Fun in the sun, OBX style

A month ago we vacationed in the Outer Banks with some of our best friends. We laughed, we drank, walked on the beach, swam in the ocean (yes, that's right - even me, the girl who is terrified of Jaws in ankle deep water!), hung out poolside and relaxed in the hot tub. Oh, and we also got to chase off a fox and watch Joe and Paul kill a snake with a mop. You had to be there.

Here's the gang on our top deck: Joe, Johnny, Kim (holding Kason), Paul, Jamie (holding Zoe), Tracy, Jonelle, Ryan, Danielle and Wesley.

Our beach house was in Corolla on the soundside. We were only a quick trolley ride away from the beach and had a nice yard for the dogs to enjoy, a huge private pool and a golf course view. One of the best things about the house was that every room and the outside areas were wired with XM radio. We had a blast listening to 90s music while chilling in the pool. It was so hot we could have fried eggs on the cement if we weren't already stuffed with great homemade meals, fresh seafood and strawberry daquiris.

Here is our beach house:

The ocean water was incredibly warm for early June (and made for great swimming):

We also decided to rent a luxury pontoon boat for one evening ride on the sound. It was a pretty good time, although the fishing was pretty bad. I guess those are crab waters.

We tried our hands at crabbing - and although Wes and Ryan ended up catching some crabs - we were definitely bested by a couple of eight-year-olds with a string and a net. I have to say that even though my crab pot never saw even one inhabitant, I did enjoy watching the crabs swim around in their cute sideways crawl.

Above all, it was a great escape. Everyone got a little relaxation... even the dogs:

I miss the Outer Banks already.