ROAD TRIP!

We packed up the Edge and headed on the road this weekend for a trip to see some good friends.  First stop Charlotte, NC to visit Courtney (roomie from college).  Charlotte is around 2.5 hours from our house.  When we arrived on Friday Noli and Mia played "getting to know you" on the floor. It was sooooo funny.  Noli was afraid once she realized Mia moved.  

Friday night we went to dinner at this great restaurant and had tapas.  Mia did great.  She enjoyed some play time with Dad and then fell asleep. 

On Saturday morning we went on a 4 mile walk near Court's new apartment.  Noli did great keeping up with us considering she's a 10lb dog!  At the end of the trip she started to show she was tired.  Mia offered to give her a ride in the front of her stroller.

Since Noli hitched a ride with Mia, she must have gotten over her fear of Mia moving.  After the walk Mia and Noli were bffs.

We had lunch at this AMAZING Thai place and had tofu rice wraps.  Not something we would normally order, but it was one of the most amazing meals we've ever had. 

After lunch we jumped back in the Edge and headed for the beach!  Yes I said the BEACH... 4.5 hours across NC to the beach.  Ryalynn and Andrew Carter (friends from high school) invited us to join them at the place the rented on North Topsail Island.  We had a blast!  Mia was such a trooper!  The place they rented was on the beach, not even 100 yards from the ocean.  We enjoyed dinner and catching up on Saturday night.  Sunday morning we got out to the beach early.  Rya & Andy have 2 (yes TWO) German Shepards.  Between the two of them you are looking at 250lbs of dog!  Quite a difference from little 10lb Noli!  They are so well behaved.  They ran on the beach without leashes and had a ball chasing the waves.  Mia LOVED the ocean water this time.  Which was refreshing! 

More pictures to come from Rya's camera... these are from camera phones.

Before we headed back to Raleigh we had a late lunch at a fresh fish market.  OMG the food was so yummy.  It tasted like we ordered the food, they pulled the food out of the nets in the water, boiled it, and severed it up.  Here is a picture of the boys with their "bucket".

As of Thursday, June 10th, Andy will complete his military obligation to the USMC and the reason for the week in Topsail.  Topsail Island is the closest beach to Marine Corp base Camp Lejeune.  Andy is a Naval Academy grad, who enlisted in the Marines as an officer after undergrad.  He served 6 years with the USMC and completed 3 tours overseas (2 to Iraq, and 1 to Afghanistan).  We will never really understand all that Andy and his family sacrificed in the continual fight for our freedom.  He and Rya have been married for 6 years next month and are for the first time living under one roof!  Andy, you are a stand up individual, which is hard to come by these days.  THANK YOU for all that you have done for our country and our world.  We are honored to have you as a friend.  CONGRATS on closing one chapter, and best wishes on the next!