Family VAY-KAY

What's out there?

Twister Fun

Twistin' with Keira "Keeze"

Fave pass time

Is that Nana behind me?

Pool time

Kate & The Girls

Miles & Keeze searching for shells

Daddy and Papa Mac's golf outing

Bunking with Keeze

Ladies....

Rainy day crafts

***THE MCGREGOR FAMILY NEEDED SOME FAMILY TIME TOGETHER. SO WE ATTEMPTED A FUN FILLED (LAST MINUTE) FAMILY VACATION IN THE OUTER BANKS LAST WEEK. WE SECURED A PLACE LAST MINUTE, TOOK TIME OFF WORK, CHECKED THE WEATHER (LOOKED GOOD) AND SET OUT FOR AN 8 1/2 HOUR DRIVE, MINUS ALL THE STOPS AND BREAKS NECESSARY WITH A DOG AND A 20 MONTH OLD.

SO, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS INTERESTING....WE SHOW UP AT THE RENTAL HOME...NOT PLEASED. WE SPEND SUNDAY TRYING TO SECURE ANOTHER PLACE, KNOWING WE HAD ALREADY PAID FOR THE FIRST HOUSE. THAT IS HOW UNSATISFIED WE WERE. WE SECURE ANOTHER (AWESOME) HOUSE FOR AN (AWESOME) FEE, AND WE LEARN THAT WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE A DAY EARLIER THAN PLANNED. BUMMER. HOWEVER, WE WEREN'T GOING TO LET THAT STOP US FROM HAVING A FUN FILLED FAMILY VACATION.

WE ARRIVE AT THE NEW RENTAL. VERY NICE, WITH ALL THE STUFF WE WANTED, HEATED POOL, BIKES, HOT TUB, BEACH ACCESS AND SPACE (WE HAD FAMILY JOINING US MID WEEK) AND STUFF TO DO AROUND THE HOUSE. AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO SPEND HOURS ON THE BEACH AND DO THAT ONLY...I KNEW WITH A TODDLER THAT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO WE FELT LIKE THINGS WERE GETTING BACK ON TRACK. WE HAD A NICE FIRST DAY AND THEN THE WINDS CAME. TROPICAL STORM-ESQUE WINDS. NO JOKE. WE TOOK THE SQUIRREL TO THE BEACH ONE TIME AT THE FIRST OF THE WEEK AND ONLY LASTED ABOUT 10 MINUTES. IT WASN'T FUN AND THE WIND WAS THREATENING TO BLOW HER AWAY. SO THIS CONTINUES. AND CONTINUES. THE HIGHLIGHT WAS WHEN CARA, SCOTT (IN-lAWS), KATE (SISTER-IN-LAW) AND "THE GIRLS" (MY NIECES HALLE AND KEIRA) ARRIVED. AGAIN THE WEATHER..NO GOOD.

HOWEVER, FRIDAY THE SUN CAME OUT AND THE WINDS SUBSIDED. WE MADE A TRIP TO THE BEACH WITH THE GIRLS, PLAYED IN THE POOL AND FEASTED ON LOCAL SEAFOOD AT THE HOUSE. IT WAS A GREAT DAY. AND WE ARE THANKFUL FOR IT.

IT IS TRULY EASY TO BE AGGRAVATED BY THE LIMITATIONS OF THE INTERNET (CAN'T REALLY TELL WHAT YOU ARE RENTING) AND (THE WEATHER CHANNEL PREDICTED A BEAUTIFUL WEEK PRIOR TO OUR DEPARTURE). BUT YOU GET OVER WHAT YOU CAN'T CONTROL AND YOU ARE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU WERE GIVEN.

WE ARE BACK HOME AND GLAD. ERIC AND I HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. WE WILL NOW PLAN OUR VACATIONS VERY CAREFULLY AND IN ADVANCE. AND WE WILL NEVER RENT A BEACH HOUSE IN HURRICANE SEASON (REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE WEATHER CHANNEL SAYS) AGAIN.