We played around the house, we played around Huntersville, Charlotte, and Mt. Airy, NC, more commonly known as Mayberry. It was just so enriching to have my sister here, and to just be with her and her wonderful kids and for cousins to just be together and play. Thank-you, Thank-you for such a wonderful vacation at our own house!! I will always remember this wonderful time!
On Thursday we just hung out at the house for the morning, recovered from a really long day of traveling the day before for both of us. We made a tentative plan for the week, then headed down to IKEA to do a little organization shopping! I got a bookshelf for at least half of my books I have upstairs in boxes/scattered across the bonus room. We went shoe shopping for Mary, and then headed home to pick up the girls from school. It felt like Friday, but it wasn't, Tim had to go to work, and the girls had to go to school ( I know, I'm a mean mom!!) We took the bookshelf boxes upstairs, and that evening, we were too tired to try to assemble the Expedit book shelf. Good thing, it was good to get some sleep!
On Friday, we were up and going early, it was rainy, and Tiffany is so awesome, she just wanted to help with home projects, and to be honest, I'm not so great at getting the gumption to commit to a project, but Tiffany was great at just going. She is just awesome!!
On Friday afternoon, we busted the girls out of school early and went to Discovery Kids here in Huntersville. It was a great place to spend a rainy afternoon exploring. The kids were off playing while Tiffany and I were able to just gab and chat and talk and catch up on everything and solve all the worlds problems, or at least identify them :)
Working in the auto shop. This place had all kinds of "grown up" activities that were made "kid size" and hands on. It was great and creative for all the kiddos.
Kennedy climbing on the plane at the airport.
On stage, ready to make a show, just watched a cute rendition of the 3 little pigs and the big bad wolf (I was totally on the side of the wolf!)
On Saturday, we wanted to go to Mt. Airy (Mayberry) but it was rainy, and the brakes on the van were grinding, so Tim had to replace the pads before we could all go on a road trip. Alternatively, we went and bought a table and 6 chairs off Craigslist, and did some scrubbing and coloring and playing games on it to break it in!! Yay for time around the table!
Saturday night, we went to the first General Women's Meeting together. I was so glad to have my daughters and sister and nice with me for such a special event and spiritual evening.
Sunday morning breakfast together around the dining table. We are so happy we can all fit comfortably around our table! I always dreamed when I grew up I would have a large dinner table and my family would gather around it, so using this table each morning and night was like a dream come true!
On Monday, my kiddos were at school (we weren't on spring break) so we went up to the Race museum in Mooresville (we're not too savvy on NASCAR, but we were in the area, right!?) Then we went down to Charlotte and just kicked it on foot around "uptown". It was a gorgeous sunny day. We had an experience for lunch too. We were wandering and the kids looked like this...
Not super happy, but we came across a hot-dog stand that claimed the "best in Charlotte". We considered what to do, whether to snack and head home, or what. Well, Jake wandered into the hot-dog line, and I joked with him, "Oh, so I guess you decided on hot dogs, huh?" and he looked like he'd been caught. The gentleman in line in front of us took note of him, and our silly exchange. When we got up to the stand to order lunch, the server said, "You know your lunch is paid for by that gentleman in the red coat" Huh? What?? Wow!! We yelled across the commons area a baffled "THANK YOU!!" and were just amazed at that random generosity he showed us. Pay it forward was now the theme of the day. (He is pictured in the selfie at the top of this post).
Tuesday was the day the girls got out of school for cousins day, and where better to spend it than in Mayberry!! We went up to Mt. Airy, NC about 5 miles from the Virginia/NC border on I-77. It was a priceless day! I will always remember the drive up, when the kids were watching Frozen in the car, and were just singing every word to every song at the top of their voices. It was a great memory we will always have now when we watch Frozen in the car. It was so fun to be in the car again with Tiffany and singing at the top of our lungs to the music!!
Old time Main Street with lots of goodies, gift shops, photo spots and fun shopping.
Lunch at Snappy's diner. It was good cheap food. Right next to Floyd's barber shop on Main Street. It was just lots of fun!
Here is the replica courthouse and other spots that are featured on the show.
Here at the Andy Griffith Museum, no pictures were allowed in the museum, but this is in the foyer of the museum.
Everybody wanted a peck on the cheek from "Thelma Lou."
The statue outside of the museum, and the plaque on it commemorating the Andy Griffith Show.
Who can go to Mayberry without "Sittin' on the porch, drinkin' ice cold Cherry Coke!"
This was on the front curb of the home where Andy Griffith grew up, about a mile down the road from the museum and downtown Mt. Airy. After we pulled away, a vintage tour came by, and so I had to get a picture of the patrol car in front of his house.
As we were getting ready to head out of town, Tiffany in her classic way, said "Let's go to Virginia!" We were so close, so we just had to go. We were hoping for a Welcome to Virginia sign, but alas, there was none at that border, but there was a great market where we got some watermelon and tomatoes for dinner and took a picture on "Virgilina" road.
Then, sadly, we woke up on Wednesday morning and had to take the Smith's back to the airport to send them home to snowy Utah. They left us wanting more, and we want them back! Thank you for the love notes you left all over the house. I'll keep them up as long as I can!
Thank you so much Tiffany for sharing your spring break time and kiddos with us. It was a wonderful week, and I was so sad to see you go, and we look forward excitedly to having you back as soon as you can come!!
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