our trip to RI.

This right here is how we spent the weekend - mostly on the couch! Our trip to RI involved a lot of running from one place to another to see family members. It was really great to see everyone, especially for me to see my cousins and aunts from around the country and the world (my family is very spread out). However, the experience was very draining. We were using my sister's car in 90 degree weather with no air conditioner but at least being near the ocean allowed for a nice natural breeze. We drove all around and between Providence, North Kingstown, Newport, Jamestown, East Greenwich, Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

Marius got to meet my extended family for the first time. My grandmother's 90th birthday was celebrated by family from Bangkok, Europe, Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Canada, Arkansas, Oregon, and of course North Carolina and Rhode Island. Iris also met her great-grandfather, grandmother and great-grandmother on Marius' side.

We ate lots of delicious food including lobster at my parents', breakfasts at the Brickway restaurant,  Del's frozen lemonade and I also got my Dunkin Donuts iced-coffee fix! We took Iris to the beach but she slept through most of it. While I waded in the waves, she slumbered heavily against my chest wrapped tightly in her gauze sling. When she finally woke, I sat her on a blanket in the sand and she ignored everything but the young children running and squealing nearby. She also loved my cousins' young kids and got very excited about playing with them and their toy cars.

On our last day there, the three of us spent the day together in Wickford, RI. We both grew up in Rhode Island, but Wickford never gets old. It was refreshing to spend some time together just holding hands and browsing all the little shops. Marius bought me some new earrings which I can actually wear because they are so tiny (in other words, Iris would have a hard time ripping them out!).

Thank you to my parents for flying us up there, letting us use their car (even if it was nicknamed The Hot Box!), to my sisters for being so awesome and to everyone else who made our trip so enjoyable!

A special congratulations and thank you to my grandmother, Gina.