The beach is THAT way!

After skipping on the "big" family beach trip last year and realizing how much we missed it, we decided that we HAD to go back this year. Let me tell you, it is MUCH different taking a 3 and 4 year old to the beach than it is taking a 1 and 2 year old to the beach. Comparatively speaking, this trip was definitely relaxing... not "sit-on-the-beach-book-in-hand-for-hours" relaxing, but still relaxing. Don't worry though, we did get to do some beach reading too!

Day 1:

Checking out the waves for the first time in 2 years!

This was a frequent sight - Brett running up and down the beach

Don't ask me why Kate was holding on by my forehead

This little girl LOVES to pick shells

Day 2:

You can see the progression during the week... this is the beginning. By the end he was jumping in some waves by himself!

Kate decided that she needed to nap on the blanket beside Memere

Back to picking up shells

Digging in the sand is fun!

See? I did get some beach reading in!

Camera ham

Sliding down the "hill" on her butt... I can't even imagine how far up the sand went!

She loved every minute of it!

Watching her climb up the side was hilarious...

She did eventually make it up to the top, by herself!

Brett just jumped right in

Note - we had nothing to do with the digging of this hole. The original diggers had already gone up for lunch at this point, so our kids took ownership.

Rinsing the sand off of his feet... in his eyes, this will keeps his feet clean long-term

You can't be surprised by this!

Day 3:

Early Monday morning... playing games on Daddy's phone

Kate's playing games too

The beach is THAT way!

Look, Poppy! I "sneaked" puppy out of my bed!

Day 4:

RideMakerz at Broadway at the Beach... he had NO idea how excited he was about to get!

Completely overwhelmed!

He picked a black Mini Cooper (aka "Black City Car")

Picking out more stuff for the new car

Checking out the rim options

Like any girl, Kate has her opinions too!

Picking out tires

Pit Crew

Kate was losing patience quickly, but held out pretty well

Still assembling the details

Admiring his work

Registering his new ride... the liscense plate is MLKSHKR (long story)

One VERY happy little boy!

We went to a diner to eat lunch, where we learned that Kate LOVES LOVES LOVES milkshakes! She ate almost my entire milkshake... the grilled cheese and fries, not so much! After lunch, we went on to the rest of Kate's birthday celebration - Toy Story 3! It was their first movie in the theater and they did GREAT!!!

Day 5:

Kate got to open her birthday presents from Grandma and Grandpa at the beach

We spent the ENTIRE day outlet shopping. Thanks to Poppy and Grandpa and Todd, the kids stayed relatively entertained, despite a lack of nap!

Racing cars at the outlets

Day 6:

Chillaxin'

Playing in the pool with Grandpa

Kate loved the little tidal pools during low tide with Memere and Poppy

Surfer Girl!

Brett's city, before Kate destroyed it

Sweet girls

Family shot... probably the best of the week despite many attempts!

Grandma and Grandpa jumped in too!

Then Memere and Poppy joined in the fun!

Jumping waves with Grandpa... he was nearly fearless by this point and kept asking to go out further and further.

Day 7:

Brett was soooo excited to have Uncle Jeff at the beach with us (and Aunt Erin too)

Uncle Jeff can make him go higher than everyone else, obviously

3 generations of the girls

Poppy with his sons-in-law and his milkshaker - the beach is THAT way!

Kate thought it was very cool that she could "pull" Aunt Erin around the ocean

Uncle Jeff tried to teach Brett to catch waves

He was all smiles!

Trying not to roll over

Cheesy girl still collecting shells

Helping us dig "pools" by the water

Aunt Erin found a baby crab and Kate wanted to hold it

I was shocked! She did great, until the crab started crawling...

The Boys

The beach is STILL that way... in case you're wondering

The joke of the week was Brett's constant low-riders, so Daddy and Uncle Jeff decided they'd make Brett fit in... those are some WHITE behinds!

Playing catch in the tidal pools

Kate dancing in the waves

Aunt Dithy's giant drip castle

Sisters!

Sweetness

I love these kids!

About a milli-second before the full-out tackle!

Grandpa and Poppy get a little R&R while the kids are off doing something else

Uncle Jeff is trying to win "Uncle of the Year" in Brett's eyes... he's also Brett's ONLY uncle!

Lightning McQueen - Kachow!

The kids were really excited... Lightning McQueen was much cooler than mom's less-than-stellar sand castles!

Kachow

The kids were "helping"

Tradition - the boys in their Hawaiian shirts...

The girls

Erin and Jeff - Happy (almost) 1st Anniversary!

Mom & Dad

Jenn & Todd

Sisters

The ECU girls!

The WHOLE gang

Grandma and Grandpa with the Tater Tot and Milkshaker (who had a very upset tummy that night... hence the half smiles, at best)

If you look close, she's very excited about the in-tact clam shell. I'll bet you can guess how long that shell was actually in tact!

Kate with one of her Godmothers

Sisters, again!