OBX 2011

Hi all! We returned yesterday from our trip to Avon, NC. We had an amazing time and had near perfect weather too! Every day was a beach day with only one windy day and a few clouds here and there. We can't complain!

Rachel, Dean and Aiden flew in from Colorado and Laura came down from Nags Head at the end of the week for a few days. The highlights of the week were many:
- Howie literally wiping out and then body surfing a wave
- Howie being lost for over an hour before we realized he was missing (he decided he liked our neighbors better than us!)
- Aiden carrying the biggest shovel around for hours on the beach
- Jake losing his tooth right on the beach
- Ben doing funny dances while jumping in the pool
- The showerhead from hell in the upstairs bathroom
- Ghost crab hunting with the boys (and the ensuing murder by Jake and Howie of a few caught crabs)
- Hot tubbing to fireworks, a nearly full moon, and a heat lightening storm in the distance
- Jimmy got up early to fish and see the sunrise nearly every day
- Rachel and Kelly stole a few hours here and there sans kids to sit, read, and RELAX.
- We celebrated Ben's half birthday while we were there with a few gifts and cake. (The poor child is the middle child and totally gets glossed over due to his December 16th birthday so we are starting an annual tradition).
- The oven smoking up the whole house from rib drippings
- Eating WAY too much ice cream
- Eating WAY too much in general
- Ben messily eating an ice cream cone
- Aiden dancing to an old Raffi VHS
- Leah eating a fistful of sand
- Leah cooing every single time we crossed over the dune and she saw the ocean.
- Leah saying her favorite word at meals..."Dewey"...prounounced "Doo-Weee". Saying it repeatedly and LOUDLY when she wanted more food.
- Finding buried "treasure" on the beach. The boys are convinced it is real pirate treasure when in actuality some girl probably lost a bag of bedazzled glue-on jewels. :)

I think that covers it! We had a WONDERFUL time. It was a lot of work, planning, hauling, etc. but worth every second. Can't wait for next year! Pics and videos posted!