Beach Trip - Day 3 (Sunday)

Sunday was the best weather of the entire vacation. We drove down to Cape Hatteras National Seashore and drove out on the beach. The water was calm and all the girls had fun. Mike and I were glad to get a little time to swim and splash ourselves, since there were plenty of others to play with the girls.

My mom and Laurel (on the left) and my Aunt Lorraine and Lela.

Liv and Pop

Gran and Laurel


Aunt Lorraine and Lela

Again, ahem, family members if you have pictures to share - please let me know and I will put them up on here.

Beach Trip: Day 2 (Saturday)

Seeing as it was raining when we arrived on Friday night, and it was 10pm, and the girls were asleep, we didn't get a chance to greet the ocean then. But as soon as eyes popped open on Saturday morning, we scrambled to get dressed and run down there.

She was welcoming that morning - so fresh and wild!

For the first 3 days, we stayed at my Aunt Lorraine and Uncle George's beach house, in Duck, NC. (THANK YOU!) We were so happy that (nearly) all the family on my Mom's side. We missed my sister, Rebecca. And also missed were my Aunt Virginia and Uncle Troy, and their daughters Paige and Kelly. And Lorraine and George's son Steve - missed him too! I'm sad that I didn't get many family pictures, but if anyone has some to share, PLEASE send them to me and I'll put them up. :)

Laurel and my Dad

Okay, enough babbling - on to the pictures! I'll try to make the commentary short.

Going to see the ocean first thing in the morning!

My Mom waves hello, while my Dad is holding Laurel (of course). Lela and Liv, in the tie-dye, are leading the way. That's my cousin David peeking from behind my mom.

Liv meets the ocean first.

Lela isn't far behind.

Miss Olive

Laurel at the very moment of reversing direction to run from the waves.



Excellent photo of Lela - really captures how excited she was.

True to her fashion, she couldn't stop squeeking and yipping the entire time.

A ghost crab skittles by!

My mom and Livvy running down the shore. My Aunt Lorraine (left) and Aunt Teresa in the background.

David and Lela

She had so much fun playing with her cousin David! He was so sweet to her and the other girls.

The Shrimp Boat

My dad prepares shrimp and mixes up a double batch of Shrimp Lamaze. This recipe is a legend in our family. The legend goes that my Grandaddy/GP (my dad's dad) ate it at a restaurant and loved it so much that he went back every day for a week or more and ordered it again and again. The chef finally came out and said, "Well, I guess you really like that." When my grandfather asked for the recipe, the chef gave it to him, as long as he promised not to share it. And we're not telling!

My cousin Georgia and my Grana (my mom's mom) peeling said shrimp - I had the lovely job of deveining them.

Mike doing what he came to the beach to do. Since his shrimp allergy is very severe, he had a good excuse for sitting out of all the work!

What was that noise?

Do you have any idea what made this stain?

Well, of course it was an exploding watermelon! And it had to be one that I brought! Even though it wasn't soft or had any holes, it was rotten inside. And without oxygen, it proceeded to ferment - it was only slush inside, like stewed tomatoes, and smelled terrible! Fortunately, it happened while we were awake, so we could deal with the mess right away.

Ahhhhhh

Our Beach Trip - Day 1 (Friday)

Well, this first one isn't actually Day 1, but is of our co-op group on Thursday (missing a couple, but a cute shot). Our friends were leaving for California and points between (left yesterday, safe travels!) so we really wanted to see them. We will miss them so much and are keeping them in our thoughts for a safe and fun journey.





Our trip was a bit spontaneous, but I got some good pictures. Enjoy! (They are nicer to look at than reading my babbles!)


Had to spend the morning and afternoon at Latta Plantation Nature Preserve for Mike's All Staff Meeting. We ate a pot luck lunch with the employees of the Meck Co. Stewardship Services Dept.

Liv took this interesting picture - she has great composition, though poor choice of subject matter. (Featuring a beautiful necklace my Dad made, scroll-saw work, would love another!)

Lela and Liv (wearing their momma-made extra-twirly beach skirts) recognizing the area where our Spring co-op was held.




We went for a walk on the fairy trail, looking for paw-paws, while the Government Employees were meeting. (Sadly, no paw-paws in the trees!)

Lela tidying up a faery house.

Of course the girls had to get in the water!

Laurel showing me her wonderful find - a freshwater mussel, still attached!

Laurel and Liv playing in the volleyball court sand.

An awesome find - I believe this is a parasitic wasp with a stunned cicada. They take them down to their underground burrows, paralysed, and lay their eggs in them. The wasp larvae eat the prey (leaving vital organs for last, to keep the host alive). Yum! (If you have ever seen a cicada, you will know that this is a HUGE wasp! There were about 4 of them flying around the sand court, all around us, but never bothering us and not aggressive at all.)

From here, we drove 7 hours to the Outer Banks of NC. The girls did wonderful.