OBX with family

we love the outer banks! Every year it is so sad to leave and come back home. I wish we could live there. This year we went with part of Daves family. We had so much fun and found the perfect house. It was really nice and well equiped and close to the beach. It was so fun to relax and hang out with family and the cousins had so much fun together.

Grandma made matching dresses. Claire and Catherine. Catherine is one month older than Claire.

 The 2011 girls. Catherine. Elise and Claire.

 Trying to get a good picture of all of them looking was really hard.

 Elise and Claire.

 We got there Saturday. We spend the last 20 miles getting to the beach in dead stop traffic. We watched almost the entire Lion King movie for the last 20 mile drive over the bridge. It was so frustrating. Sunday we rested and got settled. Monday was rainy weather. Grandma came prepared and had crafts for the kids. They loved their visors.

 The boys figured out how to make angry birds using Jenga sticks and baby toys.

 Tuesday was off and on rain. We braved going out and mini golfing. The kids loved it! I think they have asked to go mini golfing every day since. I had no idea it would be so much fun for them. It was really chaotic and frustrating for me trying to teach the kids how to play and keep their turns in order and keep Claire from jumping in the water.

 more cute outfits.

 All the girls. The Meilstrup grandkids used to be all boys. The girls are finally starting to make a comback. Melissa 6 weeks old. Claire. Siena. Elise 9 months. and Catherine.

 The boy cousins, Grandma, Steve, Dave and the kids braved the lighthouse.

 I guess Ben chickened out... again. Someday he will make it to the top.
Steve and Ben

 The beach! It was beautiful weather the rest of the week. Wed-Sat. It was perfect and the waves were awesome. The boy cousins were so brave and went way out. I enjoyed laying out on the blanket with the babies.

 Claire hated getting sandy. We rented this cabana and I think it was the best thing. That and the beach cart. Claire would just sit in the cabana and explore all around the blanket and eat. It was wonderful she would stay right there she was scared of the sand.

 Claire. Catherine and Sharon

 The boys dug to China.

 We celebrated two birthdays there. Steve turned 30 and Brendan turned 8.

 Birthday party!

 Of course Crab hunting. We invested in fun head lamps because that makes it even more fun to go crab hunting. Siena and Ben were scared once we got down to the beach so they stayed up on the stairs with me and Claire most of the time.

 Birthday dessert!

 Cute Claire. She discovered her belly and thought it was so funny to lift up her shirt to see her belly button.

 pure Exhaustion.

 Ben. Siena. Adam and Claire. Brendan Nathan and Elise. Sharon had left the night before because they had an extra long trip and had the two babies.

It was really fun. I had a good time and it was fun to see everyone play nicely together. It was fun to have the little babies there. We had 4 girls all under 2. It wasn't as loud as I thought it would be.