A Week in Heaven

Did you miss me? I am back from an absolutely perfect week . You know I like to work hard- but truth be told I like to play even harder- even outrageous heat indexes of 105+ didn't dampen it in the least. If you have never been to the Outer Banks in North Carolina it is a must- it is a very narrow strip of land less than a mile across in most spots- the sound is on one side and the ocean on the other. It is the one place I can truly 100% relax and would live if I only had a couple million dollars. Here are some of the best parts of my week...
1- the pool- smart son finally decided he was ready to jump in and swim underwater by himself and is now a total fish! Smart baby was so relaxed he liked to take naps in the pool in his floaty innertube. Smart mama and smart daddy-o enjoyed countless hours of languid swimming and relaxing in the hot tub.
2- the beach- we enjoyed much fun beach/ocean frolicking, evening beach walks, the catching of ghost crabs, sand fleas, and some other jellyfish like creatures, shell gathering, dolphin watching.
3- the house- I will blog more later about "Arthur" the great home we stayed in, but I will touch upon my special favorites here-- the jacuzzi tub, which is giant and which I loved to sit in and watch movies when the little ones were asleep, the ice maker at the bar which makes the perfect shaped ice, the heat lamps in the bathroom which warm you perfectly when you get out of the shower, the decks which I love to sit out on at night a look at the stars and listen to ocean, the floor plan which is party perfect! The totally amazing views. The screened eating deck when smart son enjoyed countless hours of "talking about animals" with my brother- in- law the wildlife biologist.
4- Jockey's ridge- giant sand dunes that are so fun to climb on and provide a little taste of Egypt,
5. Corolla- lighthouse and outer banks wildlife center.
6. The annual T-shirt purchase- it is a family tradition to get a t-shirt from Duck, NC- they have great beach shops where you pick a shirt and decal and design your own heat transfer shirt
7. Catching crabs on the sound- as you know I love to paint crabs, catching them is equally fun- a chicken leg on a string throw it in the water and in about 1 min you feel a tug pull it up, grab a net, and you have a crab. It is one of my favorite beach activities. (Right by the pier were chokecherry bushes so there were also 2 chokecherry picking extravaganzas)
8. Date night dinner at the Blue Point- okay seriously hands down best restaurant I have ever eaten at in my life- It is one restaurant I always splurge on- it is so good you can't get in without reservations, made weeks in advance- but seriously the food is to die- so savory it makes you realize how pallid your standard fare is.
9. Walking- I loved the 5 min. walk to the beach, to the pool, to the pier, into the village for dinner and shops. It is the kind of place that invites you to walk, its just so perfect. There is something to leaving you shoes at the end of the boardwalk, spraying off as you head back to the house.
10. Family and food- yes warm cookies, ice cream, fresh cooked meals, cold drinks and great company.
11. Stops at Sonic and Pierce's BBQ on the way to and from, and a stop at the Williamsburg pottery (to buy 17 frames for my art)