We made the trek to the Outer Banks for our family summer vacation and had the best time. It’s wild to think that my parents brought me and my siblings to the Outer Banks as we grew up and now we’re bringing our kids there.

It’s really neat to show Sadie all the sights that I loved as a child and see them again through her eyes. Plus, it was Mordecai’s first time at the beach! Or third if you count pregnancy. I found out I was pregnant with him in the Outer Banks and then went again when I was further along. It was much more fun having Decky on the outside this time!

Just like the past few trips, we flew from Pittsburgh to Norfolk, Virginia and my parents met us at the Norfolk airport. We then made the 1.5 hour drive to their home in the Outer Banks!

I just realized our flights there and back were Sadie’s sixth and seventh flights! I don’t think I flew in an airplane until I was a teenager?! She is such a good travel buddy. I bought her a new sticker book and told her she could only open it once we got on the plane and it kept her busy the entire flight.

I was curious as to how Mordecai would do as we went through the airport and on the plane and he did great! He had one short crying fit during the flight and then fell asleep. Thankfully I’m comfortable nursing him anywhere, and that usually solves all his problems haha.

Once we made it to the Outer Banks, it was vacation mode for us all! Some of the week’s fun included:

• Swimming in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub
• Hanging out at the beach
• Playing at a park with Sadie
• Shopping locally (bookstores! coffee! a candy shop!)
• Riding bumper cars
• A surprise couples massage for Father’s Day
• Going out to eat
• Playing in the Avalon Fishing Pier arcade
• Visiting Jockey’s Ridge State Park
• Worshipping at Son Rise Church of Christ
• Playing mini golf at Professor Hacker’s

We ate food from some of our favorite spots: Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar, Outer Banks Brewing Station, and Black Pelican. We also enjoyed ice cream from Surfin’ Spoon and coffee from the Front Porch Cafe and Charis Coffee Company.

Okay, how about some pictures?

Mordecai still wakes up in the night to eat, so we brought him into bed with us. Waking up the first morning, realizing where we were, and seeing his little face was the sweetest. We prayed so hard to have a baby and to see that baby sleeping so peacefully in one of our favorite places on earth? Pure heaven.

Helloooo raw oysters! My dad and I can finish off a dozen of these in a couple of minutes. In fact, here’s a quick clip of us enjoying some. We had so much amazing seafood on our vacation. From swordfish to oysters to mahi mahi to shrimp and more.

If someone is visiting the Outer Banks for the first time, I always say the one thing you have to do is visit Jockey’s Ridge State Park. It’s a park with ginormous sand dunes that are always shifting and changing due to the weather. You climb the dunes and can look out over the ocean and it’s simply amazing. We visit pretty much every time we go to the Outer Banks and it never gets old.

Climbing some dunes with Decky!

Sadie and I were in the hot tub on the daily! Nobody understood how we could sit in 104 degree water when it was over 80 degrees outside but we were all about it.

Beach baby!

An evening at the park with Sader Tot ❤️

There’s nothing like a late night dip in the hot tub. Jimmy and I were thankful we could get some extra alone time with Sadie while on vacation. She deserves it!

Gotta love a good ‘ol sink bath!

Playtime on the beach.

The kids loved the pool, especially Mordecai. He kicked and splashed and smiled so hard when he was in the water!

Just a picture of me living my best life. Jimmy and I went on a date(!) to Manteo and visited a book store and coffee shop. I also met a cat. Life doesn’t get much better than that, right?!

Jimmy and I took Sadie mini golfing and she scored a hole in one twice! She also calls mini golf “hocking,” which cracks me up. I think it’s because the putter looks like a hockey stick?

Bumper cars!

Enjoying some arcade time.

We had an early morning flight back to Pittsburgh and both of the kids fell asleep! It gave me a little time to read my current book.

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We truly had such a nice vacation and are so thankful for my mom and dad allowing us to stay at their Outer Banks home with them! Getting out of routine is so good for me. I love my schedule and rituals, but there’s so much fun and life outside of those routines, you know?

Where was the last place you traveled to?

Do you like getting out of routine every now and then?