Wrapping up with mixed emotions

Our final day went very fast....

A few pictures (surprise, surprise!)

Me and Margie taking a walk on the beach this afternoon

We saw Mr. Crabs while we were out - he's quite the grouch and I do not like his beady little eyeballs!

The kids had some final playtime in the ocean before dinner. It was still pretty rough and uneven this evening. By tonight, when the kids went crab hunting again, it was all starting to even out and look like 2 days ago. Amazing to me!

The waves today were breaking at different points on the beach and often would collide into each other and create huge waves. It was nerve racking keeping track of all 3 kids when they were out in it.

You can see my finger on the left as I'm trying to tell Silas to please come up here a little closer (for the 90th time!)

Right now, I am sitting up on the widow's walk, listening to the ocean, having a glass of wine and looking at what appears to be a full or at least, mostly full, moon. I am sad that we are leaving tomorrow but I miss my house, garden, friends/neighbors and Zoe. I love to visit places but I love my home more and get homesick after about a week!

This was the perfect family vacation. The kids had SO much fun. This house is perfect for us. I realized yesterday that even though this is only our 3rd trip here, I feel so at home. Earlier today as I was looking around I figured out why it feels so familiar and comfy. When I first worked with Colleen in our Grandview office, all the furniture that was in the condo/office is the furniture that is here at the beach house. Couches, dining table, end tables, pictures on the walls,
and even some of the same coffee mugs and cooking utensils.

This is a family vacation (much like our Dale Hollow houseboat vacations) that I feel create such strong, lasting memories for the kids - the things that they will want to do with their kids and that we'll hopefully get to do with our grandkids. I see so many grandparents out on the beach with their grandchildren and can't help but think that will be me and Justin someday...gray, beer/wine bellies and running up and down the beach with munchkins that will remind us of our days here with Mason, Ella and Silas.

And it was wonderful to have aunt Maw-gee (as Ella and Si say) and Uncle Bim, Mam-ma and Pap-pa here too. Like I said - a wonderful family vacation.

So, I wrap up the OBX writings anxious to get home but sad to see such a great week come to an end.