Outer Banks Trip in July

I am finally posting pictures from our trip to the beach in July.

Before we get into pictures I will have to list all the folks at the beach, so that things don't get too confusing (hopefully). Drew's family has gone to the beach with another family for the past 25 years.

Drew's Family - Bo and Pam (dad & step-mom), Carolyn & David (sister & her boyfriend), Kristin (sister), Chanon & Debbie & Emma & Jonathan & Julia (brother & his family), plus our family =14 people

Kowalski Family - Ken and Gail Kowalski, Scott and Amy Kowalski plus kids, Kate, Lilly, Eve and Graham, Mark and Kathy Place plus kids Mac, Abigail and Mary, and Amanda (the babysitter) = 14 people

28 people at dinner every night gets very exciting

The first pictures are ones from the pool. The morning schedule at the beach consists of crabbing or swimming at the pool while the grownups take turns playing tennis. Drew and I vow every summer that we will play during the year so that we will be marginally good when we play tennis at the beach. (maybe this will be our year to follow through on that goal)

Mary and Ben enjoy a poolside snack
Ben is wearing his crabbing outfit (close-toed shoes)

Noah is getting launched by Mark

Ben and Graham played with cars while the adults ate dinner

Picture of Ben after he has done his magic trick
(i.e. hiding the ball under his shirt, showing you his empty hands, then pulling the ball out and showing it to you)

Noah & Jonathan

We brought Rockband to the beach and played a few nights before dinner. I don't think we ever managed to finish a song while the kids were "helping".

Kate, Emma, Julia, Jonathan and Noah
(the boys were hard to tell apart at times)

See what I mean...

Kate, Emma, Julia and Naoh work against the ocean
and try to save their wall from the waves

There was a sea cayak at the house. It was entertaining to watch different adults take it out in the surf each day. Even the kids went out once the dad's got the hang of making it past the breakers. Jonathan, Eve, Ben and Emma helped pull it up the beach at the end of the day.

This might be our Christmas card picture. :)

cousins...Jonathan, Ben, Emma, Noah and Julia

Here are the real seafood lovers who are still sitting at the table eating during Crab Night. Many adults (myself included) had already left the table and the kids had returned to scrounge for leftovers. The kids ate dinner every night before the adults.