Topsail

In mid-July, Amanda and I took the girls and joined my parents, my brother and his family at Topsail Beach, NC. Our exciting destination was a house located right on the beach.

We split the journey down to Topsail over two days, staying overnight at my parents' house. While the journey was fairly long, we weren't disappointed when we got to Topsail. The house was enormous, and in a very picturesque location.

We barely had time to soak up the atmosphere before Cora buried a splinter in her foot, and we had to go to the hospital for their expertise. We made it back to the house late on Sunday night, and climbed into bed hoping for a better start to our day Monday.

It didn't take long for people to make it down to the beach on Monday. While spacious and luxurious on the inside, the house's best asset was undoubtedly its proximity to the beach. There were no treks with a day's worth of beach supplies; we could simply pick up a few things and step down onto the beach. And we could run up to the house when hunger struck.






The time at the beach quickly settled into a routine. Popular activities included tubing in the surf, trying to master body boarding, building sand castles, playing with toys, and frolicking in the surf... the kids had fun too.

Amanda and I took the girls on a mid-week excursion to the North Carolina Aquarium in Kure Beach. The aquarium wasn't the biggest we have been to, but it certainly had some very interesting displays. Plus, Cora and I got to pet baby sharks!

Our evenings also settled into an enjoyable routine. Dinner consisted of great food and wonderful company. Tired children were cleaned and put into bed, before we enjoyed walks on the beach and drinks on the deck.




While I found that the weather at the beach could sap my energy, it was still an extremely relaxing and enjoyable week. 

On a side note, the vacation was Jake's first major trip with the family. He was well-behaved throughout, and thoroughly enjoyed playing on the beach.