First beach getaway of the summer

This past Saturday we took a day trip out to Carolina Beach with our friends the Hills. My friend Kim Hill just blogged about our excursion, and it made me laugh because it seems like we're both trying to find a way to describe the experience without saying, "Wow, Carolina Beach really sucks". Because in the bigger scheme of things, we were together + we were at the beach + we brought a great picnic and that meant happiness, but when you zoom in closer to investigate the details, it was kind of a mess. So I think I'll just spare you the details and show you a few photos.


Well, okay, there is one detail that I won't spare you: the weather was less than beach-friendly. The entire sky behind us was a gray mass of cloud, and sure enough, a thunder storm hit soon after we arrived. Luckily, the main accomplishment of ten minutes of light rain was to rid the beach of the wusses (about 50% of the people), and when the rain passed we were left with a little stretch of surf all to ourselves.


For Father's Day I gave Marcos a set of camping chairs to initiate our entrance into a summer of comfortable lounging on the beach, fun movies at the theater on the lawn, and outdoor bar-b-ques. One of our best investments of late...


The Hills in the glassy ocean. We have been friends for two years, and we are still going strong. Below, little Kaitlyn checks out Giovanna.


My friend Kim is extraordinary. And did I mention that I love little Gigi? I can't stop taking pictures of her...


To wrap up our Carolina Beach experience we headed over to the boardwalk and took a ride on the Ferris Wheel. The glaring commercial aspect of the beach was actually our least favorite part: we have been to two other beaches together in the past two years, and we all preferred the beaches that are an extension of a residential neighborhood (like the Outer Banks) over Carolina Beach.


Thanks summer, and thanks Hill family. Let's do this again! Same time, different place...