Back from the Beach!

We got back from Ocracoke Island yesterday. It was so fun to see family even if only for a short time, so glad we did it! Luckily, my husband was able to work things out at the squadron so he could join us. They came all the way from Minnesota, so we are very lucky they choose to vacation at a place so near to us! We were so busy catching up that I didn't get as many good photos as I should have, but here are a few:

leaving the mainland behind Thursday evening

this time of year is awesome for having plenty of space on the beach!

I call this one the "BadAss Brothers-In-Law"... this is Sailor/Farmer/Husband on the right, my brother on the left. Hubby doesn't have any brothers so I think he really enjoys time spent with mine. Unfortunately, my other brother wasn't able to be there, but that is because he was making his way home last weekend from Afghanistan...welcome home!

My brother with his 6 month old daughter, my lovely niece - yay! finally a little girl in the family!

this was taken from one of the decks on the house, it is amazing to notice that even the salt marsh takes on subtle fall colors!

Dinner at their beach house, my brother, his wife and her parents, my kids & husband and little niece...I never seem to be in the photo, lol!

Dinner: shrimp, flounder, Red Drum, Bluefish & Yellowfin Tuna...

yummy good times!

This was taken yesterday after the 5 hour drive back home... my kid didn't even make it long enough to get into the bath and get to bed, lol!

Tired kids are a wonderful thing...

We spent today relaxing, walking around and planning the fall garden (late, I know!) and catching up on blogs and laundry. Tomorrow I will get back into the garden in earnest and start planting and get to those jalapenos. You all were right, they seem just fine after a weekend in the fridge! Next post will be homestead-related for sure...

And he's gone again...

The past weekend involved more running away from my garden! Sailor/Farmer/Husband had to leave yesterday for another month of training in preparation for the big deployment this fall, so we decided to go camping prior to his leaving. This is the first time I have attempted a no-plan trip with kids in tow, so it was challenging, but the kids were that much more excited. I decided Thursday morning we would go to Cape Hatteras, NC which is about a 3 hour drive from us. By noon I had the grocery shopping done and was packing the car. When Charlie woke up that afternoon (he works night shift at the squadron) I told him "just get in the car", we're leaving! It was fun, but much different than our trips before kids! I know eventually they will become more self-sufficient and I won't have to micro manage them around the water, etc and will be able to actually relax! Here are some pics of the weekend:

A rare photo of the two of us! I gave my 6 year old the camera and he actually did it! No pictures of a foot, the ground, etc :)

Charlie fishing the Pamlico Sound at sunset

Clouds rolling in...we got 70 mph winds and sideways rain, no pics of the rain since we were in the tent busy bracing the poles! Some people who were absent actually returned to find their tents were completely gone!

Gotta love our Subarus! Gets us out onto the 4-wheel drive beach.

Kids fishing

Finn preparing a mess o'shrimp

Yum, fresh local shrimp!

Cape Hatteras Light

Lunch on Ocracoke Island

Marley & Sprocket love the dog-friendly Jolly Roger Pub in Ocracoke

Finnegan & Daddy

Of course when we returned, there was a harvest. We actually had a few heirlooms ready, although they look terrible! (You should see the ones that didn't make it into the picture, lol!) Finally a few french beans, and ugh...another 100 jalapenos. I really need to find a happy medium between not growing enough of something and holy crap, why do I need 1000 jalapenos?!!! Actually, I knew better when I planted them, but since I started them from seed and wasn't able to give all of them away, I planted them like a moron...it seems like I look at the seedlings as if they were pets...why couldn't I have just thrown a few seedlings into the compost pile? Anyone else have this problem? I didn't have a problem throwing the tobacco hornworms in the trash, that's for sure!