We just came home from a week on the Outer Banks and had the most fabulous time!! Meg, one of my good mom friends, has a family beach house and invited Rosie, Sarah and I and our families for the week. Mazen and I spent the full week livin’ it up, and Matt joined us for a long weekend.
Having four babies and eight adults under one roof was quite crazy at times.
Ok, it was crazy ALL the time!
But the kiddos had a great time playing while the adults soaked up every minute to relax during naps and after dark.
Mazen loved the beach and the ocean, especially since he is now a walker!
He wasn’t even afraid of the surf and loved holding our hands as it lapped at his legs.
We ate (and drank) well. I survived on a diet of eggs and pancakes, sandwiches, fresh seafood, ice cream and wine.
Did I mention wine?!
I discovered the Bota Box last month and brought one (ok a few) to the beach. Love the RedVolution! {I’ve seen it at Whole Foods, Harris Teeter and Food Lion}
After the babies were in bed, we feasted. Meg and John made BBQ chicken, Sarah served fish tacos, Matt and I did our low country boil, and Rosie and Kevin headed up the crab fest.
We ate through a half bushel of crabs on our last night as a group
Before + After…
Our final day, after some of the group had departed, Matt, Maze and I made the trek from Corolla down to Jockey’s Ridge.
I used to vacation in Kill Devil Hills with my family every year, and Jockey’s Ridge is one of my favorite spots on earth. It’s the tallest sand dune on the East Coast.
This was Matt’s first visit, and he said he thought from my description that the dune was just a pile of sand in a parking lot (ha!!)
He reported after our visit that his expectations were far exceeded! I did my annual run jumps down the dune : )
And M practiced his walking in the sand.
After our hike we got drippy ice cream cones and took back fudge for dessert that night. All of my beach goals were met.
{Except playing putt-putt. Gotta wait a few more years until M is ready for that!}
Ali @ Peaches and Football says
Looks like some fabulous weather and great food! 4 babies under one roof – yes chaos is to be expected, but lots of good memories too.
I love the picture of Maze looking like a tightrope walker on the sand. 🙂
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Those are excellent pics! Love the family pics and those board shorts are the cutest thing ever! Food looks amazing as always.
Parita @ myinnershakti says
Mazen looks like such a sweet baby!! I just want to pinch his cheeks!! 🙂
Glad y’all had a fun vacation – beach getaways are the best.
Emma says
Looks like Lil M had the time of his life! What great pictures of your happy little chunk.
Jackie says
What a fun vacation! Great pics!
Allison says
O how fun!
Lauren @ sassy molassy says
Oh my gosh, Kath, the beach photos are just adorable of all of you guys! I want to go there someday. The Oregon coast rarely looks like that. 🙂
Denae says
I love OBX! Can I ask what brand/model is your backpack carrier? I’ve been looking for a low profile one and yours looks perfect. Thanks!
KathEats says
The Boba. We love it
Christine@ Apple of My Eye says
Looks like an absolutely amazing trip! Love all the cute photos you snapped!
Kate @ Indulgent Wellness says
Looks like an amazing trip, Kath! Your legs look amaze-balls in the second photo…nice work momma:-)
Jess says
you take the most beautiful pictures! looks like a wonderful vacation. obx is someplace i’ve never been but would love to go. oh, and i need to test out that wine!
Elisabeth says
Looks like a great vacation with family & friends! Love M’s Coca Cola t-shirt – I’m not a soda drinker anymore, but I love anything with a Coca Cola logo 🙂
Mom says
That was a grandma present from the Coke museum in Atlanta.
Jesse says
it’s such a good time to go to the beach; cooling off a bit (although really october, whats up?) and so many less people. i love getting together for these crazy weekends with tons of babies and food and laughs. the chaos together keeps us all sane.
http://semiweeklyeats.blogspot.com/2013/10/it-just-doesnt-matter.html
Julie says
Wow, beautiful pictures! Looks like it was a wonderful week. Those dunes are spectacular… I must go there someday. Thank you for sharing Kath!
