hello baby bump...?! This kid has really started popping out these last couple of weeks. I finally had to break down and buy a new pair of prego jeans. I was shocked when I saw this picture--almost 21 weeks here. )

So that's pretty much it for our ever crazy lives. We've had fun but it's good to be home!
Next on the agenda:
hurricane this weekend!!
(Oh the things I never thought I'd get to live through. Bring it on!)