In my post-college years, I went on cruises with my friends every year. I’ve been to some beautiful beaches and islands, but when push comes to shove, one of my favorite places in the world are the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina.
My husband took me there a few years before we got married; he grew up going there with his family every summer, and when I went with him the first time, his big brother had recently begun taking his own kids there – continuing a family tradition, if you will.
This year marked our seventh year doing to the OBX as a family – Boo’s first visit was when he was only 5 months old! This year was probably one of my favorite trips, as we stayed two weeks, so we were actually able to spend a bit of time with all of the Hubs’ family – and because this was the FIRST year that Boo was actually excited to be at the beach.
You see, in years past, the Hubs typically had to carry him into the water, and it took him until Thursday or so before he’d really get comfortable with being at the beach. It was too loud for him, to sandy (i.e., messy), and too overwhelming.
So this year, to hear him yelling “wooo hoooo” as he conquered first, the boogie board, and then body surfing, well, it was music to my ears. (And a relief, as the beach is my favorite place to be, and I would be heartbroken if he really did hate it….)
Can you give me a “thankyoubabyJesus”? Look at that face!
Even more fun when his cousins came to hang out with him, as he got much braver after watching them!
While the temperature was pushing 100 degrees some days, the water was COOOOLLLLD.
I wasn’t going to complain. It felt good. Strange to have goosebumps underwater when you were roasting out of it – we’d go in, say “oh sh*t”, them come out, sigh with happiness…and then start to sweat. And then back in the water we’d go.
It was pretty, and it was peaceful. The beach was not crowded at all.
Boo took to sprinting down the beach (until we started to panic as he was getting way too far out of sight….) and then he’d run back. Pea thought it looked like fun, too. Those little legs of hers can FLY.
But of course, her favorite things to do were to jump waves…
And to find shells! She was a super shell finder. No shell was too small or too big for her to delight in.
(or pose with)
As for Boo – he was just happy to be there. And that makes me happy.
Pea’s favorite part of the two week stay, however, had to be when her cousins came. She and G-Bug are less than 3 weeks apart in age, but they really haven’t had much time together since we live(d) in the Midwest and they live on the East coast. Any time they weren’t on the beach, they could be found in “their” bedroom playing with princess dolls. They were two peas in a pod. Pea sulked when G-Bug had to go home (and she and Boo battled constantly, the first of the trip) to such an extent that I was ready to drive back to Virginia to bring all three cousins back!
Thankfully, they had another cousin on the way. Thank goodness Jake is tolerant. :0)
As for me – give me a good book, my shades and any amount of sunscreen, and I’m good to go. (And if you bring me down a Corona around 4pm, I’ll love you forever!)
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