Going to Carolina...

February is a big birthday month for the Neeland family, so we decided that it was the perfect time for a getaway to meet the family and celebrate the February birthdays in North Carolina again this year.  We had also recently gotten some big news that Cousin Beth was expecting her first baby, so we had even more of a reason to celebrate this year.

Since Daddy had to work, Virginia and I made it a girls' trip.  Now that she's almost four, traveling with her is pretty much a breeze!

We found a cheap fare to Charlotte and off we went for a long weekend.  While there, we celebrated Nanny's 91st birthday as well as birthdays for Auntie Lynn and Aunt Liz.  We hit the children's museum near Liz and Dave's house and ate out at some great restaurants too.  Virginia also had a blast seeing the Mack cousins who live in the Charlotte area as well -- Beau & Jessica and Shannon & Brett.  It was quite a family reunion on both sides of our family. 

Milking a cow at the children's museum.

Practicing radiology with Papa.

Fixing a car with Papa at the museum.

With Shannon & Brett at dinner.

Cousin Beau & Jessica!

Loving on Aunt Liz and Uncle Dave

Cousin Adam -- more relatives to love! (We didn't get a photo of poor cousin Beth, who was suffering greatly with morning sickness the whole visit -- she was quite the trooper!!!!)

Auntie Lynn is so much fun!

The 91st birthday girl and her first great grandchild.

Virginia and her Mimi and Papa. 

Back home, carrying her own bag.  What a big girl!

Nanny's 90th!

We packed up the family in early February and took another plane flight to North Carolina.  This time, we were going for a happier occasion - to celebrate Virginia's great grandmother, Nanny, turning 90!  We had a great time visiting with immediate and extended family, eating some good NC BBQ, and capping it all off with a party on Saturday night.

Piano Playing with Mimi:

Holding court at the kitchen table:

Visiting the world-famous Dick's Hot Dog Stand!  (This is a restaurant up the street from Nanny's house where my dad and Auntie Lynn both worked.  In a strange, small-world turn of events, Thomas's second cousin Ginger married the son of the owner.):

Silly Papa:

With Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Dave at Dick's:

Virginia loves her Auntie Lynn "THIS MUCH!"

Virginia was really excited to eat this cake!

With Cousin Beth and Adam at the birthday gala:

Loving on Mimi, Liz, and Mom:

With the birthday girl herself (Virginia would NOT stay still long enough for us to get good photos with anyone, so this is the best we could do!):

February birthday girls in the Neeland family (plus Virginia):

Virginia conked out on the plane ride home - the first time she has done that in more than a year!

Uncle Ray and a Trip to NC

November was a sad month for the Neeland family, as we lost my dad's younger brother Uncle Ray to a combination of cancer and a heart attack.  Virginia and I had booked a flight to see him, but he died the week before our visit.  It was a blessing that he was no longer in pain, but tragic because he was far too young.

We decided to keep our plans for a visit to NC and spend time with the rest of the Neelands, and we were happy to have made the trip.  Virginia had not seen her Neeland side of the family in more than a year, and she quickly picked up where she left off with everyone.  Auntie Lynn smartly pulled Cousin Beth's old dollhouse out of storage, and it was a major hit with Virginia.  She spent many hours in Nanny's living room playing with those dolls.  We also visited the local park, ate at Dick's Hot Dog stand, and visited First Baptist Church (Virginia made it through 3/4 of the service, so we call that a success).

The dollhouse extraordinaire: 

Lovin on Aunt Lizzie:

With Auntie Lynn (a.k.a. the source of Virginia's fashionable wardrobe):

Virginia was obviously thrilled to see Mimi:

Serious conversations with Papa over the kitchen table:

Ready to go to church with Nanny:

Beth's Wedding

We had another "Thomas" join our extended family when my cousin on the Neeland side of the family married Adam Thomas on September 25, 2010. The wedding was in Wilson, NC, so Virginia got to take her first trip there. We visited lots of relatives, ate some fantastic Eastern Carolina barbecue, and watched Virginia party down at the wedding reception. The girl is a dancing machine!

Before causing various mischief on the cross country plane trip:

Loving on Aunt Liz at the bridemaids' luncheon:

Good eatin':

Receiving her musical training from Cousin Candy at an early age:

Virginia only decided to be quiet in the church AFTER the ceremony was over:

Virginia got the party started on the dance floor:

Those are some moves! (note the cheese straw in her hand)

The whole Neeland/Dunn clan!

Virginia made fast friends with the flower girl:

Beau's Wedding

My cousin Beau married his wife Jessica this month in Charlotte, North Carolina. The whole Mack family came down for the celebration. Funnily enough, all of Leslie's family members were in town not simply to see us, but because they were independently invited.

Long before I had even seen a picture of Jessica, Beau and Jessica were already friends with my sister-in-law, Liz, and her husband, Dave Fetzer. They met them when Liz and Dave were just moving to Charlotte and Beau was kind enough to show them around the neighborhoods for house shopping. In various visits to Charlotte once Liz and Dave had moved in, Leslie's parents also had occasion to meet Beau and Jessica several times. And it also happened that Leslie, visiting Charlotte on business for a patent case, met up with Beau and Jessica a few times for dinner. All of this well before I finally met Jessica in person at the wedding itself. So it fairly may be said that the Neelands had a stronger lock on an invitation than I did.

As a groomsman and an unofficial egger-on at Beau's bachelor outing the day before events began, I have many great photos from the weekend. However, the solemn bonds of attorney-client privilege prevent me from posting many of them here. So let me present a few images from the ceremonies and festivities.

Beau and his best man, Chris (aka Christo), awaiting the shuttle to the church.

Wormy and I goofing around outside the church.

Beau and Jessica, the moment their marriage became official at the signing of the North Carolina marriage license.

The von Eulers at the welcome reception, doubtless responding to one of Biggie's impressions of Dad. (Not dad's joke about the Murphy twins.)

Wormy, putting on a Cheerio-eating clinic at the reception.