Outer Banks 2016

I'm definitely a beach girl. So, when Jeremiah's family decided to go to the Outer Banks this year for vacation, I was all in!

We had gone to the Outer Banks with his family 8 years ago and I was excited to revisit this quiet beach.

(Look how young and well rested we look way back then!)

The kids loved the adventures of this trip.

They woke up early asking for their swim suit/trunks.

Nora wasn't a fan of the sand. But (thankfully) she would sit in a chair on the beach all day long...as long as we kept her well fed.

So, Jeremiah gave up his chair.

Hudson was super adventurous. Flying kites. Finding seashells. Digging in the sand.

He  loved having Papaw, Grammy and cousins around all day long too!

It  was so fun to revisit some places from out last trip to these islands.

And Nora learned the important lesson that bubbles are not for eating.

As  I've looked back through these pictures, it's made me ready to head back to the beach.

I love the easy days and fun times with family.

For now, I'll have to settle for these pictures and memories.

Our Vacations Have Changed...

I really wasn't prepared for the changes that would occur to our normal vacation trips. Adding two children to the mix made for some exciting adventures and different experiences.

I packed for two more people, packed more "equipment" (pack-n-plays, high chair, walker, strollers, water wings, etc.), and packed for more "worst-case-scenario" moments (blow-outs, spit ups, hunger, thirst, boredom, etc).

We played on the beach, swam, went to Disney, explored Gatlinburg, saw an aquarium, ate out, took lots of pictures and rode a historic train.

 

We soaked up as much family time as possible, playing from sun up to sun down.

We traded easy meals out at nice restaurants for entertaining two kids with veggie straws and crayons.

I traded laying out in the sun for swimming with an excited little boy and covering up little toes and feet in the sand.

We traded sleeping in for 6 am wake-up-calls from this little girl.

And we did a lot of stroller pushing.

But I will continue to trade those easy vacations of the past...because none of it compares to those open-mouthed, in-awe faces that our children made.

I love when Hudson looks up at us and says, "This is fun, Mom!" or "Do it again, Dad!"

I love watching Hudson copy us and Nora copy Hudson.

I will never tire of looking at our vacation pictures and hearing Hudson's giggles as remembers his adventures.

I'll trade those easy days of packing for one...because I love hearing my kids talk of these fun days with their grandparents.

We are making memories to hold onto because these crazy days won't last forever.