The Smith Family Chronicles: Beach vacation Fun

Last week we went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina where we stayed with 4 other couples in a gorgeous huge house by the beach. It was such a fun, relaxing week that we didn't want to leave & ahve decided we need to return there...perhaps every year! We enjoyed playi8ng at the ebach (I even boogie boarded, which I wasn't sure would work out, being prego), swimming at the hosue pool, nightly beach strolls, searches for dolphins & wild horses (others saw them, but picked a bad day to look, however, saw 1 dolphin the next day), lounging on teh porch (or by teh pool or on the beach), playing in teh front yard. or bumming around & playing games with friends at the house. Sophie enjoyed herself & loves her new "friends," esp. a 2 yr old, anmed Lilly ( a love-hate relationship-she seems to ahve these with girls in her age group). She also loved all the crabs we saw & played with, and she was completely tickeld at the fact that she got to eat crab our last night there! ALong with great weather, it was just perfect. Sometimes, I wish I would've let myself sleep more (I guess we weren't used to a true vacation!), but all in all, absolutely wonderful. Warning: loads of pics to follow!

Fun at the house pool

Sportin' the bump

Left to Right Below: Our beautiful private beach;

some of the boys ready for an evening dip in the ocean (crazy men!);

"What are you doing, Daddy?"

L to R: The guys' chilly dip; Sophie & Lauren

The fam at the beach; Sophie's first feel of the water (she's getting more used to the ocean & the waves-it took a whil that first day); Justin ready for our beach day

Below L to R: Lauren's favorite spot to chill-the porch hammock outside our room;

The men continuously searched for crabs, whcih was fun, but the first attempt

from Justin & Dave brought a big surprise with an angry large crab charging out

of its hole! We all jumped so high, it kept Lauren laughing the rest of the day.

Below L to R: Sophie & her buddy, Lilly; our next beach day, we caught another crab, & it became Sophie's "pet" for the day in her little bucket...that is until we realized the water was getting warm & probably cookin' the poor guy!

L to R: Sportin' the Princess suit-not what Mama would have chosen at all, but thia little princess of ours flipped out when she saw it in the store, grabbing it off the rack & attempting to pull it over her head. I couldn't deny that passion!
Pic 2 & 3: Mermaids on the beach