Table for 17, please

Tonight we decided brave it and head out to dinner as a group.  10 adults and 7 kids?  No problem!!  We found the perfect restaurant in Nag's Head that was empty at the early time we chose to diner, and also pirate themed, which made it fun for the kids.  Upon arriving at the restaurant, the kids immediately saw a treasure chest full of pirate's booty, and were given temporary tattoos by the hostess.  They also told us that a real pirate would be visiting our table.  Ryan kept asking if the pirate was a good pirate or a mean pirate and I assured him that he was a good pirate.  When the pirate approached our table, Ryan was very unsure and clung to Tim, staring wide eyed at him.  Eventually the pirate and the kids ventured outside to the ship shaped deck to "steer the ship."  The pirate was great with the kids - talking to them and asking questions.  Ryan answered the first question correctly - "What helps a ship move?" with the answer being "wind." and he enthusiastically high fived the pirate.  No fear here, right?  However, as soon as he turned around and saw Tim and I watching, he burst into tears and wouldn't go near the pirate again - Although now the pirate is all he can talk about, go figure!  Next time we will stay far away!  Dinner was delicious and it was even better that none of us had to cook or clean up!

Catch of the Day

Today we all drove down to Cape Hatteras to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center to watch fishermen and chartered boats bring back their catches for the day. We got there right around 3:00, and were able to see several boats haul their fish in off the boat. From the looks of it, everyone had a successful fishing trip on this day!

Rachel's Poolside Spa

Wild Horses

Today we all got up early and drove down to Corolla to try and catch a glimpse of the infamous wild horses that roam the beach. Upon our arrival in Corolla, we veered off the main road and onto the beach - yes, you read that right - you are actually allowed to drive ON the beach. We drove and drove and drove, but didn't see any horses. Mid way through, we stopped to regroup, let the kids run off some energy, and have some family photo shoots. We then piled back into the cars and left the beach, driving through the neighborhoods in search of the horses. After our break, Lizzie hopped in the car with us. If you have never ridden in a car with 2 very silly almost 4 year olds, it is quite an experience! Lizzie informed us that we should just look for a tail, and that is where we will find the horse! Eventually we did see horses, and it really was amazing to see them strolling about in people's yards, and hanging out by the side of the road. I told Ryan and Lizzie about the TV show "Mr Ed" and from that point on, they repeated over and over "Hellooooooo Mr. Ed!!!!!" at each horse we saw. Like I said, riding with 2 very silly almost 4 year olds is quite the experience! Seeing the horses was a wonderful experience, and I'm glad that we all had the patience to keep riding around until we spotted them...

Crabbing!