More Durham pics

What can I say, I LOVE the Museum of Life and Science!! (And it is way cooler and more extensive than when we went there 25-30 years ago on elementary school field trips, although I loved it then, too.) I didn't really get that many photos since we were having so much fun. But, wow, a museum that has dinosaurs, outdoor play areas, butterfly house, farm animals, lemurs, a train through the woods, huge sandbox, indoor play areas and blocks and ramps, a huge space & astronaut exhibit, plus tons of scientific exhibits - ?! Amazing. Even in our two full mornings there was no way that we could see everything.

A parasauralophus at the start of the "dinosaur trail" - Timo has not stopped talking about this since we got back.

On to the mist exhibit - better get the boys in their swimsuits - a place that we so enjoyed with Gemma and Timo (when he was a baby) back in 2013.

Lisa joined us for the morning (boys were at school)

Timo giving instructions for the countdown of the lunar module

The boys both loved getting late afternoon rides with Grandpa on his bicycle.

One morning we took a quick trip over to Duke Gardens, my other favorite spot in Durham, and also a place of great memories there with Gemma. What an incredibly diverse and well-kept garden, and they seem to keep adding new areas and paths every time we go!

Of course, bread-making with Jaja! (Guess who likes to eat dough?)

And another morning, I went back by myself with the boys to the Museum, primarily to go to one of the newest exhibit areas, "Hideaway Woods". It felt like every child's treehouse dream come true. What an incredible design and work of engineering.

I was amazed to see Timo just go for it. He didn't hesitate at all to climb up on his own to the highest treehouse.

Uncle Pete!! With the coolest work truck! What else needs to be said?

On one of our last afternoons,the boys and I rode the Duke campus bus from East campus to West Campus, where we met Grandpa at the chapel and got to hear the 5 o'clock bells ringing. Once again, Timo was SO excited to ride the bus, and I marveled at hearing the real bells and being on such a beautiful campus.

Finally, a longer visit in Durham

Yikes, you poor blog-world, I forgot about you for a month! Perhaps because I have started taking more pictures on my phone and there isn't a convenient way to upload photos from it to the blog site... and I've not been on the computer much to load photos. In any case, rather than sit around on the computer, we had a great 9 day visit to Durham earlier this month!! We all four drove together from Sylva on a Friday, and then Jim went back (to work) on Sunday, while the boys and I stayed for the full week; at the end, Mom drove us all back home, stayed two nights, and then returned to Durham.

What a full week it was, highlighted by daily trips to Oval Park, a day trip to Jordan Lake, multiple rides on the back of Grandpa's bike, two visits to the Museum of Life & Science (perhaps the coolest place for kids in all of NC), two bus rides, two visits to Duke Chapel, and two stops at Bruegger's Bagels. And of course seeing Pete and Rita, and Mawethu & Lisa and boys, and feeling very strange not having Rachel & Craig and kids close by to spend time with (although we are very happy for their next chapter of life started in Gainesville). There's always more to enjoy, of course - but hopefully we will be there more regularly at this point in our lives and proximity.

Saturday morning we got to hang out for the Ncaca family! Still amazing that they now live and Durham and we are able to share in each other's lives again. Naturally, the boys spent hours in the bedroom working on Legos.

From Cape Town to North Carolina - love you guys!!

Lisa loaned us some trucks for the week, and they were played with every day on the front deck!

On Monday morning (Jim was back in Sylva), we enjoyed a lazy, quiet time at Jordan Lake - we had it all to ourselves and the water was a perfect temp! Great time except for the dratted wasps and flies bothering us during our picnic lunch. It was the end of summer, but our first time at a lake this year!!! I loved seeing how the boys slowly got used to the water, and it made me hope they can have more swimming time next summer.

That evening Mom made dinner for a small group that Dad's leading, so we took the food over to the chapel and then sat at a picnic table nearby to eat our own supper. Wow, Duke Chapel is an impressive, beautiful building. And Timo has always had a fascination with "bell chapels" (his words). I am not exaggerating when I say he was hopping and shaking with excitement to go inside and look around.

our lovely table outside the student center, in the shadow of the Chapel

Perhaps one of these days we can climb the steps to the top of the bell tower and re-visit the sight of our engagement from nearly 16 years ago!

A new day, and a new scene - this is downtown Durham.

"Loaf" is one of the best small bakeries I've ever been in. Incredible croissants and gougeres (yes, we ate cheese this time!) and, best of all, Nanaimo Bars! In North Carolina! Thanks for the treats, Dad.

