Outer Banks, North Carolina

July 19-July 26

Brad's family has a tradition of going to the Outer Banks, North Carolina each summer. This summer 16 of us vacationed together for a week. Brad and I flew into Norfolk, VA and Tim and his girlfriend Amanda picked us up. It should have been a 90 minute drive but it turned into 3 1/2 hours because of all the traffic. People love the OBX in the summer!! We spent a lot of family time together playing beach games like Bocce Ball, String Golf and Paddle Ball. I think the crowd favorite is definitely String Golf! At night, everyone took turns cooking dinner. Brad and I grilled chicken and burgers with a side of potato casserole. Yum!! Then we liked to hang out on the deck and listen to the ocean. We also played games (Apples to Apples, Balderdash and Poker). It was a great week for rest, relaxation, sand, sun, surf and family!

Baie Orientale

Everyone went to Baie Orientale (Orient Bay) today. Orient Bay is the most famous beach on the island, it is named because it is on the east coast of the French side. It offers something for everyone-total rest and relaxation or all the water-sports imaginable. The water was beautiful and the waves were huge! We laid out at Waikiki Beach and then everyone rode the Banana Boat at Kontiki Beach. We had fun getting dunked into the ocean! The beach is on the French side of the island, so there were a lot of topless women sunbathing!

Jenn and Jason's Wedding

Jenn and Jason's wedding was a beautiful sunset ceremony at their villa on the French side of the island.

Sailing & Snorkeling

Today we went on a catamaran sailing trip. We left on the Golden Eagle at 8:30 am and the weather was perfect. The guys had to help lift the sail on the way. On the way out to the island of Tintamarre we sat in the front of the catamaran and got splashed the whole way! Upon arrival to the island we got snorkel gear and went snorkeling. Brad and I saw beautiful salt water fish in a variety of colors and we even had a school of fish chase us! On the island there was a place to get special volcanic mud. We put the mud all over, even our faces. Then we laid out on the beach and let the mud "bake." Afterwards, we went back into the ocean to rinse off and our skin was left silky smooth. On the way back to the marina we had a champagne toast!

Since it was 4th of July we met everyone at Bliss Nightclub and danced the night away. DJ Finesse was from New York and he was awesome! Fireworks went off at 1:00 am from the ocean!

Relaxation & Shopping

We woke up and immediately put on our swimsuits and headed to the blue Carribean Sea. Then we took a dip in the refreshing pool, which is oceanside. Then we decided to head to Philipsburg, which is where a ton of shopping is located. We looked at a lot of diamonds and watches. Brad even tried on a $30,000 Rolex! We ate lunch at the port and watched the cruise ships come in. We even bought Guavaberry Rum, a local favorite. We met Jenn and Jason at their villa on the French side and swam in their pool and then went to dinner at Jimbo's Restaurant for fajitas and margaritas!!

Saint Martin/Sint Maarten/SXM

Today, Brad, Steve, Candace and I flew to St. Maarten for Jenn and Jason's wedding. Jenn and Jason lived in SXM for three years and it was their dream to come back and get married on the island. We flew from Tampa to Miami to St. Maarten. The SXM airport is right near the beach, so it made for an interesting landing! We checked into our condo at Las Arenas in Simpson Bay on the Dutch side of the island. We have ocean front views and an infiniti edge pool is steps from our door. The water is so beautiful and crystal clear!! After unpacking, we met up with everyone else on the island for the wedding at Sunset Beach Bar and watched the incoming planes land on the runway next to the beach.