Fishin' Fun!

 We're very blessed to have Tim's parents only 20 minutes away from us, and doubly blessed that they live on the water!  They live on a creek that has direct access to the Potomac River, and Tim grew up on that river--swimming, crabbing, going on the jet ski, partying on the nearby beach, you name it!  He's been itching to get the kids out for some fishing this summer, and they are finally old enough to handle top boat speeds, wakes from other boats rocking our boat, and casting/reeling in a fishing pole. 
 We went out yesterday around 6 PM and hoped to hit the feeding time so that each kid would get a least one hit.  We lucked out with both kids catching fish after fish (so many that Tim and I never got a chance to rig our poles, we just helped the kids the whole time!).  They caught mostly perch and croaker with a hard head and rock fish thrown in there as well.  On our way back to the grandparent's dock we saw skates skimming across the top of the calm water, flicking their fins up at us.  All in all, the kids caught about 2 dozen fish (!) and had a great time!

Outer Banks Family Vacay 2017

 Tim and I decided to do Nags Head yet again for the family vacay.  We get out of school so early now (May 25th!) that it's nice to visit a beach town before everyone else gets there!  No lines at the Food Lion or mini golf, wide open beaches, little traffic....it's wonderful.  I found a great house right on the ocean side so we didn't have to cross the beach road to get to a nice, flat access.  The house is only a couple of years old and even included a hot tub, pool, and elevator!  Very easy living for 7 days :)
We arrived at lunch time on June 3rd and quickly hit the Kill Devil custard & burger place.  After that, we had a couple of hours to kill before check in time.  So we went to Professor Hacker's mini golf.  Emily and Jay surprised us with their skills and Garrett won the game!

First view of the ocean while waiting for check in.  Water was beautiful blue and slightly chilly, but it was easy to get used to it in the hot sun.

 We're bound to get a cold/rainy day or two during our week, so for Wednesday we headed over to the NC Aquarium in Manteo.  I've never been there, so it was neat to see everything!  They also completed a huge remodel and expansion project last year, so there was lots to see.  We got there about an hour after they opened, and it's a good thing we did!  That place filled up fast.  When we left, there were cars parked up and down the highway and the line to get in wrapped around the building!
The kids loved the turtle tanks, shark tanks, touch tank with stingrays, and outdoor play area.

Cold/rainy days were also a time for Garrett and Cammy to sharpen their checker skills!

Caroline's birthday dinner (June 5th) at Goombays!  Fish tacos and key lime pie!

Turtle rescue area in the museum!

"I've saved Squirt and he's ready to release!"

 From this point on, just enjoy a pile of pictures from our week!

The cousins came down from Wed-Sat!  

So proud!  Jason's first catch!  Spadefish

Caroline turns 15!

 We were going to be in Nags Head during Caroline's actual birthday, plus we got out of school so early that her birthday fell during the summer vacation.  So I helped Caroline throw her birthday party on Thursday, June 1st from 5-10 PM.  Even though it was a weekday, it wasn't a school night!  So she and her friends enjoyed hanging out and eating (and eating and eating....teenagers eat so much food!) and it didn't bother me a second, since I didn't have school the next day either :)
Caroline didn't want a theme or special location for her party, so we kept it simple at the house.  While in Nags Head this past week, we all went out to celebrate on her actual birthday at her restaurant of choice: Goombay's, where she ordered fish tacos and key lime pie!
For this party, I ordered her cupcakes from a local lady ("It's all in the Details") in both vanilla and chocolate.  I requested the frosting in ombre shades of teal/aqua, and the lady delivered!  And they were sooooo good!
Caroline received some awesome presents, including an Instamax camera from Aunt Carrie (which was instantly put into use!), a blanket from Connor, flowers, gift cards, cash, etc.

Connor's present included many notes and directions, plus it involved multiple wrapped boxes inside each other.

Because Caroline is always so "extra!"