Beach Trip Part 1

Coleman has been asking me since like, the first day at the beach when i was going to do a post on the beach trip, so here you go coleman.

i'm going to break this up into a couple of posts, because there are way too many pictures for just one!

the outer banks probably one of my favorite places on earth.  i can't remember a year we didn't go, and some of our favorite memories growing up are from our trips down there.  i was so excited this year to be able to go for 2 whole weeks!  and that cody was able to take a week off work and come with us for the first week. 

mae did great on the drive down.  it took entirely too long to get there.  but we made a few quick stops to let her get out and run around.  toward the end she was just ready to be out of her car seat.

 munchkin was not too sure about the sand at first.  it took her a while to get used to it, and to sit in it.  then she wouldn't put her hands in it.  but by the end of the trip she was a total beach baby.

 my family doesn't mess around when it comes to the beach.  when we go to the beach, we spend almost all day down there. here's how we set up shop...

playing with daddy

first family pic at the beach

first venture into the water

she did great in the water.  we would take her to the water's edge and let her play, and she would keep walking straight in.

i'm sure we walked miles up and down this beach.  while we were there, she started walking on her own.  she had done it a little bit before, but never went too far.  at the beach she took off one day, and pretty much hasn't slowed down or looked back.

many games were played.  i can't remember a year when these guys weren't playing capitalism, risk, or monopoly.  so i had to get a picture of reid, coleman, patrick, and kelsey in action...

 

little lady made quite a few friends down there. there was a group next to us the first week that would say "hi mae" every time we saw them.  and she loved it.  she always made her way over to where they were. they even put in a request for this bathing suit a few times.

 there was never a dull moment for her.  always someone to play with.  and she loved it.  i'm sure she feels like she doesn't get enough attention now that we are home and it's just the two of us all day

in the water with uncle erich

 when we were kids we used to wear colored zinc on our faces.  we loved having all different colors.  so uncle erich and aunt mattie bought some for mae!

these two are going to be great parents one day!