Stephanie @cookinfanatic says
one of my favorite places on earth – looks like a great trip!!!
Eileen says
Aww, Mazen looks very pleased with himself as a walkin’ man!
Melissa says
As a NC girl, I am kind of partial to our beaches 🙂 Mazen is adorable.
Janelle says
Love the picture of you guys swinging Mazen – pure joy!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
The pictures are GREAT! Looks soooo beautiful and I can’t believe how big Mazen is looking these days.
Lauren @ The Highlands Life says
Love the bota box!! And I love M’s little potbelly. Bellies on babies are the cutest! The only time in our lives where having a belly is “cute”.
jordan @ thedancingdonut says
did you stay in the Currituck Club? i recognized one of the houses – that’s where mine is 🙂 OBX is my absolute favorite – all that yummy food you guys made is making me miss our big dinners on the porch there!
KathEats says
We didn’t but we were nearby!
Emily S says
what a blast! Love the pictures of Mazen in the sand! Nothing cuter than little beach babes.
Kelly says
That pic of Mazen in his swim trucks sitting in the sand, just under the one where Matt is holding him is really cute! A “framer”! 🙂
Kelly says
He’s being all introspective in the pic!
Shel@PeachyPalate says
That beach looks so beautiful! Mazen looks so cute in his swim gear! Looks like you had such a blast!!!
Melissa says
Looks like a great time! I’ve always wanted to visit the Outer Banks; it looks beautiful there!
Kim says
Oh, so jealous! I used to live out in the OBX… well, the southern portion anyway… seeing your pictures makes me miss it!
Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves says
The surf, the company, and the food look fabulous! It’s also so fun to see Mazen walking around now! Glad to see that you all had a lovely vacation 🙂
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
Awww that is so cute that Mazen had some friends to play with! That’s great that you know so many people with kids around the same age. And I’ve never been to the Outerbanks, just Western North Carolina, but I’ve heard they’re a great place to vacation! Glad you had a good time!
Wren says
Looks like a great time! I can’t believe how much Mazen has grown! Question – is that a Boba that you guys took to carry Mazen on the hike? We have one but I haven’t used it on the back setting in a while because our daughter likes to try and lean back/arch out of it — does Mazen do this? Any tips, like am I supposed to adjust it a particular way? Yours looks really low, I don’t know if that is because Mazen is a big boy now or just because that’s how I should have been using it all along?
Any help would be great! PS- was it hard on your guys backs? That’s also why I haven’t been able to carry her as much in the boba, usually just on my hip now when she isn’t walking —
Wren
KathEats says
Yes, it’s the Boba Carrier. They have a lot of useful information on their website about how to wear it – probably better than I could describe. I prefer to wear him on my front (plus it’s easier to get on) and at 26 lbs, he does get quite heavy after a while!
Alisha @ Gluten Free Perspective says
I love the Outer Banks!!! I’m still trying to decide which part I like better… Corolla or Hatteras. 🙂
Mary Ann says
Kath, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I finally get why you have so many haters and trolls: jealousy! You have a beautiful family, a flexible career and economic good fortune that enables trips like this, a healthy and fit physical self, and haters gonna hate! Lol.
Mary Ann says
And I mean that in a, just do you and let others worry about their sad selves kind of way! Looks like a blast.
Anna @ Fitness à la Anna says
Looks like you had an amazing time! I went to Sand Dunes National Park in Ontario this summer, and had a blast running *ahem* jumping down the sand dunes too 🙂
Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs says
Sounds like a great trip! Love how cute Mazen is in his little backwards hat 🙂
Danielle says
Aw Mazen has such a good personality. I wish he could meet my little guy – they would be friends! 🙂
Jeanie says
Everything looks heavenly. Love that M is walking now. So cute.
Livi says
I <3 the beach! can't wait to get back. and that fudge looks SCRUMPTIOUS!
Lea @ Healthy Coconut says
Lovely vacation pictures, I really love family beach pictures. I find that the East Coast beach pictures looks quiet different from the West Coast beach pictures, your seems peaceful and calm…..when we take beach pictures here in OC, it’s crowded and just busy/dirty looking.
