Our October Beach Vacation

Well, not quite... While we were about an hour and a half away from Oak Island, NC (our destination), we decided to stop at the 3rd "Official Myrtle Beach Visitor Center" for a brief reprieve. After our ten hour (plus) travel time, we found a swingset and some green grass to tromp in.

The girls were awesome. They read books, sang songs, colored, slept (very little) and made each other giggle for hours (literally) on end. Rory especially enjoyed eating in the car...

Once we arrived at the beach house, the girls got hugs from Pa and Kim, ate dinner, took baths and hit the sack. The next morning, everyone was ready for the beach! And, Claire began her vacation long attempt to conquer the sand!

My dad (Pa) took Rory to the water's edge to "jump" the waves. To my surprise, both Rory and Claire expressed little fear of the water... only joy at the amazing world God created!

This large red shovel was never far from Rory's fingertips; she used it to dig extremely large holes, knock over others' sand construction (i.e., repeatedly smashing the beginnings of my sand castles) and toss sand onto anyone nearby...

Claire, meanwhile, tried out all the various sand tools -- filling buckets with sand, making octopus/fish shapes and pushing around a green plastic boat...

Rory "helps" Pa put up umbrellas for a bit of shade. Actually, she did use that handy red shovel to pack sand around the bottom of the umbrella. Job well done!

The plastic tools, however, did not fully capture Claire's attention. She soon discovered that throwing sand was much more fun. This particular bit of sand landed on my feet.

Whew! Claire needed to sit down for a breather after all the sand activity. I think her throwing arm might have been a bit tired.

Sadly, this is the only photo of Jane on the beach. Most of her day is still taken up with sleep; here, though, she is quite content to sit on Granny Kim's lap under the shadow of the umbrella.

No vacation is complete without indulgence in baked goods with icing. To celebrate the upcoming holiday, the girls decorated sugar cookies with black icing and multi-colored sprinkles.

"Cookie" by Rory Kay Thatcher -- a magnificent piece of edible art.

Claire cares little for decor; she squeezed out a blob of icing, shook out some sprinkles and shoved that little cookie right in.

Yum Yum!

The following day, Pa bought the girls a kite. It was an absolutely perfect day to fly a kite; the afternoon was a bit overcast and very windy... Rory's hair is evidence of that.

The Kite

Next, Claire grabs the "reigns," and Pa helps her hold on.

Clearly, Rory became a pro in no time; need a hand anyone?

There are a few pics missing from our collection. They include the afternoon nap period when Michael and I were able to toss a football, throw the frisbee or just walk along the beach together. It was as if we had a mini date everyday; thanks Dad and Kim. As well, our final day at the beach was stormy; we still enjoyed the view, a meal out and a late afternoon movie. The follwing morning, it was time to head home. On our way back to Tennessee, we stopped at Trader Joe's and IKEA (oh, how we miss those stores).

We got a little silly in the car... after some fruit leather and while rockin' to some VeggieTales. I call this Rory's Israelite look...

Jane enjoyed the entertainment her two older sisters provided, and then, promptly fell asleep.

Apparently, this little bed in IKEA looked too good to pass up. Ahhhhhhh....

And, truly, no trip is over until Claire has an untimely bowel movement. Droopy-pants and I set off to find a bathroom!

I am reminded of how much we have to be thankful for. Not only are we able to enjoy a beautiful beach home only steps away from the sand (due to the generosity of Kim & family), but we have a family to experience it with. One moment, in particular captures this. I sit on the sand next to Jane (in her stroller); I look out towards the ocean. There, Michael leads Rory - by the hand- to the rolling water. Realizing she has been left behind, Claire quickly runs to catch up. Michael and Rory look back at her. They are all headed into the blue beyond... I am full - tears well up in my eyes. This is my life, and it is amazing. Thank you Lord.