Sorry, downtown, that's all the photos I got of you. Although your revitalization is impressive! And we enjoyed watching a huge tower crane working on putting up a new skyscraper.

After our bakery treats, Timo and I rode the free city bus (Bull City Connector) a couple of miles. He was so patient while we waited at the stop, and then climbed on with no fear. Even though he looks subdued in this photo, he was SO excited.

Labor Day weekend getaway to Montreat

Montreat, NC - "Mountain Retreat Association", begun 1897, and immediately shortened to the name "Montreat" - is a lovely village with a hotel and conference center; small liberal arts college; and lots of mountain homes and church retreat homes, nestled in a little enclave in the mountains with hills rising up all around it, rhododendron all around, and a rocky creek running through it.

What a treat to spend a weekend there (thanks to free housing of some family friends who have a vacation home there) and breathe some "other" mountain air for two days. It's only an hour and a quarter from Sylva, but we really needed to 'get out of town' - particularly on the heels of making it through Gemma's birthday (Sep 1st) and missing her so much this time of year. Regrettably we did not have an invitation to visit at Billy & (the late) Ruth Graham's home.

Somehow we didn't take pictures of the house or the 'neighborhood' or the campus or the awesome park/playground on the creek or even of Jim... but here's a smattering.

standing on the small dam of Lake Susan

"Mommy, I will hold the crackers and walk on this trail. By myself."

Both of the afternoons that we were there we spent at the Robert Lake park. What a perfect park for kids, with multiple playground areas and a creek running all through it, much of it quite shallow and safe. I admit that I sighed when I heard another mom exclaim to her son, "No, don't throw the rocks!" Because it is IDEAL for rock clambering and splashing, and what child could possibly resist the natural urge to throw rocks? Timo and Jim spent a long time wandering up and down the creek, while Mattias and I stayed at the playground and shallow creek area.

On Sunday morning we opted for a family hike up Lookout Mountain. It's .6 miles up, and very steep and rocky. It was great to see Timo so excited and proud to walk the whole way, exclaiming, "Daddy! I'm working hard! My muscles are getting warm! I'm breathing hard! Are you?"

Mattias rode up in the carrier, and then walked about halfway down.

Getting steeper now!

A final, tricky climb up the rocks at the top, and we are at the lookout! It's always nice to do a hike with a rewarding view.

Oh, and one random photo from the house - boys playing a marble game in the playroom upstairs. Okay, Mom and Dad H, ready to join us here next time?

Birthday (shh, 38th) for Jim

Jim's birthday was on a Friday this year, and he had to work in the evening, so we 'pretended' his birthday was the Entire Weekend, and somehow Jim ended up with two birthday dinners and opened birthday cards and presents on two straight days! Happy birthday, Jim! Another intense year of working in the study abroad office on campus has begun, and so has this year of your life! For those interested, one of the things that Jim bought with his birthday money this year was a swim cap. So you see, we can learn new things as we get older.

Saturday was a low-key family day of yard work and cooking. Sidenote, I (Jul) was really tired and grumpy after a long week (and in anticipation of the emotions of Gemma's birthday coming next week, and what should have been the start of her kindergarten year), and I didn't want to do any cooking. But then somehow, the boys were playing outside and I just started working away in the kitchen ... and by the end of the day of Sunday, we had had such a nice weekend together and I really enjoyed doing all the food (of course!). It was a perfect, quiet "at home" weekend.

For dinner we had 'breakfast' with a frittata (mushroom, broccoli, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes), veggie sausages, pear-ginger muffins, and papaya.

Jim had lots of hlep opening his presents

Ah-ha! It's the second meal! Sunday's meal was our "surprise, new recipes" traditional birthday meal. This year I made falafel with all the fixings, hummus, garlic-dill sauce, parsley-tomato salad, etc. How have I never made falafel before?? I think this type of meal is one of both of our favorites. For dessert it was blueberry-double chocolate brownies and vanilla soy ice cream made in the ice cream maker. Very rich, yummy brownies.

My two favorite things about this photo is that Mattias and Timo are grinning at each other and being silly, which is what they have started doing more at the dinner table, getting each other giggling. And, secondly, you can see the present that Timo made for Jim - it's a little terrarium in a glass jar, with layers of sand, soil, moss, and some tiny seedlings. He found it all in the yard and (with help) put it in the jar and watered it.
 

Look who was very happily eating black olives with Daddy!