THE BEST VACATION EVER!

This year's vacation has come to an end. It was one of the best vacations I have ever had. I am not sure if it was the weather, my family, the fact that I could get in the water this year, or all of the aforementioned. All I know is that I hated to see it end. We started our vacation last Friday when we left our house with car packed to the brim headed for Virginia to see my family. We made it there in 10 hours and the boys were wonderful in the car. Carter only cried once for a few minutes. I am blessed with well traveling boys. We spent the night at my parents house before heading out Saturday morning for Topsail Island, NC. We stay at the Villa Capriani every year. We love everything about it. It has 3 pools, one with a waterfall, 2 hot tubs, and a beautiful beach. We stay in an oceanfront condo with an excellent view on the balcony where we watched the shrimp boats pass by every morning with the dolphins in tow hoping to catch a few shrimp that slipped through the nets.

Tucker enjoyed playing with his Uncle May-Make (Mason) more than he enjoyed anything else. I thought that he would be excited to see the ocean, and don't get me wrong he was excited, but May-Make topped it all. Tucker made huge strides this week with swimming. He started by dipping his head under the water, then progressed to taking off his life jacket and swimming above water, and conquered swimming under the water life jacket free on the last day.

Carter enjoyed what most babies enjoy. Eating, sleeping, and being spoiled by his grandparents. Though he was not completely oblivious to the ocean. He loved the birds and the people splashing in the pool. He even learned how to splash himself in the face and laugh hysterically.

The Villa Capriani

Jeff and Carter on one of our early morning walks.
Sunrise in North Carolina

Carter dipping his toes in the ocean for the first time.
Carter in his bumbo on the beach.
Tucker loves his Uncle May-Make.
Family portrait on the beach

Our little family
Pop-Up attempting to play Guitar Hero
GG & Poppy came to see us when we got back to VA
He gets his love of twizzlers from his father and Nana.
The week was wonderful and Carter even allowed us to get more than 1 hour of sleep. I think it was the fresh air. Tucker wants to go to school now that we are back but doesn't understand that there is a break between summer and fall sessions. So he is stuck with Carter and I for 2 weeks.

But as wonderful as the week was, it ended in sadness. My Dad (John's not Allen's) mom died on Friday. My Nannie had been getting progressively worse over the years and had no one in town to take care of her. She was in a nursing home in VA and was lonely. She aged quickly after my dad died in April 2002 and was not ever the same again. I will miss her dearly.