Hi! The kids and I are currently in the Outer Banks, NC with my mom and dad. We decided to come for a week here in the fall and it has been lovely so far!
We made the eight(+) hour drive pretty smoothly and arrived at my parents’ beach house to a tornado warning! Our WiFi was also out due to an internet outage from Hurricane Helene that was coming up Florida’s coast. Just experiencing that minor inconvenience and the crazy weather had us thinking about what everyone who was impacted by the hurricane was going through.
Visiting the coast during hurricane season is always a gamble. I think we’ve been to the Outer Banks three times now in September/October and have been evacuated once due to a hurricane. Thankfully, the weather has been really great so far. Aside from the first night (windy/rainy from the tornado situation), we’ve had blue skies and 80 degree days!
If there isn’t a hurricane, this time of year is actually a really great time to visit the Outer Banks. The weather is still warm, the ocean is warm, and the summer crowds are gone. We’re blessed that we can come and Sadie can be homeschooled from here!
Once we arrived unpacked, we headed out for dinner at one of my favorite spots: Outer Banks Brewing Station. If you know me, you know I love a good soft pretzel. They have some good soft pretzels there!
After that, we timidly ventured to the beach, which is just down the road from my parents’ house. The wind was whipping and the waves were crashing hard. It was so cool to see!
The next morning, we woke up to clear blue skies and warm weather so we went straight to the beach!
And then the pool! We also snuck in some schoolwork by the pool because why not?! Also… this is what it’s like to homeschool with a toddler running around 😉
My mom, Sadie, and I popped into Target while Mordecai napped that afternoon and grabbed a few things we forgot. We also had fun picking out clothes for Sadie to try on! Girl loves a good fashion show, haha. We left with what we needed and then Sadie and I went back to the beach. Again, why not?!
When we got back from the beach, it was time to get ready for dinner. Sadie and I were all ready first, so we worked on a Lego set together that she got for her birthday. She’s getting so good at these and hardly needs my help. I think she just likes me sitting with her and talking 🥰
We went to dinner at my other favorite place to eat in the Outer Banks: Miller’s Seafood and Steakhouse! They have amazing seafood and the hush puppies are divine. Mordecai thought so too!
After our fill of hush puppies and fish, we went to Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head. The sand dunes there are always shifting, so the park always looks different. The kids enjoyed romping around in the smooth sand!
To cap off the full day of fun… we went out for ice cream! We visited American Pie for some delicious homemade ice cream and then called it a night!
At Sadie’s request, I’m trying my best to vlog our trip! So, here’s a vlog of our travel + first full day.
We’ve had such a nice time so far. The warm weather is making it feel like we’re having a little second summer in September/October and I love having the time to just be present with the kids. When we’re home in Pittsburgh, it’s hard for me to just sit and talk with Sadie while she puts together a Lego set because so many responsibilities (laundry, cooking, cleaning, schedules, etc.) tug at me. It’s a blessing to be here and have the space and time to give my kids more of myself 💛 I’m so thankful my mom and dad invited us along!
If you’re wondering where Jimmy is… he decided to hang back in Pittsburgh and work on house projects in peace. While we miss him (big time!), I’m glad he can work on things after work guilt-free. He always feels bad working a full day and then coming home and working on projects while I’m with the kids the whole time, if that makes sense. He can now work away and not feel bad because we’re off at the beach 🏖️
Living My Full Life 
Best time ever!
Love You!
Dad
🙂
Amen to that! Love you!
The beaches look beautiful! Have a wonderful time there 😊
And yes, I agree, it’s a great season for travelling. It’s nice when places are quiet and have that relaxed end of summer feel.
They are stunning! It must be the time of year, but we’re finding so many sea creatures lately! Crabs, sea urchin, and jellyfish. Sadie is LOVING the “real life” science right at our back door!
You said it just right–it’s that relaxed end of summer feel here right now and I’m enjoying it so much! I can’t wait to read your post about traveling!
That sounds amazing! As a child I loved going rockpooling (do you call it that in the States too?) with a fishing net and bucket to see what I could find.
Thank you! I had fun writing it and looking back at summer photos as the rain was lashing against the windows yesterday — autumn has well and truly arrived in the UK ☔
I’ve never heard that term! I don’t know if we have one parallel to that in the U.S.! I know what you mean, though!
Autumn is definitely coming/arriving in the U.S., too, and it’s so cozy!
we have been having so much fun, and pap pap and I love spending time with all of our children and grandchildren. It’s just so fun to get away (especially at my fave place on earth) and make more amazing memories! I look forward to making many more ♥️ Lord willing!
madre
YES! You guys are just the best! Love making all of these memories and so glad we have a place to document them 🥰
Fair enough for Jimmy 🙂 Most men like being able to get a bit of alone time to work on projects at their own pace. “Having a break” isn’t quite the phrase I’m looking for, but you get the sense of it I hope. Although I hope he’s got something other than free-to-air TV there. I was listening to a podcast last night on how the election is playing out in PA; it sounds like the two campaigns are filling the airwaves with constant ads. The novelty of that would wear off pretty quickly!
Yes, definitely! And he deserves the time and space to breathe and do his productive guy stuff! And Stephen, oh my word, you would not believe the political ads in PA. It’s 24/7! Every yard on every street seems like it has a sign, tensions are high, and ads are pretty unbearable, ha. Even Sadie, who gets a small amount of YouTube time is like “Who are these people I keep seeing?!” Which has prompted a lot of conversations… but whew. It’s tense in PA!
Gosh this area just looks so peaceful and relaxing! I’m not a huge beach gal, but I think I need to make more time for the beach because it looks so healing. Would force me to slow down.
I completely understand the Jimmy paragraph. I’m glad he can have some work time without the guilt! And you can have a vacation with help from family! Win – win!
t truly is! I think you would enjoy here, even if you’re not a beach girl!! It’s like that term “salt water heals all” or something like that. It’s just refreshing to get away and look at the ocean!
Yes, total win!! Though I’ll be happy to be reunited with him!