G and K and What They Say: North Carolina; Wynne's Baptism; Visit Isaksens; Billy Graham Library; Whitewater Center

We were off to North Carolina. We could tell we had landed in the south when we saw white rocking chairs all throughout the airport.

We were definitely NOT impressed with the Charlotte Airport. Everything was so run down and it looked like we were in a construction zone.

First stop was dinner at TGI Friday's. Then we were off on our 2-hour drive to Raleigh to spend a couple of nights there. That is the area where Klarissa's sister Jen lives. The two families had planned a cousins' baptism with Clara and Wynne.

Saturday morning we ate breakfast at our hotel and then headed to the church where the baptism was being held.

We got there just in time to snap a photo of Abe's family. I am sad I didn't get a photo of Jen's family.

The photos continued with us, Wynne, and Klarissa's parents--Mike and Ingrid Jackson..

Sweet daddy and daughter photo.

It was sweet that all the grandpas and grandmas had a part on the program. The program was hand-written by Wynne.

I enjoyed playing the piano. I also very much enjoyed watching Wynne and Clara play their piano duet during the baptism.

Newland was so sweet to his sister after her baptism and confirmation.

We took a few more photos at the completion of the baptismal service.

There was a luncheon afterward at Jen and Jordan's home.

Clara's Grandma Lisa is quite the seamstress. She sewed these sweet, white, miniature baptismal dresses for Wynne and Clara to have on display as a remembrance of their baptism day.

We left the Olsen's home to go and see some sights around the area. Jen suggested we go see the temple. Upon admiring the temple, Glen had a strong desire to go inside for an endowment session.

We hadn't brought our temple clothes and I hadn't brought my recommend. That ended up not being a problem. The temple loaned us some clothes and it is very easy now for the temple to look up our recommend online.

While waiting for my recommend approval as we were standing in the lobby, someone spoke our names. We turned around to see Dawn Tucker, a woman from our ward in Georgia. It was so random that we ran into each other in North Carolina!

We had just changed into some casual clothes at the hotel and were heading out to find something else to do when Abe called to say their children were going to Jen's neighbor's home for a popcorn/movie night and wondered if we would like to have an adult evening with them.

We met up at Duke Gardens and took a nice, leisurely stroll through the lovely grounds.

Abe, Klarissa, and her sister Mariah were the ones who joined us for the evening.

Klarissa found a restaurant close by and we enjoyed dining and visiting before we went back to our hotel.

Sunday we went to Jen's church. She had been so kind to invite us to spend the afternoon at their home and then have dinner with them, but there were sick family members there and we were anxious to get on the road. We had the 2-hour drive, we stopped to get something to eat, and then we got settled in our hotel in Charlotte.

Monday morning we took another 2-hour drive in a different direction. We were on our way to South Carolina to visit Larry and Debbie Isaksen, our good friends from Georgia. We had some delays along the way and were happy when we finally spotted the Iva sign.

The Isaksens have a very lovely home situated on lake-front property.

Their oldest son Martin and his family have recently moved into Larry and Debbie's basement, so we got to visit with them for a while, too.

You know you are in the south when you see white rocking chairs...

I asked Debbie to pose in one of her rocking chairs so I could get a good photo of their homey, inviting, spacious back porch. Love the small rocking chairs for their grandchildren.

Debbie fixed us a delicious chicken salad lunch--with yummy cheesecake for dessert.

Time for a photo before saying good-bye for who knows how long again. We had been to visit them one other time many years ago. Maybe we'll see each other again in another decade.

Abe met us for a late dinner when we got back to Charlotte, after he finished his work day.

On Tuesday Glen and I went to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte.

The family home was open for touring.

The library is styled after a dairy barn. Visitors "come to the cross" as they walk in the door at the bottom of the cross-shaped windows.

The first thing we wanted to do was eat lunch at the Dairy Bar.

I chose a chicken salad sandwich because I had enjoyed Debbie's chicken salad so much the day before.

It was no surprise when Glen ordered a hot dog and chips--one of his most favorite meals.

Then we went on Billy Graham's "Journey of Faith" tour. We learned how he went from farmer boy to evangelist preacher.

He preached at revivals and tent crusades.

He was on radio and television programs.

He was the religious advisor to several of the Presidents of the United States.

He felt the call to serve God and preach the gospel from a very young age. He saw an airplane draw three letters in the sky and took that as his sign to Go Preach the Gospel.

It was interesting to learn that his wife felt the same call at a young age as well, before she ever met her future husband, to help people "Come to the Cross."

His preachings were heard worldwide.

Billy Graham became the predominant evangelist to the world in the 20th century.

Many people all over the world mourned his passing.

Billy and Ruth Bell Graham are buried right on the property not far from the barn.

Earlier that day we had met Abe, Klarissa and Monty at their house that has been in renovation mode for over the past two years.

This is how the house and property looked when they bought it.

This is how it looks now. How impressive!!! They have put so much work into this home. Klarissa has done such a fine job of tying old style in with new in every part of the home--both outside and inside.

I loved being able to see their years-long project in person. What a transformation!!

That evening we met Abe's family at one of their favorite restaurants, Mr. Tokyo.

For some reason totally beyond our comprehension, their whole family loves sushi.

The children started eating it at a young age and they think it is so delicious. Glen and I ordered something different. We have never acquired a taste for it.

The next morning we met Abe's family at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte. There were hardly any people there that day, so it was great.

Wynne was brave on the climbing wall.

She was excited to go with Abe white water rafting. It was her first time.

Newland opted out because he had done it before and he didn't want to get wet. He did some lounging with his grandpa watching the rafters go by.

Abe is in the back with the white helmet. Wynne is wearing the red helmet.

We went back to the parking lot to eat the Chick-fil-A lunch Klarissa had brought to us. The three boys had gotten a little too rambunctious with their stick sword fighting after they finished eating.

So Glen sequestered Newland off a ways from his little brothers.

Newland reads a chapter from the Book of Mormon every day. Glen started reading with him when they were visiting us and then has been trying to read with him over the phone every day since.

It worked out perfectly for them to get their chapter read while waiting for Monty to get fed. He had been napping in the car while the rest of us ate our lunch.