It was off to North Carolina for our annual trip to the Outer Banks, and as tradition, we start each vacation by heading out to the beach on the first night before the sun sets. With that comes our traditional picture of the girls and Daddy taking flight over the waves.
The biggest smiles are always on the first day.
Ellie loved running away from the waves in delight.
It's amazing to see the pictures of the girls as they grow over the years. Can you believe this was our first trip when Evie was just 2?
By this time, we know all the best mini golf spots, so it was off to Professor Hacker's to ride up the train to the gold course.
Ellie was actually in a better mood for the first time we played mini golf. Usually she asks the whole time, "Are we done yet?"
But we got a couple of holes (and smiles) from her as she claimed to have many "homeruns" (holes in one) several times before ditching her club and using the course to belt out Annie songs. Here was her first mini golf experience when she was two.
Daddy got one of his two holes in one on the pirate ship! Ahoy, mateys, it was someone's lucky day!
Ah, Professor Hacker, our hero for designing a course with caves so we don't completely melt in the sun. Dad likes that they are both U of C alumni. Later that night we were joined by Bebe and Popi and enjoyed a dinner of Popi's famous spaghetti and meatballs.
The next morning it was off to the Outer Banks Wildlife Center for some dragonfly hunting (alas, on a very hot day). Evie and Ellie model the latest in dragonfly eyewear, with Ellie looking above it all.
The girls grab their special butterfly nets and get ready to join the hunt with Bebe and Popi cheering them on. First Mommy got a moth (not so interesting). Then Bebe caught a dragonfly, followed by Mommy and even Evie! We were a family of talented hunters.
While Ellie did not partake in the hunting, she definitely liked getting to feel the blue damselfly's featherlight wings. Whew, what a fun morning before we hit the beach. Everyone enjoyed the mild temperature of the water as we spotted sting rays swimming by, and Bebe even did some laps!
Before heading to the beach the next morning, Evie and Ellie give Popi his special Father's Day card. It was so nice to have them spend some days with us this year, and then when Ba and Opa came, it was like a family reunion!
As soon as Ba and Opa arrived we headed down to our second favorite golf course, Mutiny Bay. Everyone in the family had some impressive shots, including quite a few holes in one. Bebe, Mommy and Evie take a break on the pirate ship before walking the plank, ur, walking to the next hole.
We pause on the 18th hole to take a picture of the whole family before launching our balls down the big hill.
Ellie, in her preppy stripes, fits right into the golf crowd with Ba and her pink hat.
The next morning it was off to the beach again, the girls sporting their fashionable accessories. They helped Daddy create a rollercoaster to send a tennis ball down to the water.
Evie helps Opa with building his sandcastle by delivering water to pour on the sand. But after 3-4 bucket runs, her interest moves to the next wave and Opa is left in peace to create his masterpiece.
Ba and Ellie admire the final product - the use of the gate/drawbridge was a nice new touch!
Uh oh, after placing Ellie in the center, the structure collapses!
Alas, the most fun for the girls is demolishing the castle.
After cleaning up, the family spent an hour in Duck at the playground and walking along the boardwalk, with a special trip to the candy store. The girls love the rocking chairs at the town center.
Evie is going to be the leader, and we'll follow her wherever she may go.
Same hydrangea bush as last year, but a little hidden - and I think Daddy is wearing the same shirt!
Mom and Ba with the "twins" that people keep asking us about.
A new discovery was the giant beach chair on the dock! Perfect for lying back and enjoying the sound.
The next morning we headed down to the Bodie Lighthouse. After learning in previous years to go in the morning before any thunderstorms derailed our plans to climb the lighthouse, we wanted to get an early start. While we waited for our tour to start, we stopped by another one of our favorite playgrounds. Evie was supervising Ellie on her dolphin ride above.
Ellie got a kick out of driving her sister crazy by running in the opposite direction and not exactly following Evie's instructions. Our littlest girl has a mind of her own!
Well, I'm not sure if Ellie being awake for our family picture at the lighthouse is quite a good thing, given her favorite silly face pose.
Mom and Evie smile triumphantly after climbing eight stories to the very top - success! It only took us 3 years! We kept looking for Ba, Opa and Ellie (still too short to make the climb) down below, but they were enjoying themselves in the gift shop.
Dad prefers the windy side of the lighthouse, and the view all the way down to Cape Hatteras. Maybe that will be our next lighthouse to conquer!
Whee! We did the whole lighthouse!
On our final day at the beach, Ellie models her lollipop swimsuit. Ah, what a vacation!
We pose on the steps of the Corallina before heading home, with a stop in Yorktown to see Aunty Karin, Ariane, Pete, Alexi and Clara Ann. What a relaxing vacation.
