August 9th: Day Five

We intended to head to Rocky Mount in the late afternoon, but with the unexpected departure of Stu’s parents the night before; we decided to head there early and left around ten in the morning. The drive between Raleigh and Rocky Mount is less than an hour and is just beautiful the whole way. Instead of the road being lined with date trees as in Abu Dhabi, it was lined with brilliant green: grass and both deciduous and coniferous trees. Just beautiful.

We made it Steven and Connie’s around 11:30 and it was nice to have a chance to visit with them and their girls, Alli and Brook, before anyone else arrived. We got to settle in and Kaden went down for a nap while we chatted about everything under the sun. We also got a surprise package from Mimi and Papa waiting for us there. Kaden got a cool new towel with sharks on it, some new outfits, and the favorite: a jack-in-the-box toy. I think Brook ended up liking it even more than Kaden did, but throughout the day I think I caught almost everyone playing with it at least once. They also sent some clothes for Stu and I and some new shoes for Kaden which ended up being really helpful on the way home.

Finally my Mom and Dad and siblings (sans Justine :() arrived. It was so exciting to finally see them. It had been way too long. Shortly after, Galen and Debbie (my Dad’s uncle) and their kids, my cousins Sarah and Jacob, arrived with my Great grandparents and my Granddad Mike (Dad’s dad). We got to get a picture with 5 generations of Ezzells (including Kaden’s Great Great Grandpa), which was definitely cool. I don’t think that happens very often.

We had a wonderful dinner of Carolina BBQ, fried chicken, red potatoes, collard greens, coleslaw, hush puppies, and Sarah made brownies for dessert. It was all so yummy and I’m pretty sure everyone had seconds or thirds.

After much visiting, everyone eventually left and then my Dad took Stu, my brother Hayden, and I on a drive around Rocky Mount. He pointed out all the places from his childhood: schools, houses he lived in, etc. We also got to see the nicer areas of town and the run-down places. His brother Steven recently became a cop in the city so we heard some fun stories about the town. All-in-all a very busy but great day of family time.

Finally got to see Mommy!

Connie cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Kaden playing with Mickey.

Maddy, and Alli holding Kaden.

Alli, Maddy, Hayden, Stu and I (watching YouTube videos)

Kaden meeting his great great granddad for the first time (and playing with his cane).

Jax and Mickey having a great time playing.

Dinner time! (l to r: Great Granddad, Granddad Mike, Jacob, Great Grandma, my Dad, Galen, and Steven)

Eating at the kids' table: Maddy and Alli, Hayden, Stu and me

5 Generations of Ezzells: My Dad, Granddad Mike, Great Granddad, Kaden, and myself

Kaden full of glee

Trying to show Kaden it really is ok to hug his great great grandma.

Kaden and Jax listening to instructions from Jacob.

Seeking safety from the puppies on Uncle Galen's lap.

Picking and eating blueberries with Momma E in the backyard.

The boys playing basketball... Kaden planning his shot.

Getting organized to take a flustered family photo.

All of us (Kaden was screaming his head off) Back row: Galen, Debbie, Jacob, Great Grandma, Hayden, Connie, Steven, Stu, Kaden, me. Middle row: Granddad Mike, Great Granddad, Dad. Front row: Brooklyn (holding Jax), Maddison, Allison, Mickey, and Mom