It was a snowy February in 2015 and we were all so ready for warm, sunny weather. Spring fever was in full swing! We booked our favorite family beach cottage for the first week of March and headed down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Family members who couldn’t stay the entire week staggered in and out. It was a time of relaxing with family and sharing life together. What we didn’t know was it would be the last family vacation for two of our family members. It was an extremely difficult 2015 for us. We lost my dad unexpectedly just days after returning from our vacation last March. While we were so thankful that we all had this time together, the memories of him in these photos and his voice on video footage is priceless. Last September, we unexpectedly lost my brother-in-law while vacationing. While this is something no one should have to ever go through, much less on a vacation, God is good and is helping us through these difficult times. As I looked through the vacation photos from one year ago, I am reminded of the simple things I forgot, like my pregnant sister, the surprise birthday celebration for my brother-in-law, and seeing one our pets that we also lost unexpectedly in October. Do see the key word here that repeats itself? It is “unexpectedly!” Things happen and usually when we least expect it! You cannot go back in time and document memories! Yes, a picture IS worth a thousand words but even more when it’s all you have to remember by. Come now while I reminisce a little…
Our home for the week!
Moments with granddaddy!
Breakfast the start the day off right.
Coffee and a puppy hug!
A nasty day on the beach.
Walks on the beach. There’s just something about having your feet in the sand, even in the winter.
You never know what you may come across if you just stop, look, and listen.
Here is a tree that I seem to return to while visiting on vacation. The left photo was one taken a year or so prior when it snowed in the OBx. The one on the right shows how cold and brutal February was in 2015. It did a number on it.
This was sunset on March 4, 2014, my parents anniversary. We photographers stopped by Sunset Bar and Grille to soak in a little sunset time with our cameras.
Our dinner destination was The Black Pelican where we had been the previous 2 years for my parents’ anniversary dinner. Something told me to take my camera inside and grab a few pictures. Previous years, photos were just grabbed via a cell phone, but this time, I thought let me get a better photo of my mom and dad as “you never know”. Yes, that did go through my mind! This was actually the last posed photo of my mom and dad together. As hard as it is to swallow that thought, it is a priceless photo. While it isn’t necessarily the best posed as it was a “hurry up and order” photo, it represents an unforgettable time of 54 years together. As is typically the case for us photographers, I forgot to pass the camera off to someone else so I could get in a picture.
Oh, this photo reminds me that my dad always got prime rib on his anniversary. Apparently it was what they ate on their wedding night. They shared a few wedding time stories with us. Oh the joy and laughter that we had.
Spring break was a good time to get caught up on school work, especially since graduation was in May!
A drive on the beach to soak in some salty air and explore the coastline! Dogs too!
Remember the pregnant sister? Here baby is in Virginia while mom is in North Carolina. The things we do for entertainment, haha!
Lunch/snack break to fuel up!
Just give the birds what you don’t want.
Photogs can relate.
Corolla lighthouse in the distance.
One word – Adorable!
Evenings just hanging around.
Not sure what I missed here but apparently it was funny!
Oh, hey! Someone has a birthday!
I think a puppy would like to have a bite of goodness.
Pops of springtime color even in the sandy lots of the Outer Banks.
That moment when my sister decides it would be a good idea to corral all the pups for a photo. It just wasn’t happening!
There was a full moon that week!
