More from North Carolina...

SO...although our August trip was now 2 months ago, I never finished posting from my 300+ photos that I took during our week together. I started posting, thinking that I would do one post for each day that we were there, but then life happened and more life happened and before I knew it two months flew by (not to mention probably 500 more pictures of life's happeneings...). So here's a collage of some of the great moments that I just don't want to forget...family time is special and worth remembering over and over and over!!

 

The beach was the highlight of the trip...we were one block from the beach and could easily walk with the kiddos back and forth. Being so close to the beach allowed us to take breaks for lunch and naps, and it also helped us accommodate our families needs: some could go ahead while the others trailed behind at their convenience.  The kids ran in and out of the waves, screamed, dug holes, filled holes with water, collected shells and shark eggs (YIKES!)...we generally just enjoyed all the joys of beach going...

And the water fun did not stop at the beach because at our house was a lovely POOL!! And what kid does not enjoy some pool time? 

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There were always willing hands to hold the wee ones, and there were always wee ones wanting to be held...

 Finn tried his first chucks of food, and the quickly threw up letting us know that he was not quite ready for it...

 The five of us took an adventure to a light house while some of the younger kiddos had their afternoon nap. It was not the greatest day to go because the lighthouse was sadly closed because they were expecting a thunder and lightening storm. There was not thunder and lightening when we arrived though, so I was slightly peeved that they would close the lighthouse for a POSSIBLE storm. We decided to just walk on the docks behind the lighthouse, and enjoy the scenery.

 As we walked it started to rain an bit, then a bit more, then it started to pour. They were right and I was just a silly wet girl with dripping wet kiddos and a husband who is an incredibly good sport to go along with all my crazy ideas.

But it made us remember our time at the Arlington Cemetary last year when we also go caught in a storm and ended up dripping wet. Maybe this is just the beginning of a new Murry Vacation Tradition...

Living and working with our opposites...

Jeff and I are complete opposites...our premarital counselor pointed out that everything was the mirror image of each other in every area except in our religious beliefs. I looked at him with my naive 21 year old smile and said, "Well, with God on our side were bound to make it!" 

Seeing Kate and Hannah work side by side reminds me soooo much and Jeff and me working together. We just incorporated a new online program into our school day called Waggle. It's to give the girls a bit of experience taking online tests...don't get me started about testing but in reality it's part of being a successful person in knowing how to show what you know on a test...anyway...Kate was answering a question and she said, "I think I'll just guess this one...what could happen if I get it wrong?" She was smiling and clearly didn't take this seriously, which is fine with me, but Hannah replied, "You can fail!" Kate looked at me still smiling and said, "You wouldn't fail me, would you mom?" I just looked at them...Hannah so clearly an achiever like her daddy, and Kate so clearly not like me. I also pointed out to Jeff that Ksye was still on her second book on her reading list, Little House on the Prairie, because she was also reading, and not finishing, 4 other books...a habit I have that drives Jeff crazy, but really deep down I think he thinks it's enduring...or at least I tell myself that he does!