Last Week of Summer Vacation (Aug. 17 - 25)

So the beach trip is over, now what? 

Jack says, no problem. There's no food in the house, therefore a trip to Whole Foods is necessary. Headed out to the store with Daddy.

Back from the beach to put on a show: Clara twirling, Jack spinning, Meghan jumping.

Sunday morning at the park.

Sunday night dinner at Beaseley's - Mommy needs a post-beach pick-me-up comfort meal of delicious fried chicken.

Tuesday afternoon post-vet appointment trip to the park. Vet diagnosed Syd with a partially torn ACL and referred us to a surgical group. :(

The following weekend Gramby & Su-su joined us for a visit. Meghan enjoyed digging in the backyard followed by some snuggle time with Su-su.

Standing on the side of the sink is just not good enough for Jack.

Dinner at Dos Taquitos; Clara takes a ride on a burrow.

Cheers! Of course as I smile for the picture, Meghan snags a swig of my margarita.

Other side of the table.

Ole!

Meghan riding down the coaster backwards - it never gets old.

Anniversary dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers on the patio. 12 years and counting...

And that's all she wrote as summer 2013 has unofficially come to an end. It's a school night!

Beach trip 2013, Part Deux

Continued from Beach trip V-K, part un:

Tuesday was really our last full day of great beach weather. 

On a trip upstairs to get the kids ready, Brec decided to take a tour of their loft and caught Meghan begging for Nuks.

Who needs the ocean?

Guess it's getting close to nap time again.

Checking out the ocean with Daddy.

Sand diggers!

Playing in the tide.

Tantrum resolved with a Nuk on the beach.

Look at that masterpiece, crafted with Daddy's help.

Wednesday morning we woke up to clouds and decided to hit up the aquarium, after catching the morning Super Why!

Meghan really seemed to enjoy the large tank.

Yikes, alligator attack!

Later it was a family affair on the deck shucking corn.

Thursday the weather was pretty rotten all day which left little to do but yoga with babies as Nay-nay is demonstrating here, and letting the kids watch a weeks worth of PBS in one sitting, which luckily they were fine with.

Daddy got a little stir crazy and took Jack out for a trip to the store with the extra treat of fries and shakes.

Friday, our last day, the weather was cloudy but dry, so we maximized and stayed out on the beach for as much as we could.

Clara made some friends with sisters from a few cottages over from us.

Jack liked playing with the house almost as much as he enjoyed the ocean. He was always ready to go rinse off his sandy hands and then come back down to the beach to restart the process.

Somebody let their beer get away from them.

 A man ready for some digging.

We made it out crabbing our last night. It was crazy but everyone had a great time.

Meghan was ready to "buck at 'em".

Another totally awesome surfer dudes trip to the beach. Thanks, Nay-nay & Pop-pop for our great Christmas in August.

Beach Trip 2013, Part Un

Finally the post we've all been waiting for, Beach Trip 2013, split up in order to savor it all the more...

After our low key week in Raleigh, we traveled to Emerald Isle on Saturday afternoon. We got there in time for cocktail hour(s) and a first ocean dip. Clearly we're all very excited to be here.

Sunday morning we awoke to absolutely gorgeous weather and were out bright and early staking our claim.

Meghan finishing up breakfast before heading out onto the shore.

Armed with inner tubes and boogie boards, we're ready to have some fun.

Clara taking after her Uncle Jack "surfing".

Who's happy to be at the beach? Me!

After lunch, consistent with the crazy weather we'd had for most of the summer, a storm rolled in.

By early evening the rain stopped and the clouds moved off shore, so we could once again enjoy the sand and surf.

Meghan followed her Pop-pop and became very excited about searching for shells, though she was not quite as discriminating as the rest of the family.

She handed him handful after handful of shells.

Dedication.

Jack tolerates a kiss from Daddy.

Wee.

Jack, hard at work with his machines.

Cheese.

Surely that can't be Memo beside Pop-pop, she never smiles at the camera!

Meghan & Mommy

Meghan gets a little snuggle time with Nay-nay.

Meghan puts on Lucy's visor and suddenly starts "tasting" everyone's drink, an effect of the hat?

She's a cutie.

That would be, "No, Daddy, don't take my picture."

Busted. Distracted with bolts and nuts for the win!

Headed for a dip with Pop-pop.

"Get back here, you!"

Nothing like a Mommy-blanket to sit on at the beach.

Or maybe a chair is more comfy.

Lucy puts her marine biology degree to use and teaches Meghan about the joys of sand diggers (yes, that is a technical term).

Our cottage.

Back up on the deck, Meghan gets some hugs from Aubrey.

The matriarch and patriarch of this mess.

An inland storm leads to two small rainbows at the cloudline.

On Monday morning the kids are up bright and early for day two of beach fun.

Meghan was so tired by mid-morning that for our sanity the Nuk was allowed to make an appearance on the beach (not the last time on this trip), and it was snuggle time with Nay-nay.

Bloody Mary time!

Cheers to the best bartender on the beach.

Speaking of bartenders, could you get me ann-uuzz-zerrrr?

Super cute of Stinkles and Clara, 

And their true natures shine through.

Next up was the impromptu Beach Photo shoot.

So you've gotten bathed and in fresh clothes, sure then let's go down to the beach.

Nothing like being showered and changed to dig in the sand some more.

Dean of students supervises the 9 o'clock dinner.

To be continued in part deux...