Beach Bliss

Over General Conference weekend, my good friend Becky invited us to spend a night at the beach house they rented.  Clark was at an anesthesia conference in Asheville, so it was just Emmett and I that went.  We made a quick stop at the state farmers market on our way out town for a decent deal on apples and a pumpkin before heading to North Topsail Beach.
It turned out that the Larsons couldn't get to the beach house until late that night, so Emmett and I had the whole place to ourselves.  That, my friends, is an amazing treat.  Beach houses are usually filled with families and friends to help keep down the cost, which is great fun but usually quite loud and chaotic.  What a delightful break of the norm.  It was a comfortable, cozy house and a beautiful evening to be on the beach.  We played for a couple of hours until the sun set--throwing rocks, avoiding jellyfish and walking up and down the shore with our shadows.  We made a simple dinner and then once Emmett was in bed, I got to enjoy utter peace and quiet, listening to the waves, gazing at the stars, reading a good book.  It was blissful.
It was also lots of fun when the rest of the crew arrived.  We ate tasty food, watched Saturday's sessions of General Conference, lounged on the beach and played in the ocean.  The weather was probably the best of the year.  Emmett and I just stayed the one night, so it was a pretty quick trip but one that was filled with lots of quality beach time and a beautiful sunset and sunrise.

 Beach bum

Running through the "sprinkler"