A couple weeks ago we found out that Bill had to go to Fort Bragg for about 10 days to be an Observer/Controller (OC) during a training exercise for a unit getting ready to deploy. Just a random tasking that came down that Bill's unit had to support. So, since it had been a little while since we'd seen my parents (and a long while since we had been up there), and I needed to bump up my Southwest Rapid Rewards credits before March, Drew and I took a short trip to Las Vegas for part of the time Daddy was away. Meanwhile, Bill was able to get together with his friend Peter (the best man at our wedding), who lives in Raleigh now and made the fairly short drive to Fort Bragg to meet Bill for dinner.
Anyhow, our trip to Las Vegas this time included a visit to the Children's Museum. Drew was thoroughly entertained for over an hour and half. He climbed and slid on a large structure designed for just those purposes.
There's Andrew coming out the tunnel. Yay for Andrew. (Drew helped with some of the captions on this post)
Grandpa & Drew! Them playing at the museum.
Grandma & Drew make a big huge bubble...
Drew concentrating on ringing up that ear of corn...or in his words "Andrew's buying food in the basket!"
Drew practicing for his Halloween costume...
Drew started out each morning's walk refusing to sit in his stroller and insisting on pushing it himself. His little legs don't move quite as fast as Grandma and Mommy would have liked to get our heart rates up, so fortunately we were able to coax him into the stroller by the end of my parent's street.
What's the best part of walking at Grandma & Grandpa's? Why, feeding the ducks, geese, fish and pigeons at the pond near the golf clubhouse, of course. The first day, when we took these pictures, we had bread for the gaggle, but the other day we went we discovered that ducks like Cheerios too.
Look at all the ducks!
When we weren't at the museum or feeding the ducks, Drew was thrilled to help Grandma and Grandpa in the backyard. We had to pry the broom out of the boy's hands. He was so focused on sweeping up the patio.
Here's Grandma and Drew getting in some hugs before heading to the airport.
From Drew: "There's Andrew snugglin on the big rocking chair with Grandma."
On our way to the airport Aunt Katie called and Drew was thrilled to be able to hold the phone and talk all by himself...
It was a nice, albeit short, visit. We are looking forward to our return visits in December when Bill runs his second marathon there and then again when we meet my brother and sister there for Christmas. We're also counting down the days to our visit to Pennsylvania near the end of the month. Drew is very excited about seeing his aunts and uncle, Grandma, Great Gram, and Pop Pop. I think he is holding a special burst of excitement for seeing his little cousins though. Aunt Liz and cousin Madison will be meeting us in PA from Delaware, and Drew and I will be taking a quick visit up to New York to visit second cousin Ava (and her Mommy & Daddy). Now, let's all just pray he sleeps on the plane!
