OBX 2011

June 4th-11th we headed down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for our first family vacation.  Things were a little hectic with the move the few days before we left, so I was ready to just head to the beach for some relaxation and fun!  Saturday morning bright and early we headed down to the beach with our friends the Geary's and Shinaberry's.  We stayed on North Swan Beach which is a 4 wheel drive only beach (all sand, no roads) and wild horses roam the area.  It's stunning!  Our house was called Afternoon Delight and it was perfect for the 3 couples, the kids, and Griffin.  We lucked out with sunny warm weather so we spent our days at the beach and the pool.  The first day Jeff took Austin down to the water and he was not a fan!  He started hysterically crying and I was worried it was going to be a long week.  How could my baby be afraid of the water when I spent all of those years swimming?  So the second day I took him down and showed him how much fun all of his buddies were having.  It was like a switch flipped and he loved it!  Hooray!   He was a mad man crawling all over the sand, trying to eat shells (not so good), and splashing in the water.  He could only last down at the beach for about 45 minutes at a time and then we would head up to the pool.  I think he preferred the pool over the beach, because he could float around on his raft and play peekaboo under water with mommy and daddy.  In between beach trips the kids would eat their meals together and take naps.  The sun and playing really wore them out.  Speaking of being worn out, family vacations are not so relaxing.  I see that my days of lounging on the beach are over.  Chasing a baby and making sure he isn't eating sand every 5 seconds can be tiring.  It was worth it though to give him the experience and see the excitement on his face.  I guess that just means that mommy and daddy need a couples vacation soon.  (Hint Hint Jeff)  We can't wait to make this trip a yearly tradition as the kids grow up.  So many fun memories!