Memphis In May...BBQ that is!

Mid May, Chris and I headed with a team of friends to compete in the spectacular that is Memphis In May.  Overall, the team did really well this year...10th in seafood, 8th in vinegar sauce, and 11th in wings.  I don't even know out of how many...at least 100 per category.  I also can't explain how big this festival is and how much pressure is built up in the cooking.  It was 5 days full of the best food, good friends, and a ton of competition. 

Downtown Memphis was partially under water so they moved the competition this year to a stadium lot.

Chris prepping

Finished Seafood entry...Delicious!!

Finished Exotic Entry

The turn-in line for one category

Just a portion of our team checking the posted results

Our booth...where we spent 5 days!!

Children's Museum in NC

While visiting our Papaw, we checked out an awesome Children's Museum.  I think the favorites were the...

Giant Armchair

Shopping for favorite groceries like Mommy

Making pizza for Mommy and Aunt Teresa

Playing Giant Operation

Taking over the baby bed

Driving a real firetruck

Flying a real airplane!

Eating strawberries out of the beautiful educational garden

Visiting Papaw in North Carolina

We haven't been home in over a month it feels like.  Here's what we've been doing.  At the end of April, me, my mom, my sister, and the boys flew to North Carolina to celebrate my papaw's 94th  birthday. It's so great to see him light up around the boys.

Racing down the halls of the home in Papaw's wheelchair

Eat some goldfish Papaw!!

Listening to music students play from the neighboring college

Play with me Papaw!

While visiting Papaw, we always go next door to Guilford College.  This is a small liberal arts college where he was a professor for 30+ years and where my mom went to college.  It's really a campus that my brother and sister and I grew up on. 

They are always showcasing art and this was a gigantic sculpture of sticks and limbs freestanding without nails, just woven together.  There were rooms and nooks to hide in. So neat.

Caleb in a window

Caleb and Mema walking on campus

 The building Caleb is pointing to is the one where my Papaw was a student and dormed in many years ago before he began teaching at Guilford College. 

Easter 2011

Easter was so much fun this year with both boys getting totally into it.  We've been practicing egg hunting for weeks now. 

Check out this distinguished gentlemen

Popcorn and snowcones with our best buds

Checking out the loot the bunny left us

Egg Hunting Easter morning

Dying eggs

Those eggs were good!!

Watering our veggies with the new duck watering can

Vacation...The END!

Hopefully my last post about this awesome vacation.  The reason for the whole thing was my sister graduating with her doctorate in physical therapy.  We attended the ceremony that Friday. Congratulations!!  You worked your rear off the last 3 years! I would have more pictures, but I was holding a sign in one hand and Caleb in the other. 

 We all went out to eat at the Conch House to celebrate after.

 We headed back toward home on Saturday and made it near Navarre Beach so we stopped by to take it in that evening.  Way different than St. Augustine beach.  Very steep, huge waves, lots of jellyfish and soooo windy. 

  This entire vacation was awesome!!  Couldn't have asked for better weather or better activities.  Chris didn't cut off any fingers or get bitten by a shark.  His luck may be improving!  This boys were so excited about everything and just hung in there with us as we jumped into everything!  

Vacation

The last few days of our vacation, we moved to a beach house to stay with my parents and my sister.  We found this awesome park downtown that I brought the boys to one afternoon.

You can see Adam's head in the tower.

 Argh!!  Pirate Caleb

Me and the boys

 Sunset from the roofdeck of our beach house.

One night, Chris and my Dad grilled a seafood smorgasbord.  Stone Crabs, Shrimp, Oysters, Fish, Asparagus, Potatoes.  YUM!!!

Vacation

After we kayaked with the dolphins, we decided to check out this little island.  We found these tiny, tiny crabs.

 I love this pic of Caleb. He figured out he made footprints when he walked, so he just kept walking.

Riding bikes on the beach at dusk....gorgeous!!

Chris and I headed out to try kayaking in the actual ocean.  It's harder that you would think.  Getting out past the waves is hard and then when you're out there, don't turn sideways.  I did and was knocked out.  Killer bruise on the heel.  Chris and my Dad tried several more times and got better.   

Adam is a natural boogie boarder.  He fell in love with this.

 He said, "Boogie Boarding is my super favorite thing!"