Yup that’s us this week. Expect posting to be light while we celebrate the holiday and the week after at the beach with our family and friends! So excited.

Hope you all have a fantastic week and holiday!

P.S. To all would be thieves, the house is beagle-guarded, beagle-protected. Enter at your OWN risk!

By now, most of you know that we’ll be heading to the beach for the 4th of July and the following week. Can’t believe that just a year ago, I had a baby in a sunhat, now I have 2 boys. It’s great that we’ll be able to spend our 2nd 4th with my mom, though. Such fun. We plan to do a traditional day with a parade, beach time, cook-out, and fireworks.

And you, what’s your plans? And what are you cooking out that I need to add to my list?

Man, every year as our annual beach trip rolls around I start to get so excited and one of the things I like to do is look at beach-trips of the past. I love to see how we played and look at the pictures and remember the little stories I forgot to write down…

We went to dinner at the “Shark’s” place, Greg Norman’s Australian Grille. That was the BEST night. We drank my most favorite wine and had a delicious meal and great conversation with a couple of people that are so awesome. Meals like this have just brought us closer over the years.

I mean who else would be OK with doing this with us?

This time in the Outer Banks, J and I have found a new place that we have absolutely enjoyed. Great food, drinks, and atmosphere. Here is C and R hanging out front of our new spot…

and C a few years ago…

Boy how time flies. I can’t wait to spend some quality time at the new spot. Chatting, catching up, and enjoying the evening. I am so excited!

Beach countdown = 3 days!!

I loved that I caught this one. The running and pure joy as they took off to the water to jump and splash and play. Even the act of having my boy, the shy one, running to the water – and not away – made my heart do a triple-step (ok, ok, so I work out too much) of joy. I was SO excited for him.

Well, not 30 seconds later, this happened:

Oh to say he was mad, would be an understatement of the highest degree. He was SO mad! For the entire vacation, he stayed as far from the ocean that he could. He wanted water for sand playing? He would ask, no beg, us to get it for him. We went to the pool a few times, thinking well it is calmer maybe he’d get in. No such luck.

Well, we came home. Had a round of swim lessons. Have been back to the beach. Played with the cousins in the water..

Still not completely comfortable, but getting there, at his own pace. I am so thrilled for this movement towards being OK with the water from him. I have high hopes for more pictures like the first one, with a few bigger kids this time!

Beach Countdown = 4 days!!

In one week, we will be joining our friends from Atlanta and my mom’s family for a week at the beach. I am so looking forward to playing with this guy in the sand…

Shells are a HIGH priority when we are there…

Hugging this baboo..

Sitting here…

Enjoying chatter, laughter, drinks, and soft summer breezes.

Enjoying 4th of July parades…

Kite flying on the beach…

And just being. Just being relaxed. Just being with friends. Just being with family. I am so excited!