I took a lot of pictures. A lot of pictures. Forgive me if it's a little lengthy. This marks our third annual trip to the Outer Banks, Hatteras Island, NC. Our favorite place to be. It is the perfect spot for some R&R away from work and the stressors of everyday life. We spend the last week of summer there, just before Labor Day weekend and going back to school. My kids are beach bums. They've been raised on the beach. All 3 of them spent a week in Hatteras when I was still on maternity leave with each of them. Josh & I have been going with his parents since we were dating. This year, we stayed with friends. Believe it or not (by this first photo), Bella was really excited. She had just spent a week in July with Honey & Pop Pop and knew all about the "beach house" and couldn't wait to go back. We had been counting down the days. The boys love it down there. They basically get to stay up late, do whatever they want, and eat snacks all day long! Our house this year - Fisherman's Retreat. It had a great layout. The top floor was a huge, open den, dining room and kitchen. Perfect for two families of 9 to spread out. There was even a loft/crow's nest (on the very top) that we immediately turned into a "game room" for the boys to play PS3. It also served as their headquarters for "Manhunt". Had to have a hot tub. That is always Cam's favorite thing about the beach house. The boys went in every night after a long day at the beach. Of course, Bella had to tag along. But they let her. I'd be lying if I said there were no electronics on this trip. I mean, after all, it's vacation. "Dumb ways to die, so many dumb ways to die...." Even the adults like to play on their devices. (We did have a minor wifi emergency and had to call on "Jim" to fix the problem.) Because Josh had a lot of "work" to do. The smartest thing we did was bring Bella's table and dishes. She had a lot of dinner parties. And Ms. Suzette even let her play with real dishes. The boys spent a lot of time in the evenings playing in the driveway (there was a basketball goal), riding their bikes, and doing tricks on the scooter. Bella and Jackson even fought over the scooter a few times. Jack shared his infamous rap "Boogers" with everyone during dinner (very appropriate, I know). We would all sit around during dinner making up our own raps. For example.... "My name is Jack I like to talk smack Don't talk back Or you might get slapped." One of the best things about vacation? Sleeping in. Day one at the beach was a bit of a wash, but we made it work. It was extremely windy. The sand hurt when it blew on your legs. Bella was freaking out. The water was too rough. It was pretty miserable at first but we toughed it out. The kids weren't very happy with us, but eventually the wind did calm down a little. Enough so that they started to get used to it and we were able to enjoy some of the day on the beach. That heap in the middle of the picture is Jackson hiding under his towel. Jackson was building a minecraft city. The Nobles came down for two nights. The kids had such a great time. The nights were spent around the table playing Taboo. I have not laughed that hard in a very long time. Steak and steamed shrimp for dinner. One of the reasons we love Hatteras so much is driving on the beach. Once you've done it, there is no better way to experience a day on the beach. Day two (and three & four) on the beach was still pretty windy, but it did get better with each day. Plus, I think we just started to adapt. Each day got easier setting up camp as we learned the best way to avoid the wind. It also helped that the water was calmer, so the boys got to boogey board and spend time in the water so they weren't so "boooooored". We made a quick visit to the lighthouse in Buxton. But, of course it was too windy, so no one was allowed on the balcony. So we captured this and headed back to the beach. Ramp 44 (also called "the point") was pretty cool. We will have to go back one day when it's not as windy. There was a little inlet that the kids played in. The water was like something off The Weather Channel. The waves were so tall and coming from all different directions. Really pretty spot, though. We made dinner every evening and relaxed. The kids would chill in the hot tub, hang out in the driveway on their bikes and scooter, or play Manhunt or Playstation. Everybody got along really well, even the brothers. Bella fell head over heels for Jadyn. Poor guy, he just couldn't get away from her. He was a trooper, though. On Thursday, we took the ferry to Ocracoke Island. Lunch was at Howard's Pub. Shrimp, crab dip, fried pickles and a Hurricane (for the Moms). Yum. Passed out. This girl loves to sleep on the beach. Can't say that I blame her. Sometimes they forget that they kinda like each other. The ferry ride home was beautiful. We spent the last day....well, the beach, duh. But it was a short day. Because we had promised the boys all week to take a bike ride to get some ice cream. And a bonfire on the beach. And each night it just didn't work out. Either it was too late, we were too tired, or it was too windy. The last night was perfect.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
November 2018
AuthorMy name is Kaci. I am a working mom of 3. Wife to Josh. Mom to Jackson, Cameron & Isabella. My life is dinner, homework, baseball, basketball, grocery lists, laundry, middle school, wine, video games, and schedules. I started this blog because I love taking pictures, and I needed a place to document our life. I wanted a place to write it all down, to remember little details so easily forgotten in the mad rush that is the life of a family of 5. Through my photos and words, I endeavor to capture our story. Categories
All
|