Goodbye Belgardes

Our friends and neighbors for the last 3 1/2 years, the Belgardes, moved to Pennsylvania last Saturday. Here we all are together on the couch. They are just the greatest and we miss them so much already. We love you guys!

Peggy is such an awesome friend! We always have fun together, we talk about anything and everything, and I know I can always count on her no matter what. That is a true friend right there.

Best friends: Ethan, Elizabeth, Broedy, and Seth. I don't know what my poor boys are going to do without Broedy and Sis to play with every single day.

This is the cake I got for the going-away party. It didn't turn out exactly as I had hoped, but it was still pretty good.

Bruce, Peggy, Broedy, and Sis with the cake.

The "swamp babies" eating their cake and ice cream in the nude.

Sis having fun on the slide.

I think Bruce threw Seth down the slide in this picture. He really liked that.

Ethan was a little daredevil and had to go down the slide backwards.

This is a full picture of the bouncy slide that Peggy and Bruce got. We thought this one was an even bigger success than the climbing wall they got for Broedy's birthday.

Tim had a clam bake for us one night before they left. Very good! We basically had a week long goodbye celebration that consisted of eating way too much food.

The kids waiting patiently (well, as patient as they can be) for their dinner.

Family Walks Along The Outer Banks

Our family went to The Outer Banks again this year for a wonderful week-long vacation. We had such a great time. Thanks again, mom and dad, for everything!

Tim, dad, Ethan, and Seth taking an evening walk along the beach. The boys had to have sticks (and were using them as weapons, of course)!

Emily, Jon, and Nate taking a stroll. I couldn't believe how much Nate had grown since I had seen him in April. He smiles all the time and is rolling over and doing all sorts of things now. I was so happy to get to see him and spend a little bit of time with him. Nate really liked watching the water and putting his feet in the sand.

Mom always had one (or sometimes both) boys in her arms.

Some of my favorite moments were taking evening walks together as a family.

Mom and I taking a morning walk.

I really like this picture of mom and dad with the boys.

Dad and I on the beach.

The boys wake up early in the morning, so we got to see a sunrise or two during our morning walks.

Seth and I on the beach (Ethan wanted to stay at the house with Mambo and Dad that night. He said he was tired of walking!)

Mom took this picture of me throwing Seth up in the air. It was the only way to get him in front of the camera at that moment.

Emily, Nate, Seth, and I on the beach.

This picture was taken the first night we arrived at the beach house. Ethan was still finishing his dinner.

Mom, Emily and all the boys getting ready for a walk.

Ocracoke Island

Tim and I in front of Ocracoke Lighthouse. I am pretty sure this is the only lighthouse on The Outer Banks that we didn't get to see on our trip last year.

All the boys (except Nate who was inside) on the ferry going to Ocracoke Island.

Here is the ferry boat. The boys were pretty excited to be riding on a real ferry boat.

They had an air conditioned room on the ferry that was pretty nice, so some people hung out in there for the 30 minute ride to the island (but that's not including the 2 hour wait we had just to get on the stupid ferry!).

Tim and I on the ferry.

Dad and Seth checking out all the cars below.

Tim and Seth on the ferry.

Tim and Ethan at the restaurant we ate at on the island. Unfortunately, it turned out it was a really small island with not much to do.

Mom and Seth by the water.

Miniature Golfing at Mutiny Bay

Here we all are in front of the pirate ship. Tim told the boys there were pirates on there, so by the time we got up to the ship, they were scared to go on it. Nice going, babe!

The boys loved playing golf and they actually did much better than I thought they would. They both hit a couple hole-in-one's(and I'm sure it was pure skill and not luck at all). The very next day they asked if they could go back and play golf again.

Dad, mom, and Nate watching everyone play golf. Tim and I mostly monitored the boys, but Emily and Jon had a pretty competitive game going on.

Mom, dad, and the boys at the house before we went out to dinner and to play golf.

Tim and the boys at the Tale of the Whale restaurant. I ordered a seafood pasta dish and I have to say I'm pretty sure it is the best seafood I have ever had. Very fresh and extremely delicious!

Dad, Tim, and the boys were having Hawaiian shirt night!

Ethan posing with his golf club.

I got the boys these flags and some eye patches for sounvenirs of their first golf game. They liked the flags, but the eye patches weren't a big hit. I don't think they liked having something covering their eye like that.

Our Days at the Beach

Here are mom and dad with the boys. Check out all those awesome beach bodies!

Emily and baby Nate. He had the cutest little hats and swim trunks. And check out his shades-when Em would put his sunglasses on, he would hold his breath for a second. It was kind of funny!

I really like this picture of Ethan with his boogie board. He's actually looking at the camera and smiling naturally. Yeah, finally!

Yes, I realize Seth is pretty covered up, but he is SO fair that I don't like taking a risk of having him get even the slightest sunburn. And, believe it or not, he insists on leaving his shirt on and he always has to have his sunglasses on when he's outside.

Mom, Jon, and the boys building a sand castle.

How cute is this picture of Nate? I think that babies take better naps on the beach. The cool breeze, the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore, ...it's the perfect napping environment.

The boys all lounging around.

This is a pretty good picture of the four of us on the beach.

Dad bought a kite for the boys, so here he is teaching Seth how to fly it.

Mambo and Ethan-beach bums.

Tim relaxing in the sun.

Mom and the boys with the boogie boards. They never actually got on them in the water. They just liked sitting on them on the sand and dragging them down by the water. They still had fun though.

Nate playing on the beach.