My family and I spent TWO (!!!) WEEKS in the Outer Banks in September, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that all of us are counting the days until we get to do it again next year.
This year, we got smart and stayed for two weeks. (During the off season, prices drop dramatically, which makes that an option!) We’re all so glad we did–it was the perfect amount of time; enough to really relax, and it took the pressure off ‘trying to do it all’ in the first week.
The house we stayed in this year was just down the street from the one we stayed in last year, and it even had a pool! We weren’t in it every day, but it was a great option for days when the wind was strong, the weather was so-so, a kiddo was napping…or when we just needed a break from schlepping all the stuff to the beach. In two short years, we’ve all come to love Bosun Court and I think my parents may just need to buy a place there sometime soon…
We made it to the beach most days, and Maelle loved both the sand and the surf this year. (Last year, she was a little frightened of the waves, but not this year!)
Bringing four families to the beach requires quite a bit of stuff! We brought three wagons, four Bogg Bags, two coolers and heaps of towels. Needless to say, we were thankful it was only a five-minute walk from the house. (If you heaven’t heard of a Bogg Bag, and you enjoy the beach or the pool, YOU NEED TO GET ONE.)
Andrew brought his favorite childhood game, Axis and Allies, and got my brother, Josh, and my SIL, Hannah, embroiled in a two-week-long game. They played off and on during our stay, and I waffled between thinking it was very sweet…and also very annoying. I love that baby Jack is peeping up from the other side of the table in this photo! Also, baby Jack learned to walk at the beach this year!
One day, the girls went to the sound to paddle board for a couple hours. We had a decent amount of wind during our stay, so we didn’t paddle board as much as we’d like to. Hopefully next year we can get out more often.
Maelle is absolutely my daughter–it’s like she was born to be at the beach. She loves the sand, the waves, the water, the shells… She didn’t want to leave, and neither did I.
All of us ate extremely well during our vacation, too! Mom, Hannah, and I planned our menu and grocery-shopping list ahead of time, and we had things like BBQ chicken, steaks, shrimp, homemade spaghetti, make-your-own pizzas, bibimbap bowls…and even SUSHI!
My newest SIL, Sewon, is from Korea, and she made some special meals while she and Aaron were with us. The sushi was both beautiful and delicious. She even made homemade yum-yum sauce, which is now Maelle’s new favorite thing for dipping.
We went to the beach ‘on walks’ (as in, not in suits for swimming) many times, and each time Maelle came back soaked. She couldn’t help herself…and we couldn’t bring ourselves to stop her. This particular day, the water was pooling high on the shore and I think we all enjoyed walking and playing in it.
The night before we left, we all headed to the beach to try to take some family photos. The sunset was just incredible! I think we all left with near-professional quality pictures, taken with my brother’s iPhone.
Next year, there will be one more kiddo joining our vacation–Aaron and Sewon’s little boy! We’re all very excited to go back to the house on Bosun Court again.
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