Island Stylin' 2011

One of our favorite vacations to take as a family is to the Outer Banks, NC. We have been vacationing there since the year 2000. Typically, our goal is to go every other year, since the off year is spent either traveling to Utah or Cedar Shores, DE to visit family. In the past, while staying on the OBX we have been blessed to stay with friends in Kitty Hawk or Nags Head. But since that first trip in 2000 our little family of three has grown to a family of six. So this was the first year we rented a house. This is very exciting!
After spending numerous hours on websites we finally settled on a house in Frisco, NC, which is further south. Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene made her appearance during the last week of August 2011, wiping out portions of Route 12. Because of this we were forced to take a ferry from Swan Quarters down to Ocracoke Island. Then another ferry from Ocracoke to Hatteras Island, where we would then drive north to Frisco.

Problem #1 the only ferry reservation that was available was Friday morning at 10am and our house in Frisco would not be ready until Saturday at 3pm. What would we do for only one night?
Problem #2 the first ferry ride from Swan Quarters to Ocracoke would be 2 hours and 45 minutes and the second ferry another hour.
Stuck! On a boat! With 4 kids and no where to go!   aaaaaahhhhhhh!
I guess this really wouldn't be considered a true problem, I just knew it would be an extremely long day. Our trip would now go from six and half hours to over 12 hours. 
Problem #3 finding a place to stay for only one night. Good luck!

After placing 58 phone calls, well not really, maybe only 14.  I finally found a place to stay for just one night. Most places refused us because our family was either too large or there was a minumum two night stay. 
Since ferry reservations were at 10am we had to leave our house at the demonic hour of 2am. It is not normal for a human being to be awake at 2am.

Ready to go, at an hour I should be snuggled in bed. Yes, we are in Dave's truck instead of my van. Reason being, my van will not survive in the sand.  One of the reasons we enjoy the OBX so much is the ability to drive on the beach.

With time to spare before boarding the ferry we stopped for chocolate milk and donuts . 

Swan Quarter ferry. 

Joseph and Nicole checking out the horizon for the 726th time and there is still 2 hours to go. 

Even though we are on vacation we still have to accomplish some school.  Joseph attempted to do a math lesson also but became seasick.

After almost 3 hours crossing Pamlico Sound we are now on Ocracoke Island.   We then headed to the hotel we would stay at for only one night.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of this place.  It was Harley Davidson weekend.  Nothing against Harley Davidson.  We were just awake most of the night.  Listening to lots of partying.

Sight-seeing

Ocracoke Lighthouse

The kids and I experienced Howard's Pub for the first time.  Dave, his brother Joe and their buddies have dinner here during their annual fishing trip in November.

Welcome to Island Stylin'!  After another hour on the Hatteras ferry we are finally "home".

Our first day on the beach.  As you can see, it was overcast and it ended up raining.

Second day on the beach.

It also was overcast, windy and rained, again.

Yes, we are stuck, bad.  First time ever!  In the 17 years that Dave has been traveling to Hatteras with his brother and friends, he has NEVER been stuck.  It took us over an hour to dig the truck out.  I use "us" loosely.  It was Dave that dug us out, BY HAND! I love that man, he's my hero. Next time we'll remember to take a shovel with us. 

I think Nicole is very happy.

I'm only posting this on a dare from my kids.  They didn't think I'd do it. This is what I look like after a day on the beach, greasy face from sunscreen and frizzy, unruly hair from the salt air. 

Joseph, eating one of his favorites.  Soft shell crab.

Our one and only sunny day without rain.  We stayed on the beach all day.

A new use for a boogie board.  Let's pile seaweed on this board and build a dam.

We spent our last evening with a walk on the beach.

We've come full circle.  Early morning eating S'mores Poptarts and waiting for the Swan Quarter ferry.  Out of the entire week, we only had one day of good weather and the rest was rainy, cloudy and windy. 

Though the weather wasn't the best, I am so thankful for:

A week straight with my hubby, love it.

The truck, thank you Kohler.

Vacation days my husband has so we can go to the OBX.

The foosball table during the rainy days. 

A completely stocked kitchen, and I'm not talking food.

Safe travels.

There's something in my ear!

Posted by Rachel

Finally, for my 13th birthday I got my ears pierced.
I'll be honest, standing outside of Claire's Boutique in Apple Blossom Mall I began to chicken out. Since I wanted both my ears pierced at the same time, we had to wait an extra 15 minutes for another employee to return from her lunch break. When she arrived, we looked at the earrings and decided on a small pair of 14kt white gold diamonds (not real, do you think my parents would pay for real diamonds?). Eventually I pulled up enough courage to do it, well really my dad made me do it, I just like to make myself sound heroic.:)

My Marine dad made me do it, hmm, why does that sound weird? Maybe because he traveled to Kuwait to fight in a war, had to get 7-10 shots (he doesn't remember how many), but for the life of him refuses to donate blood or allow his finger to be pricked for a glucose reading. Good heavens. So he promised me that if I pierced my ears, he would prick his finger. Even though that promise was lost in all the excitment, I held it against him.