Which lens are you using to capture these great pictures of Mazen? I believe we have similar camera and lens but I’m not sure if you bought any new camera gear lately. Thanks for the info.
KathEats says
This lens has been glued to my camera for the past few years. Love it!
Emily @ Life on Food says
All of those babies together are so cute. And Mazen’s belly in the swim clothes. Love it!
Ella P says
Dear Kath,
thank you for sharing with us these wonderful memories. Place and program look and sound amazing. Can I ask a odd question? Since I am used to the Mediterranean sea and its kind waves&temperatures I wonder whether you actually go for a swim in that part of the ocean shores.
Warm greetings,
Ella
KathEats says
In the summer you can absolutely swim. Some people were swimming this week, but it was just a little too chilly for us.
Chris says
Mazen’s face is so cute when you both are swinging him. You should get a blow up, zoom in of his face for his own photo. 🙂
Ashlee@HisnHers says
Love that you can take a beach vacay when the temps are a little cooler and enjoyable! You look great as well!
I cant make myself get into wine in a box….I think I just like the act of opening the bottle, corking ,etc. Im stuck in my ways!
Emily says
SO great to see Sylvia and the rest of the babes having fun at the beach. You have a beautiful blog Kath!
Debbie @ Deb Runs says
Awww, looks like you had a great time! We have a house on OBX north of Corolla in the wild horse area. It’s beautiful and so relaxing down there. Seeing Mazen in the sand brings back such fond memories of my sons’ first visits to the beach.
Jo Williams says
Beautiful photos! Was in Kill Devil Hills week of Sept. 13. Try to get there every Sept for sanity to get me through the long WV winter! The food looks amazing!
zoe @ loseweightandgainhealth says
I love beaches and that one looks just gorgeous. Your pictures of Mazen on the beach are too cute for words 🙂
Nicole says
Fun! Jockey’s Ridge (per your kind recommendation) was amazing last year! Our family just informed us that they are planning another OBX trip next September! We’ve been up in the air about it, but seeing these pictures makes me want to go back so bad!
Leslie says
Fun trip! I loved looking at your pictures on Instagram while we were losing power and experiencing torrential rain here in Oregon that week and I kept wondering where you were (and how I could get there).
My kids are grown, but I remember trips just like that with a bunch of us young couples with babies. It was always a blast and we had such satisfaction in the evenings when every single child was asleep!
Meg says
I grew up going to OBX during the summer. My grandparents lived in Kill Devil Hills, near the Wright Brothers Memorial. I miss it so much, being on the west coast (Oregon) now. I hope to retire there if I can get my hubby onboard–and if hurricanes don’t wipe out the Outer Banks first. 🙁 Thanks for a trip down memory lane!!
KathEats says
Do you remember the Golden Strand? It’s a big brown oceanfront condo building a few blocks down from the Wright Bros Mem. That’s where we stayed!
Meg says
Yes!! I remember that! Crazy. I remember running down Jockey’s Ridge barefoot, and getting ice cream at that shopping center near the base of it. So many happy memories–I hope to get my kids there one day. You’re so lucky to live relatively close! 🙂
KathEats says
: )
Julie says
The Outer Banks is what dreams are made of. I can’t think of anything more beautiful.
Christina W says
Hello, this is the first time I comment on your blog, and I have to say really quick that your son is the cutest! I apologize if you have addressed this before, but can you tell me what camera/lens you use? Those pictures look great! I have a Sony DSLR, and i’m wondering what kind of lens I should buy to make my pictures more professional looking.
Thanks!
KathEats says
Hi Christina and welcome! I have a page here on photograph that goes over my camera and lens details : )
Neil Butterfield says
Maizen looks like he had the time of his life. Thanks for sharing this experience with us. You guys are a shining example of how a family should live and enjoy life 🙂
Amy says
Glad you all enjoyed Jockey’s Ridge State Park!