Welcome to BEACHTOWN, NC

It's been a while because we have been traveling to my parents house in North Carolina. The town is called Calabash - which is known for it's seafood - YUM! and also there was something that happened a while ago on the radio and an announcer would end his broadcast with "Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash". Other than that, it seems to be mainly a retirement community - so we get lots of great looks with the kids - usually extreme either way like "You're so cute!" or "Don't puke on ME!".


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It has been great - I am so tan, even I can't believe it. We went to the pool the first day, the beach the next two days, the pool yesterday, and, believe it or not I had to be talked into going to the beach today. The weather is HOT and HUMID (sorry to my fellow Utahns) but the water is PERFECT!! about 75 degrees, which is about 20 degrees more than any water we went into the three years we lived in California. We are so lucky to be able to come out here and bask in the sun - the beach is about 15 minutes away, and the pool is, well, about 3 houses away. There is fun miniature golfing, fishing, aquariums, planetariums, all the fun shops, we hit the flea market today - what an adventure!!

The only bummer is that Jory is not here and will not be able to come - he has to keep down the fort in Utah and keep working - how unfun for us all!! We will especially miss him tomorrow on Father's Day - the only benefit he has is he can truly sleep in for the first time, well, pretty much since we've had kids - that's a treat every 7 years!!

The kids are having a ball - the funny thing is that Eli can't stay out of the water! We bring him in and turn to walk up the beach, and he goes right back in the water!! The undercurrent is very strong so we have to be very watchful of the boys. Jonah loves it too - but he can't decide which he likes better. You should hear him come off the beach. I tell him not to worry about the sand because the car is not ours (it's a rental) and he says (sarcastically) "Oh sure, mom, let's just get sand all over the car, great, mom, that's just great!" Wow, where did he learn that!! My children have picked up on the fact that my Dad smokes cigarettes, so Eli leans out the side porch to grandpa and says "Grandpa, are you doing cigarettes?"

The kids are loving the big squirrels that come up the porch all day to eat Nonny's bird seed - but they are scared of the snakes and other animals that we have told them lurk out there. I must say that I wait until the morning to take out stinky diapers myself, not wanting to disturb the fire ants, the black snakes, or the cockroaches.

Jax has been good, although the first day we came I did fall in love with my parents house - it is beautiful and bright and new with gorgeous molding all over top-rounded doorways, a big, open kitchen, a GREAT master bathroom, and even a shower in the guest bathroom that is big enough to hold me and my three boys at once (you can ask me later how I know this). The second day a few things went up, the next day a few more, towels went on the glass tables, tissues went up, vases went in closed rooms, and eventually the fireplace got cardboarded up. It looks much different now than when we arrived, but my parents are very laid back about it all. They have gotten frustrated with me for telling the kids not to run things on the floor and to be more quiet. They are excited for the kids to use their jetted tub and have even made a small staircase out back for small kids feet next to an outside shower to rinse off after beaching out! It is very fun and we have loved every minute of it!!