We arrived to our vacation home in Salvo, NC on the Outer Banks about 5 PM yesterday. As you can see from the photo on the left, this place is absolutely amazing. There are five bedrooms, each with it's own bathroom. We are across the road from the ocean - only a 5 minute walk. The home has several large, open areas for the family to get together. This morning I'm sitting at a long, rectangular table that comfortably seats twelve people. There is also a large, hexagonal room, with a teak floor and wooden plank walls framing large windows, which looks out onto the ocean. It's fantastic!
I wish you could have seen the five of us walking through the house and discovering all the nooks and crannies - and figuring out who would sleep where! Marilyn, Mary Kay's mom, took the bedroom with the computer in it so she can play bridge with all of her Yahoo friends late into the evening. Dad and Julie took the bedroom on the top floor, which is the same level as most of the living space, so they wouldn't have as many steps to walk up and down. We saved one bedroom, with a beautiful, iron-rod, queen-sized bed, for my daughter Jennifer and her husband Mike. This bedroom is also next to the bedroom with 5 single beds - two bunks and a twin-sized bed, a grandchild heaven! (Jennifer and Mike and their two daughters are scheduled to arrive around noon today, after driving through the night.) Jonathan, Bethany, and their two boys are staying with Bethany's family about a mile away. Some night we might get all the grandchildren together in the bunk beds!
Mary Kay and I took the "servant's quarters" on the bottom floor. This bedroom is more like an efficiency apartment with an unusual bunk bed - a double bed on the bottom with a twin bunk above. I actually tried to sleep on the bunk bed last night - a call back to my college days. I was fine with it, but Mary was a little scared being below. Every time I'd roll over the bed would creak something fierce. Finally Mary Kay and I gave it up about 2 AM and I moved back to the bottom bed. Cozy!
Last night Dad and I watched the NFL football game on TV. While I was watching the game, I set up a new blog for Dad on Blogger. He is SO EXCITED. We're going to work on this together during vacation. What a great vacation project! Lots to do and lots of fun. I plan on posting regularly about the great times we're having here, so check back often. Maybe I'll get a photo album up soon!