Nana's Place: 06/01/2008

For more than a year we planned a family vacation. We had to all decide where we could get together with all the children and all the personalities and have a good time. At Sam's suggestion we chose the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We found a great house on line and then eventually all bought into a date that would work for all of us. At last, our planning ended and we gathered in Corolla, North Carolina at a house called Beach Memories and made some memories ourselves.

Believe me, it was such a relief to open the front door and find it was a beautiful, clean, large enough home for all 37 of us to enjoy ourselves together. Then one by one the families arrived and filled the house with laughter, hugs, and joy at being together. Here are a few of the 350 pictures I took that might give a flavor of this fun week the Dickson family spent together.

WE WENT CRABBING:

In the early morning hours (note the pajamas.)

Jessica and Todd with Chase, Ben and Toby

"I'll save you Sam!" Sage goes after a crab.

In the evening with almost everyone!

WE ATE THREE MEALS A DAY TOGETHER:

Each family took a day to plan and prepare the meals. With 21 grandchildren it was a little noisy getting started. But we have some excellent cooks and the food was always delicious. The "gourmet kitchen" lacked many of the pans and utensils we needed, but we always found a way! One morning the bacon cooking set off the smoke alarm and a few late risers found their way to breakfast after all.

EACH EVENING WE HELD A SHORT DEVOTIONAL TOGETHER WITH EACH FAMILY TAKING A TURN:

We loved it as the children would lead us in a song, as we shared some spiritual moments and someone led us in prayer together. Mostly we loved gathering together!

The first night they surprised Papa with a birthday celebration since our flight to Raleigh took the whole day of his birthday. The children all helped blow out the candles and open the presents. Papa loved that as much as the gifts!

WE SWAM IN THE POOL EVERY DAY:

Adam with Bailey

Mao with a jacuzzi full of children.

Steve with Baby Sam. Sam liked the water better than Charlie.

Papa enjoys Sam with Max.

Playing with cousins is the best! Toby, Halle, Reed & Max

WE SOAKED UP THE SUN AND THE COMPANY:

With 5 babies and many little ones, nap time was no problem. Moms could hang out by the pool with everyone else while the kids slept peacefully inside. The only question was, "Whose baby is crying on which monitor?"

WE HAD THE CHILDREN BE OUR SERVANTS:

Lacey serves Cathy.

Bailey and Lacey have a drink for Todd while Riley looks on.

And the kids thought it was so fun, they competed for the chance to do it!
Toby and Sage serve while Jack leaves satisfied.

WE WALKED TWO MINUTES TO THE BEACH EACH DAY:

Sam and his boys on their way.

Our house is just down the street behind me. The beach is just in front of me down the stairs.

Ashley with a well protected load.

WE PLAYED IN THE SAND:

Riley, Jade and Mackenzie

Max, Lindsay and Reed

Mackenzie makes a castle.

Mackenzie, Jack, Riley and Max

WE EVEN HAD SAND BUILDING CONTESTS:

Adam makes Bailey a car while Reed helps.
Jessie and Sage and some other helpers made this winning castle

Lacey is the Little Mermaid with Flounder

WE PLAYED IN THE SURF:

Some tentatively along the edges--

Kayla

Hunter and Cathy

Toby, Sam & Charlie, Sunny, Alex, and Jack behind.

Riley, Jessie, Reed, Nana, Jade and Alex with one of the twins.

And some with fully immersed commitment!

Alex tortures Charlie while Tristan, Bailey and Lacey brave the waves.

Tristan, Lacey, Jessica, and Bailey

WE PLAYED WITH BOOGIE BOARDS:

Sam and Charlie didn't miss out on any of the action.

Believe it or not, it took Riley a while to be bold in the water. Thank goodness.

WE PLAYED WITH KITES:

Alan and Steve try to position it right.

Alex gets it started with Steve and Papa's help.

Mao figures out how to keep it in the air with Alex, Alan, Cathy and Hunter looking on.

WE PLAYED WITH KAYAKS!:

Toby, Todd, Ben, Jack and Ashley. Someone is going kayaking.

Casey and JR. Should pregnant moms kayak? Both of ours did!

Jessica and Sam ride a wave!

Sam and Tristan make it all the way to shore on that wave!

