Samuel visits North Carolina!!

When I was a kid, I use to keep up with how many different states I had visited...who am I kidding!!!  I still keep track of it :0)  I haven't hit them all yet, but getting there...how to convince Eric we need to visit Oklahoma, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska ;0) 

So I'm proud to announce that Samuel has now visited his 5th state!!!  Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, and now North Carolina!!!

While in Virginia, my mom and I decided to take a trip to Winston-Salem to visit my sister!  Though short, we had a great time!

When we arrived, we had a whirlwind tour!

First stop...the Redeemer School!  Where my sister is a Kindergarten Teacher!  Samuel loved her classroom, and though we were only there about twenty minutes...he made the most of it!

Looking at books!

Paint supplies!  He loved the classroom art supplies...he ended up holding onto a paint palette and played with it the entire time we were in North Carolina!!!

Kitchen set!

My sister and my momma!

The two of us...with Samuel in the background!

Next stop: the MALL!!!

Samuel LOVED the Hanes mall!!!  Everything about it was amazing!  It's two stories, so he got a kick out of the escalator and the elevator!  But he was really amazed by the indoor carousel!!  *please note: he's holding the paint palette!!!*

After some cute faces at Granny B...she bought a ticket for Samuel's first carousel ride!  I selected a horse that didn't move up and down...I wasn't sure how he would react!

Good choice I made!  The carousel started going...and Samuel wanted off!  Screaming, crying, I was trying to keep him on and not lose that paint palette!  Every time we went around the lady operating offered to stop!  But we kept going!  And did I mention it is about a 5-minute ride...a very long five minutes!

Turns out he LOVED it in the end...and wanted to go again...which we didn't!  Between the round and round, and the crying it made me dizzy!

After that I put the monkey on Samuel's back so he could explore the mall!!! He had no shopping he wanted to do, he just wanted to run and run and run!  So my dear sister and mom offered to chase him around...and let me shop!  ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I quickly took them up on this offer before they changed their mind!

When I came out of Old Navy a half hour later (and $20 well spent!) I found Samuel, mom, and Chris!  Samuel found an overhead light that projected images on the floor!  It had flowers, landscape scenes, and water scenes...they changed every minute or so, but were somewhat interactive!  Samuel LOVED it!!!  Check it out!  Still holding the paint palette!



By the time we got back to Chris and Isaacs house, we were all tired!  However, not too tired to enjoy a great dinner! 

The next day, while Chris and Isaac was at work...the three of us hit up the mall again!  However, before I left, I caught the two beloved Spence boxers sleeping in Chris and Isaac's four poster bed!  Spoiled??? Oh yes!  Samuel thought they were terrific...and Romo (the boxer on the left), really loved Samuel!  They were the best of friends!  Playing ball and laying on the floor together!  It was so sweet!

All things fun have to come to an end, a couple more pictures before we left!

Samuel was such a good traveler!!!!!!  He didn't cry once between Virginia and North Carolina!!!  What a good travel buddy!

And check out the blanket he has!!  I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!  (well, with the assistance of my momma!!!)  It turned out so great!  Soft and warm!  Even weeks later, Samuel loves it!!!