It all started with Barry's first football game performance on Friday evening. My dad and his friend, Deane came to see our new home and so they got a chance to see the monumentous occasion. They played just fine and Barry seemed right at home and back in the band saddle.
Our days were filled with lots of fun, yet relaxing activities. My sister, Shannon, taught the girls a few volleyball moves in the pool.
Katie began practicing for the 2012 Olympics.... (yeah, right!)
Dad and Deane enjoyed getting out and doing whatever they could so as not to keep up with all the faster and (much) louder younger generation.
As always, the evening sunsets over the sound were unbelievable. The best camera in the world simply cannot catch what the human eye beholds when looking at His creation the very second it is created.
Putt-putt was added to the agenda this year. Joseph (and Barry--who was by this time already back at the high school, teaching) is our avid golfer and he was the only one taking it seriously. He never went over a par 4 when the rest of us were taking over 25 shots to hit the hole.
Some of us even had to climb the walls just to get in position.
Others of us just invented a new way to play the game: line the balls up, have a 3 year old smack all the balls at the same time, then run around like loons to see who could get the ball in the hole first while dodging everyone else's flying putter.
The three older kids picked out the spot for our putting, and being Indiana Jones-crazy, they picked an explorer/adventure site complete with a mine car ride.
One of the most exciting milestones for our family was finally having Benjamin out in the water on his own (with us watching, of course). The evening before our departure home, he decided to enjoy the new floatie-swim-vest and be a little brave. He had a couple of good teachers in Gracie and Mikayla--- my sister's granddaughters are fearless and had all of us on our toes the whole time!
It was Gracie and Mikayla's first time to the beach and they really seemed to like it a lot.Here is a photo of Gracie, better known to her grammie as "porkchop".
My sis-in-law, Donna spent lots of time on the sand while her husband and my brother spent lots of time with a line in the water. Here is Donna with Mikayla......
Much of my time was used in snapping everything I looked at. The dunes and sand barriers were especially pretty this year.
I have no idea why this picture turned out so dark, but I like it.
Jackson had no problem whatsoever in doing what he does best:NOTHING (well, except the early morning hours when he decided he needed to go out and relieve himself and would commence whining, howling, and pretty much sending himself to an early grave).
I always thought pictures like these were so sweet and cute til I tried to get my brood in line to take one. It was like stacking whiny sumo wrestlers covered in sand.
We visited the Children's Museum on Roanoke Island in Manteo. The first thing we saw was the Elizabeth II. It is a replica of the boat that the English came to America on. Pretty neat to see all the differences between it and the USS North Carolina.
The Elizabeth II and the Settlement had folks dressed up in authentic dress, complete with English accent, telling stories, giving information, and answering questions. That was my favorite part: hearing them talk. At some point during our visit, Benjamin got tired and fussy. I asked one of the guys, "What would the settlers do when a little one got fussy?" His reply? In a thick English accent: "Smack him on the butt and tell him to shut up." Hmmmmmm...... some things never change.
The kids and I enjoyed learning how to play "Skittles", an early settler game kinda like bowling with wooden pins and a wooden ball (called a "cheese"). They also enjoyed old games such as balancing the broom and the hobby horse.
At the museum there were lots of opportunities for the kids to dress up and experience the dress of the coastal area through the ages......
I have an affection for a cute boy in a derby....
I kept telling the kids that these clothes were from the Elizabethan era, but they insisted on playing "Star Wars"..... humph.
Jackie is such a natural at this. She insists that she was born in the wrong era. Her idea of the perfect life is running through the meadow in an ankle length dress and bonnet with a doll in one hand and a freshly-caught frog in the other.
The kids and I also made it to the Inlet to see some of the day's catch, which on this particular day was all dolphin.
After several mornings of near-death experiences for Jackson (due to lonely howling), we finally figured out that all he really wanted was to be near someone. So, I broke down and let him sleep in the beach house. Jackie was more than ready to oblige for dog-sitter during the night. He seemed to just make himself at home to begin with.
More of my most favorite thing to do while at the OBX. (Well, that statement IS true, but the only reason I got to catch shots like this was because of that whiney-hound needing to get up early. I guess he is good for something, afterall.)
All of Mike's time with a pole in his hand finally paid off when he caught this 27" Red Drum in the surf right at our house.
My sister's cockapoo, Buck, went along for the adventure and kept Jackson in line.
Our beach house had a pool table, and Benjamin invented a new way to play pool: sit on the table with all the balls, throw them one at a time at Uncle Ronnie to see if 1) you can hit more than one finger at a time, and 2) get it into a corner pocket.
The day that Barry had to go home (sniff, sniff), I traveled to South Point on Hatteras with a few family members and Tim and Donna. The sites there are beautiful, pristine, and seemingly undisturbed.
OK..... so I'll have to post more later as I am taking up math and spelling time now.
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