OBX

This past week we spent 7 wonderful days down in Duck, NC at the Outer Banks with 2 other families that we have gotten to know over the years.  As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words so I will let my pictures tell you of our adventures (I really tried to cut down but there were so many good ones!):

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Here are the boys in Mitch's parents'  Blazer that we had packed to the max!

We're here!

Finally asleep on the first night!  They were so wired to be at the beach and also to sleep in the same bed together so there was at least 2 hours of rolling around until this...

View from the top deck...

Monday morning our family and the Landises went to the Roanoke Aquarium and here we are trying to pet sting rays (they had their stingers cut so they were harmless).

The boys out front at the aquarium.

My boys!

The aquarium had this "treasure hunt" where the boys could dig for shark teeth and fossils...I think this was the best part of the morning.

View of the back yard from the top deck - the dads were in charge one afternoon while the moms went shopping and out for coffee (and then we switched the next morning while the guys went golfing).

Singing and swinging in a hammock...we had it rough this week can't you tell!?

Here go the Landis twins and our boys to the indoor pool.  The house was about 1/4 mile from the community center and about the same distance to the beach so the boys spent a lot of time riding back and forth.

All the kids swimming!

The weather was mid 70's all week which was perfect but still a little cool on the beach.

Noah and I playing paddle ball.

Aaron and Noah talking deeply about the meaning of life (or so it would appear).

Love this picture of the Landis family!

One night we waited to eat dinner until all the kids were in bed and then feasted on 6 lbs of crablegs and 2 lbs of shrimp!  Delicious!  (This is the only picture of all the adults and you can't see Brian and Sarah very well - but this is who we were with all week!)

Corolla Lighthouse

View of the bay from the top of the lighthouse:

View of the ocean from the top:

The boys loved being on that top deck and Caleb was even asking if he could jump down on the trees:)

Both boys did a great job climbing up and down all 214 spiral steps!

Noah getting another "overalls" picture taken!

The three families switched off watching each other's kids so each couple could have some date time.   Here are Mitch and I on one of the best and most relaxing dates we've had in awhile!

One night we ventured over to Jockey's Ridge which is a giant area of sand and sand dunes that you can wander around on.  It was sunset so my pictures aren't very good but it was absolutely beautiful in person!

Our little Phillies team!

We finally made it to the top so the boys could roll down, which they loved, but it was getting too dark to stay very long.

This is Noah taking a "nap" - he kept telling me to lay down next to him and go to sleep too - do you think I argued with this?

Daddy and Caleb - love this picture!  We did find out later that day that Caleb had a fever which is probably why he was acting like this on the beach - but it's still such a sweet picture.

All 8 kids - Haley, Justin, Caden, Sydney, Aaron,

Callie, Caleb and Noah (from top down).

We took the boys out for ice cream one day to this little boardwalk type place (where the 2 women are standing is the ice cream window and there are little tables built in the deck that you can sit at to eat).

Brothers:)

One of our million attempts at a decent family picture...you may be seeing a variation of this as our Christmas card!

And, finally, on our way home we stopped off at the visitors center on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to check out the scenery a little bit.  Very impressive but a little unnerving to drive over this bridge!

View of the ocean from the bridge.

And I think that's it!  We had a great time and thank you so much to the Landis and Herr families for putting up with us for 7 days! We would do this vacation again in a heartbeat!