Trip of a lifetime.

 I've got really cool parents.

They're fun.  Super fun.

And they've blossomed as grandparents.  They are so engaged with our kids.

Mom recently retired and they planned the trip of a lifetime.  They bought an RV, and headed east.  Their trip will ultimately take them across the country before heading back to NC.

They spent six days at the house, enjoying the pool and the sunshine.

Motorcycle rides.

 This is what the folks will call home for the next three months.

They left on a Monday with the girls, headed to Rhode Island.

Each of us have a special place--a place that holds memories, that we long for when we are not there.

For me, and my parents, it's the Charlestown Breachway in Rhode Island.

I spent the better part of every summer in a camper, just yards from the beach, playing on the beach, roasting marshmallows, making summertime friends that we'd see every year, and as I got older, flirting with the college park rangers and lifeguards.

There is no place that I would rather spend my time than this sleepy little beach town.

 I was so excited to get there, I convinced Wes that we should leave a day early.

This is the first picture of Tommy's first day at the ocean.  Dani and Tori, having arrived before us were happy to show us around.

 I didn't turn on my laptop once.

The kids didn't miss the lack of electronics.

They were too busy running in the surf and looking for hermit crabs in the breachway.

 Dancing in the ocean.

 Enjoying the glow of the evening sun, showing Grandma their hermit crabs.

 It was dinners out, and the freshest seafood.

Pleasantly wonderful manners too.

 The nightly post-dinner trip back to the beach, just to enjoy the sounds and the sand.

 Maybe the taste of the sand too?

 The smiles never left their faces.

 Ice cream at the end of a hot day.

 And the beginning of sunset while the waves crashed.

Chasing sea gulls.

 Throwing rocks.

 Beautiful sunsets.

 Family.

 The excitement of a door with a Tommy-sized window.

 Snacks at the picnic table.

 The feel of the sand between your toes.

 And just enjoying the love of family.

 Pretending to drive.

 Enjoying the sun.

 And back, for more hermit crabs.

 And then it was time to go, but it felt like we had just arrived.

Because time just kind of stops there.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a trip of a lifetime.

We love you.