We love our family

These are pictures of our lovely family. We are so grateful for each one of you. Thank you so much for making our trip very memorable. Special thanks to all of our parents. We couldn't have done it without you. We love you. The days flew by and we can't wait to see you again soon.

Isa and Bree pretending to have a sleep over. Isa was initially really scared of Libby and Chloe. Once she figured out what loving dogs they are, she couldn't stay away.

Isaac and Adam drove from Colorado the weekend we flew in. We couldn't have planned it better. It was icing on the cake. We sure did miss grandpa Joe, Susan and the girls. Sam keeps saying that he wants to go to Colorado next to see g-pa Joe.

Grandma Marge helping Sam out with the scrumptious chocolate cake.

Cute sisters!!

Isa getting ready to kiss cousin Caitlyn.

Brothers and wives.

Isa had a great time horsing around with uncle Wah. He was such a good sport about it too!

Funny but not funny looking.

Bryson playing peek-a-boo while Paige and I pose.

The Blancas brothers. We were trying to decide who was the tallest.

Steven and Tavia. Sam is excited for his new nephew.

Dorky guys.

Out to breakfast on the Rueben's last day.

It was great getting everyone together.

Soon to be daddy. Congrats, good luck, and I love you.

Lighthouse and Aquariums

This is the Currituck Beach Light Station. It was built in 1875 using approx. 1 million bricks. It measures 158 feet. The night beacon still flashes every 20 seconds. We climbed 214 steps to the top. It was so hot inside that by the time we reached the top we were all drenched with sweat. The view was incredible, even though I couldn't stay up there for too long. My legs felt like jelly.

Looking up the staircase.
Hold on tight Sam!
Pretending to like it. I felt like I was going to hurl.

Gavin, Isa and Sam. Gavin is the spitting image of Mike. Mike with blonde hair. Very cute boy.

This is at the aquarium on Roanoke Island. Hands on for the kids. Sam got to touch a starfish and since then wanted to find one to bring home.

This is Scarlet and she formed quite a bond with Rueben. She is so cuddly and sweet. We wanted to bring her home, but the Craners wouldn't have any of that.

There is this pit that is full of shark teeth, so they all decided to dig for them. They all left with quite a few of them.

Beach fun!

This is the house the we rented along with the Burnsides and the Craners. The whole week was so much fun and it was great to be among awesome people and friends. There was 6 kids total all under the age of 7. So one can only imagine. But really, the kids did great and got along for the most part. And the house has a swimming pool and the beach was only a few steps away, so there was always something to do. If you ever want to stay in the Outer Banks, Sunshines and Smiles is the place to go.

The house as seen from the beach.
Isa did really good in Myrtle Beach, but developed a fear of the ocean and sand while at the beach house. I think she would see the crabs run around and pop out their holes and get all freaked out. She eventually decided it wasn't all too bad.
Rueben, Mike and Ben went out and bought some skinboards after watching some young guys tearin the waves. Emphasis on young. It was hilarious to watch the guys get knocked around by the waves. Mike ended up with a black eye and a very large hematoma on his arm. Rueben and Ben had abrasions all over their bodies. Even when they all complained of their aching bodies, they did so with large smiles over their faces. Boys!

Yes, that is Rueben looking all contorted. Sam surfing with the assitance of daddy.

The house came equipped with 2 fishing rods. Rueben promptly went out and bought a fishing license and some lures. That is him casting. He wasn't ver successful the first couple of times.
All he's missing is his can of beer.

The objective was to catch some fish. Ben and Rueben (and all of us) were very surprised when this came out of the water. The guys did release them and the stingrays returned to their habitats safe and sound.
Building sand castles. They didn't survive very long. Along came tornado Sam.

Digging holes and making swimming pools. It was a lot of work.


Out for milkshakes. This is an awesome picture of Sam.
How's that chocolate shake Isabelle?

Sunrise as seen from our bedroom window.

On our way to the Outer Banks.

On Sunday we drove up the coast to the Kitty Hawk area in the Outer Banks. It took us about 5-6 driving ours. We stopped in Wilmington for lunch. It's a very charming city close to the ocean. Wish we would have had more exploring time. We did make time for the USS North Carolina Battleship. We walked the decks and pretended we were sailors at that time. It was lots of fun. The battleship was commissioned in 1941 and saw combat in World War II. Truly amazing.
The working periscope was so cool. We could see out into the city.