College Tour

We've been on vacation for the past two weeks and are so happy to all be together again in our own home.  The kids and I flew out to North Carolina to spend some time with my family and friends before heading to the beach with Jeff's family.  It was wonderful!  Except for the humidity.  Ew.

When I asked the kids what they wanted to do with our one day in Raleigh, Harrison said he wanted to see Duke and NC State.  I informed him that he also wanted to see the former Peace College (where I went to school).  Each of us wore a college t-shirt and then we headed out bright and early to visit our alma maters.

I graduated from Peace College (a small Presbyterian women's college in Raleigh) in 2002.  In 2011, the name of the college was changed to William Peace University and in 2012, the college became co-ed.  I hadn't seen the school since all of those changes were made and it was pretty jarring to see the new sign out in front.  It's a very different place than it was when I was a student there.

  It was comforting to see that people still put bubbles in the fountain as a prank.

I told them to make as big a mess as they wanted.  (I think that's also what the Board of Trustees told the new college president.  Heyoooo!)

As luck would have it, we ran into my friend Jenni who is on the theater faculty.  She let us into the theater and I was able to show the kids where I spent most of my time at college.

She let them play on the lightboard, which they loved.  (Except Miles, who loved nothing that entire day.)

Chloe did a little soft-shoe on the stage while the boys brought up the lights.  I may have teared up a little.

I'm so glad I could share this place with them before it goes bankrupt and is made into a bed and breakfast.

After Peace I took the kids to the LDS Institute building (or as my mother-in-law called it "The House that Bob Built").  My dad was the institute director here for 13 years and this building was built during his tenure. 

It was nice to be able to show the kids where Jeff and I had our wedding reception.

After that we walked across the street to bask in the glory of the NC State bell tower.

Did I mention Miles was in a bad mood all day?  At least it made this picture more delightful.

After State, we met my dear Peace friends, Melyssa and Caroline, for lunch.  (I'm wearing an East Carolina shirt because that's where my dad was getting his master's degree when I was born.  Also, I look really good in purple.)

These are Caroline's sons J.J. and Phillip.  They make Vacation Bible School sound super fun.

It was so nice to catch up with my friends and meet Caroline's beautiful family (including little Margaret).

Caroline's husband, Tim, was kind enough to sit at one end of the table with all the kids so that the three of us could talk.  I didn't even care that he was wearing a Taylor Swift shirt . . .

. . . but Melyssa did.

I've spent the last month trying to make new friends and, frankly, it's exhausting.  It made my heart happy to spend time with old friends who already knew me.  Old friends make me feel young.

After lunch we headed to Duke, where someone foolishly left the doors open at Cameron Indoor Stadium.  We were illegally parked and there was a basketball camp going on, so this is the best shot I could get.  Best day of Harrison's life.

We also had a chance to snap a quick picture at Duke Chapel.  

A few days later, we returned to Duke so that I could get a picture of the kids in front of the medical school.  It took us a while to find things and there was a lot of crying and sweating involved.  Hence the over-the-moon looks on my children's faces.

Right about here is where I sat when I watched Jeff receive his degree from Duke University School of Medicine ten years ago.  I told the kids about how their daddy sang and I played the piano during the ceremony in that chapel.  That's one of my top ten favorite moments, ever.

This was their favorite place that day.

Here they are jumping for joy in front of the medical center on the day Jeff finished his last day of fellowship.  After four years of medical school, a year of internship, four years of residency, and one year of fellowship, Jeff started his first day of work today as a radiologist.  We're so proud of him!

[Naomi, Syrena, Sophie, Danny, Harrison, Chloe, and Miles.]

After Duke, we drove to Hillsborough to visit our dear friends, the Dyrengs.  Sophie and Syrena and Harrison were in preschool together when they were four years old.  They played together constantly.  Now they are adorably awkward eleven year olds who don't know how to interact.  When we pulled up to their house for dinner, Danny was in the driveway drinking from a hose.  Miles looked at him and said, "I'm going to go play with HIM."  They ran off and played together the whole time.  What the?!  How do four year olds make it look so easy?

I think it had been about five years since I'd seen Chelsea Dyreng.  That's way too long to go without seeing one of your favorite people in the world.  Even though we only communicate over the Internet these days, Chelsea still manages to inspire me.  Kindred spirits are such a gift.

Can you believe that was one day?  Just writing about our day makes me feel sleepy.  After that we drove up to Norfolk to visit my sister, Allyn, but that's another post for another day.  Now it's time for a nap.