Outer Banks with my GA family!

Daddy, Moma, Christina, Grandad, Gran, and Alyssa! My traveling companions! =) We have been on many trips together. Just as the other ones, this trip was incredible!

 

This trip was all about seeing lighthouses-- in all shapes and sizes. AND about being with my family. LOOOKIE! It's Christina! :) My favorite lil sis!! 

All three of us girls LOVED being in the water. It is soooo lovely! How fun it was to play with my sisters again!

We were able to worship together again! It was a very friendly little congregation. Neat to meet people from all over who were also vacationing there. The church is a family! It is a blessing to be members of the Body of Christ!

At the Wright Brothers' Memorial. It was awesome there. There was always a breeze there. I LOVE to fly, so I thought it was really cool to be there. There is also a small airport next to Kitty Hawk. Neat to hear the sounds of an airplane and be where the first one flew. 

CAPE HATTERAS! THIS lighthouse is why we planned this whole trip! It was incredibly beautiful and wonderful to see in person. It was a dream come true in our family to see it, climb it, and see the view from the top...

Inside the lighthouse! 257 steps... Gran and Grandad are so cool to be able to climb to the top without any problem. I'm so thankful for grandparents who love to travel, see the world, and also that we share the goal of Heaven. It was so good to have this family time!

We're at the top! It was soooo lovely! I would have stayed up there so much longer. The view from the top was so lovely. There is no way I can look out at the water, trees, sand, birds, how high up we were, and not think of God and how powerful He is!

Almost the whole family finally in the water! This is where you insert Grandad reading in the van... It was neat to be in the water where the Cape Hatteras light shines to lead the sailors to safely. Couldn't see lighthouse without thinking of Captain Jim from Anne's House of Dreams...

Isn't it just breathtaking? We were staying just a few miles away from the ocean, and we could see the water around almost every turn. The continual breeze helped keep it comfortable and not killer hot. The sun was shining all day every day. It was very beautiful! 

I am thankful that my family cares about modesty and has taught all of us girls from a young age that being at the beach or in a swimming pool does not mean that one can wear clothing equal to a bra and underwear. We try to stay covered from the shoulders to the knees. What you see in this picture are our swimming clothes. =)

 

We got up really early one morning to watch the sunrise over the beach. It was AWESOME! We had the beach mostly to ourselves. Doesn't this make you realize how majestic God is-- and how small we are? But how moving it is that He cares for us?

Doesn't it look like we went to the desert? Really, it's the sand dunes. But wow! They were huge and crazy hot. We walked, climbed, and played in the water so hard on this trip, if I kept that up always I'd been in GOOD shape! Try walking up a hill of sand in flipflops-- the sand will FLY up behind you and make your cute lil sis laugh heaps!

We went to see the lighthouse at night. This was special request by me, and a very lovely night and drive out there. The tallness and strength that a lighthouse seems to give is powerful. Made me think of how we can be a light to others in the world-- showing God to all around us. Make sure your light is shining for Him.

I LOVE this lighthouse! We didn't climb this one, but we sure enjoyed how pretty it was. This is the one that we say at night, too. 

Little details. Big Beauty!

At the Lost Colony... Sad story. Beautiful place, though. HOT day coming home!

A midget lighthouse! hee hee Isn't it CUTE!

My sweet grandparents. It was so nice to be together again. Gran's been e-mailing-- wooot! And look at that bright yellow shirt! :) They are the coolest grandparents ever! And sooo adorable together! 

Enjoyed sharing this trip with friends-- and having texting! I wonder if you all know how much YOU help daily in my life here, and wherever I am. You all encourage me with your belief and trust in me. Thank you for the messages, calls, texts, pictures, and letters. It all makes me so happy!

The view from my driveway. At home. In GA. Just as lovely as the view from my driveway. At home. In MO. Being at home at Duluth on Sunday was the best part of the whole trip, I think. It hint me there how much I did miss being there, how dear all those people are to me. Especially when my Aislinn and Kellen came running to me and when we started singing. So many smiles and hugs from people I've known all my life and people who have touched my life so richly with their love for God and the church. Loved being back there and look forward to any other times that I get to go to back... but I was very happy to come home. To my Missouri!!!!!!!!

Luke 6:38-- "Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom." 

~Thank you all for your love!!~