Beach Week 17

This year's beach trip could best be summed up with the word "change". 

In this household, I am the loan free spirit surrounded by males possessing strong as steel resistance to change, no matter how minute. 

They kinda even freak out if a couch has been moved in the living room.  

 So when this beach trip started to shape up very differently I was preparing myself for all kinds of flipping out from my otherwise pretty chill dudes. 

First off, our oceanfront week was placed on the endangered list as a hurricane started to flirt with the coastline and the dreaded "evacuation" word was being thrown around by officials. 

Then during our road trip there we switched up leg stretching locations, farmers market stops, and lunch break places, all of which have been the exact same three years running. 

We also somehow never got around to our traditional putt-putt or aquarium visit. 

It wasn't intentional, the week just fell into a slow, noncommittal pace. 

Mornings were slow and we took our time sipping coffee, watching pelicans catch their breakfast, timing Eggo waffles on broken toasters, and laying around with coloring books and cartoons. 

We usually were just headed out to the beach by lunch time where boys casually got lost in chasing the shoreline and digging for treasure. 

Sometime in the afternoon we'd wander back to the pool until one of the kids had a realization amidst all the fun that they may be hungry. 

So we'd go in for a laid back, everyone fends for themselves type meal, and finish off the day with hot tubs, more pool time, popsicles, big family dinners, card games, homemade ice-cream, and movies. 

In fact, this was the way each day ended up happening. It wasn't until the end of the week that we actually ventured out of the house at all, and even then we were gone for the morning and back before the day finished heating up. 

And as much as my change haters had wistfully longed for the same-old same-old, I doubt even they would have changed anything about the way the week ended up falling in place. 

They got their fill of junk food and spoiling from over indulgent aunts.  

And the adults had our fill of doing absolutely nothing, well sort of. Let's just face the facts that moms don't really go on vacation, we just keep momming but in a fun new location. 

Taking a pole around here our favorite beach week moments were soaking in the hot tub while drinking Dr. Pepper, taking each of my boys out for an early morning walk on the beach,...

...discovering Captain P. had visited again, catching crabs after dark, tie-dying shirts, toy store shopping, homemade ice cream every day, and staying up late playing card games. 

Harrison even challenged his aunts to a game of poker, pronounced "polka". We all had no idea where in the world he had learned about "polka" but soon we discovered it was none other than Looney Tunes and according to him, whoever has the biggest hand wins, literally. He made everyone hold out their hands to measure finger spreads. Best kid ever! 

Madison still preferred to keep a safe distance from the ocean, Washington was mesmerized with the waves, Jefferson continued to sing along with the song of creation to his Creator, Wils' loved his tie-dye shirt so much he has to wear it everyday, Harrison grew in his appreciation of seafood night and mastered gathering diving sticks from the pool floor. 

The beach week looked nothing like we anticipated, but it ended up being exactly what we needed. Thanks OBX 2017, it was a great change and memory filled week!