When we got to Duns-Bra, we wasted NO time and got settled in for a nice relaxing week at the beach!
The kids were in heaven as their room featured 2 sets of bunk beds so it was like having a week-long sleepover. They all got along so well and had a blast together. I can't even remember any fights!
The beach was awesome. The Smith's brought their inflatable Kayak and the kids had a blast in it all week. We were at a beach that had almost no waves, a really nice shallow area, and then this massive sandbar that you could swim out to and walk on in knee-deep water. It was great because the kids could play and the adults didn't have to worry about sharks or drowning so we actually got to relax, read books, and even once in a while just fall asleep in the sand. Heaven!
Our Beach house for the week:
Jeff and Teddy out for a paddle:
Right in front of our house was the road, then a bike path, and then the beach! So Zoe and I got some really great runs in. We took it south, ran out of paved trail, and decided to run through the bush. Now most people know that 99.99% of deadly, venomous creatures live in Australia so we thought we were pretty burly. Here's me ready to sprint away from brown snakes and bird-eating spiders....
How can you complain though when your run takes you to places like this???
Me and my buddy. We don't have a skin disease, we're wearing zinc. That Aussie sun is intense!
Sasha and Jamie have been in the same class for 3 straight years now. They will really miss each other:
The kids had an absolute blast at the beach. They were always together and went from all piling on the kayak to flopping in the sand to chasing each other out on the sandbar. The great thing was they were so tired at the end of the day that we didn't have to do too much "Pipe down up there!" at bedtime. They were out!
Kickin' it!
Jamie and Em
Every evening we sat on the porch with a tray of cheese, olives, pate and crackers (THIS is why I had to diet so intensely when I got back!) and a glass of wine. It was nice to just relax and look at the ocean.
The boys spent most of their non-beach time on the iPads. It's vacation right? Love the 2 of them with their tanned boy skin and big bare feet. They could be brothers!
Zoe and I even tried paddle boarding! It was a lot of fun and a great arm workout.
Me and all the kids paddling away.
There was a cool window between the kitchen and the stairs. Of course for these 2 we had to enforce the rule that they couldn't climb thru it or we would have had boy feet all over the kitchen counters.
And Sasha was just in heaven all week with "her" Emily. (Stalker alert!!) Emily is the the sweetest 9 year old on the planet though and was so patient and awesome with all the kids.
Julian makes another little friend....
One morning the tide was out but coming in so the kids and I went out to the sandbar which is exposed at low tide and we decided to make a big castle with moats and walls and see how long we could make it last as the tide came in. It made it for quite a while!
Then we had a flipping contest in the sand. Jamie won hands-down!
3 of my favorite Aussies!
Wonderful kiddos:
We rented the paddle boards again and everyone tried them. Emily was actually really good at it, even with a paddle that was way too long for her!
Then we rented a paddle boat. We got together with the Quirks that day so the kids had the help of Jackson and Mikayla.
And that night we went out for awesome Mexican food with Jess, Tracey, and the whole crew! It was great to catch up with more friends from Australia, and now that I know where they all live I totally plan on couch-surfing my way across Oz the next time I return....
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