three big letters

Okay, so I admit it.  One thing Austin didn't have were North Carolina beaches.  I have yet to be on any beach that beats these.  They're right up there with Cancun.  The water is warm, the sand is perfect (and clean I might add), lighthouses gorgeous, and the company that we had on our little getaway to the Outerbanks was too good to be true! (Thanks Amanda for contributing to the pics!) Ahhh, the beach!

A couple of weeks ago Will and I were trying to decide exactly where we'd stay in Corolla, the northern most city of the stretch.  We hadn't decided on anything and it was getting late so we put the chore to bed.  Boy am I glad we did!  The very next day Amanda Johnson, our cousin, facebooked me and asked if we wanted to head to the OBX for the very same weekend we had already planned to go.  Written in the stars if you ask me.  So we did it and had a blast....clearly!

This was our house, Augua Azul.  Not right on the beach, but seriously all the houses are so close to the beach which is divine it really is no big deal. It had five bedrooms a hot tub (superb for post beach therapy), a pool, a pool table a grill and some good times with Paul, Amanda, their little ones Andrew and Audrey later joined with their friends Akasha and Geoff and their sweet Aspen and little Camden.

So, what did we do while we were there? A whole lot of this:

and this

and this

and this

In summary, had a great time on the beach!  Okay, yes it did rain some.  Torrential rains really, but the best part was that they came in the afternoon; right when we had push back lunch enough and when the kids really should've been down for naps.  Until then we had some great times in the water and on the sand. So here are a bunch of beach shots, then onto the sight seeing! YAY!
Cal, Andrew, and Annie couldn't love getting dirty more.

The cousins Will and Paul doing what every boy ought to do on a beach: dig!

Dad and the boys digging Peter a swimming pool.  Nothing makes him happier than wading in water.

And so he did.

Annie was into making her mud pies.  It was an art, very few were allowed to participate in the process.

Who isn't intruiged by numerous dead jellyfish on shore?

Me and my hunny

and my hunnies

my baby hunny

my girls: Akasha and Amanda

and simple fun and love!

For the record:  I love boardwalks. Like a lot.

NOTE TO SELF:  Next time we take some time in the OBX (spring time anyone?) we shall bring a tent.  Yes we shall.  Great for lunch, great for naps, great for random rain that may come and go...  Even more convenient than having to walk to the house on the beach. An all around winner of an idea. 

After our second beach day we knew it was time to see a lighthouse!  So we headed down to Bodie Island Light.  There's something almost magical about lighthouses wouldn't you agree? So we stayed for a bit and enjoyed it's natural beauty. Unfortunately we didn't make it down to Cape Hatteras Light due to bridge blockage as a result of the hurricane, but alas, I find it a great reason to return!

The next day it was raining from dawn till dusk which gave us ample opportunities to see a couple other great sites in the OBX.

I think it would be considered "Unamerican" to go to the Outerbanks and not visit the Wright Brothers Museum.  'Tis true, the first greatest aviation experiments and successes took place in Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills .  Why?  The great space for the runways of course! It was fun to read up on the journey they took to make such a breakthrough that had global and generational effects.  And of course Calvin was thrilled to marvel at all the airplanes!  This one day, trains took the back seat.

Both "the Flyer" and "the Glider" planes

It really was amazing to think about the world and where we would be without the experimentation these brothers dedicated their time to. What would the world be like?  What would the gospel be like?  Such a modern day luxury I take for granted far too often....(and yes even fear with kids onboard).  Yet, better than doing it all by foot, horse, car or even boat right?  Truly remarkable in my eyes.

Despite the rain Will and Geoff had an urge to roll around in the wet sands of the tallest Eastern Coast sand dunes at Jockey Ridge State Park.  So off they went in their swimsuits to dive in the dunes of the Outerbanks.  Meanwhile the kids and I had a blast in the visitors center, indoors mind you, pushing all sorts of buttons, observing all sorts of creatures found in the area and learning about the weather.  Seriously, I was impressed by how awesome it was for kids.

The eve of our departure we couldn't take off without some sunset shots to remember this fabulous place by.  

We had an incredible half week vacation and were so lucky to spend it with such wonderful people.  

On another note:

Yep,

It's true.

My little Annie took those beastly things (oh don't let safety scissors fool you) to her hair.  On this side...

...and this side.

Without much regret. In fact, she was thrilled about her masterpiece.  I don't blame her for being so excited to cut hair just like Aunt Kim. However,  I wanted to laugh and cry hysterically at the same time over this one.  It took FOUR YEARS to grow to that length (clearly the longer one) and to be thick enough so I could braid her hair in thirty seconds flat.  Those days are over and may not be back for another good six months after those locks grow out again.  In the meantime to keep her hair "well-kept" I'll be french braiding two little braids each morning for about fifteen minutes in effort to keep those short hairs hairsprayed and tightly secured .Although,  I did love watching her admire herself in the mirror. It really was something that almost had me rolling on the ground. A priceless moment really. I don't know why it took me so long to realize she was serious when she came running down the stairs telling me she had cut her hair (Calvin in the rear reemphasizing the excitement). All I knew was she had taken out her braids and I imagined she was pretending like she always does.  And still I didn't catch on when I found little hairs in our soup we had for lunch.  I was finding them everywhere.  I seriously thought to myself "Is Will balding or something?" Sorry Will, I now know it wasn't you. And for the record he isn't balding.  But even when I came up the stairs and found the tuft of hair in the sink it STILL didn't sink in. I thought 'oh, she cut her dolls hair.'  Then I looked over at her doll that still had LOTS of blond hair.  And then it hit me.  GET A CLUE GIRL!  SHE TOLD YOU SHE CUT HER HAIR!  I couldn't tell from the front because her bangs were still long.  I turned her head around to see the sides and the back and sure enough the deed was done.  Even better was that they weren't kidding when they were also telling me that she had cut Cal's hair ( a few deep snips off the top) and how they wanted to cut baby Peter's hair.  Yeah, hairless baby Peter.  The things kids come up with.  I will admit I'm entertained by what they accomplish too, even if it does mean detailed hairdressing for time. 

And just in closing some pics from the Dan Nicholas Park just south of us in Salsbury.  It was great!  The four of us and Suzi Pearson and her kids were practically alone and got the park to ourselves on such a gorgeous day. Totally worth a 40 min drive to get these kids smiling as much as they did. Another train ride anyone?

Annie and fun Abby

The Carousel.  Cal loved riding the manly lion until half the way through his ride he realized he got jipped because it didn't move up and down.  After that realization he was thrilled to be on a horse.

Annie loving her Zebra

"Mining" at the park.  Annie was super excited about finding some "gems" in the sand.  Kudos to Suzi for helping her enjoy it while mom kept picking Cal up after falling off the benches again and again. :) Never a dull moment.

The grand finale, the splash pad and a picnic lunch.  Could life get  any better?

I've come to a conclusion.  Sun and water = good times.  Farewell OBX, hello reality!