Rainy Days In Raleigh

Rainy days are the the perfect excuse...

to wear comfy shoes,

drink your favorite drink, 

and wear your brand new sweatshirt.

I got myself an "I heart Raleigh" sweatshirt.

I try to budget my money...

and this took up almost a whole month's worth.

But it was totally worth it. 

I said last year, "This time next year, I'll be back in North Carolina."

But then I met Brad, 

and that crazy thing called love has kept me here.

So while I can't be in North Carolina,

I can snuggle up in my North Carolina hoodie. 

Change

I miss a lot of things.

I think you already know number one on my list... 

I sure miss my little Mowgli.

I still cry every so often over him.

He is still in my dreams.

I still love him.

(I miss taking silly and sweet pictures with him!)

 I miss North Carolina.

Out of all the places I've ever been.. 

Different states, countries, hotels and homes..

North Carolina wins.

 

I miss the beach! 

(Mostly the beaches of North Carolina)

I am actually quite terrified of swimming in the ocean.

I don't like to lay out and get tan.

Why do I miss it then? I don't know. 

I just do.

I miss my blonde and pink hair!

It was lots of fun.. with a lot of up keep.

I like to have my hair look natural.. but I also love some extremities! 

Maybe I'll go back to this again.. at some point.

 I miss taking big cross country road trips.
There is nothing like having the back seat packed,
The front seat shared with a doggie, a camera and knitting supplies,
An ice chest that can barely be found under all the mess of the back seat.
Fruit snacks, energy drinks, string cheese, chocolate bars...
Stopping at little diners for dinner, 
stopping at spooky gas stations for potty breaks.
(Sometimes stopping on the side of the road for potty breaks..(I am not embarrassed!))

I also miss this guy.
This is my kitty cat Tas. 
I've had him since 8th grade!
We found out that he is pretty sick.
He lives with my parents, so I rarely see him.
(He was NOT a fan of Mowgli, so I had to leave him behind.) 
 Let's send little Tas some good thoughts, loves and kitty cat kisses!
(I don't want to loose another furry friend.)


Life changes pretty fast my friends. 
Before you know it...

There are new furry faces to love.
(Yes, boyfriend included.)

There are new beaches to visit.

New beautiful scenery to look at.

New adventures to go on.

New reasons to smile and laugh.

And lots and lots of chances to be happy.

Is there anything in particular you miss?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

Don't forget to come back on Monday.. 

For the first of the weekly giveaways! 

My Dearest,

My Dearest North Carolina,
 It was love at first sight. Your beauty is astounding. Your weather is warm and your trees are tall. Please believe me, I love you very very much. It breaks my heart to tell you that I must leave you. The car is packed and a new place is waiting for us. I'm so sorry, it's not you... it's me. You were very good to me. You treated me so well. Thank you for the trees and flowers and sunlight. Thanks for having a forest in my backyard so I could take plenty of pictures. Thanks for housing my favorite shops and restaurants. Thanks for providing so many parks and nature preserves. I am going to miss you very much. Until I return.. you will always be with me. Even if it's just a tiny bit.

Yours forever,
Rachael

I'm sentimental. 

4 new hats added to the shop.

I had to have one last set of pictures before I go...
I hope I can find some pretty trees for my backgrounds in Arkansas!

This is...

This is going to be a lot of pictures.

This is our vacation to The Outer Banks.

The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. 

This is the Roanoke Marches Lighthouse

This is Mowgli.. contemplating the surf.

This is after I chased him around the beach.

This is Taylor and his brother Seth searching for shark teeth.

 This is not a shark tooth..

This is not a shark tooth either.
This is Seth, he is really funny and makes me laugh a lot.

This is an arm wrestle between Taylor and his youngest brother Seth.

I won't tell you who won...

This is Taylor's family who came to visit from Utah.

This is Taylor's Step Dad, his Mom, Seth, Taylor and me.

This is Mowgli with his new best friend..

Taylor's mom always gave him the best treats.

This is me waiting with Mowgli.

This is when Seth came to keep me company.

This was a good day to fly kites.

This is me looking like a bad pet owner.

But.. come on.. funny?

 He was fine. Promise.

This is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

 This was a really good and funny game of pool.

 This was the coolest store EVER.

It was built out of shipwreck pieces.
It sold such amazing stuff.

This is the Ferry Ride

Mowgli is terrified of water.

This is brotherly love.

This is one of those times I shouldn't be laughing.

This is the Ocracoke Lighthouse

 This is a beautiful sunset.

I have many many more pictures to go through... and post.
We went to Washington DC for a few days too.
I will try to post them before I get too caught up in this big move.

We had so much fun with Taylor's family.
It was sad to see them leave.


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