Dear Luke,
You just took your first vacation, and it was amazing! We flew to Greensboro, North Carolina, to visit your Aunt Gerry, Uncle Bob, and cousins Bobby, David, Holly, Matt, and Jenna! They met you for the first time on this vacation! Everyone was so excited about this trip! Aunt Gerry wanted a list of all of your favorite foods, so that you would feel right at home... And you did! You and I started counting down at eleven sleeps! Jenna made an incredible list of exciting things for all of us to do together! She gave so much thought to our time together... She didn't overlook a single detail! Words can't describe how much fun you had with your relatives in Greensboro!
Airport Day, the start of our vacation, was on a Thursday, and you were so excited! I packed you a lot of puzzles and card games, but you were only interested in the snacks I packed and the lemon-lime soda from the flight attendant! You loved your seat belt, and especially your tray for snacking! This was your second trip on an airplane, the first being your trip home from China with Mommy! This was your first trip as an American Citizen! Mommy is so proud of you! When we got off of the plane, we started walking towards Aunt Gerry and Jenna. It was a long walk, and when we saw them, you stopped walking a bit! Jenna had sent photos before our vacation, so you recognized them when we saw them for the first time in the Greensboro Airport! We were all so full of joy to see each other! You felt right at home with Aunt Gerry, and instantly loved your cousin, Jenna! Your first vacation had begun, son!
We went home to Aunt Gerry's house, where you and I were greeted by Uncle Bob and cousin Matt. We all talked about the fun plans on Jenna's Itinerary, and made ourselves at home! Jenna and Matt had decorated our bedroom for you... They made towel-puppies, bought you a pair of sunglasses, and decorated with balloons that said, 'LUKE!' The most amazing thing is that we stayed in Matt's 'Curious George' room... Curious George is just your favorite character ever! Aunt Gerry made her specialty, Tempura Dinner, and we were joined by cousins Holly and David! The next morning, Matt came over to make Belgium Waffles for everyone! Our vacation was off to a lovely start, and it was only going to get better!
Our first outing was to The Greensboro Children's Museum, and it was incredible! You played dress-up as a fireman, drove a race-car, played golf, camped, and went to a pretend grocery store with Matt and Jenna! The three of you had so much fun... This was a vacation highlight! Aunt Gerry bought you a Greensboro Children's Museum shirt and a superhero cape! You wear it all the time, just like Aunt Gerry thought you might! Jenna had a party to go to that afternoon, and when we picked her up, she was so excited for her friends to meet you! You jumped right into Jenna's arms to meet them!
The next morning, we all went to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts! You ordered the Birthday Doughnut, filled with cake batter! As always, you had so much fun with your cousins! Later that morning, we took a trip to the swimming pool, and you swam with Jenna in the baby pool and the big pool. Aunt Gerry was so amazed at how you put your head and eyes in the water like a big boy! You really loved the swimming pool! We all went to Mass together, as a family. That was one of Mommy's favorite parts of our vacation. Jenna and I started laughing, though, when you saluted and announced, "Aye, aye, Captain Hook!" Yikes! You were a good boy... This was your first Mass, after all. We went to a Japanese Restaurant for dinner, and you had so much fun watching the show! You were amazed by the fire and the Chef! We were amazed by the amount of Japanese noodles you ate! You loved the white sauce more than anything! Matt was getting ready to go to Scout Camp for a week, so we said, 'Goodbye for now!' to Matt. Mommy decided on this vacation that Cub Scouts would be great for a little boy like you! You and Jenna had a slumber party after dinner! You two played games, listened to music, and sang songs. Aunt Gerry and Jenna bought you a nightlight that shined the stars and the moon for your slumber party! What a great night with your cousin, Jenna!
The next night, Uncle Bob made an amazing BBQ dinner at the house, and Bobby, David, and Holly joined us. It was delicious, and you loved Uncle Bob's pork! Everyone was so impressed because you were a good eater, and enjoyed trying new foods! The next morning, we went to the Greensboro Natural Science Center! You saw sharks, sting-rays, penguins, and monkeys. You also saw two active bee hives! This was a truly wonderful day for us! Later that night, we all went to Yum Yum's for hot dogs and mint chocolate chip ice cream! Unfortunately, our stay was cut short because you were very tired, and you started to cry! We waited for you outside while you and Aunt Gerry had a talk, and you settled down. I'm not sure what you two talked about in Yum Yum's, but Aunt Gerry let you lock and unlock all of the car doors for the rest of the night! You were so happy about that, and felt a lot better! We all went to bed early that night!
Our last day in Greensboro was a Tuesday, and Jenna had scheduled a baseball game for us. Unfortunately, there had been a tremendous storm the night before, and the game had been cancelled! We were all a bit disappointed, but all agreed we would go see the Greensboro Grasshoppers next summer! We went shopping instead, and Mommy bought you your Smithsonian Baby Dinosaurs. You love them! We had burgers for dinner at Porter House. Holly bought you a fun toy for the restaurant, and we all had so much fun! David taught you how to shoot a rubber band from your hand! That was your favorite, and we all agreed, you would be really good at it when you got a little bit older!
The next day, it was time time to go back to the airport! Our vacation was over! It had been wonderful, Luke, and you had so much fun! Everyone was so excited to meet you, and spend the week with you! Mommy cried a little at the airport, because I had so much fun! We had a little snack on the airplane, and then you fell asleep! It was such an amazing vacation, son!
