Last week, we wrapped up vacation at Wrightsville Beach with my family, and with it, basically the summer. It was a great way to wish the summer farewell. My parents, unfortunately, couldn’t make it, due to my mom undergoing chemo back in Des Moines. That made it a little bittersweet and certainly not how anyone wanted my dad to ring in his 70th decade. The cousins had each other, though, and immediately picked up from where they left off last time they saw each other.
We made a video for my dad’s 70th birthday, and as Brady saw me working on it, he was inspired all week to steal my computer to take videos and pictures. I hate to squash his creative spirit, but I’m happy he has seemed to move along. Here’s a selfie I found.
All the kids loved the ocean, and all the parents hated the kids loving the ocean. Between sharks and undertoe, we didn’t let them venture too far and our beach time was a blast, but limited.
The pool was a more relaxing outlet of fun and who could argue with this view.
Maybe the most exciting adventure was going aboard the North Carolina USS Battleship. Our kids were at a fun age to take in the vastness and importance of such a vessel, and we were able to get a behind-the-scenes (or below the deck) tour of the ship.
Here is the actual typed schedule for February 19, 1945, the day of the Battle of Iwo Jima. A funny lesson in keeping life as usual in spite of extreme circumstances. #2 under notes regarding the photo contest is a good example of that. I think some of our kids would have preferred some working weapons on the ship, but they enjoyed their trip to the ship nonetheless. I think we would have stayed longer but HOT + hungry = hangry, and I know I was by the end.
Everyone knows traveling with a baby isn’t easy, but the cousins, particularly the younger ones, were eager to “help.” Wyatt was a trooper and soaked up the extra attention.
It was great fun to watch the cousins interact. They had an awesome setup in the house we rented, with bunkbeds and hanging chairs. Dubbed “SD1” for seemingly no reason, it became their “secret” hideout and they would attempt to extract a quarter from any adult attempting to enter. The adults were generally very happy for any self-inflicted isolation the kids put upon themselves. Here is a picture just before one lucky babysitter arrived so that the parents could have a night away.
She survived.
We drove home on Friday and spent a night in Chapel Hill before everyone went their separate ways, ending the week with another clutch babysitting decision and yummy dinner out with the adults. Wrightsville Beach, you were good to us!
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