a celebratory week

We had so much fun celebrating Carson’s birthday this week!  His actual birthday was simple, per Carson’s request, and was filled with Legos, the park, Chickfila, and pizza.

Yesterday morning, we headed to Wilmington to hit up one of North Carolina’s aquariums.  I grew up frequenting the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and this was certainly no match to that… but we all had loads of fun, and Carson was beside himself thrilled.  We lucked out with some unbelievably beautiful and unseasonably warm weather and made a spontaneous decision to make a stop at the beach on the drive back home.  Oh my word, the kids had a ball.  Elizabeth loved the sand and roamed along the empty beach.  And Carson and Mary Grace seemed to think we were in the tropics, as they both ended up in the water!  In January!  After driving three wet, sandy kids through the Krispy Kreme drive through, we headed back home and can safely say that Carson’s 5th birthday will not be soon forgotten.

pause.  as I look at this picture, I realize how much I will miss these days of playing with bulldozers in the sand.  can’t he just stay sweet and innocent forever??

Elizabeth was hilarious at the aquarium and totally held her own.  she walked most of it herself and only cried when we didn’t allow her to climb into the stingray tank.  awesome.

and this little bow-headed 3 year old had one small meltdown when an aquarium employee asked her to kindly stop chasing the friendly bird that was wandering through the exhibit.  whoops.

we.are.so.blessed.