Out of Towners

This weekend, my mom, my aunt and my 2 cousins stopped in to see me after making a trip over to Asheville to look at a college for my youngest cousin. 

I love having visitors.  I love showing off my favorite corners of this little city I call home.  My aunt is the biggest dog lover I know, and I just knew she was excited to spend time with Buddy and let’s face it – I love anyone who loves my dog.  And I was pretty excited to spend some time with my cousins, Caedran and Savannah, who are 20 and 17.  Most of our time together has been big family get-togethers, and since we’ve had more holidays in North Carolina over the last few years I haven’t really gotten to see them in awhile.  They’re on the brink of being such grown-ups, and I was really looking forward to getting to hang out with them and talk to them and well, get to know them better as silly as that sounds.

And obviously, I love any excuse for my mom to come visit.

It was such a fun weekend, although a bit whirlwind.  They arrived Saturday night, after spending the day in Asheville, and I took them out to dinner at Wen Hwa.  I was a little challenged trying to figure out where to eat, because Caedran is a vegan and Savannah is a vegetarian.  But I asked the Twitter and of course, friends Teri and Brian came through with great suggestions.  Wen Hwa, which I still refer to as Xia’s, was perfect because it also meant we got to take the Budster.  It was a picture perfect post-storm evening to sit on the patio.

My mom even enforced a no-phone rule at dinner.  I did sneak a Foursquare check in though.  Sorry, Mom!

On Sunday, I took them all to Whole Foods and I’m pretty sure little cousins were in heaven.  We ate lunch and then shopped a little bit before I dragged them next door to Yoforia.  (Okay, I didn’t really have to drag them other than that who ever really wants to leave WFs?)

After our food coma, I dropped them off at the mall for some back to school shopping – certainly a highlight of the trip when you live in rural upstate New York, and your nearest malls are 2+ hours away!  My mom and I busied ourselves with some shopping ourselves, and afterwards we all popped into the Borders clearance sale.  Do you know it’s somewhat dangerous to take 2 teachers to a bookstore that’s going out of business?

After we were at the ‘til you drop point’, it was time to regroup for more food.  We wrapped up the night at Mellow Mushroom, which never, ever disappoints.  Mom wasn’t as successful with her no-phone-zone here, but I’m pretty sure the cousins are just texting each other about how much they love hanging out with me, right?

I loved having my guests here, and getting to know my growing-up-quickly girls better.  I swear I can still picture them as being the little baby dolls that they were to me when they were born and I can’t believe my little one is going to college.  Now I can only hope she’ll go to college here in my lovely state of NC, so the family visits can continue!