More Beach

While on vacation, Dan and I celebrated 1o years of marriage (8/29). We were able to go out on a date one of the evenings (thanks, fam). I had wanted to go parasailing, but after reading about it taking some strength to pull off, I decided maybe this year was not the best time to go. So, we didn't really have a plan for the date, but it turned out to be a very fun and memorable time. We decided to stay close by and try out a local restaurant rather than drive a ways off to go somewhere we knew was good. We ended up going to The Smokehouse. Wasn't the best eating (at least for me), but the company was excellent. After supper, we went to the souvenir shop and got Henna tattoos. I got a dolphin on my ankle and Dan got a shark on his arm. I also found the hermit crab cage and we ended up leaving NC with some new pets after my newfounded interest in them. After this, we went to an area of the beach by the pier and layed a blanket down and talked and star gazed...they were beautiful! We half way joked about walking back to the beach house and then ended up doing so. It was longer than we thought (3 miles), but it was a good time of just being together (and counting crabs). I quit counting around 80 something....we had to have seen more than 200. There were so many. Finally, we arrived back and tried (but failed miserably) to scare the rest of the family inside who were playing games.
This is Lydia in the same hat she wore in 2006 (see next picture). She's growing up too fast. Time to pass the hat on to Claire (who hates hats).
Lydia - Topsail Island 2006

"Mom, I'm having so much fun, but...
all this beach stuff is wearing me out!"
Jake and Jack get burried!

Dan bought glow sticks for all the kids and they had a blast with them! This picture is with flash (obviously), the second one is not, but still a cool picture.
Jill snapped a few close up's of the Jakester...this one made me smile as it is the infamous tongue picture. Whenever Jake concentrates on anything, even sand creations, that tongue comes out. Maybe I'll dedicate a post just to Jake and his tongue pictures over the past few years. Araceli and Noelani having fun together in the ocean.
Boogie boarding was one of the favorite things to do this year. We had some great waves!
Beach Bums!

We clean up pretty well though.This was the last time we were all together. We went out to eat at Max's Pizza so we wouldn't have to clean dinner dishes the same night we had to pack. (sniff-sniff)

Just a sweet photo of Jill, Lydia, and Dan! Next blog, I'm gonna show some of the WONDERFUL family photos that Jill took of our family!!!