-We stayed in a house that we affectionately called our sea shanty. It was a rustic little place - but you couldn't beat the oceanfront location in Southern Shores.
-We got to spend time with Carrie, who is having a baby in August!!
-The water was FREEZING. We got in a few times and splashed around the edges but man was it cold. The nice part was it was pretty calm and a couple of times we just hung out in inner tubes.
-Coop wasn't quite as impressed with the beach this year. He wasn't afraid of the water but didn't love the hot sun and sand, enjoying it in short spurts. We were able to keep him interested longer by digging big holes he could jump in, riding his "surf board" (i.e. boogie board), building sand castles, and hanging out in the inner tubes. He also discovered the thrill of being allowed to pee in places other than the toilet - such as the woods and the ocean. Oh, and he woke up before 6:15 every day - lucky for us!
-We hit up Grave Digger on the way down, and several of our group rode the big monster truck. Coop didn't know what to make of it at the time, but he talked about it the rest of the week - so we'll call it a win.
-We enjoyed dinner in a few nights plus a few delicious dinners at Mama Kwan's, Barefoot Bernie's, and The Black Pelican. And had a couple of yummy breakfasts at Duck Donuts and the Nags Head Pier. I don't remember having more delicious food than we had this year.
-We enjoyed simple pleasures such as eating ice cream, going to the dunes, throwing snap poppers, going for a nature walk scavenger hunt, throwing water balloons, going to the park, seeing 2 deer in our back "yard", and seeing a beautiful rainbow.
-The week ended on a high note with visits from extended "family" - the Rimells and the Browns. Good times!
