Ella completed 1st grade and is looking forward to a nice long summer. Jonah has moved into the Pre-School room at his school. Whew, they are really growing up!

We went to the Outer Banks with the Egan family for our beach week as soon as Ella finished school. It was a fantastic week—78-80 degrees, beautiful water (both on the soundside and Oceanside), lots of wildlife to observe (rays, skates, hermit crabs, fish, lizards, birds, muskrats, otters, crabs, scallops, oysters, barnacles…) We paddled every morning and then hit the pool until lunchtime. Everyone napped or read or watched movies and then it was off to the beach. Some days, Ned took the kids in the sailboat. Jonah liked going FAST. Overall, the kids did great. Slept all night (although they woke up WAY too early for vacation!). Eddie joined us for the first time this year. He is getting so big! He did great (other than sleeping “issues”) and Jonah and Ella LOVED playing with him. As usual (we always do it that way), we stopped at the Aquarium on the way to Salvo. We also walked the Pea Island Nature Trail, visited Bodie Island lighthouse, and climbed the 100+ feet sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge.

The day we left the beach (*why do we ever have to leave?!?) Ella had her Academy for the Performing Arts recital. She and Andrew performed in the Daddy Daughter Dance again this year and it was lovely. The Dads-only dance was great! Very cute. Ella did a jazz and a tap number and then the finale. She was exhausted by the end, but she did a great job.

Also in June, Andrew and Sarah paddled Lake MacKintosh and went to a wine tasting dinner with our neighbors, Amy and Jim.

We celebrated our 13th year anniversary last week. Hard to believe it has been so long. This is lucky #13!

Sarah, Andrew, Ella, and Jonah