Beachin'

We just got back from a wonderful, fantastic, amazing, restful week at the beach.  It was awesome and yes, I have lots of pictures with this post, but just keep in mind, I took 1000, so this is like...  5% of them...

First, we left the 7th at 4 am for THIS place

Imagine my surprise about 30 minutes out, when I realized I asked Matt to look and double-check the check-in time, as it was only 11 am ;-) When he read out the address, I was like... wait... that is not right...  and so I looked, we called and SHO 'NUFF, I was at the wrong BEACH, we'd passed ours 2 hours back.  But! Asher was happy, the girls were happy, we were happy, so Matt and I just laughed and we let Valerie figure it out when we got there (hail to the earphones).  It was funny!

We were ACTUALLY HERE and it was so, so, so nice.  Either one would have been fantastic, but I was psyched about the non-commercialized- let's-just-take-it-slowly beach.  AAAHHHHHH....

Opened the door to this and thought, yep, this will be nice- and it was

Asher was happy right away

We started every day at the pool with Asher till lunch- there are 5 pools, we liked this one best

Two days, we went to the beach right after lunch, but it was WAY TOO HOT for that for me, I just can't do it.  Tuesday and every day afterward, we realized the beach is amazing at sunset and/or when the day is overcast

Asher kept us busy, but I had help, so it was not unbearable

I had a DATE with my handsome husband- our second EVER with just the two of us.  Not kidding.  Wish I was, but I am not.

Valerie and Candra pretty much did what they wanted.  I was ok with that, they behaved... except for the attitude, but dealt with that as necessary

I talked Candra into getting a family pictures, lemme tell you, toddlers are not fun when it comes to pictures

We got Asher a pirate kite (which he LOVES)

The kiddos dug a trench

The girls had lots of fun- I gave Candra a hard time about her Confederate flag bathing suit every day, but it is what it is ;-) I adore that girl!

Asher REALLY did too.  He LOVES pirates now, which is super fun.

Each girl used their hard-earned money for... hermit crabs ?! Like I said, the beach is very under-commercialized.  There was not a huge amount of ridiculousness to waste our money on (woot).

We went to Emerald Isle to watch the surfers (the girls were BIG FANS)

At home, Asher had a lot of fun with Talking Tom and the iPad

He loved the aquarium and when he saw the sharks, ran off and said "ohhhh! mon.ter!"

Taylor, Jenn and Michael came over for a visit Thursday night, the kids were so happy to see each other

Friday, the Beaufort Pirate Invasion Festival kicked-off.  That was interesting.  Blackbeard had a home there, there were lots of old dudes dressed up, which really was entertaining.

After checking out the pirates, and waiting for Jenn and Michael and Taylor to come back for the weekend, we went to the beach and spent a few, luxurious hours there.  It was overcast, so I did not have to cover all my skin. 

Matt claimed the kite string was talking to him.

A flock of wah-wahs

Matt and I actually got to SEE each other (and we still are in love! Imagine that!)

The girls are still not sick of each other

Asher started repeating  the "Wonderpets" song about mid-week, but we were only home for 15 minutes of it all week ;-)

More pool time with Jenn and Michael

Then... the Put-Putt event.  Behold: toddlers and putt-putt... not a good mix, they don't understand the whole hurry and wait thing...

But DARN, were they adorable!

Michael looking at the final score card (I was keeping up with it and the photos)

And GLOATING

THEN, we went to Amos Mosquito's for dinner and it was divine, in the midst of that, we discovered a fantastic area across the street from the restaurant

There was an amazing (AND I DO MEAN AMAZING) playground connected with a hotel that Asher and Taylor played at- they could have stayed for hours...

THEN! THEEEEN!!!! The moonrise happened.  WOW!

Today is Candra's birthday, so we surprised her with Dora cupcakes, (which Taylor LOVED) and a couple gifts. 

It was an amazing trip and we are so grateful that we were able to go and return happily and safely.  That was just an incredible thing and we are all so refreshed, renewed, happy, relaxed and SO GRATEFUL. It has been a really interesting couple years, and somehow, it is getting better- obedience, tithing, prayers for and on-behalf of us... We are just seeing such an amazing hand of God in our lives and feel utterly grateful from the bottom of our soul to the top of our hearts.  What an amazing time we ALL had.