Corolla OBX Vacation ~ 2013!

Maliana ~

So, here's the deal for this blog entry of our vacation ~ it's going to look a little different because quite frankly, I'm overwhelmed with trying to re-capture the sheer volume of shenanigans that went down between the Wilkinson, Williams, and Shaver families over the past 8 days. And since the most important souvenirs of any vacation are the memories (i.e. pictures)...this will basically include brief notes for each day along with accompanying photographs of our adventures. So, hang on tight...here we go!

Day 1:
What a trooper you were in the car...not a single meltdown in 12 hours! All of us were so ready to be done with the drive. As soon as our feet stepped out of the car, the Shaver and Williams families met us in the driveway (with ice cold beers for the grown ups thank goodness!) and you (plus all three of Stacy's girls) were like Tasmanian devils of activity in every direction, checking out the house, the pool, the hot tub, and the ocean...fitting in perfectly with each other from minute one! It was great and all just a taste of the week to come!

Here are some Facebook posts from the drive down...
~ tip when traveling with 5 year olds...don't tell them about the really cool big tunnel near Norfolk VA too early, unless you want to hear them ask about it over and over for the next 6 hrs.

~ another travel tip for kids...in a pinch, hanging a tiny booty over a low guard rail on a quiet country road in VA works great in an emergency. No messy splashes and the perfect spot to do some "work"...she didn't even mind the couple cars that Daddy smiled and waved to as they slowly happened by. #noroomformodestywhenyougottago

~ way # 221 we are trying to pass the time on this car trip (yes, I am getting desparate) #arewethereyet?

~ Caught up with Memaw and Papaw @ a rest stop in VA...perfect photo op for these two lovebirds 

hitting the waves with Laurel

it's dark? no worries! have to stick
our toes in the ocean at least
once before bed!

hot tub!

snacks before bed

Day 2: 

Very foggy all day long but we all still got somewhat burnt! You loved the hot tub but tested out the pool and ocean too, eventually, although they were both very chilly. You also received some compliments today about informing Papa Joe, "I have to ask my Mommy" when offered some candy. Very proud of your conscientiousness. 

Papaw aka The Old Man and the Sea

ready to go in the water!

she's swimming!

love this smile!

hold your breath!

modeling one of the dresses we made you

with Laurel in front of a very foggy ocean

yep, this shirt about sums up Papa Joe!

KK was about to hit Daddy with a sling shot

more underwater practice

helping

Stacy wanted to try out KK's scooter

zoom!

running from the waves

love it when you littles hold hands!

Laurel taught you a trick

ice cream before bed with Memaw

Day 3:

Aquarium day while Daddy and Papa Joe went golfing. On the way there you realized (and were amazed) that Cadence (aka KK) was also born in China and had a cleft lip/palate just like you. When we got to the aquarium, you both proudly marched up to the cashier at the snack bar and announced loudly and with huge grins, "Hi! We're from China!" It was adorable. I worried a bit on this particular day about the possibility of you getting jealous because of having to share my attention with the other kids (particularly KK) but you were very sweet and seemed secure and generous throughout the day. KK got upset on the way home and you even made sure to share your brand new toys from the aquarium with her to help her feel better (all on your own). I love watching your kind heart and wisdom (that often appears beyond your years) developing ever more as you grow. 

Not only was the aquarium fun but I enjoyed getting to chat with Stacy while you kids rode along in the backseat on the way to and from our outing. It's so amazingly refreshing to find a fellow mama and friend who is easy to talk to and "gets it" in so many different ways. I sure hope you can find oodles of good friends like this for your own little village as you grow up. They are truly priceless. 

Uncle Kevin and Aunt Beth arrived with your cousins later that night, so the house was whipped up into even more of a frenzy. With seven kids now in the beach house...it was pandemonium, but the good kind. The kind from which awesome childhood memories are made. It was going to be a good week!

ready to hit the aquarium

you got so spoiled with piggy back rides....

see what I mean?

Dr's Mali and KK ready to rescue their sea turtles

fixing him up at the rehabilitation station

all better, ready to release them back to the sea!

sharks!

KK sneaking a little strawberry daiquiri

c'mon Sam ~ let's go in the ocean!

uh oh! naked KK on the beach!

run for your lives!

clearly cracking you up!

