Back on the Water...

Jimmy was very excited about sailing on his old stomping grounds, the St. Johns River (which is the longest river in the US that flows north). He took Ashlynn out for awhile and although she became quite good at working the ropes, she wasn't comfortable with the speed they picked up during the stronger winds which led to a fear of capsizing. When it was my turn, I realized that I'm definitely only into comfort sailing. I'll definitely pass on future rides on a boat without a place large enough to plant my big butt. At the first chance, I jumped off and Jimmy continued to sail by himself while I recovered in the pool. The next morning, we were off to California to see my family.

Sailor of the Year...

Instead of heading straight back to Debbie’s after 5 days at the beach, we stopped at the yacht club to let the kids go sailing. Nine-year-old Johnny had recently been named Sailor of the Year, so he took out Veronica and Kathleen (a cousin on his dad’s side of the family). Here you see them both upright and after they capsized. The good news is that the capsize was intentional as a way to cool everyone off and practice righting the boat. Veronica had fun except when she got hit in the back of the head by the boom. Click here to check out the boat Johnny and his brother Jimmy built from recycled materials after we left.

Some Lovely Down Time...

While I was enjoying myself at the Seahorse, it was a bit hectic with so many kids running around. So I was thrilled when Vivynne offered to have me join her for a night at a romantic bed & breakfast on Amelia Island (no worries--I wasn’t excited about the romantic part, just the free swanky place to stay). She dropped off Ariana and Max to spend the night at the Seahorse with Jimmy and the girls, and we headed north. Picked up sushi to go and went to the inn to eat lunch overlooking the windswept beach. While she worked on billing for her and Tony’s medical practice, I read and enjoyed the quiet. We went on a long walk on the beach, but didn't have much luck searching for shark’s teeth. After wine and cheese at the inn, we headed into town for a seafood dinner. Enjoyed a great breakfast on the porch and another long beach walk, before hitting the road back to reality. Thanks Vivynne!

Fun on the Beach...

The girls enjoyed having 5 days at the beach to play in the warm ocean and on the sand. Veronica’s favorite activity was building sand coasters with Jimmy. This one even had a tunnel for the sand balls to go through to end up on the opposite side; click the play button above to see it in action. I enjoyed the luxury of being able to leave the girls behind with their cousins to take long walks on the beach with Jimmy.

Jimmy's Family Reunion....

When we found out that the rest of Jimmy’s immediate family would be vacationing together at the Seahorse, a wonderful 1950’s pink motor lodge at Jacksonville Beach, we knew we had to join them. Granted, the beach in Florida in August is broiling hot and has to be avoided during the middle of the day, but we managed to have a great time. We’d spend each morning on the beach then the pool, hang out inside during the afternoon, then head back out for a 2nd round each evening. It was great getting to meet our two new nephews Joseph and Jack and see the rest of the munchkins. There were a lot of good restaurants within a block and a fantastic organic market, so we were able to continue our vacation eating and drinking frenzy. Thanks Debbie for organizing this!

Dear Old Friends...

We were so thrilled when we learned that the Warwicks (best friends from San Diego who now live in Florida) could swing through Cary for 2 nights on their trek up north. The girls enjoyed swimming with Brett, Jr. and we enjoyed catching up with Sharon and Brett. Sharon was especially a good sport when we dragged her to a BBQ restaurant for lunch (she’s a vegetarian, so her only option was an exciting iceberg lettuce salad since even the beans there were cooked in meat). We helped make up for it by taking her out to Goodberry’s for frozen custard. They hung out with us until it was time to head to the airport for our flight to Jacksonville, Florida to see Jimmy’s family. A great close to a great time in North Carolina.

Time to Get Wet & Muddy...

The girls missed the hash that crept up a creek with bamboo and low lying branches (we joked that we’d been transported to Vietnam) which left me scratching from chigger bites, but they didn’t miss the chance to get wet and muddy. While Jimmy and I visited with our Cary next door neighbors, the girls spent the afternoon playing in the creek behind our house. We were all impressed with the bridge that the Atkins had built and with the offer to let our muddy midgets shower in their house.