North Carolina - OBX First Half

Jasmine and I headed down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina on Monday (11/19). We had a great drive together and stopped for lunch an hour outside of our destination at a cute Diner called Cosmos Diner. The food was exactly what you would expect at a diner - mostly bland but passable. Better than a fast food burger. Jasmine insisted on eating spaghetti and I obliged but I should have known better...I guess I am still a mom in training. I tried so hard to make sure she didn't get it all over herself but we still ended up with red sauce on her pants, sleeves and hair!

We picked up the key and headed to the house. It was nice to arrive there and be the only ones there. I took Jasmine upstairs and turned on the TV and gave her some toys so that she would be distracted while I unloaded the car.

Our lovely rented house in the OBX

After getting settled in, Jasmine and I went to the grocery store and stocked up supplies for the week. She loved being in the store and she even picked out her own dinner (beef quesadillas). We went home, warmed up dinner, played with blocks and relaxed. I put Jasmine to bed and then thought, "Wow - I have time to do something I want to do - and I am not at home so I don't have to clean or make cakes or any other number of things - where do I start?" I decided to watch TV - though I was tempted to read a book (as I have a stack of books waiting to be read). It was nice to watch some mindless TV and around midnight, I turned in and thus ended the first day.

Jasmine and Mommy eating dinner on the first night!

Lorne arrived around 10 AM on Tuesday - which was so nice because he got to spend the day with us before our friends arrived. We went out to lunch together and took a drive around to scope out our surroundings. We found the Bodie Island Lighthouse but I said we needed to come back as I had forgotten the camera.
After lunch we relaxed at the house, Jasmine took a nap and Lorne worked and I started reading a book. It was great. We went out to dinner at The Flying Fish Cafe. The food was pricey and tasty but I think it was a bit overpriced. They did make the best fried shrimp I ever had (actually, that is what Jasmine had for dinner but Lorne and I nicked a few of her shrimp to taste while she wasn't looking).

At midnight, our friends arrived. I was watching a movie (I opted to wait up for them, Lorne was too tired and went to bed earlier). It was nice to see our dear friends The Childs and also The Shupes and The Kolowichs (whom we were using this trip to get better acquainted with). They settled in quickly, and when my movie was over (I watched Volver if you are interested), I went to bed and called it quits on day 2 of OBX relaxation.On Wednesday we had fun hanging with our friends. We played pool in the basement, we took 2 trips to the beach (which incidentally was a block away), Lorne played tennis with the guys and I read more of my book. It was also our day to cook lunch for everyone (we had a baked potato bar with ALL the fixings). After dinner, we packed up the car with a few essentials and drove back up north to Virginia so that we could rest at home before spending Thanksgiving with the family.

The whole group on the beach!

The first trip we took to the beach, we went alone as a family. We tried to keep Jasmine dry but an unexpectedly large wave came and knocked her into the water (don't worry, it was as the wave was washing ashore) but she got her pants all wet and some of her shirt. When we went back (this was all before lunch) we changed her clothes. Well, after lunch we went back (as a whole group this time) to the beach and wouldn't you know it, she found a way to get soaked again. Jasmine went through 3 pairs of pants that day but she had a blast! Adam and Jeff went a little nuts at the beach. The weather was 70 degrees and they decided to do a little swimming! We caught it in photos - we couldn't believe that they wanted to get into that freezing water!

Jasmine was so excited that Ryan Child came to play with her. It was all she could talk about and she had a lot of fun bossing him around (and he chased after her when she wasn't chasing him). They played on the beach together and with blocks together. Jasmine and Ryan were the cutest parts of the vacation!

Jasmine and Ryan on the beach!

Daddy helped Jasmine build this sand fort.