impromptu picnic by the hot tub Day 4: Majorly lazy day at the beach house...played (of course!) and then took a long nap with you, treated you kids to Dairy Queen before our big Mexican fiesta dinner (complete with sombreros and a pinata), then finished off the night by crab-hunting with flashlights after dark. Very, very fun day.  no need to move Daddy, we'll just sit on top of you beautiful, inside and out about to go on a bike ride with Mama my girl feeling fancy love this shot of you two running from the waves you loved it when I would spin and spin with you the beach girls, looking for crabs and collecting shells more piggy back rides the mamas Patty and Papa Joe ~ enjoying the beach (Stacy's parents) the grandparents are ready for Mexican fiesta night! crafts for Mexican fiesta night...do you think you might have missed Abby a little? Daddy and me (rocking my sassy hat) peace out OBX my mini mixologist helpers sombreros baby! how adorable are all of you!?! you had the magic swing that busted that pinata wide open! extra candy? no problem...just climb to the deck and dump it all out on the kids' heads! the candy loot! now YOU are rocking my sassy hat! Papaw took you all crab-hunting after dark with flashlights...a huge hit! the crabs wigged you out a bit...thank goodness for Sierra and her piggy back ride (again) so cool...but they moved pretty fast! Day 5: Another nice day at the beach house...pool, hot tub, and some beach. Lots of fun in the pool! It's amazing how well everyone has been getting along with each other and it's so nice to feel completely comfortable to let you go off with any one of the adults in the house and know that you will be well taken care of and I needn't worry. Dad and I have officially become invisible (which is perfectly fine as you are having a blast!) You have adored riding in the Williams family's van with all the kids and we all had a great time at Timbuk II with go karts and the arcade. Daddy and I have also joked that our bedroom has been adopted as the changing room for all kids five and under. We never figured out why but all of the littlest littles love to come and hang out in our room. It was pretty funny. No privacy for us this week! cutie pies on their way to the beach what happens when you bring a 4 year old to the beach? you get to look smashing while you carry her awesome miniature Ariel purse! me and the love of my life = you hot tubbin' with Aunt Beth feeding Daddy a snack KK and I doing our best glamour shot Memaw and Papaw pool time choo choo fun with Memaw giving Papaw some of his own medicine blowing bubbles hot tubbin' with Uncle Kevin the mamas got to relax (for a minute or two!) piggy backing it (again) ~ poor kid was probably so tired! thank you sweet Sierra! Racers! Start your engines! yeah baby! first time go-kart riders...and we had a blast!!!!! hot stuff! you were digging this basketball game... had the magic touch too! my sleepy girl, getting a snuggle (I love that so much!) Day 6: More fun in the water with you FINALLY beginning to swim underwater again for the summer after a very tough tug of war with Mama. The parents also got to go out for dinner while the grandparents braved an evening in with all of you kids. Memaw asked you if you would be "in charge" and help her out while we were away and you graciously accepted and even took your post very seriously. At one point, Memaw said that the other kids were all going swimming but you remained outside the pool, fully clothed, telling her that you couldn't join in the fun because you were "in charge". Ha. You finally caved in when you just got too darn hot. I was so happy she made you feel so special and when I got home you asked, "Can we keep this?" (pointing to the badge that Memaw had made and taped to your shirt). So cute. Once all of us were in for the night, we watched an amazing storm develop right over the house. Not too much came of it but a glorious stormy sky, high winds, rough waves, and a phenomenal sunset that night.  watching Stacy and Sierra boogie board date night! it was SO windy! grandparents, holding down the fort during our date night the infamous badge from Memaw storm's a brewin' very cool skies sunset after the storm Day 7: Woke up to go running while Daddy took you for a quick trip to the lighthouse and then bumper cars. It was a cooler day so we spent less time in the water and more time just relaxing. You and I took a nice long afternoon nap (much needed) before we took our capes down to the beach for a super hero photo shoot and then more family pictures on the deck before sunset. Just before bed, on our last night there, we lit off two Chinese floating lanterns from the elevated deck in front of the ocean and it was so cool to watch them slowly drift up into the starry night sky. As we finished some last minute packing before bed, your cousin Alex said, "I'm really going to miss Mali"...it's been amazing to watch all of you bond so much during this week. You all are such amazingly sweet kids...how did we (as parents) all get so lucky? morning snuggles with Laurel bumper cars! checking out your cape super hero family ready to fight crime! taking flight! "though she be but little, she is fierce" climbing the dune no more pictures Mom! Daddy will always be our hero I love how the sunlight is hitting your 'oh so serious' face stepping out in another of the dresses that we made for you you are just so breathtakingly beautiful I messed up with the timer so we all just wung it here this entire picture is just so darn epic Wilkinsons 2013 sweet KK cried when she wasn't in our first Wilkinson family picture, so we included her in this one...an honorary Wilkinson! I love our little family Memaw and Papaw with their grand-girls little kid bathtub pictures are just so cute! cousin hugs! Daddy and Brad lit off the lanterns from the beach deck... and there it goes, into the stars! Day 8: I woke up to watch the sunrise with Stacy on our last morning at the beach. It's so hard to leave such a fun time and such a beautiful place behind...especially when you wake up to sunrises like this! I couldn't help but tear up as I counted my blessings that morning... We reminisced on the way home, with you telling us that your favorite parts were the pool and hot tub. As for our drive...here are some of my Facebook posts from the day...and after 12 hours, we finally made it. A long drive...but SO worth it! ~ Daddy and I decided not to scream @ the top of our lungs while going through the tunnel like we normally do...the sleeping munchkin owes us one. I couldn't resist taking this picture...your shirt matches the flowers perfectly! ~ Surprise reward for being one of the best travel companions ever (thanks Dollar General in Nelsonville!) ...seriously, what other 5 year old could be amazing for over 11 hours straight in a car?! ~ I guess being back in the midwest calls for a wardrobe change...giddyup!! There's nothing like sleeping in your own bed again after being gone for a week. It felt amazing and our first full day at home again just happened to be Father's Day. We were all still feeling a little sluggish so we took it easy, let Daddy sleep in, and went to pick up donuts for breakfast. It was a pretty casual holiday this year simply due to the fact that we were all exhausted from our beach fun and buried with jam-packed suitcases that desperately needed unpacking. Luckily Lao Lao took you to Easton (I think she was having Mali withdrawals) while I unpacked and Daddy went with Uncle Joe to putt-putt and hit the batting cages. you drove the boats at Easton twice and came home with an extra Father's Day gift hand-picked for Daddy...a remote control helicopter that displays a lit up message as it whizzes past your head... (especially when an overzealous 5 year old is flying it!) Daddy loved it and it was SO Mali Ok, so the above entries weren't as "brief" as I had tried to make them. What can I say? We had such an absolutely wonderful time on vacation (all the way up until the last minute), got to bond even more with so many phenomenal people, and are already planning our next joint family adventure with this crazy crew. Thank you Red Thread...once again, you have unexpectedly blessed my life in ways I never could have imagined. I feel like the luckiest person in the world. I love you Maliana...to the moon and back again, a million times over! Mama