This is a post that I will never be ready to write, yet it is time. This past weekend, Justin and I took our kids down to Lions Paw at Holden Beach one final time.  After nine beautiful years of memories that are unmatched, it was time for my family to share the house with a new family.  I know it might sound crazy that I am so emotional over a vacation home. I am so blessed that my family was able to have a vacation home for so long. I know so many people aren't able to have a vacation house, but to me this place was home.  My parents have moved several times since I moved out of their house for good, but through all the moves, we still had the beach house.

This is the house we had when I met Justin.

This is the house I brought both of my kids to to show them the ocean for the first time.

This is where every year my family left reality to spend time together doing everything and nothing at the same time.

This is where we gathered around a table piled high with seafood and laughed about the happenings from that day on the beach.

This is where were would be so full from huge meals, but still found room for a ride to Beaches and Cream for an ice cream come.

This is where we hung pictures of summers together.

This is where I met the father of my goddaughter and Justin met my closest friends.

This is where we took boat rides on the ICW.

This is where Justin taught Ty to fish.

This is where we sat and played card games until the wee hours of the night.

This is where I had my bachelorette party, complete with a party bus and a massage on the porch.

This is where I hosted two of my friends' bachelorette parties and my sister's bachelorette.

This is where my family all came the day after I got married.

This is where I was busted for throwing a party when I was younger.

This is where I sat with Justin on our babymoon doing nothing but watching HGTV and wondering what parenthood would look like.

This is where we took Ty for our last family of three getaway before Elena was born.

This is where my heart is. 

But this is just a house. It is just walls with bright paint (paint that will always be the "salmon" that my parent's chose). It is just a building where the memories were made.

Thank you, God, for the memories you blessed my family with at this house.
Thank you, God, for the high tides and the low tides and all the times between. 

Thank you, God, for these views.

Thank you God, for the sunny days on the beach and the rainy days on the couch. 

Thank you, God, for the relaxing trips without kids, and the exhausting trips with kids.

Thank you for the cups of coffee on the porch in the morning and the cold beers in the evening.

Thank You for the smiles and laughs.

Thank You for one third of my life happening with this house.

Mostly, thank You for letting me keep the memories with me and giving another family the blessing of this place. Thank you for many summers to come with new family adventures in new places, at new houses. I will never ever forget this place, but I will miss it. A piece of my heart will stay with this house. The stories I have here will be ones that I tell over and over.

Thank you, God. For every moment at Lions Paw Drive. 

Friday Favorites

I cannot believe that this is the last Friday before Thanksgiving 2015! This year has flown by! I remember this time last year I was getting pretty pregnant and prepping to host our first Thanksgiving in our house.

This year, less belly, more babies... I am ready! My mom asked me to make the Bloody Mary's for Thanksgiving Day and I can actually enjoy them this year...yippy!

This Friday is bittersweet as I list my first favorite.

My most favorite location... Holden Beach, NC. This is the house my family has had for almost ten years. Recently, my parents decided that it was best to close the chapter on owning a vacation home and let the next family enjoy it, so they sold it and close at the beginning of December. More about this place later, but some of my most favorite memories are in the house. It dates back to when Justin and I were just dating. Sweet memories.

This is a little known memory made possible by the one and only Justin. 

For my birthday a few years ago we went down to the beach with a few friends to celebrate. Justin had something up his sleeve for my birthday that completely surprised me to the point of  being speechless.  He knew it was a dream of mine (and still is) to take the our family to Disney World.  Disney holds a special place in my heart because I was a cast member when I was in college.  It's truly the most magical place on Earth! 

Well, he wanted to make my dream come true by "bringing Disney to me". He got all three of us (Ty, himself, and me) Aladdin costumes and a "magic" carpet that he has a picnic lunch on.  He dressed himself and Ty up and then showed me my outfit and told me we were going to dress up and have lunch on the beach.  I. WAS. SHOCKED. A little embarrassed (as our friends were there), a little flattered, a little of everything. I convinced him that we would have our picnic lunch on the balcony. Looking back on that day, I have the best memories and always giggle to myself that he came up with this idea.  He keeps me on my toes and does his very best to make all my wishes come true. I love my Aladdin. :)

Crab feasts. My fave. I grew up in Baltimore and have a million memories of my whole family gathering around the newspaper-covered table with a steaming pile of Old Bay-covered blue crabs in the center of the table.  As I got older, add a cold brew to that picture and it's perfection. I am stoked to be going to Maryland this holiday to visit family and am so looking forward to picking crabs with loved ones! My mouth is watering now...

I am in love with this cute outfit that Elena wore to the pumpkin patch this year.  We borrowed the pumpkin tunic from our friends and I paired it with some skinny jeans and these stylish leather boots.  I cannot get enough of babies in boots.  To top it off, I made this (Pinterest-inspired) pumpkin bow with my friend, Lori, Wait until you see the one we made for Thanksgiving...eek!

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.

With the cooler weather here and colder weather just around the corner, I am so excited about this FAVORITE of mine. My BFF got this matching Daddy-son beard set for Justin and Ty on Ty's first Christmas.  Not only is it the cutest thing EVER, it keeps his face super warm. I am looking forward to seeing one of Elena's buddies wear it this year! 

This was such a fun Friday Favorites for me! Only 6 days til Thanksgiving! I hope you got your turkeys!

I'm also linking up here: