OBX Vacation 2012

Well, another Swickheimer Family OBX Vacation has come and gone.  And like the previous two, this week went by all too fast!  Aside from getting a rough start - along with the usual family drama - it was a fun, relaxing, and much-needed vacation.  The kids had a wonderful time, which is the most important thing, and I got a glorious tan (2nd most important thing)!

So what was the rough start, you ask?  Well, some jacka$$ rear-ended us while sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the bridge to Corrolla. Aaaand, my bike was on the back of our Pilot.  My beautiful, worth-more-than-most-cars bike.  (Aside from my family) I haven't been attached to something so strongly since my blankie, back in 1982.  This bike means the WORLD to me.  Not only does it represent all the hard work I've put forth for my race happening in 2 weeks, but most importantly it represents a friendship that I've created with my dear friend Kelly.  To most, it sounds silly.  But that bike represents a love and passion that I discoved within myself - something I never imagined possible - and Kelly introduced me to it all.  So the fact that somebody so carelessly could have potentially crushed all that passion, blood, sweat, tears, emotion......well.  I wasn't going to let them get by without hearing (and seeing) a piece of my mind!

Miraciously, though - by the grace of God, indeed - no damage was done at all. To my bike or the car.  But that didn't stop me from becoming a crazy-lunatic for about 5 minutes.  I whipped open my car door, through a handful of profanities at the IDIOT driver who rear-ended us, examinded by bike inside-and-out, then threw some more profantities at him just to ensure he understood what I was trying to communicate to him.

Jacka$$.

I still get heated thinking about him.

Aaaaaaaanyway.  I digress.

It was a wonderful vacation, and we had perfect weather to compliment it all.  Can't wait for our next vacation!

In honor of vacation, I did a "beach nails" design on Emma!

Letting the waves crash into us on the first night we arrived.

My babies. Love 'em.

Soul surfing

Check out the crab we found. He lost a leg, which fortunately for us, was the only way I was able to take this picture. Normally, those little guys are faster than Usain Bolt.

Drewbert.
How can you NOT love him?!?

Family pic, Day 1

Beach Belly Surfing.
It's amazing the things that kids find, to make their own fun.

The annual "Emma buried in sand" picture

Dubie livin' it up in the sand!

Precious moment with my two men

Uncle Matt made Drew-Drew a hole to get "buried" in

If there's a truck or car or boat around, Dubie's playing with it!



Picture moment atop the sand dunds at Jockey Ridge State Park



That's the "kid crew" up there.
L to R: Brian's friend Olarec, Brennan, Emma, Brian

Changing out her earrings for the first time. She couldn't WAIT to get some "vacation earrings."

And there they are. Some flip flops, which was doubley appropriate.
Our house was called "Flip Floppin"

The Swickheimers never disapppoint when it comes to meal time.
As seen here, with the oh-so-delicious Cheesy Pototoes.
That we devoured.
The recipe said that it serves 9, with 2 days of left-overs.
We ate all of it in 9 minutes, 2 seconds.

Family pic, Day 7