Brothers and sisters all catch one together and I got it on camera! Sunny with Sam and Lindsey with Adam!

SOME WENT GOLFING:

Uh-oh! I didn't get any golfing pictures. Adam, Harmon, and Alan got up early two mornings and went to a beautiful golf course and had a great time golfing. Jade joined them one morning and had a great game. But the best thing of the whole trip for Harmon was when he decided to go one more day on his own. He had the best game of his life and shot a 66. He took a picture of the scorecard, had one of the men playing with him sign the card verifying he actually got that score and saved his ball to be preserved with the card. He smiled for the rest of the trip.

WE WENT TO SEE A LIGHT HOUSE:

The Toblers said it was so worth it and convinced others to make the climb!

Bailey, Jessie and Lacey on their way up.

Tristan and Bailey stop at a window well for the view.

Todd, Ben and Toby enjoy the view.

Cathy, Mao and Hunter at the top.

A little windy for us. JR, Kayla, Nana and Mackenzie. Casey had to stay at the bottom since we didn't want any babies delivered at the top of the lighthouse.

WE WENT TO THE WRIGHT BROTHERS MUSEUM AND PARK:

Outside the museum, with another part behind them.

Todd, Baby Sam, and Sunny by the replica of the Wright Bros plane.

Ben explaining the principles of flight to Reed.

Mothers, babies and toddlers. We have many. Casey, Sunny with Sam, Lindsey with Kate, Jack and Hunter

Walking the path of the Wright Brothers's flight. Sage, Halle, Kayla, JR, Riley, and Mackenzie.

Just Jack!
Off to the monument. Only Tristan bothered to turn and smile at me.

A little hike with babies in your arms on a hot day deserves a place to sit and contemplate the monument

Mackenzie, Halle, and Sage get a birdseye view of the Wright Brothers' flight path.
Reed decides to fly to the top of that hill with a little help from his dad.

Halle, Mackenzie and Sage sit next to Wilbur on this bronze of the first plane to fly and imagine what it felt like to fly down that hill.

Fathers and sons admire the accomplishment. Mao and Hunter, Reed and Sam.

Sage takes a step back in time and gets in on this historic moment.

Not a bad place to climb even on a hot day, is it Halle?

IN OUR SPARE TIME -- WE PUT TOGETHER PUZZLES,

This table was perfect for puzzles.

Who is going to put in the last piece?

Dad and Sam are working on another one.

Alex, Adam, Jade, Sunny and Papa with the finished product. Lighthouses of the Outer Banks

COUSINS GOT BETTER ACQUAINTED

Tristan plays with Max.

Jade had never even met Chase before.

Alex and Reed do a little bonding.

AND OCCASIONALLY ESCAPED FOR A LITTLE QUIET TIME.

Jade and Alex shared a room in the quiet part of the house (except at mealtimes when it sounded like the thundering herd was coming through the ceiling. Hard to sleep in here, but they managed.

IN THE EVENINGS WE PLAYED GAMES--

The last ones seated at the poker game--Adam, Harmon, Alex, Ashley and Todd. I know this picture shows up on Papa's blog, but we were so into having fun, these two are the only pictures I took of this nightly event.

We had a lot of fun at the arm wrestling competition, until Mao and Todd broke the glass on this table. The girls wrestling was the funniest. Some of our girls held their own!

--WHILE THE CHILDREN SLEPT!

Ben and Riley thought they could stay up a little longer. Too much fun all day, though.

ONE LAST DEVOTIONAL:

Tired and tan we gather one last time. Several of the families had plane flights that left a day earlier than the rest, so our numbers were reduced.

Sam, Sage, Sam and Lindsay.

Nana gets a rare snuggle with Max. I am trying to store up until I see him again.

Jennifer, Adam, Bailey and Jade waiting for the program to start.

AND THEN WE MUST SAY GOODBYE

One last hug for Toby from Aunt Lindsey and Halle.

Bye Ben, hope we are together again soon!

"Bye, Dad," Lindsey with Kate says, "It was worth it."

The cars are packed but we are not ready to part. Jade says good-bye to Jack and Harmon.
Sam and Max, ready to attend church in Nagshead, gives Jade one last hug before they must part.
One last early morning farewell to the beach (and the crabs.)