Outer Banks 2010...

Last week we spent a week in Outer Banks, N.C. visiting with John's grandma, Grams the Great, and Aunt Deb & Uncle Dave. Since John and I have been married we've visited the beach on the other side every other year. The last three times we've gone, we've stayed in a vacation rental on or just a walk away from the beach. We had a great time relaxing, swimming, sunning, and eating...all the things that make up a great vacation.

Our trip started with a flight Washington D.C. on Jet Blue. Can I just take a minute to tell you how wonderful Jet Blue is?! We were able to take a straight flight from Long Beach and watch TV the whole time. =) Love it! We got a great deal and stayed in a beautiful suite at the Washington Dulles Marriott before we set out on our 5 hour drive to the beach house that John's parents rented for us.

We love staying in hotels...

Oh, I'm sorry, did I say a 5 hour drive? That's what it was supposed to be. However, since we hit traffic for approximately 95% of our drive, it actually took us 8 hours...not including a lunch break. The kids proved to be great travelers, though, and we finally made it to this year's house "Got Beach?".

Kate and Luke loved sharing a room...

Our room had a great view of the Atlantic Ocean...

In the 5 1/2 days we were at the beach house, the kids enjoyed the beach for a total of 1 hour.

The house had a pool so we spent most of our time right in the backyard.

Kate with Uncle Jeff & (soon-to-be Aunt) Stephanie...

Kate was a little fish...

Luke spent most days playing with the hose around the pool, but on the last day he finally got in and swam a bit...

John & I even got a night out with Jeff & Stephanie. We had a delicious dinner and dessert.

Us on the 3rd floor balcony of the house...

The night before we left, we had a delicious dinner at our favorite Outer Banks restaurant, Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe. We took our traditional family picture out front...

***True, I wore the same dress 2 times last week. It was the coolest thing I brought for 90's weather w/ 85% humidity. =)***

By the time we got around to taking a big family picture, the humidity caused the camera lens to fog up...

After dinner, we had an early birthday celebration for Grams back at the house...

Kate, Grammie, & Grams Kate & Steph licking the candles

John, Grams, & Jeff Aunt Deb & Luke

Our return trip started Friday when we drove to Richmond, VA. to stay the night. Our return trip was so much smoother that we wished we would have continued on to stay in D.C. again (our Richmond hotel was not nearly as nice, but decent). The kids slept and we hit very little traffic.

We made such good time that we grabbed a quick dinner and took the kids to see "Toy Story 3". We hit a little more traffic and had a longer drive than planned on Saturday but made it in time to have dinner in the airport and catch our flight home. By the time we landed in Long Beach both kids were knocked out as it was midnight east coast time. We're finally getting settled in and thinking about how we may plan our trip next year...perhaps a couple of days in D.C. next time. =)

The big 3-year-old...

Last Tuesday, Lukey turned 3-years-old. 3-years-old! Not just 3. All week if you ask him if he's 3 now he says, "No, I not! I 3-year-old!" Silly boy. We had a pretty low key day celebrating our little man. After breakfast, Luke opened his first present...a Toy Story beach chair. We loaded up his chair and a few other things and headed to the beach for a couple of hours. Of course, I left my camera in the car and never bothered going to get it for pics. =( We had a good time, though, playing in the water and the sand.

After the beach and naps, all the grandparents, Auntie Amanda, Auntie B, Uncle Curt & Brookie came over for a Lightening McQueen themed dinner (Uncle Jeff & Stephanie were in Virginia). It was a perfect "party" for Luke with McQueen decor, his favorite dinner of Italian beef sandwiches & chips & fruit, cake, and presents.

Cake time....

Mmmmm, cake...

Kate loved the cake...

Brooklyn loved the cake...

And Luke REALLY loved the cake =)

Present time...

Happy Birthday, Luke!!

Great Strides 2010...

It was a great day for a walk! Today, Kate, Luke, and I were part of a team that raised over $20,000 for Cystic Fibrosis! Long Beach's first Great Strides was a huge success with well over 100 people showing up to raise money and awareness for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's search for a cure. Team Jonah came in first as the highest earning team and we are so proud to be part of a support group full of family and friends that love Jonah so much!

Post-walk hair ;).

Our little walkers ready to go...

Brooklyn, Luke, Kate, Reagan

Greeting Bapa...

Lunch time...

Showing off the balloon man creations...

We love our cousins....

Luke, Javan, Kate, Jonah

My Luke...

I just need to take a minute to brag on my little boy. Luke is going to make some woman a very good husband one day. Today, on the way home from taking Kate to school I was telling him that we needed to go home and clean up the house. He informed me that his room was already cleaned up (which it was) and I listed off the things that needed to be done...make the beds, clean up the dishes, tidy up around the house. When we got home he disappeared for a few minutes, then came out to tell me he had cleaned up Kate's room. Sure enough! He had cleaned up her room AND made her bed!! Oh, and all the while saying, "I love you, Mommy!" Be still my heart. ♥

Cinderella...

Kate had her ballet recital this weekend. I use the term recital loosely because this show was unlike any end of the year recital I've ever seen. This was a production. A full ballet complete with sets, props, professional dancers, and even a live horse. Kate was one of the squirrels in the story of Cinderella. She did SO well. It took a minute to pick her out of the 30 + little squirrels on stage but once we spotted her we proudly watched her perform her dance perfectly. For the hefty "participation fee" we were given a leotard and 10 pieces of cut material so I could make her costume. That's right! Bust out the sewing machine and get to work. I could have, of course, paid even more money to have it put together for me but where's the fun in that. I honestly don't mind sewing (I enjoy it) and this thing really was a piece of cake but I could buy a week's worth of groceries for what it cost. Up until the performance I was pretty sure we would be trying out a new dance place next year but, despite the high cost of EVERYTHING and the, often times, poor communication from the studio, they put together a beautiful performance. I think we'll stick with them.

Kate, the squirrel...

The final bow...

Flowers for our little ballerina...