OBX, Finally!!!!

After a few-day hurricane delay, we arrived at OBX, ready to enjoy the remaining days of our beach vacation! Our first beach day was a typical day on our Corolla beach. The next morning, we found the beach quite different--covered in hurricane debris washed ashore.

Back at the house, the hammock and the pool were BIG hits!

Great Wolf Lodge

We're doing last year's Outer Banks vacation in reverse! Last year, we were evacuated (Hurricane Earl) while at the beach, stayed in Williamsburg at the Hampton Inn while waiting to get into Great Wolf Lodge. This year, we were evacuated (Hurricane Irene) before we even left home for the beach, so we started with Great Wolf Lodge and then the Hampton Inn while we waited to get into the Outer Banks. The kids especially loved their Great Wolf Lodge kids' cabin--a cabin just for them inside the hotel room with bunk beds and a day bed.

For two days, we played in the pools and rode the waves and the slides at Great Wolf, and had a great time! Sam loved the little fountains and the play areas designed just for kids his size!

Here are Will and Dad, riding the boogie board!

(Video of Will's ride at http://rowefamilyvideos.blogspot.com/2011/08/will-rides-waves-at-great-wolf-lodge.html)

We're thankful for such a fun place to go with our other evacuated friends for a couple days! But truthfully, we're hoping for a full seven days at the beach next year with no Great Wolf stop, despite how much fun it is!

The Shore

We just returned from a week in Avalon, NJ with Mike's family. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins. We had some great beach days. Ellen and Will rode some waves, Annie flew her kite all by herself for the first time, and Sam won the award for sandiest kid ever.

Will Rides His Two-Wheeler!!

Will and his dad got his bike out last night to work on riding it without training wheels. In a matter of minutes, Will had the hang of it. Now he can't stop riding it!!

Video too!

http://rowefamilyvideos.blogspot.com/2011/08/will-rides-his-two-wheeler.html

Sam Tries to Paint

After Annie painted a picture, there was quite a lot of paint left on her paper plate...so I thought maybe Sam would like to give it a try. Within a few minutes, he had put the paper plate on top of his head! Otherwise, he did a good job with the brush and painted a lovely picture.

He's either angry that I took the plate away, or he's angry that there's paint in his hair, or he's angry that I am laughing.