Carolina Beach Aquarium 2008

Corolla/Nags Head Vacation 2007

Our first Monihan beach trip to Corolla NC! (Maybe our last??) It was a gorgeous house with lots of room and right on the beach. The weather was gorgeous and we saw lots of dolphins and Shannon and Bob got to fly their kite. We also had our LobsterFest which was absolutely scrumptious!

On the flip side I got sick the day we got there with a fever and stomach issue. The boys then got sick and decided they would scream and scream and scream. Did I mention the screaming? Jim got sick, then Grandpa Gene got sick and then baby Lauren got sick. We're talking fevers, diarrhea and vomiting sick. Not so much fun for everyone. Did I mention the weather was great? We did get to spend a lot of time on the beach with the boys. Coop refused to touch the sand with his feet for the first few days. Once he got over that he was off and being Mr. Destructor. He just wanted to trample on other children's sand castles! Bear on the other hand felt like the ocean was his bath tub and if you turned your back he was running towards the water. Jim and I spent a lot of time in the water with them and they took lots of long naps on the beach. I don't think there is anything more peaceful than watching your children and husband sleeping on the beach while listening to the waves and enjoying the sun. It may not have been the perfect trip but man I will cherish the time we had on the beach forever.

Kitty Hawk 2007

After our trip to NOVA we got back to an e-mail from my Aunt/Cousin Sheryl inviting us for a few days to the beach. After our trip I was pretty exhausted and we had a Monihan beach trip coming up in a few more weeks so I wasn't sure if I could handle another trip. But I kept hearing this voice saying we needed to go on the trip. So on the 19th of August we made the trek to Nags Head.

It ended up being a total blast. As is typical we sort of exploded in Sheryl and Bill's condo. The place looks nice and clean and then we arrive. We got in late and Coop refused to sleep in the pack-n-play because he could see me and Bear in the sofa bed. He hadn't napped the entire trip so I thought he had to be exhausted but he was gearing up and ready to wake all the neighbors up. So I brought him into the bed with us and the two of them slept like angels. Me on the other hand not so good. The second night Cooper still wasn't used to having no crib and literally fell off the bed right on his head. Poor guy.

The trip was amazing. Sheryl and I headed to the beach the first day not knowing what to expect. Coop REFUSED to touch the sand with his feet. He spent the whole day in the chair it was comical. Bear on the other hand took off for the water and had a blast playing in the surf. The second day Coop started off in the chair and by the end of the day he suddenly realized he had a lot of beach to explore and he took off down the beach with Sheryl in tow. We also got to spend time in the water with both the boys which was a lot of fun.

I bought a tent on sale at CVS that poor Bill got suckered into putting up. I'm talking he had to go to the hardware store buy special pipe to hold the string and borrow hammers and neighbors even came over to help us out. I felt so bad. But we had an awesome tent that the boys could play under.

A large family came down to the beach obviously having had a few drinks. Sully just walked right into their circle and just made himself at home. Coop not wanting to be left out joined them and we got to laugh as they went from lap to lap. Sheryl and Bill went for a walk and Coop was having some sort of allergic reaction to a dog he had been petting. I needed to wash him off but couldn't do it with both Coop and Sully. You know I was desperate as I turn to these two drunk men and ask them to babysit Bear for me. I got Coop taken care of but will never in a million years forget watching these two grown men trying to balance their beers while chasing Bear around the beach. They were trying to stop him from going into the water and he just kept running in circles around them. I saw the moment they just looked at each other and gave up. They each grabbed one of his hands and let him play in the surf.

It was an amazingly fun trip and I had a really nice time with hanging out with Sheryl. Thanks Bee's for inviting us!!