River and Oysters and Family OH MY

Let me preface this entry with: I have needed some personal time, some me time. So please don't judge me for the LONG weekend I am about to describe :)

SO, last Friday morning I left a beautiful sunny and delightful Raleigh to meet up with my parents at Wharton Grove. It's my brothers Godfather's/father's best friend's house on the River just across from Urbanna, just up from Irvington in the thriving metropolis of Weems, Virginia. If you don't know any of those names, then you've never been there, so don't worry about it. ANYWAY, this is how a good ole river house should be. I love it. Don't mind the ivy growing into the house or the wysteria growing over the porch door or the absolutely amazing view from the deck over the River at sunset. There were a few reasons for this visit. See family, celebrate lil bro's 18th birthday (he's at boarding school across the River), and attend the Urbanna Oyster Festival, attended by thousands every year. SO I was super excited. Sadly Pav of Pav and the Goose was going to come with, but the new second job (which she needs to tell us about!) took precidence.

That night, we go to Rose's Steak House for the bday dinner up in Kilmarnock (I feel like I'm name dropping here; I just love this area of Virginia and don't you just love the names!!!). Little bro not so casually kept drinking my beer. I was so proud! Papa got a bucket of the peanuts they had at the front door, and just assumed that once cracked, the shells go on the floor. Well, no, this was not the case. So then he starts just dumping the shells on the nice black table cloth. Well, the look on our waiter's face as he walked up quickly told me that wasn't where they went either. He quickly turned around, grabbed another one of the tiny buckets and promptly put it down right in front of my father... who proceeded to crack and throw on the floor/table... Men.. But lil bro's friend (apparent BFF of the moment), we'll call him cutie, I mean, dreamboat, I mean WHOA best friend of my 18 year old brother!! AHH, ladies (and perhaps gentlemen), this kid is too cute for words I wanted to take him up, put him in my pocket, and take him home with me. He is so articulate, so mature, has done and seen so much, he literally mesmerized me most of dinner. He is gonna be a lady killer. (The next morning at breakfast, he sat down next to me and I couldn't help but kinda smile; how cougar-esque of me!!!) Anyway, moving on, we went back to Wharton Grove to open presents. I gave him a new Polo and a Northface fleece (thank god it fit!) and the big present my parents gave him was a lacrosse goal. How cool. He got some fun other things that he really seemed to like, good times, good boy, he knows how to play it. The next morning, we wake up bright and early (there is a whole story I'm skipping over, but I do believe it requires an entry of it's own, so it will just have to wait) and head across the River, for the Oyster Festival!!!! Mind you, it is raining, non-stop. But we brave the weather, bundled up, and head out. But this has already gone on longer than I wanted and there is sooo much more to tell. But my father is upstairs watching, let's see, 7:07PM, he's watching Jeopardy, so I'm gonna go kick his hiney and answer, let's see, it's not a College week or Celebrity week, so I'll average about 2 questions correct.

PS: Tomorrow LSL, Pav, and I are headed to the information session for Junior League. Anyone else going?!?!

PPS: I'll post pictures later!!!