Outer Banks NC 2009

One Week beachside in Avon, NC - We arrived on Saturday night with Z-Naefs, and everyone was stoked to start wave jumpin' and crab diggin'. We were lucky to stay in this sweet coastal crib - especially Derek, who celebrated the high ceilings (in contrast to last year's "Ty's Low Dive," who's low ceilings inflicted multiple scalp hematomas).

An elevator! Awesome!

But Sunday greeted us with rainfall, and the first half of the week was full of windy downpours.

It rained and rained and rained for days...

We found creative ways to entertain ourselves. Hide-and-seek, manhunt, Pictionary...



What do you do when you run out of things to do? What else! Truth or dare landed Carrie in the pool fully clothed and barking like a seal

And Hans had to wash down a potato bug.
Seconds, anyone?

Damon fed the birds right out of his hand on the ferry boat to Ocracoke. We learned all about Blackbeard, who pillaged these waters for many years and died in a battle near the island.

Pirates infiltrated our hot tub!

They made themselves useful, chasing away scalliwags

The pirates rounded up these stowaways and made them walk the plank.

Fearsome pirate

Finally the sun came out! Off to the beach.

Wave-jumping with Kenyon

Unfortunately the storm winds created a massive tidal sweep that turned the shallow water into a strong river. In an instant, an unsuspecting child could be swept all the way down to the pier! We held tight to the chitlins. Although one day their fussing and insubordination almost drove me to launch them down the river, Moses style, to be fetched out and taken home by another family.

They're lucky they're so cute.

I wish I could say the highlight of surfing was, well, surfing. But actually it was the fish that leaped out of the water and struck me right between the eyes. The swells were 8-10 feet. Can you still call it surfing if you don't get up?

Capture-the-Flag champions

Wore 'em out