Ocean Isle

We have arrived on Ocean isle for a week of sand, waves, and family.  The trip is off to a grand start.

You could say it is going swimmingly.

The house full of Hendersons has reached its full complement of 19 and the house sharing is going better than we ever could have hoped.  With the exception of a slightly tight kitchen, the house is holding us well, with people coming and going and mixing and gathering smoothly.  We have had two stunning dinners together as as a family-- pulled pork and slaw and the most fabulous baked beans from Steve and Eileen, and burgers with corn on the cob from Becca and Gram-- and the first floor fills with conversation and food.  The table has hosted card games each night after sundown-- hearts, euchre, poker.  My mom is in heaven, with this house full of game players.

The cousins are fast friends, with Jack, Ivy, Gavin and Ada picking up where they left off last summer.  John's girls, Abby and Paige, are fabulous with the little ones, patient and engaged and happy as can be to be covered with 4 little cousins at all times.   They play duck duck goose and iPad games, have pillow fights and make bracelets, tell secrets and play battleship and war.  It is so good.

They also do a lot of fishing.  The dock is crowded every evening with enthusiastic fishers, though we haven't had much luck since our first night when Jack and Gavin caught 5 tiny fish.


And of course, we have the beach.

We've made a pledge, Nat and I, to get to the shore at least two times a day.  We've done well so far.

Day 1:  our inaugural beach trip and an evening walk with the dog.

Day Two:  a morning run on the beach with Bec, plus two more swimming trip.  Jack learned to body surf. Nat and Bec did ocean kayaking.  I made a sand mermaid.

Today:  A sunrise walk on the beach with my husband.  We snuck out on our own, leaving everyone asleep. It was lovely.  Then, we went out for a kayak on the intercoastal.  Gotta love having a house full of family to entertain and stay with our little ones.  Then a swim where Nat, Jack, Abby and John used the boogie boards for hours.  The boy is fearless!  Not to mention an afternoon trip to the pier...  but that is a post for tomorrow, as we are about to leave for a seafood dinner.  Adults only.  Have I mentioned how awesome these cousins are??

I'll leave you with a few pictures from our road trip out.  A rest stop in middle-of-nowhere Ohio yielded lunch at a sketchy diner where we were accosted by an aggressively friendly pregnant cat.  The kids loved swimming, watching TV in bed, and eating fruit loops at the hotel.  It was a grand road trip, indeed.