Shortly after we returned from the beach, my little brother, Patrick, came to visit us. He is beginning his college search and wanted to visit one in Omaha, Nebraska - not too far from us. Patrick is always a fun guest to have and Sam adores him! During the day Patrick hung out with Sam and I doing our usual routine but the evenings we tried to take him to all the fun places in Aggieville/Manhattan. These trips usually included a stop at the world's best gourmet donut shop, Varsity Donuts, where he joined Justin in his goal to eat his way through all the flavors before we leave Fort Riley. 

Trying to sit as close as possible to Uncle Patrick!

In Aggieville, getting some coffee grounds from our favorite local shop, Radina's. 

Sam has begun imitating many things we do, such as using a coaster for his drink. Very cute! 

The only show Sam ever watched was Curious George, just last week he suddenly decided he loves trains! This opened up Thomas the Tank Engine as a whole new world of excitement for him on Netflix. His interest in the shows usually lasts 5 minutes then he is back to playing, which is just fine since we would like to keep his TV time as low as possible,

Justin has been dying to take Sam to Waffle House to get one of these snazzy hats and begin instilling love for this southern staple. In Georgia I passed 23 Waffle Houses during my 25 minute commute to work (not exaggerating), but here in Kansas we had to drive almost two hours to find one. 

Who doesn't love WH waffles? They taste better when wearing the hat.

At our last Starbucks trip before dropping Patrick off for his flight.

Family Vacation 2013

In late July we traveled to the Outer Banks, North Carolina for our family vacation with Justin's immediate and extended family. The weather was perfect and beach was beautiful. Sam had a blast with his cousins. We all stayed in a big beach house with plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms, which made for a very comfortable stay. 

The Outer Banks does not have a local airport so we had to fly into Raleigh and drive the 4.5 hours to the Outer Banks. Unfortunately our flights were delayed (again!) so we arrived at 2:00am. Seems to be our luck lately when it comes to traveling. On the way home, we had a hotel room in Raleigh so we could easily make our 6:00am flight. Raleigh turned out to be a very nice city so we did a little exploring the night before. 

Here are a few pictures to document our trip and wonderful vacation! 

Beginning our journey in the Kansas City airport.

Checking out the planes . . . he is becoming quite a seasoned traveler. 

Michael, the oldest Ducote cousin, showing Sam how to use the iPad. 

Justin and Sam enjoying the pool at our beach house. Sam seemed to enjoy the pool more than the sandy beach.

Digging in the sand under Nonna's watchful eye and Uncle Brent enjoying the sun.

Enjoying dinner together at a waterfront seafood place.

Our little family! 

Sam's first boardwalk ride . . . not a fan. Poor little guy cried and the ride was stopped early for him.

Early morning cousin playtime (John, Michael and Sam).

At our hotel room in Raleigh on the way home. 

Our last flight on the long journey home!