topsail island - part I

Last year we took our family beach trip to Topsail, NC at the end of August/beginning of Sept, but this year Ryan's work schedule worked best at the end of May....so that's when we went! 

It feels weird already having a week at the beach under our belt! Ryan and I both agreed that going later in the summer was our favorite. The water was plenty warm this time, but overall the weather wasn't great. Maybe it was bad luck or just too early in the season...I'm not sure. 

We still had fun!! My parents came and so we had lots of family time :)

View from our bedroom deck - I miss it so much already!!

First morning up and headed down to the beach in our jammies!

This little stinker thought he owned the place...always trying to slip out and open door and make his way to freedom!

Ryan and I knew with the boys being a year older it would be more fun this year and we were right!! Penn still doesn't love the sand, but with water shoes on walked around just fine. 

Helping Daddy get water for the pool....

 Doing his usual thing, snacking.

 Love my guys all set up!

 More snacks with Pop-Pop :)

 This little cup holder on Keaton's chair wasn't quite big enough for his water cup, but the perfect size for snacks!

 Sometimes Penn would come through and eat whatever Keaton left behind....

 Me and my beach burrito!

 Penn took this opportunity to give K kisses when he couldn't fight back. haha

No beach trip is complete without a little puzzle time.

And ice cream time! 

I think the boys were the only ones who liked it.

 Hmmm...how to put it nicely?? IT WAS AWFUL. We went to a place called Locals Ice Cream and it was just bad. So bad. We all agreed it was the worst ice cream we've ever had. Ryan and my Dad got the butterscotch dipped cone and described it as tasting like "wax." Ewww.

I got a chocolate and vanilla swirled cone and the chocolate was like completely melted...it was weird. And the vanilla didn't taste like ice cream, I'm not sure what it tasted like. It was almost like it was made wrong. Even the sprinkles tasted weird! 

So yeah, not the highlight of our trip. Who knew ice cream could leave such an impression?!? Never going back there again!!

  Obviously, we made up for it with other delicious homemade treats :)

Part II coming up...