beach bums

for memorial day weekend, we spent time in beaufort (thank you becky and brett!) and nearby atlantic beach. we visited the beach at fort macon state park and it was an absolutely idyllic location. the lack of waves and shallowness of the surf made it the perfect spot for Luci to wade out and explore - we founds tons of hermit crabs and fun shells, saw lots of tiny fish and kai stepped on a small ray. but mostly we just played and splashed around and enjoyed the warm water and sand. we also paid a visit to the aquarium at pine knoll shores (we are really into visiting aquariums) where we sat transfixed in front of their big 'Living Shipwreck' exhibit watching the sea turtle, moray eel and several different sharks swim around.

Jackson Brown Dog

Luci's best friend is definitely Jack. [I'm not entirely sure the feeling is mutual, but Jack has been terrific and very forgiving with her] For Thanksgiving this past year, they had a list up in Luci's classroom of what each of the kids said they were thankful for - the list read something like: my mommy, my daddy, my mommy, my mommy, my daddy, my dog Jack, my mommy, my daddy and so on... though I guess I shouldn't feel too slighted, since 1 kid's mommy and daddy got bested by 'macaroni and cheese'.

mommy's rule

Finally getting a chance to play catch up on the blog...
Way back in the earlier part of this month was mother's day. I got to sleep late and awoke to Luci excitedly yelling 'here's your breakfast mommy!' After a delicious breakfast in bed, we enjoyed a relaxing day with a picnic at a nearby park. and Luci was on her best behavior the entire day. Being a mom is much harder than I ever thought - it requires more patience, more tolerance, and more energy than I knew I even had. But being Luci's mom has by far been the most rewarding and most satisfying experience in my life. I've learned to appreciate the little things and to find joy in the unexpected. And no one makes me laugh harder than my silly little girl. She definitely has made me a better person and I feel so incredibly lucky every time I see her sweet smile or when after I tell her that I love her, she says "I love you too, mommy" - it's really the best feeling in the entire world.

Strawberry Fields Forever

We spent a gorgeous Saturday morning picking strawberries at Jean's Berry Patch. Luci had a great time picking berries - her Easter Basket came in handy for this task, but unfortunately, she was way more interested in picking the 'green ones'. And as to be expected, eating the berries was much more enjoyable than picking them.
So far we've used the strawberries for delicious smoothies, a fairly 'interesting' rhubarb-strawberry crisp and as a special treat with whipped cream.

Sun, Sand & Surf

Last weekend we went to Wilmington and while we only stayed over 1 night, we crammed a lot of fun activities into 2 full days: a trip to the Fort Fisher Aquarium, 2 trips to Wrightsville Beach and an Easter Sunday jaunt to the lovely Airlie Gardens. We are looking forward to few more weekend trips to the beach this summer.

happy hunting

her expression when she 1st saw the Easter Bunny

the frenzy of the hunt

Looch participated in her 2nd Easter Egg Hunt (her 1st took place 1 day prior at her school) sponsored by our neighborhood association this weekend. She did very well for herself considering how quickly those toddlers can vacuum up some eggs. But she exhibited a love/hate relationship with the Easter Bunny. She was pretty much terrified of him whenever he tried to interact with her, but she HAD to follow him everywhere he went. And then as soon as he turned around to say hi, she would cower behind mommy or daddy.