Pack It In and Pack It Up

Saturday was our last beach day, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.  Ned got up with the early bird who crowed about 6:15 a.m.  Lolli and Poppa went to breakfast, so the three of us hung around until we went to the beach.  The beach was a little more crowded, and people were a little bit in my space, but since it had been so good all week, I tried my hardest not to let it bother me.  Somebody was sitting near Avery's hole from the day before, so she expected another one to be dug.  The hole and running near the water kept her occupied nicely.  We went in for lunch, and I stayed with Avery while she napped.

Her nap wasn't quite as long as I hoped, so we went back to the beach around 3 p.m.  We finally took our video camera, and I also braved taking my good camera to record some memories.  Avery was having a great time at the water until a wave got too close to her face.  She recovered quickly for a walk with Lolli and Poppa where she did some socializing with a dog and other children.  We stayed on the beach until 5, and I think she would have stayed until bedtime as long as someone brought her dinner.

We always order Papa John's pizza on our last night, and that made the littlest pizza fan very happy.  After a few more rounds of bubbles, it was an early bedtime for her.  Ned and I went to some little shops at Jockey's Ridge and had ice cream before coming home to do some laundry and packing.  Luckily, our cottage provides sheets and bath towels, so I was able to get most of our clothes and beach items done.

Avery of course slept until after 7 a.m. Sunday morning when we were counting on her to be our alarm clock.  We got up and got most things packed up before going to breakfast at The Jolly Roger.  Once we ate, we went back to the cottage for a few things then hit the road.  Avery and I had a pretty good trip together.  I didn't have to break out snacks or books until we were about 45 minutes from home.  Things kind of fell apart at the 15-20 minute mark, but it was past lunch time and coming up on nap time.  We made a quick trip by the new house before heading home for lunch and nap.

I hopped back in the car after being home for only an hour to go take a photography class.  Jennifer Warthan, who did our family photos, and another photographer did a fantastic job of showing us how to use our camera on the manual setting.  I still have a ton to learn but think I'm off to a great start.  An extra 2 hours in the car wasn't ideal today, but I'm so glad I went.  While I was gone, Ned and Avery had supper with Mimi, Grandaddy, and Ned's uncle Bobby.

I got back into town around 7:30 and went right to the new house to get some pictures.  My father-in-law took some while we're at the beach, so I hope to have those soon.  Things are moving right along, and the excitement definitely made it a little easier to leave the beach.  Ned is finally getting to unpack his truck and has given me strict instructions to stay awake until he gets back.  We feel like we haven't seen each other all day.

I'm POOPED!  It was a wonderful trip, probably one of our best yet.  I'm so thankful for the time we got as a family of three, the time we got with Lolli and Poppa, and the time Ned and I got together.  Avery loves the beach and was so sad to leave, so she'll be happy to know we're all ready to do it again next year.  She has changed so much since our trip last year, and all during this trip, I wondered what things would be like next year.  I have tons of pictures to load and go through, so they'll be added to each post soon.  And, it's also time for a construction update.  We'll be getting in lots of rest this week and preparing for a special birthday.