July 1 - July 5
We trekked the six hour trip (in the Jeep none the less) to Atlantic Beach to spend our long weekend with dear friends from college. This year was our biggest crowd yet, as we had FOUR families present (all great friends). We all have little girls, so that was really fun to watch. We spent the entire weekend just chillin at the pool or beach and catching up on life. Only two of us live in the same city, so time together is precious. We had a great time cooking yummy food, celebrating the 4th of July, and getting good laughs from one another's kids.
We are all very laid back and don't need a lot to make us happy. The goal is to relax, and we do a great job accomplishing it! I have no desire to shop or go out to eat when at the beach, so I was happy that everyone else seemed to be on board with this agenda (or lack thereof!)
Both girls really liked the water. Ava loved both the ocean and pool. Audrey was game with either, but I preferred the pool for her thanks to the fact she wouldn't have sand in every nook/cranny upon returning. Both girls loved collecting seashells and seaglass (my favorite.) I also took Audrey on morning jogs on the beach which we both enjoyed.
July 2 - July 6
Alas, our long weekend came to an end and we switched gears a little bit. We drove a whopping 3 miles east and settled in at a really nice three story beach house in a private community just steps from the water. Jim's brother's family and his parents joined us for the next five days. It was so much fun, and the kids couldn't have had a better time together. Our beach house had everything we needed: big bedrooms, a huge family room, and a well stocked kitchen. Bonuses included double wrap-around porches, Adirondacks, a BBQ, and my favorite... the outdoor shower (I literally didn't shower inside the whole week.)
The community had a private pool and private beach access. We had a lot of fun going out on the beach after dinner each night to fly kites and enjoy low tide. We also had the time to do a little exploring... one day we took the kids to the NC Aquarium just 7 miles down the road. I spent two days exploring antique shops in Morehead City and Beaufort. My favorite find, however, was downtown Beaufort. It reminded me of a smaller version of Portland, Maine. Very quaint, historic, and east-cost nautical. Jim, Ava, and I enjoyed a very nice dinner at Sharpie's, then joined our family for a 90 minute sunset Catamaran cruise that took us to Fort Macon and back. It was a great night, and we were amazed how much the kids loved (and weren't scared) of being right over the water. Definitely well worth the money, as the memories made were priceless.
We're already looking forward to next year and hope to return to the same area with family and friends!
Audrey the night we arrived. She was very intrigued by the waves.
My sun princess
Audrey tossing sand before our annual beach photo
One of the unedited pics of our fam at the beach.
Ava... always camera ready!
4th of July: right before fireworks
Ava flying a kite after dinner
Loving low tide
PopPop having a blast in the ocean with his grandchildren
Ava and Jim hanging out at our beach house. I spent a ton of time reading on this swing.
The grandkids at the NC Aquarium
Our whole family (minus Maryann - boat shy - and Audrey - baby)
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