Well, today is our last day at the beach. We’re all a little sad to be leaving. We had a great time at the early morning “Golf Cart” parade on the main road. That was fun!! The kids want to participate next year. That will be a hoot.

We went to the Kids’ Carnival and the pool this morning, and we’re going to have our own little “cookout” this evening. What’s on the menu you ask?

Here are a few of yesterday’s photos! See you soon.

The pier at Hunting Island State Park

The dolphins next to our boat on Friday.

We’ve been having a lot of fun this week. Today we are going to go on a Nature/Dolphin Cruise for a few hours after lunch. That should cooler and entertaining. Yesterday we tie dyed t-shirts at the activity center after a day at the pool and the beach. Claire has been having a wonderful time. She loves riding in the golf cart. Here are a few photos of Wednesday’s and Thursday’s adventures.

Claire tried body boarding on Thursday.

Even though Sam thought he was “too tired” to go to the beach, he ended up body boarding in his clothes.

Claire catches another poor little tiny crab on the beach.

Wils after a morning with the golf pro, Todd, at golf camp.

Sophie found this mini toad in the yard at the house.

Pool fun … with Mom. There wasn’t supposed to be a camera out!!

This is the last photo of my phone in operation. Somehow … while Mark and Wils were on a seining expedition late in the afternoon yesterday … my phone floated into the tide with Mark’s back pack. So, three soggy books, one wet wallet and disfunctional phone later … here we are. The good news is … Mark didn’t lose Wilson.

This is one of the many tiny crabs Claire has been catching on her own. Thankfully … she does release them after a while and most of them survive the experience.

Airborne!!

Daddy and Claire …

Here are a few vacation photos. I have to sit in the “hot zone” outside the Resort Office in order to check email, etc… So, I am not spending much time on line. And that’s okay, because this is a vacation.

Jump!

One of the neighbors

His color is improving!!

Mark had a great day … and so did the rest of us.  Here are a few photos of the fun.

Field Day 2009

Little Pip and Dad

Sophie

Sam on the slide …

Wils the Fish.

“Emma, you know me for what I am.  Perhaps if I loved you less, I could talk about it more.” – Mr. Knightly

Sam’s been taking an Environmental Science class through the city of Rock Hill, in conjunction with 4H. Yesterday was the last day of class and they went kayaking in the Catabaw River and one of the adjoining creeks.

Claire checks out the equipment.

Claire makes sure that Sam’s in safe.

In and ready to go.

Here we go!

Sophie casually watches Sam paddle “up the creek”.

“Don’t flatter yourself that friendship authorizes you to say disagreeable things to your intimates. The nearer you come into relation with a person, the more necessary do tact and courtesy become.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes

Life has been a little nutty here for the last week or so. Sophie’s annual dance recital was this past weekend. Rather than doing a typical recital, the ballet school puts on a ballet. Last year was Peter Pan; this year was Hansel & Gretel. Sophie danced three roles: Evening Twilight (ballet), Gingerbread Fence (tap), and Spiders (modern). So … Five rehearsals and five performances later…. we are done. She did an awesome job and it’s been so exciting to see her improve over the years.

We’re not allowed to film or photograph the dancers actually in the performance. But here are a few photos of Sophie headed into the performance hall, listening to “notes” from the artistic director, and hangin’ out in the dressing room.

Sporting our favorite sundress “de jour”.

She appears to be running through the dances in her head.

Sophie’s friend, Eli, came with his mom to see the performances. He picked some flowers out of Lisa’s garden to bring for the ballerina.

Listening to Mrs. Blackwell give “notes” prior to the rehearsal. (She’s dressed for the “spider” dance here.)