So I jumped into the purple chair and when the employee made dots on my ears, I started freaking out on the inside. Then both the ladies lined up the ear "gun" and counted down from three. 3, 2, 1. No turning back now. To be honest, it didn't really hurt that much. Just like a tiny pricker bush. Once the earrings were through my ears, I started to get shaky. When I was supposed to twist them, I couldn't grab the tiny earrings, since I was trembling.

February 11th I hit the six week mark of getting them pierced, since I had them pierced on New Years Eve. One of my best friends gave me pearl earrings, silver studs, and diamonds. From my two other best friends, I received gummy bear earrings. (I love gummy bears!!)
Here are some before and after pictures.

Summer Fun 2011

I know! I am way behind on posting so here is a slide show of our summer. Pictures range from Mother's Day to Labor Day weekend. Enjoy! Look for a future post of our family vacation to the Outer Banks.

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He's Mine

Today is his birthday.

He's 44.

He's older than I am. I like it that way. Although I won't tell you how much older.

On our way to church he comments, "I'm half-way to my death."
"Do you plan on dying by the time you're 88?" I ask.
"Ya never know," he replies.

This morning he took his family to church, of which I am so thankful. He then spent the day watching football, eating clam dip with Utz potato chips and feasted on one of his favorite meals for dinner, ribs on the grill, baked beans, and cole slaw.

He doesn't ask for much. Well maybe a gigantic bowl of cookie dough ice cream.

Beloved, my very best friend, my husband, I adore you!

Happy Birthday! I love you David Gay! And yes, you are mine!

Double digits and a Teenager

I am officially the mother of a teenage girl and a son who entered into the world of double digits. I'm scared! Pray for me!
We just celebrated two major milestones just a day apart.
Joseph turned ten years old and Rachel turned thirteen.
"Mom, I can't believe I'm a century old," commented Joseph.
"You mean a decade?" I corrected.
"Yes, that's it."

Joseph at 11 months. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Those brown eyes are the only thing that keeps him alive.

4 years old. The dimples also add to the cuteness.

6 1/2 years old

9 1/2 years old. What happened to the smile?

Rachel 7 1/2 months

Kindergarten - Rachel never liked this picture. She thought her bangs were too "poofy".

7 years old. This is probably one of my all time favorite photos of her.

12 1/2 years and she is growing into such a beautiful young woman. On a side note look for a future post of Rachel getting her ears pierced. Her thirteenth birthday gift.

Happy Birthday Rachel and Joseph!

He's amazing!

Who's amazing you ask? My husband. In fact I'm going to brag a little, well a lot.
When we moved into this house the first mental note we made was,'the back of the house faces west, and that's a problem, a huge one in fact'. Something is going to have to be done about this, we thought.

If a deck faces west and you desire to spend any kind of time sitting and relaxing during the summer months you need one thing ... shade!

For the past two and a half years Dave has been working on the over hang in his mind ... yes his mind. He never did draw it on paper or use a plan. Pretty amazing if you ask me. He started mid-May and finished mid-August. He built the entire thing by himself, expect for one beam he called on a neighbor to help lift when I could not.

So, who is amazing? Truly it is the Lord. He is the One who gives Dave the talent and ability to create such a structure. I am always amazed at the projects that Dave has done around the house since we have lived here. The list would go on and on.

Dave, you are amazing, thank you for working so incredibly hard. I love sitting on the deck and drinking my coffee while it is pouring down rain. This is by far my favorite thing you have done to the house ... next to the garbage disposal :)

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Family Pictures

After 4 years we finally decided to have our family picture taken.  In the past we have used Nancy Morrison, who provides her services to the homeschool community.  This past year we wanted to try something different.
We used our niece, Lauren Gay of Lauren Gay Photography.  Lauren graduated from The Art Institute of Washington D.C. with a bachelor of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in photography.  She has since gone on to become an amazing wedding and portrait photographer in the Northern Virginia / DC area. 

We met Lauren one Sunday afternoon at the Burwell Morgan Historical Mill in Millwood, VA, which is only two minutes from our house.  Yes, my hubby gave up half of a Redskin game.
Let's take a look back at previous family portraits.



Summer 2000



October 2006

Lauren suggested we have the family picture taken first to get that out of the way.  Then she took each of the kids for their individual shots, which we also use as their school pictures. 

Now everyone say "Aaaaahhhh, how sweet."

