Summertime Rewind: Ricker Week at the Beach.

*Note: I have a lot (as in: a LOT) of catching up to do. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... I'm trying to keep this as a family journal of sorts, and I've definitely been better at it... Ohhh, yes. Anyway, I'm recapping our summer in a delightful series called... Summertime Rewind: (other half of title here).  I'm sure you will enjoy these as much as I do!  Okay, probably not, since it's not focused on you and your family. Unless you are part of me and/or my family.  But... hang on tight, because here we go... back in tiiiimmmme...! (2 of 6. Yes, SIX! It was a busy summer. I'll include this little note with each procrasti-post, and I might just dot a few more-up-to-date ones here and there, too... if our blog doesn't explode from the flurry of activity. The poor thing's had a lay-around-on-the-couch-eating-cheetos kinda summer, while we've been gallivanting all over the place. It's not used to this... this... posting thing. Oh, man. Don't even let me think about the last post or two about Bulgaria I need to write... Out! Out of my head!)

July 8 - July 14, 2012

We'd been planning for a couple of years to do a family week at Outer Banks, North Carolina. We just have such a great time when we're all together, but no one's home is quite big enough to house 11 adults and 16 kids comfortably. So, to a rental house on the beach, it was! It was a super duper, rad, and downright wonderful time.  Here are the 16 cousins (17 in November, thanks to Erin!), looking cute. We did do a more official photoshoot on the beach, but that is pretty much not the greatest idea ever, if you want the majority of little faces looking up, and not at the sand.

My mom and sisters and I got some good girl time in... browsing through the cute shops in town.

Maeve and Aoife got some good girl time in, too! They were little best buds pretty much right away. No doubt due in large part to all the time they spent together, pre-birth and just after...

We walked down to the bay side of the island, so Curtis could set his crab traps. It was beautiful.

The sibs.  Gary could only join us for a day/night/day, which was better than nothing! We are such a good-looking, fun, smart, and quite hilarious bunch.  (Those are just the plain ol' facts, so it doesn't count as egotistical to say them.)

My dad and my bro.  Hanging out. Good-lookin' fellas.

Awwww.... the lovely folks.

Brigie and Nuala! Forces to be reckoned with!

Bran was really excited to try fishing.  I don't think he caught anything this time, but he had fun!

I like his face here. He's a cutie.

This view of cooperative stroller pushing was a bit rarer than the norm...that being tug-of-war and quickly escalating shrieks... you know... two-year old stuff.

The children really love spending time with Granny and Grandad. They are the best.

Sometimes I think I take too many pictures. Then I realize that it is actually IMPOSSIBLE to take too many pictures of such cuteness.  My friend from high school, Kyle, made these dresses. She's quite talented, and Maeve loves hers. Aoife and Maeve are just so fun and adorable and funny, and just so... TWO!

This is out of order, but we got to see Uncle Richard for a little while, too, on our way down from DC to North Carolina. It was really nice to visit with him again!  He just moved to Williamsburg from living in the Bronx for... a really long time...  I love this picture, because he's the only one looking at MY camera, and everyone else is looking at my mom's! Everyone is out of step but him! haha! Sigh. That's a joke my mom used to like... about a mother watching her son marching with the other soldiers, and she lamented that "they're all out of step except for my Danny!" Really, it was her boy that was... oh, I'll stop. You get it.

The big dining room in the beach house.  It was wonderful to have so much space to spread out in! It was three stories... the bottom level had a rec room with foosball and ping pong, and 2 kids' rooms that slept 6 a-piece.  The second level had 5 queen or king bedrooms w/bathrooms, and the top floor had a big ol' king suite (for our parents) and the kitchen, dining room, living room.  It was just perfect, and so comfortable, for a large gathering.  

Okay, I found a pic of the house. Not the best one... Marc got some nice ones with all our family, but this is what I have available right now. The view as our little fam was driving away on the last day, sniff, sniff! It was a lovely place!

We'd walk down to the beach in the mornings, then head back for lunch, and play in the pool all afternoon.

Ahhh, the conversations of two-year olds. Love 'em.

Auntie Teresa was so sweet and sent a bunch of kids' books to us all. The kiddos loved reading and playing with them. Especially with Grandad and Granny.

Baby Niall was quite the hit, too. Of COURSE! I dare you to try to NOT snuggle that babe if you come across him. Though now he's a smidge older and apparently asserting even MORE independence (he does have 6 older siblings to emulate), so he might not be so snuggle-patient...

Tressa and Maeve... Such beauties!

Muffin Man boogie boarding.  They all (mostly) had a blast at the beach.

Me on the board, and Bran about to go under.  We have almost no pics of being on the beach, because neither of us really wanted to be in charge of a camera. Just imagine lots of fun being had... on a beach...

Oh, we DID go to the Wright Brothers Memorial, in nearby Kill Devil Hills. That was fun. 

The kids loved climbing all over the statues.

They also got to run down the length of the very first flight and see if they could go faster than the flight itself did.  And, yep, they could.

Dad proving that you're never too old to pretend to be a tightrope walker. 

And the two-year olds. With their matching "future pirate" shirts. Arrrghh! They made their own little pirate ship out of their booster seats.  It was such a great vacation. So relaxing and just FUN. (Well, there was that ONE incident, when we kinda accidentally watched Nothing But Trouble (don't do it!), but we try not to think about that...)  I love my family!!