Outer Banks Vacation

We booked a week at the Outer Banks with the Andersen's months ago, and eagerly anticipated the trip ever since. The week definitely didn't go as planned, but looking back, it was still plenty special. We pictured lounging, relaxation, lots of beach time, happy kids, and fun time with our friends. And there was some of that. There was also lots of ear infection, fever and virus, traffic, and thunderstorms. I'd like to say those things didn't put a damper on the trip, but they did. There's nothing quite so pathetic as a three-year-old with a fever who's trying, but failing, to feel well enough to play.

Poor little Grant just wasn't himself for most of the week, but did the best he could between naps and Motrin. We had all the adventures we could, and in the end, brought back enough happy memories to have made the trip worthwhile. Lighthouses, beach time, sand crabs, kite flying, the dunes ...

And my favorite day of the week, July 4th. We visited Fort Raleigh, where Hope, Grant, Ladan, and Ev earned their first Junior Ranger badges and learned about the lost colony. Here's Hope displaying her theory of what happened (the settlers being tied up by Native Americans).

We had a good lunch out with our friends, then went on to the aquarium. It was a small aquarium, but really fun for the kids. Hope loved the touch tank, where you can pet sting rays. And they both had a BLAST in the sea turtle rescue center. They got to dress in lab coats and carry toy turtles from one station to another, pretending to analyze and rehabilitate them. Hope's and Grant's big imaginations were in overdrive!

That night we stayed up way past bedtime to experience fireworks with Hope and Grant for the first time! I love, love, love fireworks and I've been anxious for the year when taking the kids seemed to make sense. Even though the show was short and the traffic was long, it was totally worth it. I'll never forget sitting in the dark, on the blanket, with both of them on my lap commentating and admiring their first fireworks. Some notable Grant comments: "That firework looked like a hot dog!" and "I can do this allll day!" and "These fireworks are blasting my brains off!" He was duly impressed, and has since decided he's going to be a "firework shooter" when he grows up. And he promises he'll shoot off purple sparkly ones just for me. Swoon!




Finally, by that point in the week, Grant was feeling more like himself again. That made all of us feel better.


We ended our week with game nights, more Junior Ranger badges and oaths to protect our national parks, leftover ice cream sandwiches up to our eyeballs, buckets of seashells to bring home, and definitely more good times than bad!