A week at Topsail Beach

Click below to see more pics of our trip:
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We just recently returned from a week at Topsail Beach in North Carolina with Josh's family. Despite the initial threat of a tropical storm and the fact that this beach is ranked in the top 10 for shark attacks...we had a GREAT time! The tropical storm diminished way out in the ocean so our weather was just about perfect for being at the beach every day. As far as the danger in the waters...well I think the risk of sand mites was higher.

I personally enjoyed walking on the beach each morning after waking up. It was great to hear the waves, feel the sand under my feet and enjoy a good hunt for some unique sea shells.  My favorite day was the day I finally decided I could go out in the water further than my calves. Most of the days the waves were pretty big and the undertow was strong so I avoided going swimming. Not to mention that the whole shark thing did linger in my mind. However, on my favorite day, the water was more calm and clear. I went out pretty far with Josh and we saw dolphins out in front of us about 50 feet or so. That was awesome! Also on my favorite day we went to a homemade Popsicle shop. I ate a pistachio pop dipped in milk chocolate with almonds. It was tasty. I need to figure out how to make some of these at home:)

Josh enjoyed swimming and doing so very far out in the water. He also got a kick out of doing many other beach activities other than swimming. He tried boogie boarding and another type of boarding where you move across the water close to the beach. He threw a football, built sand castles, flew a kite or two, let the kids bury his legs in the sand, surf fishing, shell searching, sand crab catching and he even let me take a few pictures of him.

Of our many walks on the beach, walking under the moonlight was a fun night together. It was low tide and their were crabs everywhere. We had flashlights, but the moonlight was almost bright enough to not need them. It's trickier at night to find the original spot you accessed the beach. We managed to find our way back after a couple crabs ran over Josh's feet.

We enjoyed the time spent with family catching up on each others lives, making memories together and relaxing. Thanks for Melissa, Eric and Mike we were able to play some board games as well:) I always like that no matter when I am. Unfortunately, Mike had recently broken his hand so he was in a cast, but that didn't stop him from having a good time at the beach. That's what a baggie and duct tape or good for:) The kids were so much fun at the beach and the cottage. Melissa took some great pictures of the kids at the beach. Uncle Josh had fun showing them the crabs he caught and playing in the sand with them. Maddie and Hannah were especially helpful in finding shells for me along with their own stash. Charlie really liked playing in the sand at the beach and I'm sure he would have been catching crabs with Eric and Josh had he been big enough to hang through the slats on the boardwalk with the net (lol). Thanks for Dad and Mom Moore for making this trip happen for all of us! They made a delicious surf & turf meal one night and one night they brought stuff to make s'mores over the grill.

Until next time Topsail Beach!