Bakewell Beach Week 2022

We have just returned from our favorite week of the year! Seven days of sun, sand, and seafood at Ocean Isle Beach. Last Saturday, we rode along with Grammy and Grandpa, and it was a tight squeeze with six of us, all of our stuff, and our supplies for the beach. The picture in the car cracks me up because it looks like I am wearing my dad's hat, when in fact, it is propped up behind me on all the other stuff! Emmy had the worst seat of all, but she was a good sport, especially when she was given an iPad. On our way down, we took a detour to Surf City to meet up with Aunt Carlin, Uncle Matt, and Uncle Kyle. We stretched our legs for a bit and had lunch at Coastal Wings. Matt will be deploying soon to Africa for over six months, and we were so glad to see him one more time before then. After eating, it was back in the car for the final leg of the journey. Both kids took naps, which was great since there was the usual beach traffic going over the bridge to Ocean Isle. We arrived around 4PM, and Boomer took the kids to the beach while I helped Mom makes beds, stock the bathrooms, and settle in. Then, after a slight mix-up ordering the pizza for dinner (we meant to do delivery, but accidentally selected pick-up), the moms set off for our usual grocery run and to retrieve the pizza. We were back at the house around 7:30PM and excited about the week ahead. 

For the next six days, our mornings started usually around 7AM. Eli was in a pack-in-play in our room again this year, so Boomer and I were greeted by his happy smiles telling us he was ready to take on the day. Meg, Mom, and I would then fit in some exercise while the dads kept the kids occupied with books, race cars...and devices. 

One morning, Grammy took the oldest three for a walk along the marsh. It was a fun adventure, even with the "itchies and the ouchies" (Emmy's name for the tall grass). They walked along the boardwalk and posed for pictures on a big pile of rocks. 

Preparations would begin around 9AM to make our way to the beach: "scunscreen" (according to Eli), bathing suits, sandwiches, and all the other gear. We would get to the beach around 10:30AM. This year we borrowed two Shibumis, which provided a good amount of shade for Grandpa and for everyone else after we got tired of the sun. The kids had endless energy for jumping in the waves and playing baseball in the sand. Emmy especially loved boogie boarding, and she was so brave venturing out to the waist-deep water. Eli was a little more hesitant. He wanted to be held when we walked down to the water's edge. He put his feet in, but then he would hightail it back to the sand for more baseball. Hopefully next year he will join his cousins in the water. On the last two days, Grandpa brought money out to the beach for the some Italian ice. It was a special treat for the grandkids!

Around 1PM, we would usually head back to the house to spend the afternoon poolside. Eli is the only one of the four cousins still napping, so after some splashing around, he would nap inside while everyone else stayed outside for a few more hours. 

Boomer and I escaped for some small mini-dates throughout the week. We fit in an afternoon movie on Monday, the only day of the week that had rain. Boomer was very excited to see the new Marvel movie, Thor: Love & Thunder. And I was excited about popcorn! We also had our traditional run and breakfast at the Drift Coffee Shop on the island, and we had our evening pier walks after the kids were in bed. 

We followed our same rotation from last year of eating in and going out to dinner. Zack grilled hamburgers and hotdogs on Monday, the Kennedys made tacos on Tuesday, and then Grammy made her famous shrimp and grits (with fresh shrimp from Doug's Seafood Market) on Thursday night. We went out to Inlet View on Sunday, Dockside on Wednesday, and then take-out from the Ocean Isle Fish Company on Friday. After dinner at Dockside, we managed to find just enough room in our stomachs for ice cream from Calabash Creamery. We tried many of the flavors: Bubble Gum, Sunset Peach, Salty Dog, Cow-a-bash Crunch, Cappuccino Crunch...pretty much the whole menu! After dinner, we would sit on the deck or watch tv. We also had a few epic games of Uno. 

Saturday came too soon, and our favorite week of the year came to an end. We took our time coming home with a stop at Kalawi Farms for ice cream and fresh produce. Emmy, Eli, and Daddy shared a scoop of blueberry and a scoop of peach. I got my usual banana pudding. Delicious!

We are already counting down to next year's trip! We are so thankful for our memories each year at Ocean Isle!