We're back from our visit with the NC branch of the family. From what we've heard, it was warmer in MN than in NC while we were gone. That's not usually the case, because mid-March and state basketball tournaments often mean snowstorms here. It's great to have the unseasonably warm weather in MN, though, especially with the St. Peter Saints boys' basketball team playing in the state tournament at this very minute. Go Saints!
Speaking of "Go Saints!", we discovered that Hannah Rachel Dellon is a die-hard Carolina fan. We heard a lot of "Go Tarheels! and "Boo Duke!" while we visited, complete with thumbs-up (UNC) and thumbs-down (Duke) gestures to make a solid point of her preferences. Hannah was thrilled when the Blue Devils were drummed out of the NCAA tournament a few days ago. I foresee a heated conversation with Uncle Charlie and Auntie Angie about this!
Our visit fell partly on St. Patrick's Day, which got a multi-day tribute from Hannah, the local St. Pat's Princess. She turned many heads by wearing her sparkly green crown to el parque.
Even though Vivi didn't wear a crown, she was in full action mode on her trips through the slide tube.
We had a special lunch with Larry's cousin Linda on Saturday at
Panzanella, a yummy restaurant in Carrborro. Linda brought Vivi a cuddly mama lamb and baby lamb, which were an instant hit.
The St. Pat's Princess received a cuddly mommy bunny and baby bunny from Linda. You can see how much Hannah loves her new spring pets!
After lunch we all took a tour of the
UNC Botanical Garden, a lovely and quirky site not far from where E and E live. Lovely because of the flowers and plants, and quirky because of numerous (and humorous) pieces of outdoor art found around the grounds. I should have taken more pictures, dang it. If you look closely at the photo immediately below, you'll see Evan tracking down an especially quirky piece of art, one that darted around quite quickly in the foilage.
It may look like Hannah is sneezing or wiping a bug off her nose, but actually she is getting a good whiff of rosemary. The herb garden had dozens of rosemary bushes-- yes, bushes-- planted throughout. Rosemary and other herbs are grown for industrial purposes like in cosmetics, shampoo, etc. The little pots of herbs I plant in the summer to enhance the flavor of salads and pasta are miniscule in comparison to the mammoth bushes grown for commercial use. Who knew?
And here is Evan on a gigantic chess board. He's trying to figure out why one of the chess pieces is wearing a shamrock crown.
Yup, it's the Irish Princess chess piece, ready to make a move.
Vivi loved playing chess, too.
The Botanical Garden has a colorful morning glory whispering bench that fascinated Hannah. She talked to her daddy through one morning glory, and he listened out of the other. Here are Evan, Larry/Dad, Linda, Irish Princess Hannah, Elisabeth, and sleeping Vivian enjoying the bench.
Larry/Dad/Paco and I were excited to see the progress on E & E's house. These two shots are from the car as we drove by on Tuesday, and unfortunately they don't show the house very well. But, as you can see since the Kodak site photos, much has been done to frame the addition, and cover it in Ty-Vek (or whatever the brand is!). Hannah gave us a grand tour of her new room, Vivi's, and the bathroom in-between. Can't wait to see future pictures as more and more is accomplished.
On Monday morning we took a trip to a science museum for kids. Again, I was remiss about picture-taking. But, I did capture Hannah building a really cool building. She spent a LOT of time focusing on her creation, figuring out ways to make the long flat blocks balance in different ways so she could build up and up and up. Her finished construction project has a Jenga-like quality to it, don't you think?
I really had to save the best picture for nearly last. We had pizza for supper on Monday evening, assembled almost entirely by Chef Hannah. Instead of a chef's hat, you might notice the bicycle helmet. No comment. Charlie will have one, I'm sure. It's the first time I've seen anyone needing a helmet to spread sauce on pizza crust, though. I guess NC has some strict cooking laws.
This photo of Hannah is the REAL last picture. For most of Tuesday morning, she and Vivi stayed at home and played with Grandpappy and me. Hannah decided to draw pictures for her cousins in Minnesota, in part to thank Ethan and Owen for sending their artwork along, and in part to let all four cousins know how much she misses them. She made a picture for Grandpappy and me, too. Thanks, Hannah! Thank you to E, E, H, and V for a great visit. See (most of) you in May in Minnesota!
