Another vacation in the books. We got back from a week in Nags Head, NC with the Brophys and the Nidays.  The girls had a great time and it is so awesome watching all the kids play together. The girls don’t have cousins (at least ones their age and ones that they see) so it is really neat to have such great friends that are our extended family. Avery and Emerson are the oldest kids by almost a year and a half so we told them they had important jobs to do in helping with the other kids and being the sharers of the bunch. They really are growing up before my eyes…and I just watch in awe of these precious little human beings that they are becoming and I am so blessed to call mine.

We spent a total of four mornings at that beach.

None of the girls truly love the ocean but Harper and Emerson did make good strides this year and even waded in the water a few times with an adult on one of the calmer ocean days. Avery is fearful of the ocean…the sounds of the waves crashing send her heart racing if she thinks she is close to the water and she runs away from the ocean. She does enjoy playing in the sand, building sand castles, and being buried as a mermaid. One day I got her to go for a 20 minute walk with me on the beach…I was trying to get her close to the shore….she wasn’t having that but at least I got her to go for a walk.

Two days we switched up the order and went to the beach in the afternoon instead.

Two mornings were pool days. This year we had a pool at the house and while the kids still can’t go in the pool by themselves, it made a big difference and allowed for more time to be spent at the pool without too much schlepping.  The girls have been taking swim lessons weekly for a few months now.  Emerson is doing great and is officially a swimmer.  Avery is making great strides as is Harper. Both do great in the water with their floaties.

One afternoon we took the girls miniature golfing for the first time. We went at 4:00 so it was still crazy hot outside but it also meant that crowds were small which was perfect because I didn’t want to feel rushed.  We made it to the 13^th hole before we were in complete meltdown mode. Overall, it was a lot of fun.  We talked about going miniature golfing last year…in fact, we were on our way and then it started to rain so we ended up not going…so I’m glad we finally went with the girls and also think it was worth waiting the extra year for the girls to have their first mini golf experience.

One afternoon we went with the Erin, Hannah, and Quinn to the Nags Head Pier. Avery was scared off the pier.  I think a lot of it had to do with the visual and sound component of it.  Sounds are intensified for Avery and I think she fears we are in danger by walking on the pier as she feels we are so close to the water.

One afternoon we went to Jockey’s Ridge, which are sand dunes. We had gone two years ago and Justin and Karolin had taken the older girls on the dunes while I walked around in the stroller with Harper. They were not big fans two years ago, so my expectations this year were low.  We were going right around snack time so I wanted their bellies to be full and happy so that hunger wasn’t the cause of their dismay.  So….we before going to the dunes we surprised the girls with ice cream at Booty Treats.  They were pleasantly surprised!

To my surprise, we climbed almost to the very top of the dunes and the girls overall were fairly good troopers. We got more complaints on the way down but by then we had already reached the half way point and were headed home. I am actually still shocked at how well they did…in a great way!

One morning Justin woke up early to watch the sunrise….and what a beautiful sunrise it was!

One afternoon the entire crew went to Jeanette’s Pier. We attempted some family photos, some group photos, and some obligatory photos of the kids…it always seems there is one kid who won’t cooperate each time…this time it was Harper…she refused to get in the picture.  I even tried to bribe her…nothing worked.

That same evening Justin and I went out to dinner just the two of us to Blue Moon Café. That is our one spot that we must visit each trip.  We were supposed to go the night before but Justin had some 24 hour bug and wasn’t feeling well so we put it off a night so that he could thoroughly enjoy.  We got there around 6:45 and the wait time was 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Luckily there were two seats open at the bar so we took them.  I have never ordered a full meal at a bar but everyone at this bar was doing the same so it was actually kind of a cool experience.  We started off with a mozzarella and heirloom tomato appetizer.  It was good but not to die for.  Justin got the shrimp and grits and like always it was mouthwatering pure deliciousness.  I got the bronzed corvina special.  It tasted and looked very much like sea bass and it was served over butter beans, sweet corn, Idaho potatoes, grilled andouille sausage, sweet onions, heirloom grape tomatoes, and garlic and fresh herbs and it was mouthwatering.  I savored each bite and had my don’t talk to me face on as I took in each bite of pure goodness.  Seriously, the food was amazing and I look forward to this experience each year. The food is so good that it doesn’t even warrant conversation with each bite because that would just take away from the total mind body experience.

After dinner Justin and I went back to Jeanette’s Pier since our tickets were good for all day. We leisurely strolled the pier three times since I was so close to hitting 15,000 steps again for the 5^th day in a row.

In between all the outings, there was time spent hanging out….kids playing puzzles, pretending to be superheroes, reading books, relaxing, dance parties, and simply enjoying time off from work and making life long memories with our family and friends.

And to top it off my step count and activity minutes for the week was insane!!