Here we all are at the Hatteras Lighthouse. This is the tallest and most recognized lighthouse in the United States. Tim, Jon, Emily, and I climbed up all 257 stairs to the top.
We made it to the top! Some of us (OK, just me) thought we were going to pass out before we made it. The view was definitely worth it though.
Tim took this picture of us climbing down the stairs. Actually, Emily and I thought the climb down was worse than the climb up. We both were getting so dizzy.
Another beautiful view from the top of the Hatteras Lighthouse.
This picture was taken from the beach we went to after touring the lighthouse.
This is Corolla Beach where the famous "wild" horses roam. The horses are survivors of ship wrecks dating back to the 1400's. They're not so wild anymore though. They came right up to us and were eating the boys' crackers. We were really lucky to see them because we were told a lot of the time they're not right on the beach and very difficult to find. We had almost as much fun driving on the beach as we did watching the horses. We drove about 11 miles down a very secluded beach before spotting them. The ride was a little bumpy to say the least and our Tahoe was in the air a couple times. The boys loved it. They would laugh and say "More, More!"
Tim, the horse whisperer. Ha!
Emily is such an animal lover, so she definitely loved the horses and they seemed fond of her too.
The boys liked the horses, but were a little nervous that they were so close. One minute they were touching them and the next minute they were screaming to go back in the car.
This is the Rodanthe house from the new movie "Nights in Rodanthe" starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. Rodanthe is a really small town that you would miss if you blinked driving through it. Mom and I actually went in to a realtor's office to ask where the house was because we couldn't find it on our own.
Here are mom and dad in front of the Rodanthe house. The men weren't so impressed with it, but I was excited thinking I was standing in the same spot that Richard Gere once stood in! We think the house was altered a little for the movie and it is no longer inhabitable.
This is our beach house! That's what Ethan called it and we all liked to pretend it was "ours" too. It had 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, so we had more than enough room. The view of the ocean from the top level was great and when we wanted to go to the beach, we only had to walk across the road and we were already there.
The back of our beach house.
This was our view from the deck on the top level of the house.
Here we all are in front of the house.
The boys are all smiles in this picture. They must have been happy because they were eating. We ate out several times and also cooked our own meals at the house.
Mom and dad, you guys are definitely the hottest looking senior citizens I have ever seen! (An inside joke that I don't think they would like me sharing with everyone).
Emily and Jon always take such good pictures together. No sign of a "baby bump" yet on Em.
Tim will be mad at me for posting this picture of him without his shirt on. I don't care though. I happen to think he's a pretty sexy guy! 
Tim and the boys had so much fun playing in the sand. The boys actually liked getting burried. I like this picture of Seth with his sand goatee.
Tim is such a big kid sometimes, which is a good thing when you have 2 little boys. I think he had more fun playing in the sand than they did.
Ethan proudly displaying the sea turtle Tim made. It actually stayed put on the beach for a couple days before it was completely washed away.
Here is Mimi with her baby boy. When Mimi is around, everyone else is chopped liver to Seth. I'm glad he loves his Mimi so much. It gives me a much needed break.
Em and I on the beach. I still can't believe my baby sister is going to be a mom soon.
Ethan hanging out with Em and Jon, or "Emmy and Onny" as the boys call them.
Tim and Jon used the boogie boards several times while we were at the beach. Ethan thought it looked like fun and wanted to try it too.
Seth took the best naps on the beach. What more can a baby ask for than a gentle breeze and the sound of the waves crashing to lull him to sleep?
Ethan playing a game of frisbee with the men. He is such a little man and always wants to do what the "big boys" are doing. He won't be left out.
Mom and the boys playing around on the beach.
I got to actually sit and read while I was on the beach. Yeah!
Once again, it's nearly impossible to get a family picture where all parties are looking at the camera and smiling! Oh, well. It was more important that the boys were having fun in the water.
Seth looking cool on the beach! The girls are going to have to watch out for him one day, that's for sure.
Em and Ethan waving to the camera. He's getting to be a real little ham around the camera now. 
Dad and Em catching some much needed rays.
Mom and dad basking in the sun.
Ethan trying to help Tim catch some fish. They didn't have much luck, but still had a good time anyway.
Mom and the boys taking a morning stroll on the beach.
Another great picture of Emily and Jon.
Tim, dad, and the boys at Jockey's Ridge, which is home to the largest sand dunes in the United States.
Mom, dad, and the boys at The Wright Brothers Memorial. This was the exact location where the Wright Brothers made their first flight.
Here are mom and dad after they climbed up the hill to see the memorial up close. Tim and Jon went with them, but I stayed in the car with Em and the boys. It was a really hot day and the boys chose to watch "Baby Einstein" DVD's in the car instead.
Tim and mom enjoying the view from The Wright Brothers Memorial.
Here is mom with the boys. They were happy to finally be outside. We tried to take them into The Wright Brothers Museum, but quickly realized museums are not the best place for rowdy little boys. They kept running around screaming "airplane, airplane!" Most people seemed entertained, but others were giving us dirty looks, so we decided to take them outside.
Tim, Jon, and dad went fishing at the pier one afternoon. Tim caught a stingray!
This is a view from the pier where the boys went fishing.
Tim proudly showing off the "blue fish" that he caught.
Tim waiting patiently for some fish.
Mom eating an oyster at "Awful Arthur's" restaurant. There is a magazine article displayed in the restaurant where Al Pacino lists it as one of his favorite out-of-the-way places to go.
Seth looking cute at the restaurant.
Ethan looking cute at the restaurant.
Dad and Tim enjoying beer and oysters. It doesn't take much to make them happy.
Tim and I at the restaurant. We had some delicious seafood while we were there. The guys liked the oysters, but my favorites were the crab dip and crab cakes. Yummy.
The DVD player in our Tahoe is truly a life-saver. The boys prefer not to wear the headphones, but sometimes we insist on it for our own sanity. There are only so many times I can listen to Tim make up his own lyrics to Sesame Street songs!
This is on our way back home from The Outer Banks. The boys were pooped out! We all were. It was really a great time in such a beautiful place. We hope to go back again one day. Thanks again, mom and dad, for such a wonderful vacation.
