Back in NC! - June 21

Caroline and I got back to NC about midnight Tuesday.  Patrick stayed in LA with his dad's family so he could look at the school he will be attending in the fall for his senior year.
We were relieved to finally be on the ground and in familiar surroundings.  Caroline's dad picked her right away as he had not seen her since last August.  She was really excited.  By the middle of the night I was really sick.  I suspected food poisoning.  I found out in the morning, Caroline was sick all night too.  Then I found out Patrick was sick in LA!
So we all must have got a crazy thing from our first or two flight out of Oki to LA.  It hit all of us at the same time.  I was not good for a few days.  By Friday, I was about 70%.
Caroline's bestie (and a Perez family fav!) Jessica came over and the two of them were in the pool the whole day.  
We had a beautiful day. 

I want to show Bill what he did to the tree in the backyard a couple years ago when he cut all the limbs off it.  It was the only shade we had for the pool area but he hated the pine needles in the pool.  So, he cut all the limbs off...the neighbor's tree.
Then he left for Okinawa!
The man showed up at the house a couple days later. I just didn't answer the door.  Bill will have to talk to him.  Not me.
So now, it is clearly dead and wil ruin all of the forthcoming pictures of the pool.  But hey, no pine needles to clean up right Bill?

Here is picture of the water side of the deck.  We face the intercoastal waterway.  Beautiful sky that day.

Caroline and Jessica

Caroline like to slide on her back head first.  

Jessica

Here is a picture of our neighborhood from our driveway.  It is nice to see it again and all of the neighbors!

Here is our house from the front.  The driveway is underneath the house.  It was a beautiful day yesterday.  

Claire lives in the house just next door.  You can see her house just behind ours on the right there in the picture.  She heard Caroline and Jessica in the pool and came over.  So great to see her!  She just finished her first year at UNCW.  They are all growing up.  She stayed for awhile before she had to go to work.

Just having popsicles in the kitchen.

Left to right:  Jessica, Clairs, Caroline

Here is a picture showing a little bit more of the house. 

The clouds moved in for an afternoon rainstorm but we never got hit.  It was really dramatic looking though.  I do love the way the sky looks before a strong rainstorm.  I love the sky black with clouds in the afternoon and the wind blowing.    Very Gothic.
My friend for 12 years, Tara, came by with her twins, Nathan and Natalie.  The kids went to the pool while Tara and I caught up.

Nathan

Natalie

The sky cleared up after 1/2 hour or so.  It turned into a beautiful evening.  I wish i would have taken pictures of the sky but by the evening I was getting a bit tired as I was not really back on my feet yet.

Caroline and Jessica

 It was a great day and a great reminder of how nice it is to be back home!