Other September Pictures

When I was planning for our vacation it worked out for us to go the first week of September and since my birthday was the week we got back I decided to take that week off too. So, I had a two week vacation - week 1 at the Outer Banks and week 2 at home. It was really nice. The only downside was that Chad had to leave right after we got home from vacation for a work conference. Thankfully we was flying home on my birthday so we got to spend that evening together. Here are some pictures from my birthday and other September events:

The beautiful birthday flowers Chad got me!

He also got me this cute birthday Pusheen.

Some cat and garden pictures:

The second week that I was off on vacation we decided to hike Crowder's mountain. Chad used to do it all the time a few years ago and I had just successfully climbed Hatteras, so we decided to do it. It was fun for the first bit, but by the time we were actually climbing Crowder's I wasn't having fun. On the way back down the trail to our car I was seriously wishing we hadn't done it at all. It kicked my ass! Then a few days later I woke up with the worst shoulder pain of my life. Thankfully I was able to get a massage and see my chiropractor - he said I had a rib out of alignment and it was from breathing so hard while we were doing Crowder's (seriously.)! Maybe one day we'll do Crowder's again, but for now I think we need to find some easier hiking...


A few weeks after our vacation we had the opportunity to see Jake Shimabukuro in concert in Greensboro. Jake is a Hawaiian ukulele player who is unbelievable. My Mom introduced us to his music and while I did like it and appreciate his talent, I was blown away seeing him perform live. It is almost unbelievable what he is able to do with that one small instrument. It was a great show and I'm really glad we had the opportunity to see him live in concert!

September Outer Banks Vacation

Despite both of us growing up in North Carolina and LOVING the beach, neither Chad or I had ever been to the Outer Banks. So, this year we decided to change that rent a house in the Outer Banks for our vacation. We decided on Corolla based on the recommendation of some friends of ours who like to stay in Duck, which is about 10-15 minutes south of Corolla. The day before we left for the Outer Banks Hurricane Hermine came through, but thankfully there was no damage to Corolla other than minor debris on the roads. It did make the surf pretty rough the first few days we were there though. The house we rented was great and it was right across the street from the beach. We really had a great time and could have easily stayed longer. We did a lot, but still didn't get to do everything on our list. Wrightsville is where I grew up going as a kid and that will probably always be my favorite beach, but we really enjoyed the Outer Banks and I would definitely like to go back and explore more of that area. Here are our pictures from our awesome Outer Banks vacation:



The first few days we just relaxed at the house and explored the town of Corolla.


Chad came up with a great way to haul all our beach gear to the beach - he tied everything to handtrucks and we pulled it down the road and onto the beach. It made it SO much easier to get everything out there!


On Day 4 of our vacation we went to the NC Aquarium in Manteo and explored a little around that area.


On Day 5 we went to the Wright Brothers Memorial and Jockey's Ridge State Park. That evening when we walked on the beach it was so beautiful. Because of the hurricane that came through right before our trip there was a LOT of dead horseshoe crabs and other debris on the beach.


On our last full day we went to the Hatteras lighthouse, Bodie lighhouse, and Jeannette's Pier, which is part of the NC Aquariums. I am TERRIFIED of heights, but really wanted to climb one of the lighthouses while we were there. After doing a little research I found that Hatteras was the only one that had solid stairs (the others were like grates). I decided I would do it. It wasn't easy, but I did it with LOTS of encouragement from Chad! Going back down was actually harder than going up, but I was so proud of myself for temporarily conquering my fears. I mean I am VERY afraid of heights, so this was a big deal. Chad insisted that I get a shirt that said "I climbed the Hatteras lighthouse" and a certificate! It was a really great way to end our vacation here.



We really had such a great time! This was the first vacation we've taken since we've been married other than our honeymoon where we didn't stay with or see any family. Not that I don't love my family, but it was REALLY nice to just be on vacation and do our own thing every day. Plus, it was really cool to see a new part of North Carolina and experience a different beach. Definitely worth seeing and I'm sure we'll be going back sometime.