durham so far

I don't have any pictures from our 3 days car haul from Provo to Durham because I drove a lot of the time and when I wasn't driving I was so tired while riding shot gun (thanks mom, for helping me drive!) but it was... long. Day 1: Provo to Topeka, KS. A little over 14 hours. SO LONG. The best part about this leg of the trip was Colorado. Most of it was just gorgeous, just the last little part was when it looked just like the rest of the drive into Kansas. Day 2: Topeka to Charleston, WV. A little less than 13 hours. Not as bad as day one in terms of length but a little worse in terms of scenery. But mom and I DID get our pizza hut for lunch so we were happy. The whole 2 day and some change of a drive was occupied with listening to "Inferno" by Dan Brown. It was really good and passed the time wonderfully! This breakfast (below) was the morning we left Charleston and were off to Durham. I was AMAZED at the hotel breakfast. Seriously, biscuits and gravy?? I love biscuits and gravy. Though the eggs look pretty fake, they tasted really good. Anyways, this pregnant lady loved getting a hardy breakfast in my belly before the rest of the drive and moving in.

I think we rolled into Durham around... 1:00? Maybe a bit earlier, I can't remember! We checked out our place which looked a bit depressing with nothing in it. They also hadn't cleaned (carpets, vents, cabinets) quite as well as I would have hoped so I was feeling down about that. We went right to lunch at Bojangles here in Durham before we picked up the U-Haul and packed up our things from the shipping container to it. Guys. Bojangles is a religion here. Their fried chicken is SO good and I don't love fast food fried chicken (sorry, KFC) but it really is very good. They have these amazing little circular bites of happiness called "Botato rounds" and they're seriously amazing. I can't get enough of those things. And their biscuits? Delicious. Basically I love it there. Post lunch we: got the U-Haul, Zach + his brother Phil and some friends from the ward packed it at the shipping container while my mom and I ran to the grocery store to pick up some things like bug spray and dishwasher detergent, unpacked the U-Haul at the house, mom and I tried to start putting things away even though it seems pointless and that you'll live out of boxes for the rest of your life while Zach + Phil picked up a mattress from their place to bring here. Then we worked at the house for a bit before dropping off the U-Haul and heading to Phil + Laurel's for dinner. We were so excited to be all together (see below :))

The rest of my mama's stay was wonderful. She was THE biggest help I could've asked for. She was an angel and I feel so blessed that my mom is my best friend. I look up to her so much! Anyway, we ate yummy food, visited Duke and the American Tobacco campus, unpacked and by the time she left I felt a lot better about our new home. That doesn't mean I didn't break down into tears randomly throughout the next couple days because I missed her! It just means I know I'm the luckiest daughter to have her as my mom.

 ^^ ALSO, the COOLEST thing ever! There is a first edition copy of the Book of Mormon in the Duke Library. So one day we went to see it. You have to register but then you can go into a special room and hold it, read it and take pictures of it! It was a really neat experience. Shout out to the previous owner who drew a peacock in it?

 These are photos from after my mama left. Zach got his ID card, we visited Duke forest, went to an Iron and Wine concert (Zach was SO excited the whole time), and have been absolutely spoiled by our Phlaurel family with delicious meals. Like Phil's homemade pizza. SO GOOD. We love living so close to them and reap all the benefits of it in many different ways! Also, our cute nephews. We can't get enough of 'em.