This is my favorite picture of Rachel.  Notice the pink stripe in the hair.  It's black cherry Kool-aid, thanks to her cousins.  Don't do it!  It's permanent! Seriously, I promise!  :)

My sweet, sweet Joseph. He is the only one out of eighteen grandchildren (on Dave's side) to have those precious brown eyes, which is a good thing, because he would never survived if he didn't have them.  So that makes him special :)

Nicole is like her Daddy in every way, looks, personality, humor, it really is scary :) .

Despite the lack of smile, this is still my favorite.  It is so Elise, very stoic.

Even though it looks as if Dave is posing he really is not.  Since he so LOVES participating in family pictures he was patiently waiting and Lauren just happened to catch this.  Dave was completely unaware.

Thank you Lauren, we love you!

Time, where does it go?

As I sat down to my computer early one morning, 5:30 am to be exact (and that's extremely early for me), I decided to check my email. Sifting through all the junk emails, Old Navy, Children's Place, Kohl's, I started clicking delete, delete, delete. 
Then I saw it, a Facebook message from Sarah.  She was asking to use me as a reference in regards to babysitting jobs.  Simple request, no big deal. Sure. I can do that. 
Then it hit me, I slumped back in my chair, and stared dumbfounded at my computer.  Quickly, tears were starting to form in my eyes. I know, it's crazy.  I'm thinking, "Really, come on. This is the girl who was born two months after I moved to Virginia at the very young age of 18." 

For the first three months of Sarah's life she scream her head off, literally.  I held her, rocked her, put her down, held her some more, rocked her some more.  Nothing helped, nothing but . . . time. 

"Where has the time gone?" I asked myself.  It seems like yesterday that I was changing her diaper, administering Mylicon and taking her on walks around the neighborhood and now she is asking to use me as a reference so she can care for someone else's children.

I'm overwhelmed by the fact that the past 18 years have flashed before my eyes.  Just like that, I blinked and they were gone.  Yes, I do realize I am only 37 years old.  Yet I didn't for a moment even consider it until I saw Sarah's email.

The girls that I spent 7 precious years with are now all grown up, well almost.  Elizabeth, who is the oldest is finishing her second year at the Coast Guard Academy.  Sarah is attending Lewis University with a major in Nursing and the youngest, Samantha is an 8th grader at Oakcrest School.  Both Elizabeth and Sarah participated in my wedding as flower girls and the dresses they wore now belong to my own girls. 

Now that is strange. 

The question is, will I give her a reference?  Absolutely, without a doubt.  I would be honored.

So... I just had to add this to the collection.  Dave and I came across this picture by accident a few days ago.  It was taken right after I moved to VA in 1992.  I look like such a baby and indeed I was.

Elizabeth and Sarah - 1993

I am holding Elizabeth and Dave is holding Sarah.  When Dave and I danced our first dance as husband and wife, Sarah slowing made her way onto the dance floor and by the end of the song she found her way into our arms.  Very sweet!

Samantha was only a year old when Dave and I married.  She misses her sisters terribly since they have left for college.

Elizabeth, Sarah, Samantha, and Nicole.  Sarah's graduation from high school (2010) before heading off to Chicago. 

Elizabeth, Samantha and Sarah.

Time, really does fly!

Catching up

As you can see the blog is lacking quite a few posts.  We are alive and well.  Just busy, busy and more business to keep us going.  Our summer was filled with a trip to Utah to visit family and attend the Carpenter family reunion.  Just days after returning home we headed to Bethany Beach, DE for the 4th of July.  After that we pretty much laid low for the rest of the summer.  Then ... came the start of a new school year, Little League, softball, and soccer.  And then ..... there's the fact that I discovered facebook, I know some of you are laughing and shaking your head.  That is probably the real reason the blog is looking slightly dilapidated.  Pictures of our summer will be forthcoming, just be patient. 

She actually did it!

Rachel has been contemplating for some time now as to whether or not to cut her hair and donate it.  One day she's willing to cut it and then the next she's not.   As for me, I want it gone, goodbye, see ya.  As beautiful as it is, it is so much work ... for me, not her.  No matter how much conditioner we used it was still a pain to brush and with swimming season here it would be that much worse. 

Fortunately for me, while in Utah, Rachel saw her cousin Kayzia and fell in love with her hairstyle. So as we are driving to the salon Rachel decides she is going to go for it.

Clearly, this is a before picture.  She looks this way because we are coming from the pool.

This is right before the tears started falling, which didn't surprise me.  She started crying and said, "I want my hair back."  So I started crying too. 

Personally, I think the style is adorable, cute and not to mention, easy to take care of.  In the end she did donate it to Locks of Love, which is a non-profit organization that provides wigs to children with hairloss due to any type of medical condition.  After about a week Rachel did say she really likes it and comments on how easy it is to take care. Thank goodness for that!