#sinksinthesand2019 Part I

It was time for our bi-annual trip to the OBX with my side of the family - Trevillians, Overstreets, and Sinks all under one roof in Corolla for the week.

I'm not going to lie - to be completely honest, this is kind of a tough trip.  It's just a lot of people - a lot of ages - a lot of different styles.  But we had fun!!  And I love that all of the cousins get to spend a week full of making memories, and the older they get - the easier it is on us parents.

In order to miss traffic, we left early and arrived in Corolla just in time to catch The Lion King in theaters.  After having popcorn for lunch, we bee-bopped around and took a peek at the ocean while we waited for our house to be ready.

we made it!

"Look at my feader!"
(she's "feader" obsessed)

happy girls in a big ole sandbox having the best time

Ella's seashells

Sydney's seashells

The weather for the first few days needed a summertime reality check - it was windy and a tad chilly, but we were at the beach nonetheless.

headed out for a quick walk on the beach

me and my girls... it was so windy

I present to you... one of the only ways to get a picture of all five cousins sitting down and being still.

the majority of the week was red-flagged, but they all had fun at the edge of the surf

Daniel chased Seth around with a dead crab, and the look on his face was absolutely priceless

Syd jumping through waves

Ella's turn

gorgeous view

took a quick walk down to the ocean with my main squeeze

Ella and Sydney slept in bunk beds for the first time!  This was a test-drive for our family, knowing that the plan is to eventually do bunks after we are done with their toddler beds/cribs.  They did great!  Both of them wanted to sleep on the top, so we had to switch every night.  One major thing that made me sad is that I couldn't smooch the girl on the top, like I do each night when I check on them on my way to bed.

I came to peek in on the girls, and found Ella's sloth hugging her back in the most adorable way

exploring

post-kiddo-bedtime cards

two sleeping (pretend) monsters getting warm next to the pool

Aunt Kim does slime with the kiddos

making the trek to the ocean with book bags full of toys
you have to earn your keep...

morning coffee

she's hilarious
she also hated the sand

twin rest time = float time

we had the most gorgeous sunset view in the back of the house

we stocked up on glow sticks and went down to the beach for some crab hunting

I was enjoying my coffee, quietly overlooking the pool on this swing, until I was discovered

The weather warmed up some more, and we enjoyed a fun beach day! 

her bucket is filled up with jellyfish

hers, too!

cousins running from waves

After dinner out, we came back to the most gorgeous sky and snapped a few pics

momma and her sweet little crabs

Last full beach day

Seth pulled Sydney around on the boogie board

we played paddle ball while our girls played in the surf, and all was right in the world

Daniel and I took the girls out shopping to spend their money from Grandma Georgia, and couldn't resist a sweet treat

Aunt Kelly made everyone dresses (+ a shirt for Seth), and we attempted pictures.  I say attempted because... Clara still hated the sand.

Stunning - the sky and our sweet little girls

one last beautiful sunset!

before we headed home, I snuck one more peak at the ocean

It's crazy to think that the next time we'll do a vacation with this crew, Ella and Sydney will be kindergarten alum, and Clara will be the same age the girls are now.  Can't wait to see how everyone grows and what 2021 will bring.